Introduction: Planet Lander on 4D Systems' PoGa
The 4D Systems' PoGa - Portable Gaming console - is a sophisticated gaming console containing a uLCD screen, a Goldelox microcontroller, a uSD card reader, and the regular controls for gaming (up/down/left/right for your left hand, and A/B for your right). Check out http://www.poga.com.au for further details on the hardware, and information sheets for hacking the hardware.
A classic planet lander game has been implemented for the PoGa console. Planet lander is a game where a space ship falls on the planet you are attempting to land on. Each stage has a specific background, a sprite representing the ship, and a certain acceleration with which the ship falls. The aim of the game is to fire your up/left/right thrusters so that you land on the landing pad at a velocity less than 100. Outside these conditions, and your ship will result in a spectacular crash!
In this instructable, I will show you how to download the required files from the PoGa website, download the files to the device, and start playing.
A classic planet lander game has been implemented for the PoGa console. Planet lander is a game where a space ship falls on the planet you are attempting to land on. Each stage has a specific background, a sprite representing the ship, and a certain acceleration with which the ship falls. The aim of the game is to fire your up/left/right thrusters so that you land on the landing pad at a velocity less than 100. Outside these conditions, and your ship will result in a spectacular crash!
In this instructable, I will show you how to download the required files from the PoGa website, download the files to the device, and start playing.
Step 1: Download Files From Www.poga.com.au
1) Go to http://www.poga.com.au
2) Click on Projects
3) Click on Search
4) Search for planet lander, select the correct entry, and download the zip file
5) Search for menu, select the correct entry, download the zip file
For those of you who want the full URLs here they are:
http://www.poga.com.au/site/projects.html?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=4&sobi2Id=17
http://www.poga.com.au/site/projects.html?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=11&sobi2Id=9
You should now have the Planet lander game as well as the PoGa menu program. These two sets of files will be used later.
The next step involves downloading and installing 4D Workshop3 IDE into your computer.
2) Click on Projects
3) Click on Search
4) Search for planet lander, select the correct entry, and download the zip file
5) Search for menu, select the correct entry, download the zip file
For those of you who want the full URLs here they are:
http://www.poga.com.au/site/projects.html?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=4&sobi2Id=17
http://www.poga.com.au/site/projects.html?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=11&sobi2Id=9
You should now have the Planet lander game as well as the PoGa menu program. These two sets of files will be used later.
The next step involves downloading and installing 4D Workshop3 IDE into your computer.
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Step 2: Download and Install 4D Workshop
If you have already downloaded and installed 4D Workshop, you can skip this step.
1) Go to http://www.4dsystems.com.au/prod.php?id=111
2) Download the 4D Workshop3 IDE, and install
3) If you like, you can also download the user guide
You now have the latest 4D Workshop IDE installed on your PC.
The next step involves compiling and downloading the menu program into your PoGa.
1) Go to http://www.4dsystems.com.au/prod.php?id=111
2) Download the 4D Workshop3 IDE, and install
3) If you like, you can also download the user guide
You now have the latest 4D Workshop IDE installed on your PC.
The next step involves compiling and downloading the menu program into your PoGa.
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Step 3: Download the PmmC File
Your PoGa should have already been configured with the correct PmmC file from 4D Systems. If you are uncertain about this, you may configure it again.
WARNING: This erases any program in your PoGa's Goldelox microcontroller, so you should do this with caution.
1) Go to http://www.4dsystems.com.au/prod.php?id=135
2) Select the Download tab
3) Download the latest *.PmmC file (see image)
4) Open 4D Workshop
5) In the tools menu, select PmmC Loader. This will open a new window (see image)
6) Find the PmmC file you just downloaded using "..."
7) Select the COM port that your PoGa is connected to
8) Switch on the PoGa
9) Click Load
You should now have your PoGa configured with the latest PmmC.
The next step involves downloading the menu program into the PoGa.
WARNING: This erases any program in your PoGa's Goldelox microcontroller, so you should do this with caution.
1) Go to http://www.4dsystems.com.au/prod.php?id=135
2) Select the Download tab
3) Download the latest *.PmmC file (see image)
4) Open 4D Workshop
5) In the tools menu, select PmmC Loader. This will open a new window (see image)
6) Find the PmmC file you just downloaded using "..."
7) Select the COM port that your PoGa is connected to
8) Switch on the PoGa
9) Click Load
You should now have your PoGa configured with the latest PmmC.
The next step involves downloading the menu program into the PoGa.
Step 4: Download the Menu Program to the PoGa
If the menu program is already on the PoGa, you can skip this step.
1) Open 4D Workshop3 IDE program
2) Unzip the menu program downloaded previously
3) In 4D Workshop, open the menu program 4DG file (see image)
4) Connect your PoGa to your computer
5) At the top of 4D Workshop, select the correct COM port. You should see the red circle turn green
6) Click the Comp'nLoad button
You should now have the menu program loaded onto your PoGa.
The next step involves putting a PoGa program into the uSD card, which the PoGa menu program will read.
1) Open 4D Workshop3 IDE program
2) Unzip the menu program downloaded previously
3) In 4D Workshop, open the menu program 4DG file (see image)
4) Connect your PoGa to your computer
5) At the top of 4D Workshop, select the correct COM port. You should see the red circle turn green
6) Click the Comp'nLoad button
You should now have the menu program loaded onto your PoGa.
The next step involves putting a PoGa program into the uSD card, which the PoGa menu program will read.
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Step 5: Convert the USD Card Into a PoGa Disk
If you already have games installed in your uSD card, you may skip this step.
1) Open 4D Workshop
2) Select PoGa Explorer
3) Using a card reader, connect the uSD card to your computer
3) On the top left-hand pane, select the drive containing the uSD card
4) Right-click the uSD card drive, and select Format
5) Follow the instructions to format.
You should now have a uSD card acting as a PoGa disk
The next step shows you how to load your programs into your uSD card.
1) Open 4D Workshop
2) Select PoGa Explorer
3) Using a card reader, connect the uSD card to your computer
3) On the top left-hand pane, select the drive containing the uSD card
4) Right-click the uSD card drive, and select Format
5) Follow the instructions to format.
You should now have a uSD card acting as a PoGa disk
The next step shows you how to load your programs into your uSD card.
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Step 6: Load Games Into the USD Card
1) Open 4D Workshop
2) Select PoGa Explorer
3) On the bottom-left-hand pane, select the folder containing the unzipped contents of the Planet lander game
4) Select the PoGa disk on the top-left-hand pane
5) Drag the 4XE file from the bottom-right-hand pane to the top-right-hand pane
6) Drag the GCI file from the bottom-right-hand pane into the 4XE file in the top-right-hand pane, so that the 4XE file contains the GCI file
7) Right-click the 4XE file in the top-right-hand pane, select Info. You should now see the GCI file as part of the 4XE file.
You should now have the Planet lander game installed in you uSD PoGa Disk.
You are now ready to play your game!
2) Select PoGa Explorer
3) On the bottom-left-hand pane, select the folder containing the unzipped contents of the Planet lander game
4) Select the PoGa disk on the top-left-hand pane
5) Drag the 4XE file from the bottom-right-hand pane to the top-right-hand pane
6) Drag the GCI file from the bottom-right-hand pane into the 4XE file in the top-right-hand pane, so that the 4XE file contains the GCI file
7) Right-click the 4XE file in the top-right-hand pane, select Info. You should now see the GCI file as part of the 4XE file.
You should now have the Planet lander game installed in you uSD PoGa Disk.
You are now ready to play your game!
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Step 7:
1) Insert the uSD card into the PoGa console
2) Switch on the PoGa console
3) Select Lander from the menu, using the PoGa controls
4) Start playing!
You can see it in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FCCAqMvD3w
2) Switch on the PoGa console
3) Select Lander from the menu, using the PoGa controls
4) Start playing!
You can see it in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FCCAqMvD3w
Enjoy!
P.S. I must thank the guys at 4D Systems for all their help & support on this project.
P.S. I must thank the guys at 4D Systems for all their help & support on this project.