FPGA Lynx coming to MiSTer

[+remowilliams]

Great news - FPGAzumSpass, one of the FPGA titans in the MiSTer project, is working on a Lynx core

 

 

 

[Fadest]

Great news.

I hope it will make its way to my older MiST.

[Metal Jesus]

Nice! I just picked up a MiSTer and looking forward to seeing everything it can do.

[SegaSnatcher]

Here is a video listing the current features in the beta.  Expect an official release in a couple of weeks.  
 

 

[DragonFire]

The core has been officially released! I've been having a blast with it and it seems to work really well, but it's also been a long time since I played a Lynx, so I'd be curious to hear what you all think. Does it seem to be pretty accurate? Have you found any bugs yet?

[Lamer Deluxe tm]

The Lynx core is really fantastic. It works really well for such a new core. It even has a turbo function that leaves sound and music at the same pitch and tempo (this will have multiple speeds in upcoming versions).

 

I've asked the author to add flicker blending for combining two or three successive frames, he added that a few days ago. This makes flicker transparency, like in Zaku and my Boing and No Game demos work correctly (when used together with the 60Hz sync option). The three frame flicker blend option allows high-color tricks to work that alternate between three frames. These effects don't work correctly with Lynx replacement displays.

 

I've also asked if the original refresh rate of the display could be used for the output (the Lynx has a variable display refresh rate, which sometimes even differs between title and in-game views), but this is apparently tricky to add. A 75Hz output option might be added.

 

Comlynx support is being considered, but this is also tricky.

 

This core also introduced a lot of new people to the Lynx, reading their reactions was really fun.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Lamer Deluxe tm

[+Gemintronic]

Can you save settings per game?   I keep having to change the screen rotation for some games.

[Lamer Deluxe tm]

2 minutes ago, Gemintronic said:

Can you save settings per game?   I keep having to change the screen rotation for some games.

I don't think you can. MiSTer cores don't have settings per game. Maybe FPGAZumSpass could add an option to detect the vertical games by hash and set them to vertical orientation automatically.

[Fadest]

Probably better to read vertical orientation from LNX header (of course, it need to be set accurately)

[Lamer Deluxe tm]

I asked FPGAZumSpass if he could support this. He also mentioned using the header, after I suggested a hash and also said this would of course not work with headerless ROMs.

 

Another option I mentioned would be to have the filename end with _CW or _CCW, so the core wouldn't have to be updated for possible new vertical homebrew ROMs.

 

[sage]

On 3/25/2021 at 6:27 PM, Lamer Deluxe tm said:

I don't think you can. MiSTer cores don't have settings per game. Maybe FPGAZumSpass could add an option to detect the vertical games by hash and set them to vertical orientation automatically.

Cmon, youre lazy, just rotate the screen.

[+karri]

25 minutes ago, sage said:

Cmon, youre lazy, just rotate the screen.

If you are working with some controllers you must also swap the controls. On a rotated lynx up/down becomes left/right.

This works correctly on emulators. But I wonder if the FPGA handles it.

[Lamer Deluxe tm]

40 minutes ago, sage said:

Cmon, youre lazy, just rotate the screen.

I'd need to buy an arm for my monitor to be able to rotate it 😉 Many displays that can be rotated can only be rotated in one direction though. And I have put my 1084 on its side for vertical arcade games 😃 I won't do the same with my TV though, lol.

 

I sent FPGAzumSpass some of your old high-color demos when asking him to add flicker blending.

12 minutes ago, karri said:

If you are working with some controllers you must also swap the controls. On a rotated lynx up/down becomes left/right.

This works correctly on emulators. But I wonder if the FPGA handles it.

I've just tried this with Raiden and interestingly I can play it in horizontal orientation with correct dpad directions, so rotating the monitor wouldn't work in this case. Displaying it vertically on a horizontal monitor will correctly rotate the controls as well.

 

A speed option close to the effect of a 24Mhz Lynx will be added as well, so that would be an option to develop and play games/demos for an overclocked Lynx.

I have a Lynx I with a 20Mhz overclock switch, which doesn't work with the Lynx GD, but does with the AgaCart.