Leapster Explorer

Project Summary
The Leapster Explorer (like its predecessor the Didj) is a toy produced by Leapfrog marketed as an educational handheld gaming console for kids aged 4-9. Although it has a proprietary graphical front end, it runs a generic Linux distribution on the same ARM9-based processor as the Didj. Console access to the Explorer is achieved using the same method as found on the Didj.

Lots more information on the Didj

Source Code
Latest tarballs

LF-Linux-8291-20101026-1425.tar.gz 99MB

LF-OE-346-20101026-0945.tar.gz 337MB

LF-ThirdParty-8291-20101025-1623.tar.gzz 20MB

Previous tarballs

LF-Linux-6905-20100610-0915.tar.gz 94MB

LF-OE-251-20100614-0852.tar.bz2 320MB

LF-ThirdParty-7299-20100609-1458.tar.gz 20MB

Emulators
gpSP_lf1000 - GBA Emulator

Tutorials/How To's
 Hacks 
 * Connect your Leapster Explorer to your television!
 * How to Overclock your Explorer
 * Changes to your system that will make your life easier
 * How to make a NAND cartridge
 * Forcing a Firmware Version Update
 * Camera Interface

 Booting From External Sources 
 * Testing Kernels via USB Boot
 * USB Boot without LFConnect
 * Developer mode settings for USB Boot
 * UART Booting and Compiling Emerald Boot
 * FTDI JTAG How To
 * Using the GPIO subsystem to change boot options
 * Cartridge Boot Settings

Networking
 * Setup a static IP at boot
 * Mount NFS partitions on the explorer
 * SFTP Access

Adding Device Drivers and Packages
 * Linux Framebuffer Driver
 * How to Patch and Build the MMC Drivers
 * How to Install OpenEmbedded and Bitbake
 * How to Extract Files From the Firmware LFP file

Cross-compilers / Build Environments
 * Creating a Kernel Build Scratchbox
 * Setting up a Cross Compiler Build Environment and Basic Usage
 * An alternate cross compiler, built with crosstool-NG
 * RidgeRun Toolchain

Development
 * Random Explorer Notes
 * Building The Explorer Root File System
 * Linux Framebuffer Driver
 * Building libSDL
 * Building SDL_ttf font library
 * Building SDL_image library with jpg and png support
 * Building SDL_mixer audio library
 * Building tslib
 * SDL Resources

Applications
 * Play Theora Video files from the LX UI
 * Load your own Flash files from the LX UI
 * STC (Simple tetris clone using SDL)
 * Compile and install mplayer for the explorer

Graphics
 * creating .rgb files on the didj
 * Changing the fb driver to display the boot logo correctly

Games
 * Compiling sdlDoom for the didj/lx

Technical Information


Contents of erootfs version 1.0.8.6905

Contents of erootfs version 1.1.46.8291

Leapster Explorer Memory Map

More Internal Photos Of the Explorer

CPU

 * OEM branded version of the MagicEyes Pollux VF3520F [[media:pollux-datasheet.pdf|Datasheet]]
 * Marked "LF-1000" - LF-1000 Specifications
 * ARM926ejs core
 * Same CPU as found in the Didj
 * Clocked at 393MHz

RAM
64MB DDR SDRAM - Nanya [[media:nt5d32m16cs-5t.pdf|NT5DS32M16CS-5T]]

Storage
512KB NOR - [[media:sst39vf040.pdf|SST SST39VF040]] (suspected for boot loader and default settings)

512MB NAND - [[media:MT29F2G08AAC.pdf|Micron MT29F4G08AAC]] (for user data)

Display
1x Giantplus GPM824A0

IlI9322 TFT Driver

Audio
1x Cirrus Logic [[media:CS43L22.pdf|CS43L22]] audio codec

Networking support
Via USB Gadget Ethernet

Interface types
USB host/device

UART

Physical connectors

 * Cartridge socket (providing NAND, SDIO and UART)
 * 2x [[media:Scds034m.pdf|CL245a]] Low-voltage octal fet bus switch
 * Mini USB port
 * A proprietary form-factor accessory port for USB camera
 * DC Power
 * Headphone
 * charger socket

Input devices
buttons, Touchscreen/stylus

Linux kernel
2.6.31

Misc
Flash support (via Flash Lite runtime)

OpenGL support


 * Webcam Information

The explorer can use a didj power supply

DJHI Card Compatibility
DJHI Card Compatibility

Discussion

 * #Didj on Freenode IRC Channel Logs
 * Didj/Explorer Project Forum