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
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

 Booting From External Sources 
 * Testing Kernels via USB Boot
 * USB Boot without LFConnect
 * Developer mode settings for USB Boot
 * UART Boot Explorer (Under Investigation)
 * FTDI JTAG How To
 * Using the GPIO subsystem to change boot options

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

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

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

Technical Information


Contents of the erootfs...

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