Hardware 3DS to use 2 PICA 200 chips

[CrimzonEyed]

The two front cameras are actully one 3D camera

 

[Deleted_171835]

The two front cameras are actully one 3D camera

No.
The two front cameras used together can produce a 3D picture. The camera used alone would just produce a normal picture.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

The two front cameras are actully one 3D camera

No.
The two front cameras used together can produce a 3D picture. The camera used alone would just produce a normal picture.

1 camera with 2 lenses

 

[Deleted_171835]

The two front cameras are actully one 3D camera

No.
The two front cameras lenses used together can produce a 3D picture. The camera lens used alone would just produce a normal picture.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/me.../horseman3d.jpg
1 camera with 2 lenses

I made a mistake with choice of words.
replace cameras with lens in previous post.

 

[Deathmore]

The two front cameras are actully one 3D camera

No.
The two front cameras used together can produce a 3D picture. The camera used alone would just produce a normal picture.

1 camera with 2 lenses

Clever, the 3DS has 2 cameras.

That does explains only 2 cameras and not 3 because people are confusing lenses as a camera.

 

[Zerousen]

I'm worried about the price.

Nintendo aren't known for mega extortionate prices. Besides I'm sure someone from Nintendo said it would cost under $200. I think it was someone from Nintendo.

Meh, only Apple sells overpriced SH**.

 

[Westside]

I guess game consoles finally caught up with the SLI hype.

 

[duffmmann]

I would be shocked in the 3DS was as inexpensive as 200 dollars, Personally, I'd expect it to cost anywhere between 250 and 350 US dollars. And honestly any price within that range for this product is reasonable to me.

 

[geoflcl]

I would be shocked in the 3DS was as inexpensive as 200 dollars, Personally, I'd expect it to cost anywhere between 250 and 350 US dollars. And honestly any price within that range for this product is reasonable to me.

Yes, it would be surprising for it to be $200 (or under). I'm thinking $250, $300 at the most. Buut, it's all just useless speculation until we really know, right?

 

[Berthenk]

I guess game consoles finally caught up with the SLI hype.

That, or the CrossFire hype.

 

[Midna]

Assuming this is true, I'd guess either one GPU for the top and bottom screes, or one for each top screen angle.

Edit: http://www.my3dsnews.com/2010/09/07/extrap...igure-this-out/

This guy is smart. His estimate of $220 sounds about right.

 

[Deathmore]

Assuming this is true, I'd guess either one GPU for the top and bottom screes, or one for each top screen angle.

Edit: http://www.my3dsnews.com/2010/09/07/extrap...igure-this-out/

This guy is smart. His estimate of $220 sounds about right.

I think the 2nd PICA is going to be light. Because the lite or someother model from DMP is designed for menu UI. They've changed their site I can't find their old leaflets.

 

[Midna]

That makes sense. The latest models of the Pica200 and the Pica200 lite.

 

[Juanmatron]

It is true 3DS has 2 GPU working at the same time but not the two PICA200 working in parallel as many might think, but it is the original DS GPU to enable backwards compatibility on one side and to control the touch screen on the other. Basically 3DS CPU has enough power to emulate the DS hardware alone, which is why it has kept the GPU.

On the other hand the diagram is to talk about two WiFi modules, which come in line with what they said to enhance wireless capabilities of the console.

 

[Midna]

Sounds about right. At least I called the the one for each screen bit.

But where did you get that info?

 

[pachura]

Possibilities:

1. The diagram is fake.

2. The diagram is real, but Nintendo has changed 3DS' architecture since then, so it's useless.

3. The diagram is real. There are two PICA200 units, one for each eye. Seems reasonable, although I am wondering why do they have separate VRAMs ? In stereoscopic view, each eye sees exactly the same scene, just from a slightly different angle. In such case, it doesn't make sense to separate VRAMs, as you would need to transfer exactly the same 3D models, textures, shaders, lighting etc. to each VRAM... a waste of memory (which usually has to be very fast and is expensive). Maybe VRAM sharing is difficult to implement ? (e.g. preventing both chips from writing into the same memory address)

4. Diagram is real, there's PICA200 and PICA200 Lite to emulate DS(i). Makes no sense. The graphics chip in DS(i) is in fact an enhanced version of the one used in GBA and was primarly designed for 2D platform games (uses such concepts as backgrounds, sprites, palettes, with 3D thrown in). PICA200 Lite is, on the other hand, a regular OpenGL ES 1.1 graphics card operating on triangles and textures. Completely incompatibile. I would rather expect them to put the original chip from DS(i) in place of the second PICA200 (as Juanmatron says); they have plenty of them in stock and the compatibility is 100%.

it is the original DS GPU to enable backwards compatibility on one side and to control the touch screen on the other
How the hell could a graphics chip control the touch screen ? In DS(i) it's done by ARM7, but it is a general-purpose CPU, and not a GPU.

Basically 3DS CPU has enough power to emulate the DS hardware alone, which is why it has kept the GPU.
Where did you get this information from ?

Juanmatron

On the other hand the diagram is to talk about two WiFi modules, which come in line with what they said to enhance wireless capabilities of the console.

I know Nintendo said they are going to do something smart with WiFi, but why would they install two WiFi modules ? You don't need two WiFi cards in your PC to be able to download 2 things at the same time. Even worse, two WiFi cards operating on the same wireless channel would probably interfere... unless the second one is going to be used in the sleep mode (e.g. consumes very small amounts of energy but offers very slow transfers).

 

[Urian1983]

The diagram is real, it is from a Nintendo patent stored in US Patents Office.

How the hell could a graphics chip control the touch screen ? In DS(i) it's done by ARM7, but it is a general-purpose CPU, and not a GPU.

The ARM7 continues being in the 3DS but with higher clock speed and the same function that it has in DS and DSi (I/O and Sound Processing).

Where did you get this information from ?

You need a lot of performance for emulating a system and we are talking about a handheld that is limited by the length of the battery, putting a very powerful ARM core only for emulating DS would be a big mistake since the length of the battery will be completely reduced to the point that it would go below Nintendo standards in handheld systems. I am more than sure that the first GPU is PICA200 and is connected to the top screen, but the second GPU is DS GPU that gives that renders in the bottom screen in 3DS mode and in both screens in DS and DSi modes.

QUOTE

I know Nintendo said they are going to do something smart with WiFi, but why would they install two WiFi modules ? You don't need two WiFi cards in your PC to be able to download 2 things at the same time. Even worse, two WiFi cards operating on the same wireless channel would probably interfere... unless the second one is going to be used in the sleep mode (e.g. consumes very small amounts of energy but offers very slow transfers).

The second module is 3G, not a second WiFi.

 

[Midna]

This topic is confusing the hell out of me.

 

[pachura]

The ARM7 continues being in the 3DS but with higher clock speed and the same function that it has in DS and DSi (I/O and Sound Processing).
But there's just one CPU on the diagram ...?

putting a very powerful ARM core only for emulating DS would be a big mistake since the length of the battery will be completely reduced to the point that it would go below Nintendo standards in handheld systems. I am more than sure that the first GPU is PICA200 and is connected to the top screen, but the second GPU is DS GPU that gives that renders in the bottom screen in 3DS mode and in both screens in DS and DSi modes.
DS(i) = ARM9 + ARM7 + DS-GPU
3DS = ARM-something + DS-GPU + Pica200

Makes sense, provided they can emulate ARM7 in the software ("ARM-something" would be an overclocked ARM9 or something backwards-compatibile).

QUOTE(Urian1983 @ Sep 12 2010, 08:50 PM)

The second module is 3G, not a second WiFi.

I seriously doubt it, but who knows ?

 

[Robbin_rus]

*Facepalm* Who said that 2 wireless modules are wi fi?! They are one wi fi + one IR