APU Sweep: Difference between revisions

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(In silicon, combinational logic begins to compute the next state immediately after the current state is updated.)
(→‎Updating the period: enumerate things a little more clearly, fix DRY, move enumeration in)
 
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A [[APU|NES APU]] sweep unit can be made to periodically adjust a [[APU Pulse|pulse channel's]] period up or down.
[[Category:APU]]
An [[APU|NES APU]] sweep unit can be made to periodically adjust a [[APU Pulse|pulse channel's]] period up or down.


Each sweep unit contains the following: [[APU Misc|divider]], reload flag.
Each sweep unit contains the following:  
*[[APU Misc|divider]]
*reload flag
 
== Registers ==


{| class="tabular"
{| class="tabular"
Line 10: Line 15:
| bit 7 || <tt>E--- ----</tt> || Enabled flag
| bit 7 || <tt>E--- ----</tt> || Enabled flag
|-
|-
| bits 6-4 || <tt>-PPP ----</tt> || The divider's period is set to P + 1
| bits 6-4 || <tt>-PPP ----</tt> || The divider's period is P + 1 half-frames
|-
|-
| bit 3 || <tt>---- N---</tt> || Negate flag<br>0: add to period, sweeping toward lower frequencies<br>1: subtract from period, sweeping toward higher frequencies
| bit 3 || <tt>---- N---</tt> || Negate flag<br>0: add to period, sweeping toward lower frequencies<br>1: subtract from period, sweeping toward higher frequencies
|-
|-
| bits 2-0 || <tt>---- -SSS</tt> || Shift count (number of bits)
| bits 2-0 || <tt>---- -SSS</tt> || Shift count (number of bits).<br>If SSS is 0, then behaves like E=0.
|-
|-
|colspan=2| Side effects || Sets the reload flag
|colspan=2| Side effects || Sets the reload flag
|}
|}


''NOTE: The term "target period" used in the following description is equivalent to [shift-result + current period]. That is, it does not mean the result of the right-shift alone.''
== Calculating the target period ==
 
The sweep unit continuously calculates each pulse channel's '''target period''' in this way:
# A barrel shifter shifts the pulse channel's 11-bit [[APU Pulse|raw timer period]] right by the shift count, producing the change amount.
# If the negate flag is true, the change amount is made negative.
# The target period is the sum of the current period and the change amount, clamped to zero if this sum is negative.
 
For example, if the negate flag is false and the shift amount is zero, the change amount equals the current period, making the target period equal to twice the current period.
 
The two pulse channels have their adders' carry inputs wired differently, which produces different results when each channel's change amount is made negative:
* Pulse 1 adds the [[wikipedia:Ones' complement|ones' complement]] (''−c − 1''). Making 20 negative produces a change amount of −21.
* Pulse 2 adds the [[wikipedia:Two's complement|two's complement]] (''−c''). Making 20 negative produces a change amount of −20.
 
Whenever the current period or sweep setting changes, whether by $400x writes or by sweep updating the period, the target period also changes.
 
== Muting ==
 
'''Muting''' means that the pulse channel sends 0 to the [[APU Mixer|mixer]] instead of the current volume.
Muting happens regardless of whether the sweep unit is disabled (because either the Enabled flag or the Shift count are zero) and regardless of whether the sweep divider is outputting a clock signal.
 
Two conditions cause the sweep unit to mute the channel:
# If the ''current'' period is less than 8, the sweep unit mutes the channel.
# If at any time the ''target'' period is greater than $7FF, the sweep unit mutes the channel.
In particular, if the negate flag is false, the shift count is zero, and the current period is at least $400, the target period will be large enough to mute the channel.
(This is why several publishers' NES games never seem to use the bottom octave of the pulse waves.)
 
Because the target period is computed continuously, a target period overflow from the sweep unit's adder can silence a channel ''even when the sweep unit is disabled'' and even when the sweep divider is not outputting a clock signal.
Thus to fully disable the sweep unit, a program must additionally turn on the Negate flag, such as by writing $08.
This ensures that the target period is not greater than the current period and therefore not greater than $7FF.


When clocked by the [[APU Frame Counter|frame counter]], the divider is ''first'' clocked and then if the reload flag is set, it is cleared and the divider is reloaded.
== Updating the period ==


The channel's 11-bit [[APU Pulse|raw timer period]] is shifted right by the shift count (using a barrel shifter), then either added to or subtracted from the channel's raw period, yielding the target period. When the channel's current period is less than 8 or the target period is greater than $7FF, the channel is silenced (0 is sent to the [[APU Mixer|mixer]]) but the channel's current period remains unchanged. Otherwise, if the enable flag is set and the shift count is non-zero, when the divider outputs a clock, the channel's period is updated.
When the [[APU Frame Counter|frame counter]] sends a half-frame clock (at 120 or 96 Hz), two things happen:


The adder computes the next target period immediately after the period is updated by $400x writes or by the frame counter.
# If the divider's counter is zero, the sweep is enabled, the shift count is nonzero,
The sweep unit can silence a channel ''even when the enabled flag is clear'' and even when the sweep divider is not outputting a clock signal. To fully disable a sweep unit, write $08 to turn on the negate flag so that the target period is not greater than the channel's period and therefore not greater than $7FF.
## and the sweep unit is ''not'' muting the channel: The pulse's period is set to the target period.
## and the sweep unit ''is'' muting the channel: the pulse's period remains unchanged, but the sweep unit's divider continues to count down and reload the divider's period as normal.
# If the divider's counter is zero ''or'' the reload flag is true: The divider counter is set to P and the reload flag is cleared. Otherwise, the divider counter is decremented.


For reasons unknown, pulse channel 1 hardwires its adder's carry input rather than using the state of the negate flag, resulting in the subtraction operation adding the '''one's complement''' instead of the expected two's complement (as pulse channel 2 does). As a result, a negative sweep on pulse channel 1 will subtract the shifted period value '''minus 1'''.
If the sweep unit is disabled including because the shift count is zero, the pulse channel's period is never updated, but muting logic still applies.

Latest revision as of 21:23, 8 February 2024

An NES APU sweep unit can be made to periodically adjust a pulse channel's period up or down.

Each sweep unit contains the following:

Registers

$4001 EPPP.NSSS Pulse channel 1 sweep setup (write)
$4005 EPPP.NSSS Pulse channel 2 sweep setup (write)
bit 7 E--- ---- Enabled flag
bits 6-4 -PPP ---- The divider's period is P + 1 half-frames
bit 3 ---- N--- Negate flag
0: add to period, sweeping toward lower frequencies
1: subtract from period, sweeping toward higher frequencies
bits 2-0 ---- -SSS Shift count (number of bits).
If SSS is 0, then behaves like E=0.
Side effects Sets the reload flag

Calculating the target period

The sweep unit continuously calculates each pulse channel's target period in this way:

  1. A barrel shifter shifts the pulse channel's 11-bit raw timer period right by the shift count, producing the change amount.
  2. If the negate flag is true, the change amount is made negative.
  3. The target period is the sum of the current period and the change amount, clamped to zero if this sum is negative.

For example, if the negate flag is false and the shift amount is zero, the change amount equals the current period, making the target period equal to twice the current period.

The two pulse channels have their adders' carry inputs wired differently, which produces different results when each channel's change amount is made negative:

  • Pulse 1 adds the ones' complement (−c − 1). Making 20 negative produces a change amount of −21.
  • Pulse 2 adds the two's complement (−c). Making 20 negative produces a change amount of −20.

Whenever the current period or sweep setting changes, whether by $400x writes or by sweep updating the period, the target period also changes.

Muting

Muting means that the pulse channel sends 0 to the mixer instead of the current volume. Muting happens regardless of whether the sweep unit is disabled (because either the Enabled flag or the Shift count are zero) and regardless of whether the sweep divider is outputting a clock signal.

Two conditions cause the sweep unit to mute the channel:

  1. If the current period is less than 8, the sweep unit mutes the channel.
  2. If at any time the target period is greater than $7FF, the sweep unit mutes the channel.

In particular, if the negate flag is false, the shift count is zero, and the current period is at least $400, the target period will be large enough to mute the channel. (This is why several publishers' NES games never seem to use the bottom octave of the pulse waves.)

Because the target period is computed continuously, a target period overflow from the sweep unit's adder can silence a channel even when the sweep unit is disabled and even when the sweep divider is not outputting a clock signal. Thus to fully disable the sweep unit, a program must additionally turn on the Negate flag, such as by writing $08. This ensures that the target period is not greater than the current period and therefore not greater than $7FF.

Updating the period

When the frame counter sends a half-frame clock (at 120 or 96 Hz), two things happen:

  1. If the divider's counter is zero, the sweep is enabled, the shift count is nonzero,
    1. and the sweep unit is not muting the channel: The pulse's period is set to the target period.
    2. and the sweep unit is muting the channel: the pulse's period remains unchanged, but the sweep unit's divider continues to count down and reload the divider's period as normal.
  2. If the divider's counter is zero or the reload flag is true: The divider counter is set to P and the reload flag is cleared. Otherwise, the divider counter is decremented.

If the sweep unit is disabled including because the shift count is zero, the pulse channel's period is never updated, but muting logic still applies.