MiSTer FPGA

[seastalker]

GadgetUK had a vid on Commodore monitors (maybe not Mister related though), but he seemed to have advanced issues like needing custom cables, sync and pin assignment. I'd like to see more Mister vids explaining and simplifying even VGA/RGB output tutorials, if .ini files or settings need rewriting, CRT vs flatscreen HDMI, and dual setups for streamers via HDMI while they play on a CRT and why. 

 

Of course, this is not to suggest expectations that you need to be that voice. With two back to back winners already, I'll watch whatever you choose to put your heart into for your next one.  If the above is not your thing, maybe a video on all things cases and housing for mister so it doesn't seem like a random PCB for newcomers. The MISTix prototype/kickstarter caught my eye. 

 

I am currently sizing up my brand new Amiga 1200 case, Kipper2k new keyboard with brand new caps, and see that my Mister (DE-10 Nano with newest IO board and BLISSter bottom board all fit in the case just north of the keyboard mid-case if I remove the feet pegs that were the very bottom of the BLISSter. I nearly don't even need drill new holes nor secure it.   If I position it one way, I have rear port access  to two USB ports, an HDMI Bliss controller port and the main power on and off switch.  The kipper keyboard can connect directly and internally to any MiSTer usb port, and maybe there is even still room to throw a Raspberry pi in there. I concluded that my Keyrah is so much better in a C64 case and redundant on this Amiga 1200 MiSTer build, already having SNAC and BLISS functionality... Internal USB and you are good to go. 

[Ashenshards]

Looks like Saturn is coming to the MiSTer FPGA system. Very exciting stuff, and being developed by the same person who brought us Sega and Sega CD. srg320 has started a patreon to help offset some of the hardware costs involved. 

[youxia]

Saturn would be a major coup for MiSTer. Unlike PSX, its emulation is still patchy and real HW much more expensive. But it seems like a big undertaking (even PSX core might not be available this year) so I'll check up on this one in 6 months or so.

[NinjaWarrior]

These Cores can't get finished soon

 

I don't have a MiSter to test it or play, I would love one

[turboxray]

New update for most cores (as of 2/10). There's now a crop 5x integer scale mode. And you can set the offset (how many scanlines to shift the picture vertically). It's listed as '216x' mode (vertical res), and it actually looks quite nice. I mean, that's 'safe area' for all 240p game consoles so it should be fine for like 99% of retro games out there (8bit and 16bit). 

Edited February 11, 2021 by turboxray

[phigan]

On a side note, I wish someone that knew how would add serial/UART to the Atari800 core like on the C64 core.

[SegaSnatcher]

On 2/11/2021 at 2:26 PM, turboxray said:

New update for most cores (as of 2/10). There's now a crop 5x integer scale mode. And you can set the offset (how many scanlines to shift the picture vertically). It's listed as '216x' mode (vertical res), and it actually looks quite nice. I mean, that's 'safe area' for all 240p game consoles so it should be fine for like 99% of retro games out there (8bit and 16bit). 

I'm happy that feature was finally implemented.  I was definitely the main guy howling for that feature because I knew a lot of people would really appreciate it, and based on some of the reactions my assumption was correct.

The crop offset was a nice touch and honestly more than I was asking for which surprised me.
 

[+5-11under]

After doing some extensive research (5 minutes with Google), it looks like a MiSTer set-up is super easy for hardware set-up, and is also easy for software set-up? Confirm or deny.

I've been looking for an easy-to-set-up "living room" system, that can play a wide variety of classic games, with minimum hassle.

I've tried the Pi method, but that's not doing it for me, as far as set-up and ongoing simplicity (power on/off, controllers, etc.) - I'm not looking to learn Linux, I'm more looking for an appliance. Is MiSTer right for me? Also, do I need extra RAM for 8-bit console goodness (and maybe a bit of 16-bit, but no Neo-Geo)?

 

[Keatah]

MiSTer is certainly easier than R-Pi. And I can recommend it. And Windows is 100% easier than anything else, so I recommend that too.

 

The Intel NUCs I've been giving to others have gotten nothing but praise. Super reliable - familiarity of Windows - tiny - unobtrusive. And the new 11th Gen models are better than ever. Though the 7th Gen models continue to remain quite viable. The "crappy" 630HD graphics is surprisingly adept at video decoding and shader operations. More than enough for MAME. And an 8th Gen i7 pulls thousands of FPS in Altirra or Stella, so..

 

As far as I'm concerned Linux is too hard and too techy for home users that need to adjust and configure things.

[+5-11under]

I'm not really looking for Windows for the living room... mostly I just don't want to deal with the Windows UI, a mouse, different emulators and controls, and such... unless there's a simple way around that. MiSTer seems to solve all that, at least it seems so?

[youxia]

Mister is fairly easy to set up, on both hardware and software side, but then I don't think RPi is difficult either. The basic steps are the same after all: you format an SD card and install the image on it. Then you transfer roms and that's pretty much that. There might be a little bit more stuff to do on the Pi, but not by much. Not sure where the "learning Linux" bit comes in, I certainly never had to do that.

 

MiSTer is definitely easier later, when you're actually using it, but that's because  it has much less options than emulators: it's more like real hardware. This is good on one hand, on the other is also a bit more limiting: eg there are no save states and less config/customization options in general.

 

Having said that I use MiSter as my main retro platform now, the RPi is now only used for Kodi.

[Keatah]

1 hour ago, 5-11under said:

I'm not really looking for Windows for the living room... mostly I just don't want to deal with the Windows UI, a mouse, different emulators and controls, and such... unless there's a simple way around that.

Not exactly. There's always going to be a desktop and windows and a mouse in, well, windows.. I prefer this setup for extra amenities of some emulators like Applewin, Winuae, and Altirra & Stella. Kinda grew up that way from the late 1990's.

 

1 hour ago, 5-11under said:

MiSTer seems to solve all that, at least it seems so?

It does, minus the initial prep of the SDcard and controller setup.

 

Why not watch some youtube vids to see it in action!

[XtraSmiley]

6 hours ago, 5-11under said:

I'm not really looking for Windows for the living room... mostly I just don't want to deal with the Windows UI, a mouse, different emulators and controls, and such... unless there's a simple way around that. MiSTer seems to solve all that, at least it seems so?

If you buy it from misteradons.com he will send you one in a case ready to go turn key. You add a script called "update_all" and it downloads all the cores and arcade games you can play.

 

To get the console ROMs, you'll have to "find" them yourself, but it's pretty easy.

 

I'd say turn key, but you'll need understanding of moving files to an SD card to really get it all done.

 

I did everything (except set up a rotating wallpaper script) without a keyboard too. Just a controller.

[AtariBrian]

8 minutes ago, XtraSmiley said:

If you buy it from misteradons.com he will send you one in a case ready to go turn key. You add a script called "update_all" and it downloads all the cores and arcade games you can play.

 

To get the console ROMs, you'll have to "find" them yourself, but it's pretty easy.

 

I'd say turn key, but you'll need understanding of moving files to an SD card to really get it all done.

 

I did everything (except set up a rotating wallpaper script) without a keyboard too. Just a controller.

I know pretty much nothing about this Mister. Do you by chance know if there are a bunch of arcade games, some or all?

[youxia]

  

7 hours ago, XtraSmiley said:

If you buy it from misteradons.com he will send you one in a case ready to go turn key.

These bundles have 128MB RAM, I/O and USB boards included as default. They cost a lot and you can run 99% stuff without them.

6 hours ago, AtariBrian said:

I know pretty much nothing about this Mister. Do you by chance know if there are a bunch of arcade games, some or all?

Some: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Main_MiSTer/wiki/Arcade-Cores-List

Edited February 26, 2021 by youxia

[Austin]

The MiSTer can be somewhat turn-key but there still is a setup period where you'll have to figure out your preferred display filter and rig up your preferred controller layout for each core. For me a keyboard was needed initially to access the MiSTer menu so I could get to the screen where I could map menu functions (like a hotkey to pull up the menu) on my USB game controller. Unless you do it all in a day (which will be tough given the vast amount of cores), there will be tinkering needed here and there. For instance, I've had a MiSTer for a while now and I'm just now working on getting Sega CD and TG-16 ISOs on it. These aren't libraries that are going to fully fit on the SD card, so it involved me buying an external hard drive for it. I've been spending the last couple of days tracking down games and transferring them over. So yeah, getting it just the way you want it is time consuming, but it's totally worth it. You can get a ridiculously crisp image and the lack of input lag is great. The ease of swapping between cores on the fly is nice. Once you have it set up and get used to the menu system, you'll be glad you went MiSTer.

Edited February 26, 2021 by Austin

[AtariBrian]

I have always wanted a way to basically have every arcade game to play. That would be my main reason for getting this. I imagine there is a way to get most if not all arcade games added to the core...

[youxia]

23 minutes ago, AtariBrian said:

I have always wanted a way to basically have every arcade game to play. That would be my main reason for getting this. I imagine there is a way to get most if not all arcade games added to the core...

There isn't. Every core needs to be programmed separately, even though some cover multiple games. The library is growning but it's still just a fraction of MAME. For me arcade in MiSTer is a nice bonus, not the main dish - that'd be the microcomputers and consoles.

[XtraSmiley]

13 hours ago, AtariBrian said:

I know pretty much nothing about this Mister. Do you by chance know if there are a bunch of arcade games, some or all?

There are thousands upon thousands of arcade games in the world. MiSTer currently plays a few hundred games.

 

This will help with specific information:

 

https://misterfpga.org/viewforum.php?f=25&sid=44b5756418ed04a2cf8cdeabdce0a2e4

 

This will help with cores if you are looking for a specific game (although it doesn't seem up to date):

 

https://misterfpga.org/viewtopic.php?t=306

 

Finally, here is the wiki:

 

https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Main_MiSTer/wiki/Arcade-Cores-List

Edited February 26, 2021 by XtraSmiley

[Razzie.P]

Finally got off the fence and decided to give MiSTer a shot.  I ordered the following --

 

DE10 Nano

128 SDRAM

USB Hub

Standard IO Board w/ heatsink and fan

 

 

Anything else you guys recommend to make it a better/more enjoyable new toy?  Any bells, whistles, accessories, etc?  

 

 

[Skeeter]

2 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

Finally got off the fence and decided to give MiSTer a shot.  I ordered the following --

 

DE10 Nano

128 SDRAM

USB Hub

Standard IO Board w/ heatsink and fan

 

 

Anything else you guys recommend to make it a better/more enjoyable new toy?  Any bells, whistles, accessories, etc?  

 

 

 

What you have right there is more than enough to enjoy the MiSTer. Maybe a case, but that's optional. I've been using just the DE10 Nano with 128MB SDRAM and a cheap USB dongle for the past 6 months or so. No fan, no case, just a bare bones kick ass retro game machine. But I'm a cheap bastard with little money to spare so my needs outweigh my wants.

 

Btw...welcome aboard, you're going to love it.

[Atariboy]

One thing that will hopefully snowball as time goes on for arcade cores, is that there are many common components used in the arcade industry.

 

The work to get say a group of 10 games from 'Company A' fully implemented in MiSTer, doesn't necessarily mean that the usefulness of that contribution is finished with that group of games. It could easily provide a FPGA implementation of a CPU that can be repurposed to help get 10 more arcade games from 'Company B' working and sound hardware that was used in 20 games from 'Company C' working.

 

While already recreated for the MiSTer project, Atari's Pokey sound chip is a prime illustration of what I mean. It was used for over half a decade on several otherwise drastically different hardware configurations, starting with early 80's classics like Missile Command and Tempest and extending all the way into the Atari Games era with games like Roadblasters, Super Sprint, and Gauntlet. And that's just for the arcade side; Both Atari's computer and home consoles lines utilized this popular chip as well. 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Atariboy

[Razzie.P]

Anyone here know how (or even if it's possible) to change the individual core menu backgrounds?  Normally, not too picky, but the GBA one flashes in a way that gives me a headache, and the Atari 7800 goes to a loud squeal like it's broken and/or being abused.  If possible I'd like to change those as follows --

 

GBA --- don't flash in a way that gives me a headache

Atart 7800 --- no squeal like it's not broken and/or being abused

 

Thanks!

 

[+5-11under]

I'm really loving my MiSTer FPGA system. I did a write-up here, where I describe what I bought, how much it cost, and some other details: 

I also talk about the arcade controller I built, and issue with having a USB encoder board that assumes 2 players, but the MiSTer can only use inputs from a single controller.

 

I still have a lot of curating to do, to get all the systems working well, such as getting rid of useless ROMs, and getting the correct type of ROM files, that sort of thing, but this thing is everything I've wanted in a "living room" type of system. If it played Star Castle (and maybe Qix, Pole Position, Omega Race, Super Sprint), my childhood would be complete.

 

A big thanks to all who have contributed to the MiSTer FPGA project!!

[youxia]

For the CRT users, there have been 2 HUGE breakthroughs recently. First, Apple II core now works on 15Khz TVs, looks perfect, or at least I think it does, since I have never seen one in the wild. Since it's the roots of early computer gaming history, I'm super chuffed (it did work on VGA before but that's a bit less exciting)

 

Secondly, ao486 has now a little fork which switches resolutions on the fly and is finally working on a VGA PC monitor without any scaling jankiness, displaying 1:1, as it rightly should. Still early days, but so far most games seem to work fine (at least in standard 320x resolutions). That is a monumental development, so much more convenient than my real DOS PC behemoth.