MiSTer FPGA Forum

Current estimates is that this is still at least 1-year out from being in a usable state, but there is some very solid progress being made.

Just today saw the release of this video showing the kernel/OS being booted:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2PupKQtSOCA


I myself own a PS1 x 3, PSOne, PS2 OG, PS2 Slim, PS3, PSVita X2, PSP X2, PSP Go... all of which can play PS1 games, but I still bought myself one of these today:


For those tasty PS1 USB controllers. Only cost me €50 new on Ebay.

Latency isn't the best with these controllers @ av. 2ms, but there's nothing like using original controllers when playing games from the respective system.

I've zero interest in the emulation itself of PS Classic. I wonder if a MiSTer can fit inside.

I'm curious if they are identical in terms of build-quality, feel and weight. I'm also thinking about the getting 8BitDo DIY kits to make them wireless, but it's too bad those are bluetooth. 2.4Ghz or bust IMO for wireless.

Anyway, just thought I'd give a heads-up to anyone looking forward to the PS1 core and thinks they might be interested in these controllers. I only see the price going up in time as they get EOL'ed.

Great info PS1 will be huge addition to Mister also I wanna see Saturn too.

About Playstation Classic Mini - I also have one, also this device have better performance that Pi 3 (I heard that). There are 2 major hacks for it, but I prefer simpler method called AutoBleem. I use with this 8bitdo USB adapter (same as regular but with PS colors) and SN30 Pro controller (also with Mister). I heard also that Classic's SoC have ability to use Vulcan render - this is now in the works, so probably will be possible to get better N64 emulation or even beyond that.

While not on the DE10 Nano, this is still pretty promising: https://github.com/pgate1/PlayStation_on_FPGA

jdeberhart wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 4:39 am While not on the DE10 Nano, this is still pretty promising: https://github.com/pgate1/PlayStation_on_FPGA

True. They have it running on a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board, which hosts a Cyclone IV and 114,480 logic elements while the DE10-nano has a Cyclone V with 110K LEs.

Any core developed for the DE2 could probably be ported over to the DE10 handily.

chanunnaki wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:26 am

jdeberhart wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 4:39 am While not on the DE10 Nano, this is still pretty promising: https://github.com/pgate1/PlayStation_on_FPGA

True. They have it running on a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board, which hosts a Cyclone IV and 114,480 logic elements while the DE10-nano has a Cyclone V with 110K LEs.

Any core developed for the DE2 could probably be ported over to the DE10 handily.

The de2 has more memory if I remember right...

Is the CPU really the only major component that is still missing in Laxer3a's core right now? Very exciting stuff.

I think I'll need to book a week off work when this one drops.

I do have a PS1, but burning discs is a very dull task

I'm planning on using this core when it comes out, but I don't know much about the Playstation. I have no Playstation controllers, but I'd like to have 2. Should I get Dualshocks? Also can I just pick up any Playstation to USB adapter, are they all made about the same, IE can I go cheap (I have plenty of time to order from china before this core comes out).

This fella is working really hard on this project.

Let's support him as much as we can. He has a patreon and he is also looking for some real reliable help.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/update-23 ... =postshare

Let's cheer him on!

He needs more people to help. I wish I had the knowledge to chip in.

I am looking for people interested in :
CPU:
- CPU integration (or remake)
- Integr. of GTE module into CPU.
- Integr. of Cache/Scratchpad into CPU.

Other:
- DMA / bus impl./ BIOS
- DDR debug
- CD Rom impl. (SW 90%)
- Dbug on FPGA board
- Integr. of other modules

PSX need YOU !

I think that having already MDEC / GPU / SPU / GTE
is a huge milestone. Some other block are nearly made too.
The amount of work remaining is still big because of integration, but in term of HW stuff, we should reach a point where things should be 'easier' than before.

https://twitter.com/Laxer3A/status/1308482854880452613

Same here...

At least I could help debug at some point when its needed?

In the meantime, joining his patreon is the only thing I can do at the moment I guess.

It might be worth having a think about what else could be done to support the core. I started a thread here about rumble support in the framework - which could be hooked up to the GBA core, and implemented into the GBC core currently. Quite niche on those cores, but a much bigger deal on the PS1.

viewtopic.php?f=27&p=10884#p10884

I imagine Shane Lynch will be all over adding in light gun support as he has done in other cores.

What other peripherals and curios are there for the system that would need support added?

One side core that could tie into it would be the Pocketstation (the PS1s equivalent of the Dreamcast VMU), which is quite niche but might be a fun small project for someone.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation

CPU: ARM7T (32-bit RISC chip)
Memory: 2K bytes SRAM, 128K bytes Flash RAM
Screen: 32×32 dot monochrome LCD[14]
Sound: 1 miniature speaker (10-bit PCM)
Switches: 5 input buttons, 1 reset button

basketballer wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2020 4:03 pm I'm planning on using this core when it comes out, but I don't know much about the Playstation. I have no Playstation controllers, but I'd like to have 2. Should I get Dualshocks? Also can I just pick up any Playstation to USB adapter, are they all made about the same, IE can I go cheap (I have plenty of time to order from china before this core comes out).

At this point I'd say just go with PS3 or PS4 controllers, they directly support both USB and Bluetooth, no need to mess with an adapter.

PS3 controllers are closer in design to the PS1's, though unfortunately they're pretty much impossible to find nowadays since crappy Chinese bootlegs have flooded the aftermarket (and you don't want those, believe me).

(You could also wait for the PS5 in November, of course.)

As a word of caution with PS3 controllers, there was a significant number of revisions over the life of the PS3 and a great deal of variability. They can be difficult to charge requiring usb-host negotiation and while they are bluetooth, they aren't super eager to be friends with other devices often requiring extra steps or software.

Wired PS2 dualshocks with an adapter would be my recommendation for OG hardware, failing that .. PS Classic controllers are USB and should work out of the box.

There are cheap china knockoffs of PS2 controllers that even come wireless. They work fine on my original PS2 and I guess they would work also fine on MiSTer.

The pgate1 guy is indeed legitm as he already posted a lot of code and keep it updated, while the other (laxer3a/cat guy), haven't published a SINGLE line of code so far!

Code here:
https://github.com/pgate1/PlayStation_on_FPGA

So beware of that cat guy (until proven otherwise), he keeps asking for donations (aka patreon).

Edit: ops, haven't saw that link above was already mentioned.

chanunnaki wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:26 am True. They have it running on a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board, which hosts a Cyclone IV and 114,480 logic elements while the DE10-nano has a Cyclone V with 110K LEs.

R3000A uses 7660 LE (it exists since 2014):
https://github.com/alfikpl/aoR3000

Funcions: 7174
Registers: 2633
I/O: 115 (IV has 528 / V has 145)
Memory bits: 61,616 (out of 5,703,680)
9-bit mutipliers: 8 (out of 512?)

Total LE: ~17467

LAB IV has 7155, V only has 4191.

Gradius2 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:55 am

chanunnaki wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:26 am True. They have it running on a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board, which hosts a Cyclone IV and 114,480 logic elements while the DE10-nano has a Cyclone V with 110K LEs.

R3000A uses 7660 LE (it exists since 2014):
https://github.com/alfikpl/aoR3000

Funcions: 7174
Registers: 2633
I/O: 115 (IV has 528 / V has 145)
Memory bits: 61,616 (out of 5,703,680)
9-bit mutipliers: 8 (out of 512?)

Total LE: ~17467

LAB IV has 7155, V only has 4191.

Sorry for may be too rude word, but it's bullshit..
- I/O count has no sense at all, it's related to specific chip and dictated by board and functions. There are CycV with a lot of I/O pins, and there are CycIV with small amount of I/O pins. It has nothing to do with internal modules.
- while LAB amount is important characteristic, it cannot be compared between different Cyclones. Cyclone V has more advanced cells called ALM while Cyclone IV has older type of cells called LE. Synthesizer and fitter produce different bitstreams which depends not only on technology of FPGA but also on amount of free resources, complexity of interconnects and other factors.
- Amount of required resources highly depends on specific implementation. Different devs can write the same module with different resources requirement.

ao486 core originally couldn't fit MiSTer as-is. Now it's several times faster than original, has more advanced implemented devices and still has free resources for further expansions.

Something like that...

btw, if i remember right pgate1 releases sources only when some other (and usually more advanced) implementation exists. This is what happened with SNES core. Who needs that pgate1 SNES implementation now? Especially written in weird language.. no one..

As for supporting development which only claimed to be open source without actual release of any source yet is kind of risky, yes.. No one knows if project will be ever finished or not. Will developer release the sources even if he will feel ha can't finish? Will he release the sources if some company will come and offer a big money to buy it for themself?
So, every supporter should decide if he trust the dev or not...
If developer is well known to release previous similar projects as open source then he is trustful.

Sorgelig wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 10:38 am Sorry for may be too rude word, but it's bullshit..
- I/O count has no sense at all, it's related to specific chip and dictated by board and functions. There are CycV with a lot of I/O pins, and there are CycIV with small amount of I/O pins. It has nothing to do with internal modules.

Isn't bs, is just a conversion. They mention as 'pin', where is that one mentioned on handbook?

The problem isn't with a specific number or word choice, it's that the comparison is meaningless because I/O pin count is a system-level integration issue. The aoR3000 CPU core itself has no I/O pin requirement. The resource report shown is for a specific demo system design on a DE2-115 board. The count of 145 I/O pins comes from the process of adapting the feature set of that system to the hardware on that board. MiSTer has different hardware and PlayStation is a different system, so the process of I/O assignment for a PlayStation MiSTer core will be very different. Especially since MiSTer cores generally connect to the framework rather than assigning I/O directly.

Looks like there are some new updates.

Is this not legit??

Gradius2 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:53 pm And the lies continues, right Ryuoken?

Stop deceiving people.

All you have there is a raspberry pi.

crusher talos wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:54 pm Is this not legit??

Gradius2 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:53 pm And the lies continues, right Ryuoken?

Stop deceiving people.

All you have there is a raspberry pi.

Just a troll don't worry, this core is pretty well documented as of now and yes some infos are behind a pay wall but it doesn't mean it's not real.

Gradius2 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:53 pm And the lies continues, right Ryuoken?

Stop deceiving people.

All you have there is a raspberry pi.

Patreon and Twitter pages have disappeared, apparently

They haven't disappeared; the links in the video description just have extra crap at the end for some reason.

https://twitter.com/Laxer3A
https://twitter.com/ultraembedded
https://www.patreon.com/laxer3a

ExCyber wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:20 pm They haven't disappeared; the links in the video description just have extra crap at the end for some reason.

https://twitter.com/Laxer3A
https://twitter.com/ultraembedded
https://www.patreon.com/laxer3a

You're right. My fault.

Hodor wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:11 pm

Gradius2 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:53 pm And the lies continues, right Ryuoken?

Stop deceiving people.

All you have there is a raspberry pi.

Patreon and Twitter pages have disappeared. What the fuck? Has all of this always been a giant fraud? Really?

Holy crapioca, I almost had a heart attack there. ahaha Thanks for the info everyone. Glad to hear it all.