MiSTer FPGA Forum

Hello everyone,

The MiSTer Multisystem all-in-one integrated motherboard prototypes have been completed and are working!

Prototypes are being made up to send out to some beta testers, please feel free to ask any questions about the design.

This is designed for the MiSTer FPGA community, I hope you like it

WoW....amazing!

Very Nice!

Any ETA's on when and where we can get one?

How does the cooling work?

Solskogen wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:14 pm How does the cooling work?

When it's fitted into the enclosure air is drawn in from the left hand side, it goes both under and over the DE10-nano board - the channel in the lid draws air over the back of the DE10-nano - on the right hand side a 'silent' Noctua fan is used to move the air.

The DE10-nano also has a heatsink fitted on the main FPGA as usual.

Here are a few more pictures to show the cooling - it keeps very cool.
This also shows an optional (prototype) expansion 'cartridge' for dual Genesis/Megadrive control ports.

This looks like a really cool project. Is there a web link or social media link I should be following for more updates on this as it develops further?

Also, I see a bunch of the I/O options and features, its not clear from these pictures does it also incorporate other modules like the RAM, RTC, etc? It might be that I've just missed earlier posts that you've made that explained all of this, apologies if thats the case and I'm making you repeat yourself.

Thanks.

It has a HDMI isolator onboard too, for anyone that has CEC issues with the HDMI out from the DE10-nano -

And you can just see is has the full 128MB of SDRAM memory fitted onboard too

Cheers,

Richard.

Very cool to see a MiSTer build that's focused on looking and feeling more line a console. The "cube" look that most current cases has certainly is an aesthetic of its own, but this will look much better in an entertainment center next to other consoles.

An all in one USB hub, IO board, CEC isolator, RAM module, SCART output, and even power switch is also very nice. Looks like it's very much intended to be a plug-and-play solution.

The only things that stands out as "sort of missing" things are a place to tuck in a 3.5" hard disk, and composite/s-video. And from what I've read on the forums, just converting MiSTer's RGB out into composite/s-video can never be perfect, so no dings there. With CD consoles becoming more and more common, a lot of people are keeping a HDD permanently connected to their MiSTer. Another optional "cartridge" that houses a loose 3.5" disk and a small form factor USB-SATA adaptor could probably fit in the top front semicircle.

Looks amazing!

Can any of the current MiSTer modules be reused, or does everything have to be custom-made for this kit apart from the DE-10 Nano and the fan?

Are the DB-9's meant for SNAC or is there some USB conversion?

SCART? Now that did get my attention

But, I suppose the price will be in the arm&leg range, so, all the best...I'll just stick with my cheap-o "build".

I *love it* and probably will be one of the first orders when it becomes available. I will appreciate some kind of "handle" like a "briefcase handle" to transport it.

It is looking like a nice design. I like the idea of adding a polyfuse. I don't know how finalized the design is but I have a few ideas/Suggestions.

Add some ESD protection (TVS, MOVs, etc...) to the analog and usb ports. CRTs are very prone to static discharge so any added protection will help keep the DE-10 nano and usb hub safe.

Have one or two internal USB ports with one port having a bit of headroom. They could be utilized for internal bluetooth, wifi, or a USB NVME drive.

Use USB C 5V or USB C power delivery instead of a barrel connector. With USB C you don't have to worry about someone using the wrong power adapter with the board plus it makes the design feel more modern and refined.

If your board doesn't have RTC make sure the RTC board can be added. Recently I didn't think the RTC board was very useful until I started syncing saves between multiple misters. While NTP works for time, it requires an active network connection which I might not always have. I use syncthing to sync savestates and saves between mulitple misters so having a correct clock is essential. It prevents newer save files from getting overwritten by older ones. It makes it very convenient when moving between my mister consoles (console and handheld) as I always have my latest saves.

Want!

So close to perfect.
But I sure do wish it had composite and/or svideo. Us Americans never had RGB back in the day, and all our old CRT tvs use composite.

d909 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:40 pm So close to perfect.
But I sure do wish it had composite and/or svideo. Us Americans never had RGB back in the day, and all our old CRT tvs use composite.

This would be my only nit-pick about it. Maybe somebody can engineer a NA version with s-video & composite out.

Otherwise I really like everything about this!

Can this safely output from both the SCART and VGA port at the same time, or will it put too much draw on the board?

siskavard wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:30 am This would be my only nit-pick about it. Maybe somebody can engineer a NA version with s-video & composite out.

The SCART standard does do composite/S-video/rgb/component!
The BIG question is what does the SCART on this board support?
There is no answer to that yet in this tread.

I am definitely interested in this. Is there an ETA?

A preorder, perhaps?

Interesting project, but you guys should look into adding HDD support.

Looks great. I can't see a secondary SD-Card slot though. I know not many cores use it, but it is required for the ZX Spectrum Next and (I believe) the Sharp X68000.

Wow, this looks absolutely fantastic! I can't wait to be able to get one of these. Looks like it could do well inside a cab. By the way, does this still have the 'user port' that you would typically get on the IO Board?

so long as this is compatible with 2x memory boards for the upcoming cores that may need that, I'll be all over this.

Piplup87 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:29 pm This looks like a really cool project. Is there a web link or social media link I should be following for more updates on this as it develops further?

Also, I see a bunch of the I/O options and features, its not clear from these pictures does it also incorporate other modules like the RAM, RTC, etc? It might be that I've just missed earlier posts that you've made that explained all of this, apologies if thats the case and I'm making you repeat yourself.

Thanks.

Yes, it has almost all the add-on boards incorporated and the 128MB SDRAM. The official MiSTer RTC module can still be used, I didn't see a good reason to incorporate that as it's on it's own dedicated connector.

If you follow @RMCRetro over on Twitter you will see regular updates and details about availability for pre-orders etc.

And thank you for the interest in the design.

Sigismond0 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:51 pm Very cool to see a MiSTer build that's focused on looking and feeling more line a console. The "cube" look that most current cases has certainly is an aesthetic of its own, but this will look much better in an entertainment center next to other consoles.

An all in one USB hub, IO board, CEC isolator, RAM module, SCART output, and even power switch is also very nice. Looks like it's very much intended to be a plug-and-play solution.

The only things that stands out as "sort of missing" things are a place to tuck in a 3.5" hard disk, and composite/s-video. And from what I've read on the forums, just converting MiSTer's RGB out into composite/s-video can never be perfect, so no dings there. With CD consoles becoming more and more common, a lot of people are keeping a HDD permanently connected to their MiSTer. Another optional "cartridge" that houses a loose 3.5" disk and a small form factor USB-SATA adaptor could probably fit in the top front semicircle.

I'm looking into mass storage options, ideally SSD HD and/or m2 SATA as an embedded storage - the USB headers can also be used internally so it can all be nicely integrated or modular as desired - I will do some options for enclosures that fit mass storage and have them easily swappable.

Composite and s-video can be done as a module on the expansion port if enough people want it. Full JAMMA will also be done this way as an expansion module.

jfceklosky wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:58 pm Very Nice!

Any ETA's on when and where we can get one?

If you follow @RMCRetro over on Twitter you will see regular updates and details about availability for pre-orders etc.

Elegor wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 10:54 am Looks great. I can't see a secondary SD-Card slot though. I know not many cores use it, but it is required for the ZX Spectrum Next and (I believe) the Sharp X68000.

It's tucked away, but yes it has the second SD CARD slot -

Please keep on asking questions and I'll post more about the hardware development of this MiSTer motherboard and the expansion options possible.

MiSTer Multisystem key points (short summary) -

• Designed and manufactured in the UK by Heber Ltd. – A company with 35 years of experience in the design and manufacture of gaming / arcade / amusement and industrial electronics.
  We have designed in only the best components, no corner cutting here. They are also all manufactured and tested in the UK before worldwide shipping. - All really high quality connectors from JST, Molex, Harting, AMP, Amphenol, Wurth, TE, Toby.
  High quality gold plated 4 layer PCB.
  
  
  • All in one MiSTer I/O, USB and expansion connection motherboard for your DE10-nano in a low-profile Mini-ITX form factor (170mm x 170mm).
  • Compatible with existing MiSTer project cores, I/O and peripherals. (SNAC adaptors for example)
  
  • Integrated powered 7 port USB 2.0 Hub
  • Integrated 128MB SRDAM
  
  • Integrated Power switch / 4A power distribution / over voltage protection / over current protection and PTC thermal trip protection.
  • Integrated SNAC support with onboard level-shifters for classic game pad’s and peripherals.
  
  • RGB Euro SCART Output for SCART based CRT monitor support.
  o Auto 4:3 / 16:9 selection on SCART output
  o Integrated RGB Scart sync – for example no need to enable c-sync in MiSTer INI files.
  o Both audio and RGB video output over a standard 21pin SCART-to-SCART cable.
  
  • Optical TOSlink audio out. 3.5mm Audio Out and 3.5mm Audio in.
  • Onboard fan connections (both 5v and 3.3v)
  
  • Card edge expansion slot for modular upgrades and community enhancements. Examples -
  o JAMMA expansion
  o MT32Pi
  o Daemonbite adaptors
  o Mass storage / SSD
  o Expanded USB – Hubs etc.
  o Other integrated USB and custom I/O boards
  o Future upgrades and enhancements / modules
  
  • Integrated HDMI Isolation bank switches (CEC / I2C / Hot Plug / Power etc.)
  • 3D printed all-in-one enclosure ‘reference design’ available for further customisation / personalisation
  o Example ‘cartridge’ module designs and demo projects for further community expansion.
  o Easy access to the MiSTer micro SD card (and it's also the correct way around).
  
  • Overall a lot less cables / dongles and ‘modules’ sticking out of the MiSTer system!
  • Supported and tested by RMC Retro
  • Designed with the community – for the community.
  • No ‘Kickstarter’ - It’s already designed and will be available ~Q4 2021 from RMC Retro.

Really cool looking design!

RTC module support would be good. What kind of cartridges are planned? I would like Commodore/Atari compatible DB-9 combined with Audio In (ADC). The cartridge shape also looks like it could support a display.