Ninja

[MWeston]

I don't see anything offensive. Someone wants to use that new Propeller microcontroller to make their own game console (not a handheld but I guess it could be). Andre LaMothe is probably way ahead of them in his design with that chip at www.xgamestation.com. I would just go there if you want to know more about the chip He's selling kits soon.

I have alot of respect for his work, but it is very different than what I am trying to achieve. He's trying to make a console more similar to say an Atari 2600 but with a more modern flare and fewer limitations. It's pretty cool, but I'd rather just emulate 2600 games and do something else.

 

[Radek]

I don't see anything offensive. Someone wants to use that new Propeller microcontroller to make their own game console (not a handheld but I guess it could be). Andre LaMothe is probably way ahead of them in his design with that chip at www.xgamestation.com. I would just go there if you want to know more about the chip He's selling kits soon.

That's a very impressive stuff!!

And problem with the:
http://blackbox.jconserv.net/index.php
is that there is no real data about almost anything.
(it looks like just a forum imho...)

And made an quick search for the Propeller chips:
http://www.parallax.com/propeller/index.asp

Nice or not but not exactly innexpensive. I can get Xilinx XC3S200 for the same price.

I have alot of respect for his work, but it is very different than what I am trying to achieve. He's trying to make a console more similar to say an Atari 2600 but with a more modern flare and fewer limitations. It's pretty cool, but I'd rather just emulate 2600 games and do something else.

Very nice to look at screenshots there:
http://www.xgamestation.com/view_product.php?id=12

 

[MWeston]

Nice or not but not exactly innexpensive. I can get Xilinx XC3S200 for the same price.

I'm so tempted to pick up one of these:

http://www.xilinx.com/xlnx/xebiz/designRes...HW-SPAR3E-SK-US

Hook an LCD and buttons to the external port and you have yourself a nice little gaming machine for only $149!

 

[Radek]

DaveC - perhaps it'd be a good idea to put inside stick case four small microswitches? I was trying but the ones what I could get weren't small enough (but not much). They could be glued inside and the bar could control them?

Now that'd be an excellent solution .. you wouldn't even need to remove your stick in all likelihood, just open it up, insert a new assembly, run out some leads, solder them to the back of your board and be done with it. Perhaps there's some conductive tape or other means that could attach the leads for those not keen on soldering as well ...

DaveC - perhaps it'd be a good idea to put inside stick case four small microswitches? I was trying but the ones what I could get weren't small enough (but not much). They could be glued inside and the bar could control them?

I am not keen on microswitches though. The contact band is too wide giving more impreciseness. You press to activate it and the spring clicks, then to release you need to travel pretty far to let the snap-spring pop back. It is kind of the opposite problem that we have now. Instead of a large dead zone you have a large contact zone. An opposite problem but still a problem that would make for poor controls.

Membrane and d-pad would still be best.

The only reason GPH actually did what I suggested and rotated the stick by 45 degrees is because it was an easy change. Good luck getting any more out of them, they think the stick is good. I think the stick is ok but could be better. I don't hate it but will admit that a d-pad is better. I guess the stick is not bad enough to motivate me to design a pad plus I figure since you are making one why should I bother.

How is your d-pad kit going? do you plan on releasing it soon? I see you have the logic chip board done.

Nice or not but not exactly innexpensive. I can get Xilinx XC3S200 for the same price.

I'm so tempted to pick up one of these:

http://www.xilinx.com/xlnx/xebiz/designRes...HW-SPAR3E-SK-US

Hook an LCD and buttons to the external port and you have yourself a nice little gaming machine for only $149!

Not so little "machine". It's a powerhouse with XC3S500E chip. It has 20 hardwired multipliers, 10K of usable logic gates, clockrates over 300MHz (but this kit is limited only to 50MHz). Plus there is 64MB ddr memory on a board.

Properly programmed it'd would obliterate GP2x easily. And it's main trouble with FPGAs - HDL coding.

I got some CPLD chips for my beginning with PLD. I couldn't be able utilize the XC3S500E even of fraction its capabilities. I'm not yet at such level Verilog coding myself and Verilog code can be compiled and tested on a PC anyway.

I like this kit I have to admit. Lots of great features! Price is decent as well. If you are proficient with HDL then for sure go for it. You could implement HDL code in other (handheld type?) design later. But what exactly would you like to make - I mean an emu of some machine, your custom computer, hardwired game of some sort?

 

[MWeston]

I like this kit I have to admit. Lots of great features! Price is decent as well. If you are proficient with HDL then for sure go for it. You could implement HDL code in other (handheld type?) design later. But what exactly would you like to make - I mean an emu of some machine, your custom computer, hardwired game of some sort?

Oh nothing really. I'm sticking with my ARM11 design, but this board just sounds like fun

 

[OMars]

I like this kit I have to admit. Lots of great features! Price is decent as well. If you are proficient with HDL then for sure go for it. You could implement HDL code in other (handheld type?) design later. But what exactly would you like to make - I mean an emu of some machine, your custom computer, hardwired game of some sort?

Oh nothing really. I'm sticking with my ARM11 design, but this board just sounds like fun

Hey , so what have you done so far? :huh:

 

[MWeston]

Hey , so what have you done so far? :huh:

I'm selecting features and choosing parts so I can make up a list for sampling. If I said I was soldering the last component on then you would know I was full of it!

I'm temped to use a 1.8" HDD but microdrives are getting up there in size and they take less power. I'm going to put a connector on my prototype anyway, but it might be just for testing.

 

[OMars]

Hey , so what have you done so far? :huh:

I'm selecting features and choosing parts so I can make up a list for sampling. If I said I was soldering the last component on then you would know I was full of it!

I'm temped to use a 1.8" HDD but microdrives are getting up there in size and they take less power. I'm going to put a connector on my prototype anyway, but it might be just for testing.

Cool, what size microdrive do you think you would be using?
Here are some links to help you:
microdrive search on newegg
vacuum molding tutorial for cases/how to design the case

Good Luck again!