Exel-Hence¶
Technical notes
Exelvision EXL 100 emulator written as a libretro core by Recalbox.
retro_load_game() asks for the system directory and hands it to Exl100LoadRoms() (ref: src/libretro.c:710-734), which ignores it: the main and sub CPU BIOS images are unpacked from arrays compiled into the core (ref: src/exl100.c:1163-1181). The images are raw DEFLATE streams XOR'd against a rotating key and inflated at load time (ref: src/exl100_bios.c:56-101). Both arrays are present in the shipped header (ref: src/exl100_bios.h:6703-6704). Exelmemoria, the ExelBASIC and ExelBASIC+ cartridges and the ExelDisk DOS come from the same embedded tables (ref: src/libretro.c:508, 533, 562).
The only file opened by name is a sidecar next to a .cram content file, <basename>cram.txt or <basename>.txt, scanned for a CALL EXEC or RUN line to auto-start the program (ref: src/libretro.c:614-686). It belongs to the content.
No BIOS or firmware files required.
Why no files
BIOS, BASIC cartridges and ExelDisk DOS compiled into the core, the system directory is never read
Generated on 2026-10-20T03:49:41Z