Blastmaster wrote: ↑Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:11 am
1, Analog IO / Digitial IO - Digital better if new cores require x2 SD RAM
1.5, Blister / Standard USB - I`m edging to Blister as you get the two Blister ports but lose 2 USB
2, Am I right in saying that the SNAC port resides on the IO board but you can also get a USB to SNAC adaptor you could use in your USB hub if you don`t get the IO board ?
3, From what I`m reading all current cores only allow for 1 SNAC interface ? So is there ever any point in having 2 SNAC interfaces ?
4, So the AOC can double up as a SNAC interface ? I`m guessing some adaptor is needed.
5, I also see a MiSTer SNAC HDMI Adapter For BlissBox Cables. Why would anyone want that ?
6, Lastly do you always need to split the power to the DE10 Nano and the Blister/USB hub ?
1, Yes but you do loose the VGA connector.
1,5 Kind of yes but not completely see nr 7.
2, NO!
The IO boards port is a "USER port" that you CAN connect for example SNAC/BlisSTer/MT32-pi and other stuff!
Then the cores them self needs to be configured to use whatever you connect like to use the LLAPI mode on the blister you need the LLAPI cores.
3, For now NO, in the future maybe there are people that do have plans to use two player SNAC when or if it happens i have no idé about.
4, AOC?
Do you mean ADC?
If yes then NO the ADC is only to send in "music", for example the sound a C-64 tape has on it and then is played using a tape player (or a sound card from computer/phone/etc).
Meaning this "sound"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGonRkSiwb0
And here is a video showing Mister ADC in use
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhFhRAQitc
5, It´s useful if you already have blissbox cables.
6, NO BlisSTer has a power in and a power out so plug the power from the transformer into the BlisSTer and then plug a cable between BlisSTer and DE-10 (the BlisSTer to DE-10 cable should be included in the blisster package).
Also the "USB bridge" is included with the BlisSTer and probably also included with most "mister USB hubs" at least if buying from a good seller (aka not aliexpress/ebay!).
7, SNAC vs BlisSTer?
Both are lower lag then regular USB for the mister.
The mister can be enabled for 1000mhz usb mode (that sometimes reset when mister updates so run that script after every update to be sure it is on!) that makes the USB significantly faster but both SNAC and BlisSTer is faster.
SNAC is the fastest but BlisSTer is not far behind as in both are waaaaay under one frame of lag.
Both SNAC and BlisSTer works with lightguns.
Pro for SNAC is that the official mister cores works and is supported from the mister team, IF they have SNAC in them which all do NOT have.
But more cores have SNAC then BlisSTer (non official LLAPI cores that is!) so a win for SNAC here.
It´s cheaper!
It´s technically more correct since all things controller wise do behave exactly as it does on the original hardware.
The LLAPI cores for the BlisSTer do come out up to a couple of days after the official cores is updated.
Con's for SNAC and the first two are really BIG con's for me.
SNAC ONLY work with the "right" controller per core, as in you can NOT for example use a SNES controller on the NES core.
Or in other words, can you plug the controller into the real hardware and it works it will work on mister with SNAC.
Cores that do not have SNAC in them can not use ANY controller connected to the SNAC, you must use a controller connected to USB then.
SNAC do not work that or rather did not work at all, but started working recently but from what i have understand it ONLY works in the mister menu when your in the core menu, so you can load roms/change the core settings.
But as soon as you go out of the "core" meny or load another core SNAC does not work (could be wrong on this tough!!!)
Pro for BlisSTer.
Has a power switch (digital IO board will have one too!).
It fits sooooooo much better in the mister stack then a SNAC showed into the user port and sticking out or a loose SNAC board with a cable in the user port (not that big of a deal tough).
Now the three biggest pro's for the BlisSTer.
1, You can use any controller that the BlisSTer support on ANY core.
With BlisSTer you can use a SNES controller on the NES core and it will be in LLAPI mode (the one that is faster then USB mode).
Or you can use a Ps2 controller on the Gameboy core in LLAPI mode.
You can also use for example a Gamecube controller on C-64 with BlisSTer, BUT then it will not be in LLAPI mode, it will run in USB mode.
What does LLAPI mode vs USB mode mean?
It means that the HDMI ports on the BlisSTer can run in both modes for LLAPI mode it will need LLAPI enabled cores and that LLAPI is turned ON in the cores setting (it´s not on per default).
ANY official core will simply run in USB mode, so therefore you can run any controller on any core.
2, You can use two controller in LLAPI mode at the same time, or you can mix one LLAPI and one or more USB controllers at the same time.
3, You can use BlisSTer in the MiSTer menu with no problem.
BlisSTer con's.
It's not cheap! Owning some cables before hand do help a bit tough.
The LLAPI will never be in the official mister cores, so will need unofficial ones.
And the third option is skipping SNAC/BlisSTer and go USB all the way.
With for example Daemonbites adapters, that will be a good option too.
Problem with Daemonbites they have less options then the SNAC on what controllers can be used.
Sure it will be cheaper and you can even buy a Arduino Pro Micro and solder everything yourself for even cheaper.
But then you still need a solution for the missing systems.
What makes the BlisSTer good is that it´s almost like a combined SNAC/Daemonbites board but with a couple of added functions and more controller is supported.
