Learning MIPS Assembler

Klesk · Post by **Klesk** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:07 am

Hi everyone.
as you may see, i'm new to this boards.. :)
to introduce myself, my real name is Thomas, i'm 17 and from Austria

I'd like to start with coding for the PSP as soon as possible
ok.. i know that there is no possibility to execute code for it, but i think it would be a good idea to learn mips assembler until someone finally finds out how to pack and execute own programs
until now i have coded for older consoles, C64, Master System, Gameboy.. and some selfmade z80 systems...

so, i'm more used to older, simpler processors and i'm not familiar with the mips architecture
the first thing i found on google was "SPIM" which seems so be a MIPS Emulator and a good start for programming (with a mips compiler of course)
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~larus/spim.html
my question is, if it is the right way to start, i mean if the psp has exactly such a MIPS32 processor inside..?

if yes, i can start learning mips asm right now :)

-Thomas

skyfox01_99 · Post by **skyfox01_99** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 9:49 am

I may be wrong but i thought the CPU was a MIPS64 (R4000?). The manual for the processor is avaiable at PSP Hacks

junker · Post by **junker** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 4:19 pm

i wish i knew how to make programs :(
19 here

Awhite · Post by **Awhite** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:26 pm

Correct me if i'm wrong, but don't you have to KNOW memory addresses, bus access,Video memory addresses,etc to code for it? Coding only for the processor won't work IMHO :P

Klesk · Post by **Klesk** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:52 pm

Awhite wrote:Correct me if i'm wrong, but don't you have to KNOW memory addresses, bus access,Video memory addresses,etc to code for it? Coding only for the processor won't work IMHO :P

you are right, but as nobody knows them yet, the only thing that makes sense for me is learning mips asm

skyfox01_99: thanks for the link... now i'm busy with reading for the next weeks.. ;)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:59 pm

skyfox01_99 wrote:I may be wrong but i thought the CPU was a MIPS64 (R4000?). The manual for the processor is avaiable at

It is MIPS32. The PSP uses 32-bit MIPS cores.

Excellent MIPS architecture book: "See MIPS Run".

Excellent way to experiment with a MIPS-based system that you can actually run code on, compiled from C, C++, and/or assembly: PS2.

Great place to find the necessary stuff: ps2dev.org

Usefulness if you ever want to do something on the PSP: priceless.

skyfox01_99 · Post by **skyfox01_99** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 9:51 pm

Thanks for that gorim. I'm gonna go hunt that book down now.

Post by **blackdroid** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:58 am

www.mips.com