The PPU
To get anything at all to happen on the NES in terms of graphical output, we need to program the PPU (Picture Processing Unit). To program the PPU, we store values into certain memory addresses that when set will cause the NES to setup the PPU with those values. All programming on the NES is done using what's called "Memory Mapped Registers", you may know about this if you've programmed for the GBA. For you Intel knowledgable people, this is totally foriegn.
Binary Notation
Just to be absolutely clear, we will give the bits of a memory register in the following order:
Here's a random binary number (1 byte), and how we number it's bits:
0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
So the 7th bit is on the left and 0 bit on the right.
Setting Up The PPU
Note that one of the first things we need to do is set-up the PPU. We do this by storing values into $2000 and $2001 which are the 2 PPU control registers in memory. Here's the excerpt from YOSHi's doc to explain $2000 and $2001:
0 = Always zero 1 = Always 1
- = Not used ? = Unknown
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| Address | Description |
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| $2000 | PPU Control Register #1 (W) [PPUCNT0] |
| | %vMsbpiNN |
| | v = Execute NMI on VBlank |
| | 1 = Enabled |
| | M = PPU Selection (unused) |
| | 0 = Master |
| | 1 = Slave |
| | s = Sprite Size |
| | 0 = 8x8 |
| | 1 = 8x16 |
| | b = Background Pattern Table Address |
| | 0 = $0000 (VRAM) |
| | 1 = $1000 (VRAM) |
| | p = Sprite Pattern Table Address |
| | 0 = $0000 (VRAM) |
| | 1 = $1000 (VRAM) |
| | i = PPU Address Increment |
| | 0 = Increment by 1 |
| | 1 = Increment by 32 |
| | NN = Name Table Address |
| | 00 = $2000 (VRAM) |
| | 01 = $2400 (VRAM) |
| | 10 = $2800 (VRAM) |
| | 11 = $2C00 (VRAM) |
| | |
| | NOTE: Bit #6 (M) has no use, as there is only one (1) |
| | PPU installed in all forms of the NES and Famicom. |
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| $2001 | PPU Control Register #2 (W) [PPUCNT1] |
| | %fffpcsit |
| | fff = Full Background Colour |
| | 000 = Black |
| | 001 = Red |
| | 010 = Blue |
| | 100 = Green |
| | p = Sprite Visibility |
| | 1 = Display |
| | c = Background Visibility |
| | 1 = Display |
| | s = Sprite Clipping |
| | 0 = Sprites not displayed in left |
| | 8-pixel column |
| | 1 = No clipping |
| | i = Background Clipping |
| | 0 = Background not displayed in |
| | left 8-pixel column |
| | 1 = No clipping |
| | t = Display Type |
| | 0 = Colour display |
| | 1 = Mono-type (B&W) display |
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------+
To set-up the PPU we do 2 stores into memory. The code is:
lda #%00001000
sta $2000
lda #%00011110
sta $2001
The value we put into $2000 tells the PPU that the 2 NMIs are disabled, sprite size is 8x8, we use Screen pattern table $0000 and sprite pattern table $1000, increment addresses by 1, and we'll be using Name Table at $2000. These 2 memory registers are probably the two most complicated, but still easy, mem. registers to use.
The store into $2001 tells the PPU to not influence the palette toward any certain color, show sprites, turn the screen on, show sprites everywhere, show left 8 pixels, color display.
You should be able to figure all that out by looking at the binary number and using the notation I already showed you to figure out what the bits mean when we load registers.
What Else Do We Do To Get Output?
If you are talking about backgrounds, we need to do a couple of things:
- Making A Background:
- Draw some tiles in Tile Layer Pro.
- Include that file as the first file in bank 2.
- Create and Load a palette.
- Set tile numbers in Name Table.
Voilà! The background appears!
For sprites, the steps are slightly different:
- Making A Sprite:
- Draw the sprites in Tile Layer Pro.
- Include that file as the second file in bank 2.
- Create and Load a palette.
- Set sprite attributes in Sprite data memory (like OAM on GBA).
Ka boom! Sprite appears!
We'll learn how to load the palette tomorrow! Note that loading the palette is important as half is the background palette and half is the sprite palette.
This Day In Review
Wow! We're really movin' along here, aren't we? As I said, tomorrow we load the palette. Until then, good-night (I'm sleepy :) ).
Until Tomorrow,
-Mike H a.k.a GbaGuy