Start replacing special device macros with additional constructors,
starting with ISA, INTELLEC 4 and RS-232 buses.
Allow an object finder to take on the target of another object finder.
(For a combination of the previous two things in action, see either the
INTELLEC 4 driver, or the Apple 2 PC Exporter card. Also check out
looping over a device finder array to instantiate devices in some
places. Lots of things no longer need to pass tags around.)
Start supplying default clocks for things that have a standard clock or
have all clocks internal.
Eliminate the separate DEV versions of the DEVCB_ macros. Previously,
the plain versions were a shortcut for DEVICE_SELF as the target. You
can now supply a string tag (relative to current device being
configured), an object finder (takes on the base and relative tag), or
a reference to a device/interface (only do this if you know the device
won't be replaced out from under it, but that's a safe assumption for
your subdevices). In almost all cases, you can get the effect you want
by supplying *this as the target.
Eliminate sound and CPU versions of macros. They serve no useful
purpose, provide no extra checks, make error messages longer, add
indirection, and mislead newbies into thinking there's a difference.
Remove a lot of now-unnecessary ":" prefixes binding things relative to
machine root.
Clean up some miscellaneous rot.
Examples of new functionality in use in (some more subtle than others):
* src/mame/drivers/intellec4.cpp
* src/mame/drivers/tranz330.cpp
* src/mame/drivers/osboren1.cpp
* src/mame/drivers/zorba.cpp
* src/mame/devices/smioc.cpp
* src/devices/bus/a2bus/pc_xporter.cpp
* src/devices/bus/isa/isa.h
* src/devices/bus/isa/isa.h
* src/devices/bus/intellec4/intellec4.h
* start looking at the extra opcodes in the SSD 2000 type XaviX chip (seems some undocumented 6502 opcodes are replaced with more custom ones)
* (nw)
* the xavix memory mapping gets stranger with each piece of new evidence (nw)
- High level emulation of serial keyboard (only sort of works; probably should be less sophisticated)
- Add double height and double width attributes
- Adjustable start of screen pointer (necessary for SET-UP mode)
- Reconfigure screen for 80/132-column and 50/60 Hz modes
dikeyboard: Add scan_complete callback (nw, sort of hacky but cit101 keyboard works worse without it)
* Allows defaulted clocks (see subtle example with vboy)
* Allows additional constructors (see RS232 port in tranz330)
* Allows use of device finder in place of tag in MCFG_DEVICE_ADD
* Requires out-of-line destructor for devices using incomplete types
* Requires XTAL or explicit u32 for clocks for devices with private types
Devices must still define the standard constructor. When writing
additional constructors, be aware that the constructor runs before
device_add_mconfig in the context of the existing device, not the new
device. See osborne1, zorba, tranz330, and vboy for examples of this in
use. Compilation is a bit slower, but this is temporary while
refactoring is in progress.
Eliminated the need for MCFG_SOUND_ROUTE_EX.
Removed macros from slot option configuration - they just obfuscated
code and slowed it down with needless dynamic casts, but didn't actually
simplify it.
New Clone Added
------------------------------------------------
Pit Boss Superstar III 30 (9233-00-06, California version) [Brian Troha, The Dumping Union]
* Fix Acorn SL names so they show in the right position in front-ends.
* Fix mistake in BBC Bridge Companion. Thanks to Pernod70.
* Fixed more names. Thanks to Pernod70.
* Some more name fixes.
* Fix names for hardware manufactured by Casper and Torch.
* SL title disc lowercase for coherence.
* fmtowns.cpp : Accurate sound outputs
fmtowns.cpp : Accurate sound outputs from real hardware (real one has seperated left/right audio out (supports stereo))
* fmtowns.cpp : Fix PCM output level
