How MAME Works

The following is a list of documents describing the internal workings (core) of the MAME emulator. Most are penned by Aaron Giles.

Building MAME

• Building MAME using Microsoft Visual Studio compilers

Writing for MAME

• Contributing to MAME
• Submitting Source Code
• MAME Coding Conventions

For Driver Writers

• Game Drivers
• Resource Management in MAME
• DIP Switches in MAME
• MAME Interrupt Function Review
• Using MAME's tilemap system
• Programmable Logic Devices in MAME
• CPUs and Address Spaces
• Address Maps

Core Internals

• MAME Devices
  • MAME Device Basics
  • Device Interfaces
  • Advanced Device Customization
  • All About Devices (out of date)
• Timers and timing
• Filters and streams in the MAME Sound System
• Save State Fundamentals
• Using the GFX/TileMap viewer (F4)
• How To Use the 'New' Renderer
• Layouts and Rendering for MAME Artwork System
• LAY File Basics - Part I

CPU Emulation

• Virtual TLB
• CPU Scheduling in MAME

Universal Dynamic Recompiler

• Core Concepts
• UML Architecture
  • UML Control Flow Opcodes
  • UML Internal Register Opcodes
  • UML Integer Opcodes
  • UML Floating Point Opcodes
• Dynamic Recompiler Author's Guide
• Back-End Author's Guide

Tips & Tricks

• Executing Code Out of a Memory Region With a Read Handler
• Checklist for Cleaning Up Drivers
• Writing Messages to the Screen in a MAME Driver