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ppsspp_read16

Read a 16-bit unsigned little-endian value from PSP memory at a physical address. Suitable for accessing counters, IDs, and small numeric game-state fields.

Instructions

PURPOSE: Read an unsigned 16-bit little-endian value from PSP memory at the given physical address. USAGE: Use for 16-bit game-state fields (most counters, IDs, small numerics). For single bytes use ppsspp_read8; for 32-bit use ppsspp_read32; for arbitrary byte spans use ppsspp_read_range. BEHAVIOR: No side effects — pure read. PSP is little-endian (MIPS Allegrex). Returns an error if address+2 exceeds the valid memory region. RETURNS: Single line 'ADDR_HEX: VAL_DEC (0xVAL_HEX)'.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
addressYesPSP physical address. PSP memory layout: user RAM starts at 0x08800000 (or 0x08000000 — varies by firmware allocation), kernel RAM at 0x08000000-0x087FFFFF, VRAM at 0x04000000-0x041FFFFF, scratchpad at 0x00010000-0x00013FFF, hardware regs at 0xBC000000+. Most game state lives in user RAM. Note PPSSPP may also accept 0x88xxxxxx kernel-mode mirrors of the same physical memory.

Implementation Reference

  • Tool definition schema for 'ppsspp_read16': declares the tool name, description (purpose/usage/behavior/returns), and inputSchema requiring an 'address' integer parameter.
      name: "ppsspp_read16",
      description:
        "PURPOSE: Read an unsigned 16-bit little-endian value from PSP memory at the given physical address. " +
        "USAGE: Use for 16-bit game-state fields (most counters, IDs, small numerics). For single bytes use ppsspp_read8; for 32-bit use ppsspp_read32; for arbitrary byte spans use ppsspp_read_range. " +
        "BEHAVIOR: No side effects — pure read. PSP is little-endian (MIPS Allegrex). Returns an error if address+2 exceeds the valid memory region. " +
        "RETURNS: Single line 'ADDR_HEX: VAL_DEC (0xVAL_HEX)'.",
      inputSchema: {
        type: "object",
        required: ["address"],
        properties: {
          address: { type: "integer", minimum: 0, description: ADDRESS_PARAM_DESC },
        },
        additionalProperties: false,
      },
    },
  • Handler for the 'ppsspp_read16' tool. Calls PPSSPP's 'memory.read_u16' event with the provided address, then formats the response as 'ADDR_HEX: VAL_DEC (0xVAL_HEX)'.
    case "ppsspp_read16": {
      const r = await pp.call<{ value: number }>("memory.read_u16", { address: a() });
      return ok(`${addrHex(a())}: ${fmtHex(r.value)}`);
    }
  • src/tools.ts:405-613 (registration)
    The registerTools function that registers all tools (including ppsspp_read16) on the MCP server via server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, ...) with a switch-case dispatching on tool name.
    export function registerTools(server: Server, pp: PpssppClient): void {
      server.setRequestHandler(ListToolsRequestSchema, async () => ({ tools: TOOLS }));
    
      server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (req) => {
        const { name, arguments: args = {} } = req.params;
        const p = args as Record<string, unknown>;
        const a = () => p.address as number;
    
        switch (name) {
          case "ppsspp_ping": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ version?: string; name?: string }>("version");
            return ok(`pong (${r.name ?? "PPSSPP"} ${r.version ?? "(unknown version)"})`);
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_get_info": {
            const status = await pp.call<{ game?: { id?: string; title?: string; version?: string } | null; paused?: boolean; stepping?: boolean }>("game.status");
            const lines: string[] = [];
            if (status.game) {
              lines.push(`Title:   ${status.game.title ?? "(unavailable)"}`);
              lines.push(`Disc ID: ${status.game.id ?? "(unavailable)"}`);
              lines.push(`Version: ${status.game.version ?? "(unavailable)"}`);
            } else {
              lines.push("No game loaded.");
            }
            const state = status.stepping ? "stepping (paused)" : status.paused ? "paused" : "running";
            lines.push(`State:   ${state}`);
            return ok(lines.join("\n"));
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_read8": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ value: number }>("memory.read_u8", { address: a() });
            return ok(`${addrHex(a())}: ${fmtHex(r.value)}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_read16": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ value: number }>("memory.read_u16", { address: a() });
            return ok(`${addrHex(a())}: ${fmtHex(r.value)}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_read32": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ value: number }>("memory.read_u32", { address: a() });
            return ok(`${addrHex(a())}: ${fmtHex(r.value)}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_read_range": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ base64: string }>("memory.read", { address: a(), size: p.size });
            const bytes = Buffer.from(r.base64 ?? "", "base64");
            const hex = Array.from(bytes).map((b) => b.toString(16).padStart(2, "0").toUpperCase()).join(" ");
            return ok(`${addrHex(a())} [${bytes.length} bytes]:\n${hex}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_read_string": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ value: string }>("memory.readString", { address: a(), type: "utf-8" });
            return ok(`${addrHex(a())}: ${JSON.stringify(r.value ?? "")}`);
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_write8": {
            await pp.call("memory.write_u8", { address: a(), value: p.value });
            return ok(`Wrote ${fmtHex(p.value)} → ${addrHex(a())}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_write16": {
            await pp.call("memory.write_u16", { address: a(), value: p.value });
            return ok(`Wrote ${fmtHex(p.value)} → ${addrHex(a())}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_write32": {
            await pp.call("memory.write_u32", { address: a(), value: p.value });
            return ok(`Wrote ${fmtHex(p.value)} → ${addrHex(a())}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_write_range": {
            const bytes = Buffer.from(p.bytes as number[]);
            const base64 = bytes.toString("base64");
            await pp.call("memory.write", { address: a(), base64 });
            return ok(`Wrote ${bytes.length} bytes → ${addrHex(a())}`);
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_press_buttons": {
            await pp.call("input.buttons.send", { buttons: p.buttons });
            const pressed = Object.entries(p.buttons as Record<string, boolean>)
              .filter(([, v]) => v).map(([k]) => k);
            return ok(`Set buttons: ${pressed.length ? pressed.join("+") : "(all released)"}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_press_button": {
            await pp.call("input.buttons.press", { button: p.button, duration: p.duration ?? 1 });
            return ok(`Pressed ${p.button} for ${p.duration ?? 1} frames (auto-released)`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_send_analog": {
            await pp.call("input.analog.send", { stick: p.stick, x: p.x, y: p.y });
            return ok(`Set analog stick ${p.stick} to (${p.x}, ${p.y})`);
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_pause": {
            // cpu.stepping is fire-and-forget per PPSSPP source ("No immediate
            // response. Once CPU is stepping, a 'cpu.stepping' event will be
            // sent."). Send it, then poll cpu.status until stepping=true.
            await pp.fireAndForget("cpu.stepping");
            await pp.waitForState((s) => s.stepping === true);
            return ok("Emulation paused");
          }
          case "ppsspp_resume": {
            await pp.fireAndForget("cpu.resume");
            await pp.waitForState((s) => s.stepping === false);
            return ok("Emulation resumed");
          }
          case "ppsspp_step": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ pc?: number }>("cpu.stepInto");
            return ok(`Stepped one instruction. PC: ${r.pc !== undefined ? addrHex(r.pc) : "(unknown)"}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_reset": {
            await pp.call("game.reset");
            return ok("Game reset");
          }
          case "ppsspp_screenshot": {
            // PPSSPP's gpu.buffer.* events all require CORE_STEPPING_CPU (or GPU
            // stepping) state — they fail with "Neither CPU or GPU is stepping"
            // otherwise. We transparently pause→capture→resume so callers can
            // screenshot any time without managing pause state. If the emulator
            // was already paused, we leave it paused.
            //
            // source='render' (default) uses gpu.buffer.renderColor → reads the
            // active GPU render target. Safer: GPU_GetCurrentFramebuffer hits a
            // different code path than the crash-prone GPU_GetOutputFramebuffer.
            //
            // source='output' uses gpu.buffer.screenshot → reads the final
            // composited output (what's on screen, post scaling/shaders). Can
            // CRASH PPSSPP on some games: upstream has an `_assert_(buf != nullptr)`
            // after GPU_GetOutputFramebuffer that fires when the function returns
            // true with a null buffer (observed on some homebrew). We can't catch
            // a process abort from outside, but v0.1.2's auto-reconnect means MCP
            // recovers when PPSSPP is relaunched.
            const source = (p.source as string | undefined) ?? "render";
            const event  = source === "output" ? "gpu.buffer.screenshot" : "gpu.buffer.renderColor";
            const statusBefore = await pp.call<{ stepping?: boolean; paused?: boolean }>("cpu.status");
            const wasStepping = !!statusBefore.stepping;
            if (!wasStepping) {
              await pp.fireAndForget("cpu.stepping");
              await pp.waitForState((s) => s.stepping === true);
            }
            try {
              // type: "base64" returns the raw base64 payload; the default "uri"
              // returns a "data:image/png;base64,..." prefix which we'd have to strip.
              const r = await pp.call<{ base64?: string; uri?: string }>(event, { type: "base64" });
              let b64 = r.base64;
              if (!b64 && r.uri) {
                // Belt-and-suspenders: if PPSSPP returned a URI anyway, strip the prefix.
                const m = /^data:image\/png;base64,(.*)$/.exec(r.uri);
                if (m) b64 = m[1];
              }
              if (!b64) {
                throw new Error(`PPSSPP did not return screenshot data from ${event} (no game loaded, or framebuffer not readable?)`);
              }
              return {
                content: [
                  { type: "text" as const, text: `Screenshot captured (source: ${source}, event: ${event}).` },
                  { type: "image" as const, data: b64, mimeType: "image/png" },
                ],
              };
            } finally {
              if (!wasStepping) {
                try {
                  await pp.fireAndForget("cpu.resume");
                  await pp.waitForState((s) => s.stepping === false, { timeoutMs: 2000 });
                } catch { /* best-effort */ }
              }
            }
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_get_registers": {
            // PPSSPP's cpu.getAllRegs returns categories with PARALLEL arrays:
            //   { categories: [{ name, registerNames: [...], uintValues: [...], floatValues: [...] }] }
            // Not an array of {name, value} objects as I first assumed.
            const r = await pp.call<{
              categories?: Array<{
                name: string;
                registerNames?: string[];
                uintValues?: number[];
                floatValues?: string[];
              }>;
            }>("cpu.getAllRegs");
            const lines: string[] = [];
            for (const cat of r.categories ?? []) {
              lines.push(`── ${cat.name} ──`);
              const names = cat.registerNames ?? [];
              const vals  = cat.uintValues ?? [];
              for (let i = 0; i < Math.max(names.length, vals.length); i++) {
                const nm = names[i] ?? `r${i}`;
                const v  = vals[i];
                lines.push(`  ${nm.padEnd(8)} = ${v !== undefined ? addrHex(v) : "(unavailable)"}`);
              }
            }
            return ok(lines.join("\n") || "(no registers returned)");
          }
    
          case "ppsspp_breakpoint_add": {
            await pp.call("cpu.breakpoint.add", { address: a() });
            return ok(`Breakpoint added at ${addrHex(a())}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_breakpoint_remove": {
            await pp.call("cpu.breakpoint.remove", { address: a() });
            return ok(`Breakpoint removed at ${addrHex(a())}`);
          }
          case "ppsspp_breakpoint_list": {
            const r = await pp.call<{ breakpoints?: Array<{ address: number; enabled?: boolean; condition?: string }> }>("cpu.breakpoint.list");
            const bps = r.breakpoints ?? [];
            if (bps.length === 0) return ok("No breakpoints set.");
            const lines = bps.map((b) => `  ${addrHex(b.address)} ${b.enabled === false ? "(disabled)" : ""}${b.condition ? ` if ${b.condition}` : ""}`);
            return ok(`${bps.length} breakpoint${bps.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}:\n${lines.join("\n")}`);
          }
    
          default:
            throw new Error(`Unknown tool: ${name}`);
        }
      });
    }
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Discloses no side effects ('pure read'), error condition ('Returns an error if address+2 exceeds valid memory region'), endianness ('PSP is little-endian'), and return format ('Single line 'ADDR_HEX: VAL_DEC (0xVAL_HEX)''). With no annotations, the description fully addresses behavioral traits.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is concise with clear section headers (PURPOSE, USAGE, BEHAVIOR, RETURNS). Every sentence adds unique value, and there is no redundancy or unnecessary text.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a simple one-parameter read tool with no output schema, the description covers behavior, errors, endianness, return format, and memory layout hints. It is fully complete for an AI agent to select and use the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and includes memory layout details. The description adds extra context by reiterating endianness and return format, which enhances understanding beyond the schema. However, the schema already provides substantial information, so a baseline of 3 is appropriate; the extra value justifies a 4.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool reads an unsigned 16-bit little-endian value from PSP memory at a given physical address. It uses a specific verb ('read'), resource ('PSP memory'), and data type, and distinguishes from siblings by naming alternative tools for different sizes.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly says 'Use for 16-bit game-state fields' and provides direct alternatives: 'For single bytes use ppsspp_read8; for 32-bit use ppsspp_read32; for arbitrary byte spans use ppsspp_read_range.' This clearly indicates when to use this tool versus others.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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