Out Run Arcade Software Development Kit

Updated July 30, 2020: New 2020.1 SDK released!

Version 2020.1 has been released!
It has numerous fixes, new convenience functionality and a new communication sample for use with the OutRun-USB interface.
Check out the full list below.

Introduction

The Out Run Arcade SDK allows you to write software for the Out Run arcade board using C (or C++, yes, it actually mostly works, but has a huge memory footprint). It provides startup code as well as functionality to interface the hardware components.

You can now develop on Windows, Linux and MacOS platforms, and can run the result either via MAME, dedicated ROMs on original hardware, or upload to RAM via bootloader and USB or legacy LPT interfaces.

Samples

In addition, it has some samples to get you going. Here are pretentious screenshots.

Installation

Firstly, you can download the SDK package here. This no longer comes with prebuilt GCC binaries, a build script is included.

• SDK package: Out Run SDK 2020.1 (build 5939)
• Prebuilt GCC binaries for Windows: GCC 8.2.0 (321MB) -- use the contact button below if you have trouble downloading.

Previous 'preview 2' version (2016): outrun_sdk_preview_2.zip

Then please closely follow install.txt!

For now I recommend just putting everything in c:\outrun. Either download prebuilt 'outrun-gcc' binaries, or build them using the included buildgcc-8.2.0.sh script (see header for further platform-specific requirements).

Run 'setupenv.bat' to add gcc to your path (not stored permanently, just for the open console).
Non-windows users: use 'source setupenv.sh'.

The SDK has already been prebuilt, but you can run build_sdk.bat/.sh from the /sdk/ directory to re-create the libraries.

You can run 'make.bat' (.sh) or 'make.bat clean' from any of the sample subdirectories (except /common/) to build or clean a sample. It'll generate both ROM images and binaries for the bootloader.

Windows only: If you have MAME installed, you can either set the environment variable MAME_PATH to the MAME installation folder, or edit /bin/run.bat to include it. Default search locations are c:\mame and c:\outrun\mame.

*** MAKE SURE TO BACKUP THE /roms/outrun/ SUBFOLDER IF YOU HAVE ONE ***

And also have outrun.zip in the /roms/ subfolder. This is the regular original Rev. B ROM set.

Once built, you can use 'run.bat' or 'run.bat debug' to copy the EPR-*.* files to the MAME's /roms/outrun/ folder and start MAME either with or without debugging.

New in version 2020.1

• GCC default upgraded to 8.2.0 (4.9.0, 6.1.0 and 7.1.0 should also still work)

• SDK

  • Added .shared section accessible by both CPUs. For usage, see shared.h/c in /samples/road/.
  • Added INPUT_ReadAnalogInputImmediate, used by (now IRQ driven) adchandler in /samples/. INPUT_ReadAnalogInputWait should only be used on real hardware.
  • Added SPRITE_InitFast and SPRITE_InitFull.
  • Road hardware now accessible on both CPUs via ROAD_RAM_BASE/ROAD_CONTROL.
  • IRQx_SetHandler can write out the previous handler to facilitate IRQ chaining.
  • Added PackedColor type.
  • build_sdk.sh for non-Windows platforms.

• Common

  • Added adchandler; this polls the analog input 3 times per frame from IRQ2.
  • Added comm.h/cpp: semi bi-directional communication through pc interface.
  • Text: added blinking IRQ-driven cursor (TEXT_SetCursorEnable)
  • Text: added TEXT_WINDOW_STATE, TEXT_GetWindowState and TEXT_SetWindowState
  • Text: made word wrapping implicit; i.e. scan back actual visible text and move words to the next line.
  • Menu: Slightly more flexible MENU_Init; allows configuration of item spacing. Added a few more helper functions.
  • Input: Added INPUT_IsButtonReleased.
  • Input: Base key repeat timing on IRQ4-counter to compensate for low frame rates.
  • HWInit: Proper road and sprite init from main CPU.
  • Palette: renamed palette.c/h to paletteutil. Added PALETTE_FadeFromSolid.

• Samples

  • Added dataxfer sample as demonstration of comm.h/comm.cpp features.
  • make.sh for linux/mac platforms.
  • Shared make.bat/make.sh for all samples (located in bin/, referenced from stub make.sh/make.bat in sample folder)
  • Audio: Road init from main cpu.
  • Audio: Disabled mute options as they were painting over the radio sprites.
  • Audio: Animate tune knob/frequency sprites when changing selection.
  • Audio: Animated VU meter loosely based on track times and volume.
  • Input: Use interrupt based ADC polling.
  • Memtest: Added restart timer; added blinking cursor.
  • Road: Can update animation from either CPU (gear decides which). Demonstrates shared section.
  • Sprite: Split out sprite definitions and palettes to separate files.
  • Sprite: Fixed horizontal and vertical flip options.
  • Sprite: Added zoom options.
  • Tile: Set up road from main CPU; added input support; print visible page and scroll info.

Additional links

For compiling GCC yourself see Building the 68000 cross compiler, or have a script do it for you.
For transferring your programs to the PCB via USB interface, check out the Out Run to USB Development/PS2 Controller Interface.
For hooking up your PCB to a TV or power supply see Hooking a Sega Outrun arcade PCB up to an AT(X) power supply and SCART TV.