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ppsspp_write_range

Write a contiguous byte sequence to PSP memory at a specified address. Use for patching cheat tables, code blocks, or seeding memory regions.

Instructions

PURPOSE: Write a contiguous byte sequence to PSP memory starting at the given address. USAGE: Use for installing cheat tables, patching code blocks, or seeding regions. Bytes are sent base64-encoded over the wire. BEHAVIOR: DESTRUCTIVE: overwrites N bytes with no undo. Direct memory write. Returns an error if address+N exceeds valid memory or any byte value is outside 0-255. RETURNS: Single line 'Wrote N bytes → ADDR_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.
bytesYesByte values (each 0-255), written sequentially from `address`.

Implementation Reference

  • The handler case for 'ppsspp_write_range' in the CallToolRequestHandler switch statement. It converts bytes to Buffer, base64-encodes them, and calls PPSSPP's memory.write API, returning a confirmation string.
    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())}`);
    }
  • Schema definition for ppsspp_write_range tool. Defines name, description, and inputSchema with required parameters 'address' (integer) and 'bytes' (array of integers 0-255, 1-65536 items).
    {
      name: "ppsspp_write_range",
      description:
        "PURPOSE: Write a contiguous byte sequence to PSP memory starting at the given address. " +
        "USAGE: Use for installing cheat tables, patching code blocks, or seeding regions. Bytes are sent base64-encoded over the wire. " +
        "BEHAVIOR: DESTRUCTIVE: overwrites N bytes with no undo. Direct memory write. Returns an error if address+N exceeds valid memory or any byte value is outside 0-255. " +
        "RETURNS: Single line 'Wrote N bytes → ADDR_HEX'.",
      inputSchema: {
        type: "object",
        required: ["address", "bytes"],
        properties: {
          address: { type: "integer", minimum: 0, description: ADDRESS_PARAM_DESC },
          bytes: {
            type: "array",
            items: { type: "integer", minimum: 0, maximum: 255 },
            minItems: 1,
            maxItems: 65536,
            description: "Byte values (each 0-255), written sequentially from `address`.",
          },
        },
        additionalProperties: false,
      },
    },
  • src/tools.ts:405-613 (registration)
    The registerTools function that registers both ListToolsRequestSchema and CallToolRequestSchema handlers. The 'ppsspp_write_range' case is part of the switch on line 469.
    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}`);
        }
      });
    }
Behavior4/5

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

The description explicitly labels the operation as 'DESTRUCTIVE: overwrites N bytes with no undo', warns of error conditions (address+N exceeds memory, byte values outside 0-255), and states the return format. Since no annotations exist, this fully covers behavioral disclosure.

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 structured into PURPOSE, USAGE, BEHAVIOR, RETURNS sections, each concise and informative. No redundant sentences; every part contributes value.

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?

Given the tool has 2 required parameters, no output schema, and no annotations, the description covers purpose, usage, destructive behavior, error conditions, and return format. It is fully adequate for an agent to select and invoke the tool correctly.

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

Parameters3/5

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

The input schema covers both parameters with detailed descriptions (e.g., memory layout for address, byte range for bytes). The description adds little beyond schema, mentioning 'base64-encoded' but that is a wire format detail. With 100% schema coverage, baseline 3 is appropriate.

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 'Write a contiguous byte sequence to PSP memory starting at the given address', specifying the verb, resource, and scope. It also lists use cases (installing cheat tables, patching, seeding), distinguishing it from single-byte write tools like ppsspp_write8.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

The USAGE section explicitly says 'Use for installing cheat tables, patching code blocks, or seeding regions', providing clear context. It does not explicitly contrast with siblings, but the purpose implies this tool is for multi-byte writes, leaving room for improvement.

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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