MiSTer FPGA Forum

For the Mister content creators, I have an idea for you.

I think a comprehensive video comparing the hardware expansion options of the Mister would be most welcomed. For newcomers, the basics are well covered for the DE10 nano and "get a cheap usb adapter board" or official usb port add-on. My experience goes back to the MiST (still have mine) and yet I haven't even investigated much into case options for my basic 'stack' with the Blisster board. [Maybe SNAC has overshadowed Blisster?]

Perhaps the most complicated (and expanding) part of MiSTer hardware is I/O options. Many of these I/O solutions now INCLUDE the functionality of the USB boards, making those not needed. That would be great to specify for those just starting their builds.

Even for someone like me that has considerable experience with Mister, I confess I am losing track of the I/O options and form factors. I know what Jamma is, and that I'd love a Mister arcade cabinet one day, but I currently have not compared the differences between MisterCADE (nor it's ordering dropdown options), JAMMIX, or the 'Plus' I/O board (is that the same as the 'Ironclad Plus' board)? Maybe some options fit NOW in a standard PC case that could LATER be put in an arcade cab when one tracks one down. Maybe options like the RMC channel's Mister Multisystem that fit in a console ALSO fit in a PC case, or the Jamma board options can also fit a custom 'consolized' case.

In addition to exploring/covering these types of ideas, maybe add discussion to which support dual ram? Sure the PS1 core may get optimized, (and it's too soon to speculate on the Saturn), but are they the only cores that MIGHT use it someday? Maybe dual ram will be beneficial for yet to exist arcade cores or other 32 bit systems that push the limits of the DE-10. Perhaps some people will want to buy a board that has an extra slot for added hypothetical future-proofing.

Finally (at least all I can think of currently), options not available yet but in WIP status people might want to hold out for. I.E. any boards that might fit in original or repro Commodore/Atari computer cases, clever internal support for plugging in MT32-pi, easy uniformed swappable plug n play SNAC controller ports, that sort of thing.

Maybe something out there even supports Blisster beyond the original Blisster board (case or IO board)?

I hope someone makes a great video covering these things. Lu's Retro Source just did a great job covering some things discussed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaZ8sVeEssQ
...so hopefully if he see's this post he might get inspired to expand on the topic.

Aren't most of the AIO solutions we see based on the analogue IO board so have the same issues in terms of dual SDram support ?

I find them more a form factor choice than anything else

Grumpy-Old-Gamer wrote: ↑Mon Apr 11, 2022 2:56 pm Aren't most of the AIO solutions we see based on the analogue IO board so have the same issues in terms of dual SDram support ?

I find them more a form factor choice than anything else

Fundamentally it's more a problem of how you connect that second SDRAM to the DE-10 nano. Right now the same GPIO pins are usable for either analog out or second SDRAM, not both at once. The one guy testing a "solution" would basically be a convenient switch that let you toggle between the two.

I think the biggest struggle here for a content creator doing a comparison would be actually getting your hands on multiple boards without breaking the bank. Mister coverage doesn't seem to exactly be big money. Think we have to settle for people just covering the one or two boards they pick up as they have a use for them.

Very good points. I was doing my own research on the 'non-vanilla' I/O board options. Seems like the MiSTercade is a choice if you ONLY want to put MiSTer in an arcade cabinet, Ironclad Plus if ONLY in a PC case, while JAMMIX is great if you want a small PC case, OR put it in an arcade cabinet.
I'd like a Jammix setup if a case exists with removable side panel(s) to allow access to the jamma and kick harness connectors. If this setup looked more CPS/PGM ['consolized'] and less like a bare PCB and one could hot-swap into an arcade cab or as a 'console', I think I'd get a second Mister.

All have a DAC and in addition to the standard HDMI and RGB (VGA style connector) outputs, AFAIK the other main differences from the official IO are:
Jammix has Jamma
Mistercade has Jamma + RCA audio jacks
Ironclad Plus has Genesis 2 style AV/output, [and a Genesis DB9 style SNAC input instead of the USB standard look]

I apologize in advance to any other hardware projects I may not be aware of yet that I omitted. I see pictures in some videos showing builds where the case says 'Sega Saturn' on what looks like a AV output. Anyone know what that project is or why that specific output?