MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Showcase builds, discuss cases, embedding MiSTer into existing computer cases.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by bazza_12 »

Knowing how thorough Neil is, I suspect, there will be some game-changing add-on's in the pipeline too.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Shuffle7 »

loving the colour options, Reminds me of a konix or pc engine !
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Fallon »

Wish they had gone for a flat top. That two semi-circle cut out is just nasty!
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by throAU »

darksakul wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 7:34 pm
throAU wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 11:24 am so long as this is compatible with 2x memory boards for the upcoming cores that may need that, I'll be all over this.
There is no cores announced that would use two Memory boards.
But if and when it does happen, you have to abandon Analog video output. As there not enough GPIO Pins.
No, but pretty sure I saw something here by sorgelig about possibly using the second GPIO for another memory board for better memory bandwidth for future cores that require it.

And yes, you'd give up analog IO as it stands.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Duffygag »

Hello there, have you tried the fuzzy skin setting in one of the latest Cura updates ? I think It gives a more premium looking result...

Let me know if you need testers in EU, I have two different full setups already so don't need to keep the hardware once done.

Cheers
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Shuffle7 »

Does this include a WiFi network card as well or do you need a dongle still
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

Shuffle7 wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:51 am Does this include a WiFi network card as well or do you need a dongle still
No it has all 7 USB ports, so easy to add a dongle and you could put one inside the case as the USB ports can be connected to directly inside.

It has the Ethernet port out the back so a wired connection is also easy.

Wifi dongles are so low cost it does not make sense to add one onto the PCB.

Best Regards,

Richard.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

A quick update on the SSD mass storage and possible CDROM/DVDROM enclosure options -
Multisystem_CDROM_Memory_front_closed.jpg
'Tower of Power' - Lower expansion - internal connection inside the case for CD Drive and / or SDD HD and NVNME M2.SATA Module
Multisystem_CDROM_Memory_back_flap_upgrade.jpg
The lower expansion bay also blocks off the two used USB ports so you don't accidently connect them -
Multisystem_CDROM_Memory_back.jpg
Multisystem_CDROM_Memory_front.jpg

It would be really nice if the Cores could support the use of real CD's for Megadrive / PC Engine and the AO486 cores.

We could get some streamed audio tracks for CD based games...

Any core dev's and Linux side planning to support real CD drives?

Cheers,

Richard.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by dshadoff »

It looks nice, but I've seen a trend over the past 10 years for emulators to drop support for real CD drives because of compatibility issues (i.e. not all drives behave as expected, and building a mountain of special-case behaviours is a losing battle/waste of time).

I think using that space for a hard drive makes more sense.

I, for example, would not invest the effort on the PC Engine core or related support in Main_MiSTer, because I expect it would be a support nightmare with no new features to compensate.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by MiSTer_Kirk »

What is the point of a DVD drive ?
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

MiSTer_Kirk wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 5:29 pm What is the point of a DVD drive ?
Why not?

We could run CD-ROM based DOS games and have the audio tracks, MEGA CD, PCE CD-ROM-ROM and others - just needs some Linux and core support.

Cheers,

Richard.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by MiSTer_Kirk »

You can already do all that with CD images. CD Media is starting to fail, as rot sets in, and magnetic integrity fails. It's not going to last forever, and we now have plenty of ways of preserving it.
I mean, why stop at DVD drives ? Let's have a built-in tape deck ? Or a built-in 5 1/4 " floppy drive, 3.5" floppy drive ? Where does it stop ?

And I agree with the guy above, the lack of a flat top makes this thing look silly.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by aberu »

multisystem wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:10 pm
MiSTer_Kirk wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 5:29 pm What is the point of a DVD drive ?
Why not?

We could run CD-ROM based DOS games and have the audio tracks, MEGA CD, PCE CD-ROM-ROM and others - just needs some Linux and core support.

Cheers,

Richard.
Personally, it would make much more sense to have a hard drive/solid state drive add-on for the bottom like this. CD's aren't supported yet and I'm not even sure if they could be supported to be honest. I doubt there is as much demand for that as something like a hard drive for the MiSTer. The MiSTer isn't much of a "original media" system anyways.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Slipard »

Well, the power of tower concept is nice.
I am no client for an optical add-on, but knowing it can be used for other things is a welcome feature.

If you have time to spare, some food for thought:

Reasons I am not into the optical add-on:
- optical medias are failing;
- I gave up collecting because of insane prices and storage room (I am not a museum, after all);
- compatibility issues (as old as it is, they never got it right for everybody).

Reasons I am into the add-on concept itself:
- can be used for more ports;
- can be used for storage;
- can be used for adding feature;

Concerns about the add-on:
- how it will connect to base will greatly condition it's expansion possiblities.

My truly MiSTer dream case:
- one can't do all I need;
- so one for consoles (the all-in-one seems great for that);
- one with customizable keyboard for computers (I would go as far as a universal case with swappable keyboards*);
- one industrial with good ventilation and many way to attach to go inside arcade cabinets.
* for the swappable keyboards, if you are serious, you use one computer at a time for long periods, so the swapping isn't an issue.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Newsdee »

I'd be fine with the option to use optical media as a USB read-only drive. Allow the user to choose CD, DVD or Bluray, and you could switch cores/game collections by swapping disks.

Then just store your disks in a case from original systens and you'd perfectly emulate the feeling of using original physical media, without the hassle of having to support old disk formats.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by ash2fpga »

My guess if we ever did get optical media support, is it might be handled through some sort of abstraction layer. Perhaps not too dissimilarly from how mt32 is handled, whether through the Linux subsystem (sort of like midilink), or an external device (e.g., raspberry pi). Cores then could, perhaps, only need to talk to that one interface, and the other side of that interface would handle talking to the actual optical drive.

"Raspberry Pi? Yeah, that's our sound card optical drive interface."
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Sigismond0 »

Assuming that add on is built with a simple SATA connector for the disc drive, it wold be trivial to just plug in a 2.5" SSD or HDD and print a cover for the front. Even better, make it a hair taller and have the front panel include a tty2oled.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by haightc »

I for one love the idea of be able to use an real optical drive, you can run from real media or rip your titles in retroarch....
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Waifu4Life »

Where can I pre-order this?
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

Slipard wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:33 am Well, the power of tower concept is nice.
I am no client for an optical add-on, but knowing it can be used for other things is a welcome feature.

If you have time to spare, some food for thought:

Reasons I am not into the optical add-on:
- optical medias are failing;
- I gave up collecting because of insane prices and storage room (I am not a museum, after all);
- compatibility issues (as old as it is, they never got it right for everybody).

Reasons I am into the add-on concept itself:
- can be used for more ports;
- can be used for storage;
- can be used for adding feature;

Concerns about the add-on:
- how it will connect to base will greatly condition it's expansion possiblities.

My truly MiSTer dream case:
- one can't do all I need;
- so one for consoles (the all-in-one seems great for that);
- one with customizable keyboard for computers (I would go as far as a universal case with swappable keyboards*);
- one industrial with good ventilation and many way to attach to go inside arcade cabinets.
* for the swappable keyboards, if you are serious, you use one computer at a time for long periods, so the swapping isn't an issue.
I'll design up a few different base expansion units, the CD-ROM + M2.SATA was just one option to show the idea of a lower stacking bay.

The lower expansion sections could be multiple high if required as the 3D design has a set of four pins and four holes that alternate from the base of the Multisystem case into any other lower expansion add-on's. I'll leave it up to individuals to decide what expansion they need and if a single bay or multiple / higher bays work best for modular expansion.

There is also the 'cartridge' port expansion and that can handle a lot of neat options now and in the future too.

Single and dual SSD's are obviously going to be a good option for many, the question is if they would be better as quick-fit SATA drive bays or nicely hidden away under the Multisystem.

I fully agree with more USB and/or SSD+USB expansion as that seems to be the most useful for now.

I also want to see more enclosures and designs for this all-in-one motherboard - hopefully we will see wedge cases designs for the classic computer systems and more industrial for the Arcade side.

Check out Neil's YouTube channel on Thursday 26th Aug for some further details on the MiSTer Multisystem and systems we have produced in the recent past - Custom aluminium enclosures we have made for rugged industrial PC designs etc.

Thanks again for the feedback, it's great to hear what people would like to see developed now and in the future.

Richard.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

the_importer wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:04 am Where can I pre-order this?
It'll be available via Neil at RMC Retro - at rmcretro.store

Neil is planning a pre-order system and manufacturing / component lead-time is currently indicating shipments should start in October 2021.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by Slipard »

multisystem wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 1:32 pm Check out Neil's YouTube channel on Thursday 26th Aug for some further details on the MiSTer Multisystem and systems we have produced in the recent past - Custom aluminium enclosures we have made for rugged industrial PC designs etc.
I used to love Neil's videos on Youtube, but my Internet is currently so limited I can't watch them anymore; I'll stick to the thread for now. :cry:
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by SegaMan »

Link to Neil´s channel please :)
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by ash2fpga »

Slipard wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 3:05 pm I used to love Neil's videos on Youtube, but my Internet is currently so limited I can't watch them anymore; I'll stick to the thread for now. :cry:
Neil is a co-host on the This Week in Retro podcast, if that's something you can do. The multisystem has a segment in episode 47.
https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

SegaMan wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 4:25 pm Link to Neil´s channel please :)
YouTube - https://youtube.com/RMCRetro

Twitter - https://twitter.com/RMCRetro
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

Neil from RMCRetro had added an overview video all about the MiSTer Multisystem over on his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDIz8WY6zLE

User testing has been going well and we are producing another batch with the tweaks and fixes for production.

Please feel free to post any questions here or on the YouTube video comments, we will aim to answer them as soon as possible.

Cheers,

Richard.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by pomegran »

Looks great. Will the £141 include the case? If not, how much extra will this be?
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by mapf »

multisystem wrote: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:15 pm Please feel free to post any questions here or on the YouTube video comments, we will aim to answer them as soon as possible.
Hi. Will the analog audio out be fed by a proper DAC (that takes the data from the same source as the optical out)?
I am asking because the audio out on the MiSTer IO addon board has a very noisy output and this could be much improved.
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by bazza_12 »

did ask earlier but would a mic socket be possible to fit.. to save games out to tape or something
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Re: MiSTer Multisystem - All-in-One System

Unread post by multisystem »

mapf wrote: Thu Aug 26, 2021 6:06 pm
multisystem wrote: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:15 pm Please feel free to post any questions here or on the YouTube video comments, we will aim to answer them as soon as possible.
Hi. Will the analog audio out be fed by a proper DAC (that takes the data from the same source as the optical out)?
I am asking because the audio out on the MiSTer IO addon board has a very noisy output and this could be much improved.
The Multisystem has the standard analogue Audio out 3.5mm jack, and also the Digital TOSlink optical. We also have all the audio and video on the expansion header so that would be where a digital to DAC output could be made as a module if the community wants that option.

We have discussed various expansion modules, some could include a higher quality DAC, if anyone has any preference here do let us know -

Ideas were -
Use a DAC on the JAMMA expansion
Or have a combined MIDI interface and DAC for higher quality analogue audio
Or combine another desired video output like s-video and also include the option for a DAC
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