Gamepark Holdings GP2X User manual

GP2X User Guide
For firmware: v2.1.0
Author: Guyfawkes
www.emuholic.com
20th October 2006

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GP2X User Guide –www.emuholic.com
Contents
Basic Usage
Page 3 - GP2X Information
Page 7 - Setting up your GP2X
Page 9 - Using the GP2X for the first time
Page 12 - Managing files on the GP2X
Page 13 - Installing and loading software
Page 15 - Installing and loading a game
Page 16 - Viewing Images
Page 18 - Playing Music
Page 20 - Viewing Movies
Page 22 - Reading E-Books
Page 24 - Using Explorer
Page 26 - Using the Settings menu
Page 29 - System Settings
Page 32 - Troubleshooting
Page 33 - Useful information
Advanced Usage
Page 34 - Firmware upgrading and Installing Software updates
Page 37 - GP2X Menu Skins
Page 39 - Developing for the GP2X introduction
Page 41 - Breakout Board guide
Page 43 - Credits, Thanks and other stuff

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GP2X Information
Product name
* GP2X-F100
General* CPU: Dual CPU Cores
* ARM920T: Host processor
* ARM940T: Video Coprocessor
* NAND Flash Memory: 64 Mega Byte
* Dimension: 143.6mm* 82.9mm*34mm
* Weight: 161 Gram (Without Battery)
* RAM: SDRAM 64 Mega Byte
* Storage: SD Card
* Connection Type: 2.0 high speed
* O/S: Linux
* Power supply: 2AA
* Display: * 3.5" TFT LCD (Hardware: 16.7 Million Colors / Software: 260,000 Colors)
Video * Video file: MPEG 4, Dvix 3.11,4x,5x, and Higher, XVID, WMV (7,8,9 Later On) Playback.
* Audio file: MP3, OGG, WMA (Later On)
* Resolution: MAX 720*480 30fps
* Frame Rate: Max 30 fps
* Bit Rate: Video Max: 2500 Kbps
* Audio Max: 384Kbps
* Caption: SMI
* TV-OUT: NTSC, PAL Support
Audio * Channels: Stereo (L+R)
* Frequency Rate: 20Hz~20KHz
* File: MP3, OGG, WMA (Later On)
* Bit rate sampling: 16bit/8~48KHz
* Equalizer: Normal, Classic, Rock, Jazz, Pop
Included Software
* E-Book Reader
* Image Viewer
* Movie Viewer
* Music Player
Controls
* 8 way digital thumb stick
* 4+1 main action buttons (Thumb stick clicks in for use as an action button)
* 2 shoulder buttons
* Start and Select
* Volume +/-

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I/O Ports
* Headphones
* USB 2.0 (not powered)
* EXT Port
* DC Power - 3 Volts, center negative
* Future SDIO Hardware Support
Continuous playback time
* Video: Approx. 4 hours
* Audio: Approx. 6 hours
GP2X Layout
Front of GP2X:
1 –8 way Joypad
2 –Volume Up/Down
3 –Left Speaker
4 –LCD Screen
5 –A, B, X, Y Buttons
6 –Select button
7 –Start button
8 –Right speaker
9 –Power LED (Green)
10 –Battery LED (Red)
Back of GP2X:
1 –Battery Compartment
2 –Case Screws

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Top of GP2X:
1 –Right Shoulder Button.
2 –Left Shoulder Button.
3 –Headphone Socket.
4 –Secure Digital Slot.
Bottom of GP2X:
1 –Extension Port.
2 –GP2X Wrist Strap Hole

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GP2X Accessories
The following official accessories can be purchased separately for your GP2X.
Official Accessories
Power Supply Unit
Hand Strap
Carry Case
Screen Protector
TV-Out Cable
Breakout Board
You can purchase these accessories from stores listed in our Useful Information section.

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Setting Up Your GP2X
You should have the following inside your GP2X box:
1x GP2X unit
1x USB cable
1x Screen Protector
1x Pack of 2 AA batteries
1x Korean/English Manual
Fitting the Screen Protector
After unpacking the GP2X you should install the screen protector immediately. Carefully remove the shipping
film from the GP2X screen by pulling the Red tag on the top right. Now remove the film from the Screen
Protector and ensuring there is no dust on the underside of the Screen Protector and on the GP2X screen,
carefully place it on the GP2X. The Screen Protector also has a film to protect the screen, using a fingernail or
knife, gently unpeel it from a corner of the screen.
There is also protector film on the Power and Battery display panel which can be removed if you wish to.
Fitting the batteries
The GP2X uses two AA batteries to power the device. To fit these, gently push and slide the marked area on the
battery cover found on the back of the GP2X towards you. Insert the batteries the correct way as shown in the
battery compartment and then replace the battery cover.
Dead batteries can give the impression that your GP2X unit has broke by displaying random patterns on the
screen when you switch it on. Please read the Troubleshooting section for more information.
Fitting the Secure Digital Card
The GP2X uses a Secure Digital Card (not supplied as standard) as its storage. To install this insert the Secure
Digital Card with the back facing you into the Secure Digital Slot found on the top of the GP2X. The notch
should be on the bottom right hand side and when inserted you should hear a click to confirm it is correctly
inserted. Do not try to force the Secure Digital Card into the slot or you may damage the Card or the GP2X!

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Installing the USB Cable
The GP2X can connect to your PC via a USB cable to transfer your games, utilities, movies, music and E-
Books. To do this you will require a free USB port on your PC, it is recommended you have a USB 2 port for
faster transferring of files but a USB 1 port will work. Locate an unused USB port on your PC and carefully
insert the USB connector into it. To connect the USB cable to your GP2X, remove the rubber protection cover
and insert the USB cable into the GP2X.
You are now ready to switch on and enjoy the GP2X!

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Using the GP2X for the first time
Switch on the GP2X by pressing the On/Off switch located on the left hand side of the GP2X. The screen should
light up and after a second or two the first of two boot screens should display. This should last for several
seconds then a second boot screen will display. After around 15 seconds in total (for v2.0.0 firmware, otherwise
25 seconds), the boot process will be complete and you will be presented with the Main Menu screen as shown
in Figure 1.
Figure 1
To navigate the menu system you can use the joystick to move between the options. You can press to select
a highlighted option.
Connecting the GP2X to your PC
Remove the rubber flap found on the right hand side of your GP2X then carefully insert the USB cable into the
USB connector on the GP2X. Please also ensure that a Secure Digital card has been inserted into the GP2X
otherwise your PC may not recognise the GP2X. Now navigate to the Settings menu and press to enter the
Settings menu as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2

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Now navigate to the USB option and press to select it. The USB Mode screen will appear as in Figure 3.
Figure 3
Now navigate to the SD Memory Card option and press to select it. The USB Connection screen will
appear as in Figure 4.
Figure 4
After a few seconds Windows should report that it has found a new USB device and will start to install the
hardware. If you are asked for a driver please download the file at http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-
bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,15,1473, extract the zip file to a temporary folder and point the hardware install wizard to
this file.

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Once you are notified that the device is ready to use, open My Computer and locate the new Drive that has
been created as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5
In this example the Secure Digital Card is already formatted but if you have a new card you may need to format
it for it to be used on the GP2X. To do this right click on the Secure Digital drive (in this example Drive G) and
choose Format from the options.
A new window will appear and prompt you for
some information. The Capacity will vary
between different sizes of Cards; in this example a
256 MB Card is shown. The File System should be
set to FAT32 and the Allocation unit size set to
Default allocation size. The Volume label is the
name of your drive; you may rename this to an
easily identifiable name such as GP2X Card.
Once you are happy with the settings click on the
Start button and the Secure Digital Card will
proceed to be formatted.
Once the process is completed you can now begin
to transfer files to your GP2X.

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Managing files on the GP2X
Copying files to your GP2X
Copying files to the GP2X is much like everyday file copying on your hard drive. In the following example we
will copy a MP3 to the GP2X.
Connect your GP2X to your PC as shown here. Now select which file you wish to copy to the GP2X by clicking
on it once, if you wish to select more files then hold the CTRL button while clicking on a new file to
select/deselect it. Once you have chosen your file(s) right click on one of them and choose Copy from the
options, next click on the GP2X drive (in our case drive G) and choose Paste from the options. Your files will
now be copied to the GP2X, the time it takes depends on the size and number of files you copied.
Deleting files on your GP2X
Again this is the same as performing a deletion of files on your PC. Connect your GP2X to your PC as shown
here. Now select which file you wish to delete from the GP2X by clicking on it once, if you wish to select more
files then hold the CTRL button while clicking on a new file to select/deselect it. Now press the Delete key on
your PC or right click and choose Delete from the options. Your file(s) will now be deleted from the GP2X. You
can also perform this task from within the GP2X Explorer, more information here.
Useful Tips
1 - You can create new folders on your Secure Digital Card for the various file types supported on the GP2X.
For example: a Games folder to store your games, a Music folder to store your MP3’s or a Video folder to store
your videos. This way it is easier to keep track of what is installed on your GP2X and you can manage your files
more efficiently.
2 - Never remove your Secure Digital Card or switch off your GP2X while files are being accessed. This can
result in the loss or damage of files on your Secure Digital Card.

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Installing and loading software
Installing the SDL files
The GP2X supports SDL which is a development library for multiple devices and operating systems. Games
using SDL may require library files to be installed to the GP2X in order for them to work correctly; you will
only need to install these once. You can download the SDL files from the GP2X Archive at
http://archive.gp2x.de/
The SDL files are in a Zip archive format so you can simply extract the two files (install_libs.gpu and
install_libs.tar.gz) straight to the GP2X drive as you normally would on your PC. Open the file in your preferred
.zip extraction program and point it to extract the files to the GP2X drive (in this case the G drive).
Now quit the USB connection screen and return to the main menu. Navigate to the Utility option and press .
You will be presented with the Utility Launcher screen as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
The three options are described:
SD Memory Card - This is your Secure Digital Card where all data such as games, music and videos
are stored.
NAND Memory - This is the internal memory of the GP2X and only important files such as drivers
like the SDL files should be installed to here. The reason is that only 20 MB is available for storage so
space is more limited than you would get with a Secure Digital Card.
EXT Storage - This is for connecting to external devices.

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Choose SD Memory Card from the options and press to select it. A program list screen similar to the image
in Figure 2 will be displayed.
Figure 2
This is the Utility Launcher menu, Figure 2 shows only one file which we just installed but as you use your
GP2X, more files will be listed here. Select the install_libs file and press to run it. The screen will turn black
for a few seconds while the necessary files are installed and afterwards you will be returned to the Main Menu.

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Installing and loading a game
In this example we will be using a game called ShanghaiX. If you wish to you can download this game from the
GP2X Archive at http://archive.gp2x.de/
Extract the files from the archive to your GP2X drive the same way you done so for installing the SDL files.
From the main menu highlight the Game option and press to select it. You will be presented with the Game
Player screen as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
As you will notice this screen is similar to the Utility Launcher screen. Choose the SD Memory Card option
and press to select it. A program list screen similar to the image in Figure 2 will be displayed.
Figure 2
Highlight ShanghaiX and press to select it. The game should now load. Enjoy your first game on the GP2X!
Useful tip
Game and Utility files have different filename extensions even though they are the same format. This is because
the Game Launcher screen only displays filenames with the extension .GPE and the Utility Launcher screen
only displays filenames with the extension .GPU.

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Viewing Images
The GP2X can view images that are stored on your Secure Digital Card, NAND Memory or External Storage.
The following image formats are supported
JPEG - .jpg extension
Bitmap - .bmp extension
Graphics Interchange - .gif extension
Portable Network Graphics - .png extension
From the Main Menu, choose the Photo option and press to select. You will be presented with the Photo
Viewer screen as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Choose the SD Memory Card option and press to select it. An image list screen similar to the image in
Figure 2 will be displayed.
Figure 2

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Highlight the image you wish to view and press to select. After
a second or two, depending on the size of the file, your image will
be displayed.
Pressing the button will display an options bar as shown below.
Z IN - Zooms in on the chosen photo.
Original - Restores the chosen photo to the original size.
Z OUT - Zooms out on the chosen photo.
R LEFT - Rotates the chosen photo 90 degrees to the left.
R RIGHT - Rotates the chosen photo 90 degrees to the right.
C LEFT - Comic book function.
C RIGHT - Comic book function.
FIT - Fits the chosen photo to the screen size.
Pressing the or shoulder buttons on your GP2X will automatically load and display the previous or
following image on your Secure Digital Card.
To return to the list of images press the button, and to return to the Main Menu press the button.

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Playing Music
The GP2X can support the following audio formats:
MP3 - .mp3 filename extension
OGG - .ogg filename extension
From the Main Menu, choose the Music option and press to select. You will be presented with the Music
Player screen as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Choose the SD Memory Card option and press to select it. An audio list screen similar to the image in
Figure 2 will be displayed.
Figure 2

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Choose the song you wish to listen to and press to select. The audio player will then appear and start to play
your chosen song as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3
Pressing will show or hide a series of options for the player. These are:
Previous Track
Next Track
Skip Backwards
Skip Forwards
Play
Pause
Stop
Open a new file
Equalizer
Use the joystick to change between the options and press to select. The Equalizer has eleven presets to suit
the style of music. These are Normal, Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classic, Dance, Heavy Metal, Disco, Soft, Live 3D and
Hall. To change between these highlight the Equalizer option and press to cycle through the presets.
The Volume buttons found on the GP2X can be pressed to increase or decrease the volume in 10 settings. You
can also lock the buttons and turn the screen off and on by pressing to save battery life and also avoid
unnecessary button pressing. To exit the Music Player press twice to return to the file list screen or press
to return to the Main Menu.

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Viewing Movies
The GP2X can support the following file formats:
AVI - XVid
From the Main Menu highlight the Video option and press to select. The Movie Player screen will be
displayed as in Figure 1.
Figure 1
You can press to change the CPU speed for the movie player, there are three settings; Full (200 Mhz),
Normal (166 Mhz) and Save (100 Mhz). This is useful if you wish to conserve battery life but some movies may
play slower or skip frames. The current setting can be found in the top left of the screen shown by the icons
below.
Once you are happy with your CPU speed setting, choose the SD Memory Card option and press to select
it. The Movie Player file list screen similar to the image in Figure 2 will be displayed.
Figure 2