Wahoo, my account still works!
Been awhile, but wanted to chime in about FPGA.
First, regarding chip prices, the ripple effects have spread to just about everything. Even the AVR microcontrollers I use on three different products have been hit by shortages. The BitKit uses the Spartan6 LX9, which normally runs about $16 from Digikey, now up to $21. The Bluetooth module I use on the BitKit and an Apple II product has doubled in price in the last 3 months. Hopefully the market settles down in the next 6 months.
Regarding FPGA, I wanted to clear up a couple misconceptions.
First off, FPGA isn't perfect by default, it really depends on the developer(s) and how much work is put into making the implementation as accurate as possible. Older arcade hardware, especially 8bit, is a mix of asynchronous and synchronous TTL. FPGA likes to be 100% synchronous, it doesn't do well with fuzzy edges and coincidentally aligned clock edges. Sound is also another issue entirely, since a lot of early 80s hardware had analog circuitry to produce certain sounds. Naturally, modeling analog in the digital domain is a challenge, and it takes a solid knowledge of digital signal processing to produce audio output that sounds authentic.
HDL is like code, but it is "synthesized" (compiled) into what are essentially giant look-up tables. It is not accurate to say that FPGA recreates original hardware down to the transistor level, because it doesn't do that at all. FPGA recreates the original logic and timings if done correctly, but it operates completely differently from the original TTL logic. So I like to think of FPGA as hardware simulation, or "re-creation".
It takes a lot of commitment and time to get it right, so much so, that I question my sanity sometimes. I once spent three solid weeks creating low-pass filters from scratch HDL so the Galaxian "rack" noise (the drone sound the aliens make as they move back and forth in formation) would sound authentic.
MiSTer is a great project, with a lot of talented contributors (like Jotego). I wish more attention was given to the classic cores, some of them need some TLC. When the BitKit is done with it's run, I'd be glad to start contributing, I just don't have the time as long as my own project is active. MiSTer's Galaxian especially needs some love, the "rack" noise really needs help
Bottom line, FPGA is great, and I encourage anyone who is interested to dabble with the MiSTer, especially since it runs much more then just 8bit arcade games. Just remember that FPGA is not a silver bullet, and since MAME has been around for a long time, there is a high standard for emulation (software or hardware) to live up to.
Home
Help
Search
Login
Register
Send this topic
Print
Topic: Welcome to the MiSTer FPGA LOVE Fest ;) (Read 66152 times)
