Leapster Explorer

This device is part of the LeapFrog Pollux Platform, it's recommended to start there for general information.

Platform
LeapFrog Pollux Platform

The Leapster Explorer is part of 3 different devices that all share a common hardware platform, based around the Pollux SoC. The platform page contains information generic across these devices, and it is recommended that you refer to that page as it is a good starting point to understanding the Leapster Explorer, and contains some basic How To's and Tutorials to get you started.

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

Bootloader

 * Emerald Boot

Sources and Toolchains

 * Sources and Toolchains

Tutorials/How To's
 General 
 * Common Command Reference
 * Overclocking
 * Console Access
 * Cartridges
 * Cartridge Settings
 * Extract lfp/lf2 Archives
 * CBF File Format
 * DFTP

 Booting 
 * GPIO Subsystem Boot Options
 * USB Booting
 * USB Boot without LFConnect
 * Modify Kernel for USB Boot
 * USB Boot Settings
 * Surgeon

 Networking 
 * Networking Setup
 * Networking Applications
 * Internet Access from Device
 * Mount NFS Directory

 LeapFrog Flash UI 
 * Play Your Own Theora Video Files
 * Play Your Own Flash Game Files

 Cartridge 
 * How to make a NAND cartridge

 Kernel/RootFS/Firmware 
 * 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
 * Boot Kernel and Rootfs from SD w/Framebuffer
 * Linux Framebuffer Driver
 * Enable SD Card Module
 * Building The Explorer Root File System
 * Changing the fb driver to display the boot logo correctly
 * TV Out

 Firmware Image 
 * Mount UBI Image on Linux
 * Relevent Settings
 * ID Bytes 0x2C 0xDC 0x00 0x15


 * Create UBI Image on Linux
 * Relevant Settings
 * vol_name=ubi_rfs
 * vol_size=87349248
 * -m 2048
 * -e 129024
 * -c 677
 * -s 512
 * -O 512

 JTAG 
 * JTAG Pinouts
 * Pollux FTDI JTAG How To
 * Pollux JTAG Wiggler Config
 * JTAG Kernel Boot

 Compiling Source Code 
 * Set up the Build Environment
 * Kernel Configuration

Technical Information
Device Comparison

Leapster Explorer Memory Map

Camera Interface

DFTPdevice

 File System Contents List 

Contents of erootfs version 1.0.8.6905

Contents of erootfs version 1.1.46.8291

Contents of erootfs version 1.3.4.2044

 Default Boot CommandLine  init=/sbin/init console=ttyS0,115200 mem=46M mlc_fb=0x82E00000,0x01200000 ram=0x80000000-0x83FFFFFF screen_module=ILI9322 ebs=0x20000,0x0 root=ubi0_0 rw rootfstype=ubifs ubi.mtd=RFS

 Partitions