quote: Also, what operating system would I develop on? I assume I could use C++ or a programming language like it, and OpenGL? I know I can''t make intense 3D graphics for a hand held device but I can''t make intense 3D graphics anyway so it works out well.
As said before, most likely you would either make your own custom OS or license (which will cost you big $ if possible) one. As for the programming language, someone above mentioned the Gameboy. If you want to make something similar to that, know that all the games for it were written in assembly. So, you probably would need to use assembly for speed and space reasons.
I'm learning, just like the best of us...Ok, now assume a spherical cow... :)
i know for sure that andre lamothe is writing exactly a book on how to build your own programmable handheld system from scratch... try a search on the www.xgames3d.com forum, and you will find what he says about the upcoming book himself...
Probably a pointless post considering the age of the original post however... Never thought about making a tamagochi before, the idea seems interesting though. I would be more inclined to create a critter on PC though for my own amusement, as memory and graphics would far exceed any device I would create... and cheaper too since I already own a computer and not any of the other equipment I would need. But say I did and wanted to create a tamagochi what equipment would I need???
A breadboard, resistors, capacitors, maybe some RAM or an EPROM a processor/micro controller eg 8051 series etc. A universal programmer to write my program or OS kernal onto the chip/EPROM, a UV box to erase the EPROM, if the 8051 chip has flash memory this wont be needed though and I wont have to wait half an hour every time I wanted to change the code... unless I get an EPROM emulator or more EPROMS. I would need an LCD display, probably a MAX232 chip if I want an interface to my computers serial port, I would need a Logic Analyser, Digital Multimeter, wire, etc etc for the prototyping stage. Then I would need a page from a reference manual which would have the dozen or so assembly codes and the instructions on what crystal would be required and extra resistors needed, which ports are for RX/TX for the 232 and whats multiplexed and whats not. Then after making my birds nest of wires and hoping the breadboard and hardware is not faulty I can begin to make my tamagochi. There are C to asm converters for 8051 but they would not be memory efficient since there is much overhead and I wouldn''t like that if I wanted any sort of AI simulation.
Actually the project would be fun... but on the other hand my attention probably would turn back to my computer and monitor in the end since my computer already works and I can play black and white or something.
