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MiSTer: FPGA gaming

Dr_Dave

By Dr_Dave,
in Retro & Arcade Gaming

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ianinthefuture

ianinthefuture

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, Fallows said:

 

Just over £200. The trader is under the VAT threshold, so he doesn't charge VAT. :/

 

Ah poo, it is a fingers crossed approach then. Didn't realise the VAT threshold applied - thought everyone had to charge it for stuff sent here (which has rendered Aliexpress pointless, but hey that's another topic for another day)

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shiffy

shiffy

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, watusi said:

It's great to see Mister FPGA getting such love here. It's a really wonderful bit of kit and I think it really excels in 8/16bit computers. The Amiga for example far surpasses anything I've used before - its just an Amiga!.

 

Anyway, check CPS2 Aliens vs Predator on the Mister - its utterly brilliant!

I wouldn't be without the MiSTer now. While not the prettiest machine I own it certainly punches above it's weight it terms of what it can do and the systems it replicates. I said this a few years ago and I'll say it again now - for the price of a  MiSTer there really is no better value in retro gaming right now, nor is there in the forseeable future.  The future developments look pretty good as well. CPS2 looks absolutely fantastic, there's the in-development cores I've mentioned previously (Aliens, The Jackal, Iron Horse, Mr.Do, Atari 7800, Game & Watch, Sega System 16 (albeit stalled for the reason mentioned above as it's a MiSTer-X creation). There's always something in the pipeline. It seems like the MiSTer has finally started to gain some traction with more new users coming to platform all the time as a result of some of the more mainstream gaming media talking about the platform.

 

Right now, I've taken the plunge & ordered the MT32-Pi for myself. I still don't really know if I'll be able to pull this off using the MiSTer (time will tell) but I'm hoping to turn my piano into a midi controller keyboard for use with the Atari ST core and Cubase. Maybe I'm hoping a little too much here as I suspect my piano won't communicate with the MiSTer+ST core, but the possibility is there and it's one I would like to explore. If it doesn't work though, decent audio with the ao486 core is very appealing to me. Additionally, someone added midi support to the unofficial X68K core last week, Akumajou Dracula (Castlevania) sounds glorious, or it would do if it weren't for the underpowered Arm processor that the midi is currently being emulated on. While the Arm side of the MiSTer hasn't got enough grunt to emulate the MT-32 or SC-55 on it's own I've heard enough while testing the midi aspect of the ao486 and X68K cores to know that the MT32-pi is something that is worthwhile me having. 

A year ago, I would never have thought this midi element of the MiSTer could be a possibility.  Not only is the MiSTer a "one stop shop" for  retro gaming needs, it could also potentially become a useful tool for musicians who still like to use vintage computers in their compositions. @mmmonkeydid you build your MT32-pi? If so, how are you finding it?

 

I know that I've pushed the MiSTer here over the last few years (maybe a little too much at times!), but I really do believe in this platform as a viable alternative for our retro gaming needs. It might take a little bit more work to get it up and running, but it's well worth the effort.

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Spoonman

Spoonman

Posted
Posted

My MiSTer shipped today! It would be so cool to have it here for the weekend :)

 

Rather excited about getting it up and running. Went a bit nuts with the order, will post some pics when it arrives. It's part 2 of my 2021 setup goals. (Part 1 is still being organised, but i have all the bits).

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mmmonkey

mmmonkey

Posted
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@shiffy - I’ve got a few soldered up now, one suitable USB cable so I’ve just had time for a quick blast on the ao486 core to try out some games as a test (easy with Flynn’s top 300 pack) - no time to actually play though :-(  but yeah - everyone tries Monkey Island - and it sounded good!

 

Waiting for some suitable cables to arrive  and get some more 3D prints done and will flog the other units for cost.

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jamesy

jamesy

Posted
Posted

Finally ordered one of these. Had the de-10 nano arrive on Saturday but I've left it alone until the rest of the parts arrive from misterfpga.co.uk which I'm hoping might be tomorrow as it was posted out on Monday :D. Can anyone recommend where to get a nice rgb cable for a pvm?

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dataDave

dataDave

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, jamesy said:

Can anyone recommend where to get a nice rgb cable for a pvm?


Not sure where from in the UK, but I'm using a generic €13 VGA to BNC cable. No fussing like with my usual SCART to BNC adapter, which bridges my consoles in. I'm going for a direct connection.

 

dap-fv31-vga-naar-5x-bnc-male-15m.jpg

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Tomdominer

Tomdominer

Posted
Posted

The other thing I love about the MiSTer is the ease of set-up (after the installation phase) for some of the more complex stuff.

 

For instance, I wanted to try Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament in four player, and all I had to do was connect four classic controllers (two megadrive and two playstation  usb controllers) to the USB hub and then enable the correct multitap being connected in the Genesis options and WHAM, it worked.

 

Compare that to Retroboot, where I had to run a different emulator if I wanted to use a multitap , and then had to create special per game config files to enable flags that tell the emulator that a multi-tap is connected which I had to place in the right location and also be named exactly the same as the ROM name... <_<

 

I joked earlier that I wanted to try Saturn Bomberman with 10 players using original hardware, but actually, after trying this, including using my real SNES multitap for Bomberman via the SNAC usb adaper, I think, once (if?) the Saturn Core is finished, I can totally see it working...

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jamesy

jamesy

Posted
Posted

All the rest of the gear arrived tonight. Unfortunately I had assumed a heatsink was included with the I/o fan board for some reason.  Frustrating as I'd sat down excited to build the thing. So close yet so far. Don't suppose anyone knows the exact heatsink to try and buy on amazon so I could get it delivered quickly?

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AceGrace

AceGrace

Posted
Posted

I haven't got a heatsink or fan on mine and it's fine for all currently supported games.

 

Who knows if I'll need one for Saturn/PS1 eventually!

 

I did buy a Noctura fan but couldn't fit it. Didn't have the correct screws so I would be interested in finding a fan that comes with the fittings.

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dataDave

dataDave

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, jonnyalpha said:

That cable looks interesting, I might be able to get a Sony PVM cheap or possibly free. I'll have to look into sourcing a cable like that to see if it's worth it. Will all of the cores work on a PVM?

 

Yes.

Yes.

Not sure.

 

It's worth getting a PVM regardless. You'd be mad to pass on one, especially for free.

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dataDave

dataDave

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, AceGrace said:

I haven't got a heatsink or fan on mine and it's fine for all currently supported games.

 

Who knows if I'll need one for Saturn/PS1 eventually!

 

Indeed. Things will work fine, for now, potentially forever.

 

Heatsinks provide peace of mind knowing that you're reducing the strain on the chip over the long haul. If you want to give your MiSTer the best chance at a thirty-year life, and beyond, get a heatsink. It's a few quid.

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shiffy

shiffy

Posted
Posted

Ouch, that's a bit of kick in the wallet :(. Bloody Brexit.

 

The Verge are the latest outlet to pick up on the MiSTer. Nothing really new that we don't already know, but might be an interesting read for some.

 

I saw an interesting tweet from Atrac17. one of Jotego's "inner circle" earlier today. We all know that Jotego has a Mortal Kombat board and he's expressed the desire to bring it to the platform. Has he been working on a MK core without disclosing this? Does this mean that MK is close to release? Interesting tweet, make of it what you will! Oh, it looks like any Patreons will be getting 19XX with tomorrow's update.

 

 

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jamesy

jamesy

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the advice regarding heatsinks and cables everyone. I've got it up and running temporarily while I order a heatsink and search for the correct cable.

 

6 hours ago, Fallows said:



FFS. This is probably going to cost €80 in VAT and inspection/handling/clearance fees, at the very least.

 

Ah that's grim! I wish you luck on delivery.

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dataDave

dataDave

Posted
Posted

Crikey. That's an amazing find.

I recommend opening it up and giving it a good clean. There are plenty of guides for that on YouTube.

No customs charges for me, because the merchant is an absolute legend. The box only contains some PCBs and leads, at the end of the day. :eyebrows:

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dataDave

dataDave

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, jonnyalpha said:

I will have a look. How easily will I electrocute myself? It hasn't been turned on in years. 

 

Then that's the best time to open it up and check for any dust and swollen capacitors. You want some compressed air and a suitable brush.
 

The last time I went in to clean both of mine I mixed some alcohol with water and used a spectacles cloth to gently floss the underside of the glass tube. This removed an unbelievable amount of soot build-up from over the years.

Now, when they get warm they smell like new electronics instead of musky old studio.

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jamesy

jamesy

Posted
Posted

Anyone know if there is a way to use the scan double feature from the vga port but without any filter? I can force the scanlines on but it doesn't look too good with my vga monitor as at 640x480 it has it's own inherent scanlines lines visible too.

 

Still mainly messing about with this rather than playing any games properly so far. Just seeing what kinda different things it can do so far. 

 

EDIT: Changed an option in the ini file and it sorted it.

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