Atxmega NEW powerkill CONSOLE
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:08 am
Hi all.
Okey, this topic was old. I didn't know if I should start a new thread or not, so I have started a new thread here, and also a continuity here:
(Also for those that don't know me)
http://uzebox.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1108
I will reveal you something I have found by myself that I think was never seen before. I think it's simply the first time it's done. (Some kind of new world record?? Anyway...)
Since I work on electronic project about just on winter( in the summer, I fly helicopters instead... and of course, other outside things), I started to play with the Atxmega again. I love this MCU. What I wanted was a console with a lot of power, So, I started to look at ARM without any success with the development plateform. After thinking about some things for about a week, I had an Idea. The Atxmega have a lot of counters and PWM output. The Idea I had was to use all these counters to do an automatic 8 bits counter from the ATXMEGA to 8 outside pins without MCU intervention. The counter have to count from 0 to 255, this way, eventually we can use this counter to stream the DATA from an external RAM to the Monitor without MCU intervention. After 2 more weeks of works tweaking with counters, it finally works! I have managed to have 8 MCU pins to count automatically from 0 to 255.
I tested that with 8 leds on my breadboard. But since the external RAM is SMT and I know that a breadboard is really bad for external BUS transfer, I had to make a real prototype on a real PCB. I started last week to design a first console prototype as proof of concept. I now have finished the schematic and board routing. All I have to do now is making the board, solder the parts and start writing some test code. Here is a 3d picture of the First final prototype Console:
Ok, All SMT. But we don't have choice if we want something more powewrfull. and it's only 3 chips, not that hard to solder. And if the project works, we will have something really SOLID!
By solid, I mean that:
-Dual Page RAM buffer, 256x256 with 256 colors.
-Real RAM Video mapping, no more sprites needed. You have full control of all the DOTS in Video space.
-Horizontal and Vertical FAST scrolling. (As fast as sonic game! Really, no joke!)
-Easy to compose music .MOD with 4 Channels High resolution Audio + 2 Channels for game sound effects. (I already proven that with only 1 MHZ CPU left after all video generation... Imagine with 42 MHZ)
-And a lot lot more.
Why lot?
Because with the MCU that not need to stream the VIDEO to the VGA, you have 99% of free time to process your game. YES, 99% of free CPU time. At 42 MHZ it's a lot of power. You can even do some modest 3D graphics at this speed.
Do you remember all the demoscene made on the Commodore 64 and even Amiga, This will be possible to do that kind of stuff with this console.
here is a link to a youtube Video of a demoscene on a C64 to show you what can be possible with this console (Of course with better sound and better video)
So, This console remain Minimalist with only 3 IC, and still use AVR studio and AVR GCC (WINAVR). No need to learn a new language. I don't know how many people have an interest in this project, but I think it's the perfect alternative for a NEW challenging console. Of course, if people are interested in this project, all the Schematics and source code will be available for free. I can even start a batch of Manufactured PCB and provide The board with all parts at COST if I found enough interest in it.
Something is sure, I will push this console and I will code on it.
But for now, I must wait to the weekend to make my prototype board and I cross my fingers... I hope that all the things on paper will work in the real world. (But I can't see any reason for this project to fail) I will keep you informed, and let me know all about your interest in this wonderful project.
UZE: I will need you help, approbation and support on this for sure! I think this is what you tried to accomplished for some times and me too!
Mast3rbug.
Okey, this topic was old. I didn't know if I should start a new thread or not, so I have started a new thread here, and also a continuity here:
(Also for those that don't know me)
http://uzebox.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1108
I will reveal you something I have found by myself that I think was never seen before. I think it's simply the first time it's done. (Some kind of new world record?? Anyway...)
Since I work on electronic project about just on winter( in the summer, I fly helicopters instead... and of course, other outside things), I started to play with the Atxmega again. I love this MCU. What I wanted was a console with a lot of power, So, I started to look at ARM without any success with the development plateform. After thinking about some things for about a week, I had an Idea. The Atxmega have a lot of counters and PWM output. The Idea I had was to use all these counters to do an automatic 8 bits counter from the ATXMEGA to 8 outside pins without MCU intervention. The counter have to count from 0 to 255, this way, eventually we can use this counter to stream the DATA from an external RAM to the Monitor without MCU intervention. After 2 more weeks of works tweaking with counters, it finally works! I have managed to have 8 MCU pins to count automatically from 0 to 255.
I tested that with 8 leds on my breadboard. But since the external RAM is SMT and I know that a breadboard is really bad for external BUS transfer, I had to make a real prototype on a real PCB. I started last week to design a first console prototype as proof of concept. I now have finished the schematic and board routing. All I have to do now is making the board, solder the parts and start writing some test code. Here is a 3d picture of the First final prototype Console:
Ok, All SMT. But we don't have choice if we want something more powewrfull. and it's only 3 chips, not that hard to solder. And if the project works, we will have something really SOLID!
By solid, I mean that:
-Dual Page RAM buffer, 256x256 with 256 colors.
-Real RAM Video mapping, no more sprites needed. You have full control of all the DOTS in Video space.
-Horizontal and Vertical FAST scrolling. (As fast as sonic game! Really, no joke!)
-Easy to compose music .MOD with 4 Channels High resolution Audio + 2 Channels for game sound effects. (I already proven that with only 1 MHZ CPU left after all video generation... Imagine with 42 MHZ)
-And a lot lot more.
Why lot?
Because with the MCU that not need to stream the VIDEO to the VGA, you have 99% of free time to process your game. YES, 99% of free CPU time. At 42 MHZ it's a lot of power. You can even do some modest 3D graphics at this speed.
Do you remember all the demoscene made on the Commodore 64 and even Amiga, This will be possible to do that kind of stuff with this console.
here is a link to a youtube Video of a demoscene on a C64 to show you what can be possible with this console (Of course with better sound and better video)
So, This console remain Minimalist with only 3 IC, and still use AVR studio and AVR GCC (WINAVR). No need to learn a new language. I don't know how many people have an interest in this project, but I think it's the perfect alternative for a NEW challenging console. Of course, if people are interested in this project, all the Schematics and source code will be available for free. I can even start a batch of Manufactured PCB and provide The board with all parts at COST if I found enough interest in it.
Something is sure, I will push this console and I will code on it.
But for now, I must wait to the weekend to make my prototype board and I cross my fingers... I hope that all the things on paper will work in the real world. (But I can't see any reason for this project to fail) I will keep you informed, and let me know all about your interest in this wonderful project.
UZE: I will need you help, approbation and support on this for sure! I think this is what you tried to accomplished for some times and me too!
Mast3rbug.