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FPGA Based Videogame System


kevtris

Interest in an FPGA Videogame System  

682 members have voted

  1. 1. I would pay....

  2. 2. I Would Like Support for...

  3. 3. Games Should Run From...

    • SD Card / USB Memory Sticks
    • Original Cartridges
    • Hopes and Dreams
  4. 4. The Video Inteface Should be...


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Jeez, and I just bought a GameCube with Game Boy Player, Carby 2.0, and Action Replay to specifically play my entire library on a big screen. I knew this was in the pipeline! I just knew it. Oh, well, what should I do? Retire my Game Boys and GameCube?

 

LOL, thanks Analogue. Making my mods, work arounds, and other peripherals completely obsolete!

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Many FPGAs have a built-in ARM SoC. I wonder if they use one with a largely compatible SoC. Maybe it's possible to be 100% FPGA with GBA support without the effort of replicating the bulk of a GBA due to the embedded ARM SoC already having much of what's needed. atariage_icon_wink.gif

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3 hours ago, Jagasian said:

If implemented right, USB can be implemented in a way that it introduces under 1 millisecond of lag.  So not exactly zero lag, but still great.  Even the lowest lag HDTVs add 10 milliseconds of lag, which is a big reason why people like CRTs for classic gaming.

That 10ms rating is measured from the middle of the screen.  CRT would measure at 8ms at the middle.  Nobody would be able to tell the difference of 2ms.

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"Analogue Pocket is the conclusion to all of retro portable video game history," Analogue's Christopher Taber told us. "We're more excited about Pocket than any other product we have made in Analogue's nearly ten-year history. And this is only announcement number 1. We're just getting started."

 

I wonder what announcement number 2 will be. :)

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Developed in US/UK? 
 
AnaloguePocket.thumb.JPG.002d4c25307f9d10ba1cf6a0a9b07b94.JPG
"Made in China"
He he he... just had a fun thought:
What would happen if every one was bundled with a legit copy of an unreleased GBA port of Hong Kong '97? ;) Hope Chris and Kev would follow Matt and Trey's lead and not the NBA or Blizzard.
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Kevtris - thank you for all you do! I'm in on all of it! Let's consider the value of this device:  A Game Gear and Atari Lynx where you don't need McWill screen mods nor cutting either console's plastic anymore for output to a tv. A NeoGeo pocket color. A GB where you will actually be able to see the games, unlike the original.  Plus GBC and the amazing feat of GBA? That saves many from a GBA consolizer; play all on a modern tv or CRT with the DAC+dock?  This is a dream for portable game streaming.  Also modern battery life for all consoles implemented! Super high-res screen?  A second FPGA to port some Mister cores over or create brand new ones? 

 

The Mister Turbografx core alone would make this thing also an expensive Turbo-Express clone, but with SuperGrafx support too! If and when Turbo CD support was ever added or Sega CD, to me this is a must own. 

 

Some other thoughts:

 

- A future variant shaped like a GBA would be great for many, but I'm loving it as is.

- I assume that the NGPC core will also support the small handful of NGP black and white exclusive titles?

- Virtual Boy - though a shame the library wasn't officially released by Nintendo for the 3ds, a 2d version here would be fun.

- I can see that the Japanese Wonderswan systems are beyond the scope, but maybe a core will get on the Portable.

- I love the Mega SG, but Gamegear on an actual portable is fantastic. If the MiSter SMS core likely gets ported, a 'Master Gear Converter' is no longer needed. 

- Just really let it sink in, all the Mister cores that potentially can port over. Genesis? Instant Nomad (even better if a Sega 6 button 8bitdo controller works in handheld mode.) Portable Atari 800xl? Amiga? ao486 for Dos gaming?

 

I look forward to hearing about the 'other' new console, be it a NT Mini separated from the DAC or otherwise.

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9 minutes ago, Atariboy said:

Where's that fpga stand compared to the main FPGA and what's used in the Mister project?

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/programmable/cyclone-series.html

 

Cyclone V: 2011

Cyclone 10: 2017

 

Mister (DE10- Nano)

Intel Cyclone® V SE 5CSEBA6U23I7NDK device (110K LEs)

 

I think that means this development FPGA is newer than the DE10-Nano's Cyclone V

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The Cyclone V in the Super Nt, Mega Sg, and Pocket, have 49k LE.

 

The only Cyclone 10 chips that seem to make sense from a size/power/cost perspective are the low power ones, and considering the price difference between the 49k Cyclone V and the next step up (77k), only the 6K and 15K LE models would seem to make financial sense... Otherwise they might as well have just used the larger Cyclone V.

 

It sounds like Analogue is only giving developers access to the Cyclone 10, and that it's going to be much smaller/less capable than the Cyclone V, so my speculation is that you're not going to be able to port anything but basic 8-bit cores to the Pocket, even if the primary FPGA is capable of handling 16-bit consoles.

 

I could be totally off-base here, maybe they didn't go with a larger Cyclone V because there were other limits (like IO or multipliers or something), or maybe they intend to give developers access to both FPGAs.

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GBA and Lynx cores!


I guess by splitting it over two FPGAs, each with slightly different configurations, you get more of a bang per buck over some of the more expensive chips, while working forward around some potential issues with the  TG-16, NEO-GEO, also allowing more complex interfaces, etc. CleverKever. ;)

 

Allowing others to develop for the secondary chip, which has access to the video and audio processing outside of the walled garden, coupled with the DAC, opens up some opportunities for media-player app development, etc.  

 

 

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39 minutes ago, Guspaz said:

The Cyclone V in the Super Nt, Mega Sg, and Pocket, have 49k LE.

 

The only Cyclone 10 chips that seem to make sense from a size/power/cost perspective are the low power ones, and considering the price difference between the 49k Cyclone V and the next step up (77k), only the 6K and 15K LE models would seem to make financial sense... Otherwise they might as well have just used the larger Cyclone V.

 

It sounds like Analogue is only giving developers access to the Cyclone 10, and that it's going to be much smaller/less capable than the Cyclone V, so my speculation is that you're not going to be able to port anything but basic 8-bit cores to the Pocket, even if the primary FPGA is capable of handling 16-bit consoles.

 

I could be totally off-base here, maybe they didn't go with a larger Cyclone V because there were other limits (like IO or multipliers or something), or maybe they intend to give developers access to both FPGAs.

 

So, I'm not sure opening up the Cyclone V to others with a single FPGA would have achieved the sort of goals they set out here.

 

The Pocket will let developers use the same scaler/video logic that Analogue has been using to date. But to do that you either need to support partial reconfiguration of the FPGA, or potentially even make enough source available that developers can include it into their own designs. AFAICT, partial reconfiguration isn't something that's intended to be done except through their development suite, and costs quite a bit of money as an add-on feature.

 

That, or you can be cheeky and use two FPGAs. Keep Analogue's stuff on the Cyclone V, and add a second one that can be flashed cleanly, and no worries about IP or conflicts, per se.

 

I fear you may be right about how many LEs are available, though. That said, a 25K or 39K LE Cyclone 10 is still much cheaper than a second Cyclone V. We may just get lucky here and they splurged a few more bucks per unit for the extra LEs. Who knows.

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what are your guys thoughts and more could be, would be cool for NES, SMS (if a jailbrake will exist). nice that it has 4 buttons on the face but the Gameboy's have 2 buttons, guess it's for the other systems.
My wants are.....
Link cable support (hoping with real hardware also.)

Nice Color Screen
Possibly a HDMI output to put on the big screen. would be nice

Edited by Deltax5
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4 minutes ago, Deltax5 said:

what are your guys thoughts and more could be, would be cool for NES, SMS. nice that it has 4 buttons on the face but the Gameboy's have 2 buttons, guess it's for the other systems.
My wants are.....
Link cable support (hoping with real hardware also.)

Nice Color Screen
Possibly a HDMI output to put on the big screen. would be nice

If they allow ROMs to run off the SD card slot, then it makes a lot of sense to have 8- and 16-bit console cores, but if not, then I don't see the point.

The 4 face buttons plus shoulder buttons are for GBA games.

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6 hours ago, Atariboy said:

"Analogue Pocket is the conclusion to all of retro portable video game history," Analogue's Christopher Taber told us. "We're more excited about Pocket than any other product we have made in Analogue's nearly ten-year history. And this is only announcement number 1. We're just getting started."

 

I wonder what announcement number 2 will be. :)


Announcement number 2 is going to be an official Analogue Core store for the Pocket that supports DLC or “downloadable cores” for every 8-bit and 16-bit console gaming system.

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51 minutes ago, Jagasian said:


Announcement number 2 is going to be an official Analogue Core store for the Pocket that supports DLC or “downloadable cores” for every 8-bit and 16-bit console gaming system.

I can see 8bit and lower but i really doubt 16bit. if they do id be so happy.

Maybe they can put the gameboy cores on the super nt to give it a more selling point. 

Edited by Deltax5
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