How can I contribute to MiSTer-devel with a new core?

[bellwood420]

Hello,

I have developed a new core for MiSTer.
It is Arcade Breakout (Atari 1976) and I uploaded it to my repository in github (link below).

https://github.com/bellwood420/Arcade-Breakout_MiSTer


Just like Arcade Pong core, Arcade Breakout circuit is made up of asynchronous discrete logic circuits.

I achieved stability on FPGA by implementing them synchronously, I mean, treating clock signals to flip-flops as datapaths for edge detection, and driving them by another fast clock.
I found this technique on the following papar .

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~sedwards/p ... ucting.pdf


I don't know how MiSTer-devel is managed, but, if possible, I would appreciate it if someone with authority could include my core as an official new core in the MiSTer-devel repository

Best regards,
bellwood420

[alanswx]

I am happy to help you make it an official core. I will PM you.

[bellwood420]

Dear alanswx,

Thank you very much for PM, but I am unable to reply.
The forum system says I am not authorized to use composing PM feature because I have just registered.
Can I reply here?

Best regards,
bellwood420

[Newsdee]

You need to post a bit more before you can reply to PMs... just participate in a few threads

[alanswx]

Dear alanswx,

Thank you very much for PM, but I am unable to reply.
The forum system says I am not authorized to use composing PM feature because I have just registered.
Can I reply here?

Best regards,
bellwood420

I don’t see an MRA file. That is the next step.

[alanswx]

Dear alanswx,

Thank you very much for PM, but I am unable to reply.
The forum system says I am not authorized to use composing PM feature because I have just registered.
Can I reply here?

Best regards,
bellwood420

How do I launch the ball? It looks nice.

[alanswx]

Dear alanswx,

Thank you very much for PM, but I am unable to reply.
The forum system says I am not authorized to use composing PM feature because I have just registered.
Can I reply here?

Best regards,
bellwood420

How do I launch the ball? It looks nice.

ok.. Got it -- if you add a "Jn" line it will be better:

"jn,R,Start,Select,A;",

[KremlingKuthroat19]

Hello,

I have developed a new core for MiSTer.
It is Arcade Breakout (Atari 1976) and I uploaded it to my repository in github (link below).

https://github.com/bellwood420/Arcade-Breakout_MiSTer


Just like Arcade Pong core, Arcade Breakout circuit is made up of asynchronous discrete logic circuits.

I achieved stability on FPGA by implementing them synchronously, I mean, treating clock signals to flip-flops as datapaths for edge detection, and driving them by another fast clock.
I found this technique on the following papar .

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~sedwards/p ... ucting.pdf


I don't know how MiSTer-devel is managed, but, if possible, I would appreciate it if someone with authority could include my core as an official new core in the MiSTer-devel repository

Best regards,
bellwood420

I just wanted to say thank you for contributing to the MiSTer project and welcome to the forum! This comes simply from someone who's a big fan of the project, and I'm not a developer at all. I see that you wrote a Breakout core in logic. Thanks for that because Breakout is a big early arcade title.

Just curious, what kind of games are you interested in developing?

[bellwood420]

To alanswx,

I have added mra with reference to wiki information(I'm sorry. I didn't notice it) and moved DIP-SW settings from status.
Now we can lauch breakout from mra.

Also added "Jn" line in CONF_STR for default assignment as you mentioned.

Thanks for your suggestions for improvement.

[bellwood420]

To KremlingKuthroat19,

I'm glad to hear that
I am sorry that I may not follow your expectations, but I'll try to answer your question.

Actually, I have to say, I'm not interested in because I'm satisfied for now.
Of course, it would be great to port other early logic cores if I had infinite time and vitality. But it's not my priority.
The detailed reason is written below(it's too long)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suppl:

Recently I got an interest in how computers(including games) work and their history.
During researching the evolution of semiconductors in the 70s and 80s, I learned that there exited games not using CPU.
It caught my interest a lot and I decided to reproduce some of them on FPGA for better understanding.
(It is impractical to collect ancient ICs )

Why did I involved in MiSTer?

At first I made Pong on bare FPGA not on MiSTer.
Pong is a really early famous one and technically basic, so I chose it.
I thought it would be so nice if others could play with it as well as myself, but my work needs external DIY analog circuit to play, which could be a barrier I considered.
Then I found MiSTer and thought it would be a good idea.
However there already existed official Pong core.
I was satisfied when I made Pong, for secret of CPU-less game already revealed, but I was also interested in how MiSTer framework works and developing MiSTer core, so I decided to try Breakout.

Why Breakout?

It is a well-known big title as you mentioned, those Woz and Jobs involved in.
And of course official MiSTer core didn't exist.

Honestly I don't know well about other early logic games and they don't attract me enough to drive me to analyze and port.
Besides I'd like to move on forward, I mean, diving into learning the CPU world. What drives me is just curiosity.

Thank you for your understandings.

[Newsdee]

It is a well-known big title as you mentioned, those Woz and Jobs involved in.
And of course official MiSTer core didn't exist.

Great choice! You can't go wrong with the DE-10 Nano, it's an excellent development board for the price it has.

[KremlingKuthroat19]

Thanks for your reply bellwood420. I just wanted to pick your brain and see why you joined MiSTer. I can't wait to see your core show up in the official repo.

Forgive me for my ignorance since I have no development ability, but If you do decide to develop additional logic cores sometime in the future, an easier option to get your feet wet while knocking out some easier cores would be using the existing logic from current cores to create new cores.

The cores I'm thinking of in particular are the cores for the 2 Player version of Computer Space as well as Pong Doubles and Quadrapong which are two 4-Player variations of Pong. Of course, you're doing this all in your free time, but if you did want to create additional logic cores, these seem like easier cores to develop imo since you also have experience developing Pong (but I may be completely wrong).

[bellwood420]

Thanks for your reply bellwood420. I just wanted to pick your brain and see why you joined MiSTer. I can't wait to see your core show up in the official repo.

Forgive me for my ignorance since I have no development ability, but If you do decide to develop additional logic cores sometime in the future, an easier option to get your feet wet while knocking out some easier cores would be using the existing logic from current cores to create new cores.

The cores I'm thinking of in particular are the cores for the 2 Player version of Computer Space as well as Pong Doubles and Quadrapong which are two 4-Player variations of Pong. Of course, you're doing this all in your free time, but if you did want to create additional logic cores, these seem like easier cores to develop imo since you also have experience developing Pong (but I may be completely wrong).

Sorry for my selfish reply but I'm glad you understand.

- Computer Space...
I forgot about it! I know that. Predates Pong. It didn't commercially succeed like Pong, but it is historically and technically worthy.

However, unlike Pong and Breakout, it has not been emulated in DICE or MAME, so there must be some difficulties.
Its circuit seems to be different from the Pong series.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 18, 2020 Added

Since I am new comer, I didn't know that FPGA version Computer Space (1 Player version) already existed and ported to MiSTer!
What a wonderful

Let me clear the situation.
- FPGA version ComputerSpace (1 Player version) was published by Mattias G in 2015 on KLOV forum
- Ported to MiSTer by Sorgelig in 2017
- Mattias G posted that 2 player version is more or less complete in 2017. Also video uploaded. However there has been no updates and no source code since then.

[Alkadian]

@bellwood420,
Many thanks for this brand new core! I do love it a lot, really!

Would you please let me know if you are planning to implement the support for a spinner?

Many thanks and looking forward to new cores

[bellwood420]

Would you please let me know if you are planning to implement the support for a spinner?

If there is a demand for it, I will try to implement it.

But it will take a bit of time, since I don't have a mr.spinner for testing right now.

Paddle input was tested with mbed lpc1768(+ potentiometer) which behaves as mr.spinner with only paddle input(+ false spinner input for detection) for the moment.
I will buy Arduino Micro + rotary encoder for exact testing

[Alkadian]

If there is a demand for it, I will try to implement it.

That's fantastic! Many thanks for looking at it!

I will buy Arduino Micro + rotary encoder for exact testing

That's cool!

[bellwood420]

If there is a demand for it, I will try to implement it.

That's fantastic! Many thanks for looking at it!

I will buy Arduino Micro + rotary encoder for exact testing

That's cool!

I've tried Spinner implementation and almost worked. But I have one question.

What do you think is the advantage over the paddle emulation by mr.spinner?

I just noticed that the difference is whether the spinner input is handled on MiSTer side or Arduino side.

[Alkadian]

If there is a demand for it, I will try to implement it.

That's fantastic! Many thanks for looking at it!

I will buy Arduino Micro + rotary encoder for exact testing

That's cool!

I've tried Spinner implementation and almost worked. But I have one question.

What do you think is the advantage over the paddle emulation by mr.spinner?

I just noticed that the difference is whether the spinner input is handled on MiSTer side or Arduino side.

Great, thanks for the heads up!

Just to clarify I have got a SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner which is automatically detected by the Arkanoid core. Would you please let me know how to enable MrSpinner for your core? Sorry If I am missing the obvious! Thanks a lot!

[bellwood420]

Just to clarify I have got a SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner which is automatically detected by the Arkanoid core. Would you please let me know how to enable MrSpinner for your core? Sorry If I am missing the obvious! Thanks a lot!

Thanks for clarifying. Very helpful

I thought you're using mr.Spinner firmware by Sorgelig but it seems to be different.
(Please let me know if it is wrong.)

I did some research and found out that mr.Spinner is not the only Spinner supported by MiSTer.

Anyway, could you please try beta version uploaded below to see if it works with your spinner?

https://github.com/bellwood420/Arcade-B ... 01219b.rbf

Please change control setting to Spinner from OSD menu.
And spinner paddle speed option is added on OSD menu.

I think it will work unless you connecting spinner signal directly to expansion connector on I/O board.(It is Arkanoid core feature)

If it does not work, please check your MiSTer is later than 20201114 and MiSTer.ini file for settings below.

Code: Select all

spinner_vid
spinner_pid

I'm not sure but SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner adaptor might be behaving as mouse input.
If so, it may be working on Arkanoid core because the core supports mouse input.

But with "mouse as spinner" feature of MiSTer which introduced in 20201114 version can convert to mouse input to spinner/paddle input for cores not supporting mouse input but supporting spinner or paddle input.

[Alkadian]

@bellwood420

Thank you so much for looking at this implementation!

I have been very glad to test it and I did follow your very clear instructions.

I suspect that the SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner adaptor behaves as mouse input because even with your beta version the spinner doesn't work.

I have selected the Spinner option under the control settings and I can confirm that I have got the latest Mister firmware and that I have added the following two lines:

Code: Select all

spinner_vid
spinner_pid

within my Mister.ini file.

I have no doubts you will work it out!

Thanks!

EDIT: I have just recollected that in the past while using mame I have had to edit the name.ini file and change the line to "mouse 1" to enable the spinner. So definitely the SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner adaptor behaves as mouse. I hope this additional info will help you!

[bellwood420]

I suspect that the SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner adaptor behaves as mouse input because even with your beta version the spinner doesn't work.

I have selected the Spinner option under the control settings and I can confirm that I have got the latest Mister firmware and that I have added the following two lines:

Code: Select all

spinner_vid
spinner_pid

within my Mister.ini file.

Thank you for testing.

What exactly is written in your MiSTer.ini?
Sorry for the lack of information.

I was able to use an ordinary optical mouse as spinner/paddle using MiSTer.ini settings below.

Code: Select all

; use specific (VID/PID) mouse X movement as a spinner and paddle. Use VID=0xFFFF/PID=0xFFFF to use all mice as spinners.
; spinner_throttle with base value 100 gives one spinner step per one tick. Higher value makes spinner slower.
; Lower than 100 makes spinner faster. Negative value gives opposite direction.
spinner_vid=0xFFFF
spinner_pid=0xFFFF
spinner_throttle=200

[Alkadian]

I suspect that the SpinTrak USB Arcade Spinner adaptor behaves as mouse input because even with your beta version the spinner doesn't work.

I have selected the Spinner option under the control settings and I can confirm that I have got the latest Mister firmware and that I have added the following two lines:

Code: Select all

spinner_vid
spinner_pid

within my Mister.ini file.

Thank you for testing.

What exactly is written in your MiSTer.ini?
Sorry for the lack of information.

I was able to use an ordinary optical mouse as spinner/paddle using MiSTer.ini settings below.

Code: Select all

; use specific (VID/PID) mouse X movement as a spinner and paddle. Use VID=0xFFFF/PID=0xFFFF to use all mice as spinners.
; spinner_throttle with base value 100 gives one spinner step per one tick. Higher value makes spinner slower.
; Lower than 100 makes spinner faster. Negative value gives opposite direction.
spinner_vid=0xFFFF
spinner_pid=0xFFFF
spinner_throttle=200

Hi,
Thanks for the additional information.
I have added the 3 lines below:

Code: Select all

spinner_vid=0xFFFF
spinner_pid=0xFFFF
spinner_throttle=200

in my MiSter.ini file but unfortunately it doesn't work. Please let me know if I missing something. Thanks!

EDIT: I didn't have any of these lines in my MiSter.ini settings, though:

Code: Select all

use specific (VID/PID) mouse X movement as a spinner and paddle. Use VID=0xFFFF/PID=0xFFFF to use all mice as spinners.
; spinner_throttle with base value 100 gives one spinner step per one tick. Higher value makes spinner slower.
; Lower than 100 makes spinner faster. Negative value gives opposite direction.[/b]
spinner_vid=0xFFFF
spinner_pid=0xFFFF
spinner_throttle=200:

Does that mean that somehow my .ini file has not been updated to the latest revision?

[ash2fpga]

Does that mean that somehow my .ini file has not been updated?

I don't think the updater updates mister.ini after the initial install. I usually grab the latest mister.ini and use a diffing tool to merge in any updates.

[Alkadian]

Does that mean that somehow my .ini file has not been updated?

I don't think the updater updates mister.ini after the initial install. I usually grab the latest mister.ini and use a diffing tool to merge in any updates.

Thanks for pointing that out! I was not aware of that. I will grab the latest one and merge any updates as you suggested. Thanks!

[Alkadian]

@bellwood420

I have done further testing but to no avail. I have actually identified the correct vendor/product ID and I have edited the lines below accordingly:

Code: Select all

spinner_vid=0xD209
spinner_pid=0x15A2
spinner_throttle=200

I have also tried with different spinner_throttle values and I have enabled the mouse_throttle option as well but with no luck.

I am afraid that my very limited knowledge doesn't allow me to do anything else

Please let me know if I can test/try anything you might think of when you get a chance to look at it again. Many thanks!!

[bellwood420]

Please let me know if I can test/try anything you might think of when you get a chance to look at it again. Many thanks!!

Could you attach your MiSTer.ini?
I’ll try it on my MiSTer.

And if you have a usb mouse, please try it instead of the spinner.
Of couse set vid and pid in ini both 0xFFFF if you don’t know.

[Alkadian]

Please let me know if I can test/try anything you might think of when you get a chance to look at it again. Many thanks!!

Could you attach your MiSTer.ini?
I’ll try it on my MiSTer.

And if you have a usb mouse, please try it instead of the spinner.
Of couse set vid and pid in ini both 0xFFFF if you don’t know.

Please see attached my MiSter.ini.

I have tried with a USB mouse but it didn't work either.

Thanks so much.

[bellwood420]

Please see attached my MiSter.ini.

Please try attached MiSTer.ini

I fixed a little and it worked on my MiSTer (but with a mouse)
The problem is that the place where the lines are added.
In your MiSTer.ini, the lines are added in [SNES] section.
They should be in [MiSTer] section.

If the direction and/or speed aren't what you wanted, please change the spinner_throttle value refering to the comment.

[Alkadian]

Please see attached my MiSter.ini.

Please try attached MiSTer.ini

I fixed a little and it worked on my MiSTer (but with a mouse)
The problem is that the place where the lines are added.
In your MiSTer.ini, the lines are added in [SNES] section.
They should be in [MiSTer] section.

If the direction and/or speed aren't what you wanted, please change the spinner_throttle value refering to the comment.

@bellwood420,

The attached picture should speak itself

You are a star! Indeed putting the 'spinner' lines in the wrong section was the issue! Thanks you so much for your very much appreciated kind support

Your core is rocking out!!