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                               CHIP8 FAQs           
                     - Frequently Asked Questions - 
                    


Q: Is it legal to copy CHIP-8 and SUPER-CHIP programs ?

A: Most of these programs are FREE, because they are FREEWARE.
   Therefore, it is legal to copy and distribute them.
   Concerning the original CHIP-8 programs, these ones were released on
   audiocassete and paper listing. As no copyright has been found on the
   listings and program titles (when running), it is legal to copy them.
   HOWEVER, IT IS NOT LEGAL TO SELL THESE PROGRAMS. IT IS ALSO NOT LEGAL
   TO DISTRIBUTE THESE PROGRAMS IN ANY NON-FREE MANNER.


Q: I can't run CHIP8. CHIP8 tells me that the program I want to run doesn't
   exist.

A: The name of your program is badly specified. Don't forget to include a
   path to access the program. For example, you must not run BRIX by typing
   CHIP8 BRIX. Just type CHIP8 GAMES\BRIX.



Q: The name of the program I want to run is correct, but CHIP8 still refuses
   to run it, crashes or runs it too fast to play it.

A: Your program may have been corrupted, or badly transfered. Try to copy it
   again, and run CHIP8 again. Make sure your PC is an AT, and not an XT.



Q: The program runs OK, but the keyboard seems to be not accessible.

A: Be sure that the Num-Lock mode is ON. If not, the CHIP8 keyboard cannot
   be used.



Q: CHIP8 runs very slowly.

A: You may have run CHIP8 under WINDOWS. This is due to the CPU time that
   CHIP8 requires, which can be insufficient. On some fast machines, this
   can also be due to the fact that CHIP8 has been run under the DOS window.
   Press Alt+Enter. This may accelerate the speed.



Q: As mentioned in the documentations, I can disassemble a SNAPSHOT file to
   see its contents. When I run UNCHIP on my file, I obtain a bad result.

A: UNCHIP considers a SNAPSHOT file by its name. If the name of your file
   is not "SNAPSHOT", UNCHIP will disassemble it as a program, not as a
   snapshot.



Q: How can I transfer some CHIP8 programs from my HP48 ?

A: This depends on the type of your HP48. Run the TERMINAL under WINDOWS.
   Configure the transfer in KERMIT mode if you have an HP48S(x), or in
   XMODEM mode if you have an HP48G(x). Be sure that your HP48 transfer
   mode is set to BINARY, and the baud rate is set to 9600 BAUDS, without
   parity and in WIRE mode. Make sure that the TERMINAL is set to 9600 BAUDS,
   without parity. Then, go to the TRANSFER menu and choose "Receive Binary".
   On your HP48S(x), type 'Program_Name' SEND. On your HP48G(x), type XSEND
   instead of SEND. If everything is correctly configured and you have your
   CHIP8 program stored in variables, the transfer should start after a few
   seconds.



Q: I transfered my program, but after executing FIX_CHIP, I get an error,
   or my program doesn't run correctly.

A: Your program may have been badly transfered or corrupted. If the problem
   persists, you have a transfer configuration error.



Q: Where can I find CHIP8 utilities ? Is CHIP-8 available on the internet ?

A: On the Internet, you can find several programs. For example, go to:
   http://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/hp48/chip8
   Else go to LYCOS at http://www.lycos.com, and make a research with some
   keywords like CHIP8, CHIP, CHIP48, etc...
   The official home-page of CHIP-8 is http://services.worldnet.net/winter



Q: I have disassembled a CHIP8 program, but the source doesn't correspond
   to what I expected. For example, there are illegal instructions at come
   places.

A: CHIP8 programs are not only made of instructions. They can contain some
   data. The disassembler CANNOT make the difference between the data and the
   instructions. This is why the data are disassembled as instructions, which
   can be illegal.
   Your program can also contain some instructions placed at ODD addresses.
   As the instructions are supposed to be always placed at EVEN addresses,
   this may cause some disassembling problems.



Q: I would like to modify an existant CHIP8 program. How can I do this ?

A: You have several solutions. The best one is to disassemble the program,
   and then assemble it after having modified it. To insert instructions,
   refer to the section BINHEX/HEXBIN in CHIP_DOC.ENG.



Q: Can I change the speed of the emulator ?

A: No. This would not be useful, and could perform errors in some programs
   using timers instructions.



Q: Can I redefine the keyboard keys ?

A: No. This would make too many confusions, and the testers didn't find this
   function useful.



Q: I have old audio cassettes that contain CHIP8 programs. Can I transfer
   them on my PC ?

A: Well, if you know a way to do this, yes ! But the emulator package doesn't
   include any utility to do this.



Q: I programmed some CHIP8 games. Can they be joined to the emulator ?

A: Sure ! You only have to EMail them to me (winter@worldnet.net), WITH
   a documentation, even brief.



Q: I know some internal 1802 function calls. Is it possible to add support
   for them ?

A: If you can describe the COMPLETE operation of these functions, YES.



Q: I have some original listings of CHIP-8 programs. Are these usable with
   the emulator ?

A: Yes, of course. You must type the listing as is, and take the care to
   separate the bytes by spaces. Once you have typed your file, use HEXBIN
   to convert it to binary. Then, run the emulator.


Q: Are you interested in having a cheap TELMAC 1800, COSMAC VIP or other
   old machine running CHIP-8 ?

A: YES. I collect old videogame consoles and old computers. Contact me to
   see what we can do.


Q: Are there any known problems with the emulator ?

A: Yes. The help screen cannot be accessed when a program is waiting for a
   keypress. This should be fixed soon.
   Another major problem is SPEED. The speed of the original SCHIP interpreter
   was based on the execution speed of the HP48 processor. Since all the
   instructions of its processor are not same, it is impossible to emulate
   SCHIP at a correct speed. Next versions of the emulator will probably
   allow to set the emulation speed.
