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MiSTer FPGA project recreates classic hardware
Although I assembled it myself and all its software comes from open source DIY projects, in many respects, my MiSTer is still the most versatile computer I have. This is a deformed magic box that can change its logic to make it run as accurately as possible as countless other machines. From old arcade boards to early PCs to old game consoles, MiSTer developers are committed to transforming them into an ever-expanding hardware range.
If you have ever wanted to use computer software or hardware that is no longer sold, you may have encountered emulation before. This is a huge field that usually involves a large number of people doing a technically challenging feat: how to write software that allows one computer to run code written for another computer. However, traditional emulators can only do a lot of things. To make your current hardware run software that has never been designed to handle, there are always inherent trade-offs and complexities involved. An emulated operating system or video game usually encounters speed, latency, and errors that the original device has never encountered. So, what if there is a way to change the hardware itself?
Ok that is
. This is an open source project based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, which means it utilizes hardware that can be reconfigured after the fact. Although traditional CPUs are fixed from the time of manufacture, FPGAs can be reprogrammed to make them work as if they came out of the conveyor belt with the actual silicon chips to be used.
This means that you are not tricking the processor into believing that it is something else, you are setting it up to behave this way from the beginning. In theory, the MiSTer system can run software from NES to Neo Geo, to Apple II or Acorn Archimedes, and provide responsive, almost certain and accurate performance, almost the same as what you get from actual equipment.
Of course, this is not as easy as it sounds. In order to program an FPGA to work like a computer thirty years ago, you must have a deep understanding of the original hardware. This is why MiSTer has become one of the coolest DIY projects in technology today with the knowledge of today's global developers.
FPGA is not a new technology. The two early companies in this field (sorry) are Altera (now owned by Intel) and Xilinx (now owned by AMD). Since the 1980s, the two companies have been competing for market share in programmable logic devices, mainly serving corporate customers. One of the biggest advantages of FPGAs on an industrial scale is that companies can iterate their software designs on hardware before they need to manufacture the final chip. For example, FPGAs are widely used to develop embedded systems because software and hardware can be designed at the same time.
If you have encountered Analogue's boutique console clone products, such as FPGAs, you may be familiar with FPGAs.
with
. They use an FPGA programmed in a certain way to replicate a single specific piece of hardware, so you can use the original physical cassette with it and get an experience very close to the actual console.
Compared to what you might find in commercial or enterprise applications, the MiSTer project is built on more accessible FPGA hardware. The core of the system is an FPGA board called DE10-Nano, which is produced by another Intel-owned company called Terasic, which is located in Taiwan. It was originally designed for students as a way of self-learning to use FPGAs.
DE10-Nano looks a bit like Raspberry Pi. It is a small motherboard without a shell and can be expanded. The hardware includes Altera Cyclone V with two ARM Cortex-A9 CPU cores, 1GB DDR3 SDRAM, HDMI output, microSD card slot, USB-A port and Ethernet connection. It runs a Linux-based operating system out of the box and sells for US$135, or US$99 for students.
MiSTer was inspired by MiST, an early project that used Altera FPGA boards to recreate Atari ST. But DE10-Nano is cheap, powerful and extensible, so when the development started a few years ago, project leader Alexey Melnikov used it as the basis for MiSTer. Melnikov also designed special daughter boards for MiSTer, which enhance the functions of DE10-Nano and make the finished machine more versatile. The designs are open source, so anyone can freely manufacture and sell them.
You can run MiSTer on a single DE10-Nano, but this is not recommended because only the development board supports only a few available cores. (The "core" is the re-creation of a specific console or computer designed to run on the MiSTer platform.) One upgrade that should be considered essential is the 128MB SDRAM memory stick, which provides MiSTer at an appropriate speed It has enough memory to run all the content published for the platform so far.
In addition to this, assuming you would rather not run open circuits that are exposed to these elements, you may also need a case. There are a variety of housing designs to choose from, many of which are designed to be used with other MiSTer-specific accessories that connect vertically to the DE10-Nano. For example, most cores do not require an I/O board, but it adds a VGA port and digital and analog audio output, which is useful for various settings. (Many MiSTer users prefer to connect their system to a CRT TV to take full advantage of the real output and low latency.) You can add a radiator or fan, which might be a good idea if you want to run the system. Extension of time. There is also a USB hub board, which adds seven USB-A ports.
For my setup, I ordered DE10-Nano, 128MB SDRAM memory stick, VGA I/O board with fan, USB hub board, and a chassis designed for precise hardware selection. These mainly came from different sources and took a lot of time to display. You can order DE10-Nano from countless computer retailers, but other MiSTer accessories involve entering the cottage industry of redesign and resale. Half of my parts arrived in a tattered box from Portugal, filled with shredded paper and loose bubble wrap.
MiSTer accessories are based on Melnikov's original design, but because the project is open source, many sellers can customize their own version. For example, in my case, a jumper is included, which is directly hung on the I/O board to control its lighting, while others require you to arrange the LEDs yourself. At the same time, the USB board also has a bridge leading to the DE10-Nano. The height of the bridge seems to be different from that of most other bridges, which means I have to improvise on the screw position. I did not order anything, so it took some time to figure out where to go, but in the end everything was fine. The only other thing I have to do is to buy a small hex screwdriver to fit the last screw in the box.
This is the fun of MiSTer. There is a basic specification that can solve all problems, but you still have to assemble your own FPGA computer in the end, and you can adjust the number of builds as needed.
related
After setting up the hardware, you need to install the MiSTer software. There are several ways to do this, and you need to dig deeper
And GitHub for a while, so you know what you are doing, but the method used in the end is simple-essentially, you can format the microSD card with the installer package, put it in the DE10-Nano, and then plug in the Ethernet cable and USB keyboard, turn on the system power, it will download all available kernels. Then set your SD card to directly start MiSTer OS, and then you can run another script to ensure that everything has been updated with the latest version.
The MiSTer operating system is very simple, its default background looks like a pixelated TV static image, and it has a basic menu with equidistant fonts, allowing you to choose from a list of consoles and computer cores. The first thing I want to do is load some old Game Boy Advance ROMs that I discarded ten years ago. For some reason, Nintendo did not want to sell them to Switch. (Please sell them to Nintendo's Switch.) The performance of this game is as real as I expected, except that I am watching a 4K TV instead of a small screen.
The main reason I entered MiSTer was to use a hardware-based approach to access certain parts of the computer history that I had missed, or to revisit a forgotten platform I had used. I know that computer systems like Apple II and Amiga have a big gap in my knowledge, so it's great to have a small box that can run like any of them. I also entered the MSX platform that was popular in Japan in the 1980s. My next rainy day project is to install RISC OS, which is the Acorn operating system, which is the first computer I use in a British school. (Actually, you can still
It is a pleasant surprise to license ROM copies of various versions of the operating system. )
MiSTer development is a vibrant scene.
It will be updated several times a week, including the improvements he made to the core, but there are many other people contributing to the project every day or every week. A colleague introduced to me
For example, he is Spanish and has made great progress in copying the old Capcom arcade machine board. Have
Designed to make the original PlayStation work, this marks the biggest step forward for 3D hardware on MiSTer.
FPGAs are often considered to be a panacea for perfect simulation, but it is not actually the case-at least not without a lot of effort. Any effect that runs perfectly on MiSTer or is almost imperceptible is the result of talented programmers spending a lot of time figuring out the original hardware and applying their knowledge to its kernel. Just read
Get information about the required cost from the FPGA PSX project
Run on MiSTer and assess how far they must go. The quality, accuracy, and completion status of the cores may vary, but many cores are still under active development and have made considerable progress in the past few years.
Kevin Horton, Chief Simulation Hardware Engineer
Work was carried out in 2019 to recreate Sega Genesis for the Mega Sg console. This process took him 9 months, including two and a half months to figure out the core CPU of the console. "I don't know Genesis very well, and I know almost nothing about 68000 CPU!" he said. "This is the first time I have tried these two methods. It may slow down the process because I have to learn everything on the go."
In the end, Holden verified the accuracy of the work by connecting the 68000 directly to the FPGA and comparing their performance during a week of continuous testing. It illustrates the efforts of FPGA enthusiasts in pursuit of the most accurate results, but what makes MiSTer unique is that it is largely the work of amateurs. No one pays any salary to gradually adjust the performance of the arcade version
, And this is where Tejada directs the passion.
MiSTer is an important project because it talks about the concept of protection, which is often overlooked by the technology industry. The project makes an argument that the way we run software is as important as its content. Yes, you can port or emulate or redistribute software to run on modern hardware, but there is always a compromise in the underlying code that moves the pixel to your eyes.
Of course, this sounds like a niche market to those who are satisfied with simulation software that can run in a browser.
. I myself am often one of them-simulation can be great, and it's hard to go beyond convenience. However, the MiSTer project has always been an incredible effort. I will never miss the technical knowledge that MiSTer developers have, but I am grateful for their efforts. Once you have built your own system, it's hard not to feel the work involved; MiSTer is a never-ending pursuit of perfection, and there are some wonderful discoveries about it.
