Bally Astrocade on FPGA
- Thread starter Macro
- Start date
PCBs arrived, have populate most of one pair, need to find some bits from scrap PCBs tomorrow to finish off (40 pin IDE socket and power connector pins)
then onwards to see if any of it actually works - 5 separate sections, so would like at least 4 to do what they should without any patching
then onwards to see if any of it actually works - 5 separate sections, so would like at least 4 to do what they should without any patching
finished building it, and started the testing.
MiSTer thinks it's an IO board - Yes
Video works and looks OK - Yes
Sound works - No
so started debugging what is up with the sound, working my way through 3 sets of schematics, double checking against the jamma loom - all looks OK
double check power to the amplifier board - none!
so follow the wiring back to see where it is connected, and it goes direct to 12v on the jamma board ... check the voltage there, yep 12v has disappeared from my test rig, so need to strip that down next and see what has come loose! (the banana socket on the front for 12v has still got 12v so it's not the PSU)
so, 2 out of 5 so far!
MiSTer thinks it's an IO board - Yes
Video works and looks OK - Yes
Sound works - No
so started debugging what is up with the sound, working my way through 3 sets of schematics, double checking against the jamma loom - all looks OK
double check power to the amplifier board - none!
so follow the wiring back to see where it is connected, and it goes direct to 12v on the jamma board ... check the voltage there, yep 12v has disappeared from my test rig, so need to strip that down next and see what has come loose! (the banana socket on the front for 12v has still got 12v so it's not the PSU)
so, 2 out of 5 so far!
Amazing stuff Mike
Repaired the 12v on the test rig so can continue the testing.
Audio - Works, not very loud but currently feeding lower voltage to amp so may be OK in cabinet
Controls - Ones that are wired up work (Player 1, start 1, start 2, coin 1, coin 2 tilt and test)
- P2 not connected to anything (on the test loom or in the cab!)
so that leaves configuring the MiSTer to use the controls (either config file or Cab specific settings in core since will need a setting for LIGHT OUTPUT anyway) and then adding the code to drive the lights and test those.
so, getting there and no patch cables needed yet
Audio - Works, not very loud but currently feeding lower voltage to amp so may be OK in cabinet
Controls - Ones that are wired up work (Player 1, start 1, start 2, coin 1, coin 2 tilt and test)
- P2 not connected to anything (on the test loom or in the cab!)
so that leaves configuring the MiSTer to use the controls (either config file or Cab specific settings in core since will need a setting for LIGHT OUTPUT anyway) and then adding the code to drive the lights and test those.
so, getting there and no patch cables needed yet
My dead Wizard of Wor really longs for this!
I am totally new to FPGA, so I have a couple of noob questions for whenever you (or anybody else here in the know) have the time.
- In addition to your board, I will just be needing a DE-10 Nano board with a PSU, right? Or do I need any of that other add-on stuff for MiSTer? I am not interested in any other functionality than running Wizard of Wor.
- Will you be providing a config file for WoW as well?
Again, thanks for doing this Macro!
I am totally new to FPGA, so I have a couple of noob questions for whenever you (or anybody else here in the know) have the time.
- In addition to your board, I will just be needing a DE-10 Nano board with a PSU, right? Or do I need any of that other add-on stuff for MiSTer? I am not interested in any other functionality than running Wizard of Wor.
- Will you be providing a config file for WoW as well?
Again, thanks for doing this Macro!
All you should need is a DE10-Nano, a PSU (*) and the two PCB's I'm trying to sort out.
One does the main conversion, so video, audio, controls etc. and outputs the modified signals to a 40 pin IDC connector. (everything needs one of these)
The other board (personality) then remaps these 40 pins into the connections needed for the actual cab, and if necessary, adds extra components specifically needed for that cabinet - i.e. Gorf drives ranking lights and joystick light, but most of the other games do not need this. (each game will have a specific one of these)
so Gorf needs Main PCB + Gorf PCB, WoW will need Main PCB + WoW PCB (I've only done a Gorf one so far, but WoW, Robby should be easier, Space Zap needs to support composite video as an option so may be a little trickier!)
I only have a Gorf, so testing others in the cab becomes trickier (unless all this covid crap is over when I get it working, as I can then drive up to Arcade Club and test 3 different PCB's there) - or find someone willing who lives closer to me (Norway could be fun, but probably be too pricey
)
It may be possible to also produce personality boards for other things such as Environmental discs of tron so it can send commands to the lighting boards or just plain normal cabs, but it is currently restricted to 16 inputs so two player jamma is not possible (besides I don't have a jamma cab anyway)
* I may also power the DE10-Nano from the 5v on the cab, but not done this bit yet!
If you want to be able to run some of the other cores from MiSTer, then you may need to add SDRAM, but of course you will be limited to games that work with the controls you have on the cab
One does the main conversion, so video, audio, controls etc. and outputs the modified signals to a 40 pin IDC connector. (everything needs one of these)
The other board (personality) then remaps these 40 pins into the connections needed for the actual cab, and if necessary, adds extra components specifically needed for that cabinet - i.e. Gorf drives ranking lights and joystick light, but most of the other games do not need this. (each game will have a specific one of these)
so Gorf needs Main PCB + Gorf PCB, WoW will need Main PCB + WoW PCB (I've only done a Gorf one so far, but WoW, Robby should be easier, Space Zap needs to support composite video as an option so may be a little trickier!)
I only have a Gorf, so testing others in the cab becomes trickier (unless all this covid crap is over when I get it working, as I can then drive up to Arcade Club and test 3 different PCB's there) - or find someone willing who lives closer to me (Norway could be fun, but probably be too pricey
It may be possible to also produce personality boards for other things such as Environmental discs of tron so it can send commands to the lighting boards or just plain normal cabs, but it is currently restricted to 16 inputs so two player jamma is not possible (besides I don't have a jamma cab anyway)
* I may also power the DE10-Nano from the 5v on the cab, but not done this bit yet!
If you want to be able to run some of the other cores from MiSTer, then you may need to add SDRAM, but of course you will be limited to games that work with the controls you have on the cab
I was going to ask if the DE-10 could be powered from the Gorf harness. Not that I'm suggesting this is necessarily a good idea but it would make it more plug n play. I've converted my Gorf to use a switcher partially in preparation for this.
Love the idea of the personality boards, happy to help with the EDOT testing for the lighting relay and flasher triggering.
Final thought, I have a spare CP for my Gorf, how much effort would be needed to add a spinner to the personality board for Gorf? Just thinking of a Gorf/Tron/Satans Hollow multi game down the line
Cracking work Mike!
Dan
P.S I think I recognise that small monitor from somewhere
Love the idea of the personality boards, happy to help with the EDOT testing for the lighting relay and flasher triggering.
Final thought, I have a spare CP for my Gorf, how much effort would be needed to add a spinner to the personality board for Gorf? Just thinking of a Gorf/Tron/Satans Hollow multi game down the line
Cracking work Mike!
Dan
P.S I think I recognise that small monitor from somewhere
not sure if a spinner can be combined with a joystick, must be possible somewhere along the line, will have to look at the Deamonbites code to see if 2 of the inputs could be used as a spinner instead instead of player 2 inputs (although I guess worst case you could decode the two inputs as quadrature inputs in the core itself!)
yes, you should recognise the little screen
- very handy to make a portable test rig, although it's not been far for the last 8 months for some reason!
There will be a V2 of the boards, and they may have power as well if I can find a suitable regulator to put on them. (don't want to damage the DE10, they are a bit pricey)
V2 *may* be surface mount, not that I like soldering them (my eye sight isn't what it used to be) but they are a damn site easier to get manufactured!
yes, you should recognise the little screen
There will be a V2 of the boards, and they may have power as well if I can find a suitable regulator to put on them. (don't want to damage the DE10, they are a bit pricey)
V2 *may* be surface mount, not that I like soldering them (my eye sight isn't what it used to be) but they are a damn site easier to get manufactured!