Hi all, very new to the MISTer stuff. I'm looking for something I can use both with an HDMI but also on a Sony crt. Not sure which prebuilt MISTer is the best option, any help is appreciated!
MiSTer FPGA System
- Thread starter Hero_of_the_Day
- Start date
I've had good experiences with Mister Addons so you might want to consider them if you're in the US. Their aluminum cases cool the device without the need for a fan so they're virtually silent. And they're actually in stock at the moment:
MiSTer FPGA Pre-configured Bundle (with Aluminum Armor)
In stock now with a lower price! Kits are being assembled and will ship as soon as possible! Experience the superior performance and protection of the MiSTer FPGA Pre-configured Bundle (with Aluminum Armor). Designed with the passionate user in mind, this bundle has already received rave reviews...
misteraddons.com
As for which model, both the digital and analog versions allow you to connect to HDMI as well as a CRT (although you might need an extra part if you have a digital version). The question is whether or not you have a need to connect to HDMI and a CRT simultaneously. If so, you want the analog version.
If you don't need a simultaneous HDMI/CRT connection, the digital version allows you to use an extra stick of RAM. In all honesty, the value of two RAM sticks is unclear. Barely any cores actually require it and I'm not sure if anything is actually worth the expense. Maybe it'll be more useful in the future.
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I have a pretty robust Cyclone V FPGA at home (Arrow SoCKit). It has the FPGA and a few useful peripherals such as micro-USB I/O, VGA connector and microSD card slot.
Anyone with more experience with the project knows if I can get it running in my kit without spending extra on other daughter boards or FPGA kits? I'm not willing to shove $500+ on this since it's hard to find this stuff locally in my country and the import taxes are crazy.
EDIT - OK right after posting this I found a repo on GitHub:
github.com
Seems it works great on SoCKit but most cores need an SDRAM add-on, so besides maybe the Sega Genesis there's not much for me.
Anyone with more experience with the project knows if I can get it running in my kit without spending extra on other daughter boards or FPGA kits? I'm not willing to shove $500+ on this since it's hard to find this stuff locally in my country and the import taxes are crazy.
EDIT - OK right after posting this I found a repo on GitHub:
GitHub - sockitfpga/MiSTer_SoCkit: Building the SD card and running Mister on SoCKit board. Porting guides.
Building the SD card and running Mister on SoCKit board. Porting guides. - sockitfpga/MiSTer_SoCkit
github.com
Seems it works great on SoCKit but most cores need an SDRAM add-on, so besides maybe the Sega Genesis there's not much for me.
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What kind of sucks right now is there's just a new analog out board design, with full 24-bit color support that is being rolled out into cores at the moment, but I'm not sure how/where to buy it right now, particularly in America. The N64 and PS1 cores have options for 24-bit rendering to reduce banding/dither that can look really good, but the prior analog boards are all limited to 18-bit and struggle to take full advantage.
If you're just using the HDMI out port to an HDMI screen, I don't think it matters.
If you're using direct video though, it matters. Direct video is a way to output an analog signal out of an HDMI port. So if you're using direct video, the limitation matters. BUT! If you're using direct video to output directly to a RetroTink 4K, there are no color limitations with current hardware.
It's all a bit confusing.
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Direct video never had a problem with 24-bit color. This is only a problem using the analog out (VGA port) on analog boards, the HDMI to analog is 24-bit as long as you got a good converter.
Yeah it is a tad confusing. I have considered using my mister on a crt so I should look for a proper hdmi to vga that does 24bit color.
It's just so convenient to play on a big screen.
It's just so convenient to play on a big screen.
Ah, thanks. While I started with an analog board, I never wound up buying a CRT for it and I eventually switched to digital for the extra RAM. I only started screwing around with direct video much later when I picked up a RT4K. Guess I have more to learn.
I'm thinking of finally getting on board. It'll cost me £220 for the de-10 nano, and then about £50 for the ram kit. Plus then a fan, case, etc, going to add up! But I want a tinkering project too.
I set up my first Mister last year and it's totally worth it. I use it pretty much every day, and if you like tinkering with stuff then it's a fun project to mess around with.
Hi all. I have a guncon 2 but I wanted to know - is there any way to make it work with an svideo connection to my crt?
I was thinking of buying this, connecting the composite sync cable from the guncon 2 to this, then this would connect to my Active encoder which would then connect to my crt via a svideo cable. Anyone tried this setup?
I was thinking of buying this, connecting the composite sync cable from the guncon 2 to this, then this would connect to my Active encoder which would then connect to my crt via a svideo cable. Anyone tried this setup?
You need an active adapter based on the design by Mikes1. This one for example. I've used it with composite and the result is pretty nice. As in, far, far more artifacts of course, but a bit of additional colour blending and blurryness. Which I consider a plus.
It's pretty good, but definitely not artifact free. You'll have a worse result than a device with native composite out (ie an old console).
Yes, that's what I'll be connecting it to. Seems like from asking around this should work, I guess I'll find out when the GunCon 2 breakout arrives. Thanks!
I received replacement SDRAM for my faulty unit, but they replaced my purchased v3.0 with a v2.9. This memory is holding steady at 143mhz. I mainly purchased new memory so sound/stability would be a little more improved with the Saturn core. Are people finding much of a difference between the v2.9 and v3.0 variants for this core? What is a good RAM speed to shoot for?
EDIT: Looks like it's actually only holding 140mhz now, slower than the v2.5 it's replacing.
EDIT: Looks like it's actually only holding 140mhz now, slower than the v2.5 it's replacing.
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It seems to vary between games a bit and when the core updates. Are you on analog i/o, because I mean dual ram is right there otherwise.
Despite the fact that it's running slower than the 2.5 you had, is the compatibility any different/better?
Pretty cool case that popped up on my news feed:
www.timeextension.com
Octopus Arcade Stick Maker Is Tackling MiSTer FPGA Next With The TR Quantum
Complete with touch controls and plenty of connectivity
www.timeextension.com
Dumb question: would it be possible to use a mouse with WarCraft II (Saturn) on a MiSTer? As far as I know, the game doesn't have Saturn mouse support, but could you just use a mouse as your input device and tell the MiSTer it is a controller? Is this a terrible idea? Haha
Yes, even if you could somehow rig it up (don't think you can on the mister side), it wouldn't move remotely like a mouse.
Shuttle Mouse - Sega Retro
segaretro.org
this did exist, so maybe?
*edit* oh, I'm a dummy, you specifically mention Saturn mouse support lol. Maybe with one of those weird controller to mouse adapters that people use to cheat at FPS games on console?
Thanks for the replies. The Saturn version is shockingly good, but lacks mouse and analog support, unfortunately.
DOS is a good option, but also feels like a bridge too far in terms of how far I am willing to tinker. (I also have my MiSTer connected to a PVM, so I'm not sure if the resolution would be supported?)
DOS is a good option, but also feels like a bridge too far in terms of how far I am willing to tinker. (I also have my MiSTer connected to a PVM, so I'm not sure if the resolution would be supported?)
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Yep, analog board. I use a CRT exclusively and no interest in direct video so I'll just be using one stick.
I haven't had a chance to mess with it much just yet. What caused me to upgrade in the first place is my first-ever playthrough of Shining the Holy Ark. Halfway through the first dungeon, the music (and possibly all the sound, I can't remember) cut out with my v2.5. I haven't bothered to go back trough that initial dungeon to see if anything has changed. I'm sure various bios files and core updates create a large variation in stability.
I had ended up playing Holy Ark on my Steam Deck, and now I can't figure out how to move that over to my Mister. There are like 4 save files, and everything I've tried hasn't worked. I will likely complete that one on my Deck (probably for the best due to save states, as saving is few and far between). I just bought a second Retrobit Saturn controller and looking forward to some co-op Guardian Heroes.
You can get low-res (320x200) DOS games looking good on SD CRT, but it does take a little tinkering with custom resolutions.
Isn't Warcraft II part of the 0mhz Collection?
Everything I've tried using that collection works incredibly well - but haven't tried Warcraft II. Still, I assume it would work well enough...
I don't know what that means/is, but I'd be curious to check/figure it out. I'm old enough to remember DOS/Win 3.1, but I had Mac with System 6/7 growing up, so that command-line stuff is still sort of a blindspot for me, technically speaking. (Although in an ironic turn of events, I do need to get my hands dirty at times in Terminal in moden MacOS...)
I accidentally bid on a pre-built one for £380 and cancelled it and annoyed the buyer. Feel guilty.
Thing is I think de10-nano is readily available for about £210. the seller had analog i/o, and some other things with it. Not sure about extra RAM. Don't think it was worth it. looked dusty af.
Yeah I've never been much of a tinkerer but am starting to look at Piholes, etc, too now.
Thing is I think de10-nano is readily available for about £210. the seller had analog i/o, and some other things with it. Not sure about extra RAM. Don't think it was worth it. looked dusty af.
Yeah I've never been much of a tinkerer but am starting to look at Piholes, etc, too now.
Maybe it runs better in DOS instead of Windows where I most likely would have been messing with it.
There is this blog that has a series of posts detailing how to setup systems with ao486 from scratch, installing DOS and eventually Win95:
MiSTer AO486 Core Part 1 – Getting Started
0 mhz Collection has basically setup everything for you - it's a simple drag/drop situation and runs. You just launch the game and it loads right up.
If you really enjoy tinkering with the core, be sure to backup the core configuration first.
But, yeah, if you just want to play the games without any trouble, that's the way to do it.
I was sure I read about this on here, but I guess not?!?
View: https://twitter.com/TakiUdon_/status/1784880189367103642
View: https://twitter.com/TakiUdon_/status/1784880189367103642
I would have thought info about this would be easier to find, but I haven't had much luck.
I have a de-10 nano with an analog io board, and I want to power it with a usb battery bank. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Can I just get a barrel plug to usb cable and plug that in?
I have a de-10 nano with an analog io board, and I want to power it with a usb battery bank. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Can I just get a barrel plug to usb cable and plug that in?
So long as it provides a consistent 5V over the jack, yeah. Minimum would be 5V 2A. I have a power bank like that I use for powering my barbecue controller when I am smoking brisket. If it's a USB to 5525 by itself that shouldn't be an issue, though, since USB is 5V, but you need to make sure the USB outputs the 2A you need, more if you have other stuff attached.
is there any way to "globally" rotate the output from a MiSTer when using HDMI?
I got this LG Dual Up display to uh... "boost my productivity," which has a 16:18 aspect ratio, but I'd love to use it pivoted so it'd be 18:16 (and thus the picture would fill a bigger piece of the screen)
I could of course rotate the OSD and the cores etc., but quite a few console cores have no support for rotating
I got this LG Dual Up display to uh... "boost my productivity," which has a 16:18 aspect ratio, but I'd love to use it pivoted so it'd be 18:16 (and thus the picture would fill a bigger piece of the screen)
I could of course rotate the OSD and the cores etc., but quite a few console cores have no support for rotating
So, I have some questions but here's some context first. Early in the pandemic, I bought two MiSTers: a prebuilt from misteraddons and pretty much all of the components needed for building a second. I eventually bought an Analogue Pocket and a Steam Deck. So, between having those and having most of the components needed to build another MiSTer after about 3 years I sold my prebuilt MiSTer to my cousin for the price I paid (which was much cheaper than what I could've sold it for).
I just recently bought a case and decided to build that second MiSTer. I have it built and I'm now realizing that I didn't buy the better 5v 4amp power supply, the power splitter or a MicroSD card. I do have the standard power supply, a universal power supply that can be set to 5v and I have a external hard drive. Can I setup and use the MiSTer optimally with these items? I know the better power supply isn't necessary for using the MiSTer but I want to give it the maximum amount of juice it can handle. Can a MiSTer be setup using an external hard drive? Most setup guides I've found only mention MicroSD cards for setup. I'm rocking a Digital I/O board if that helps.
I just recently bought a case and decided to build that second MiSTer. I have it built and I'm now realizing that I didn't buy the better 5v 4amp power supply, the power splitter or a MicroSD card. I do have the standard power supply, a universal power supply that can be set to 5v and I have a external hard drive. Can I setup and use the MiSTer optimally with these items? I know the better power supply isn't necessary for using the MiSTer but I want to give it the maximum amount of juice it can handle. Can a MiSTer be setup using an external hard drive? Most setup guides I've found only mention MicroSD cards for setup. I'm rocking a Digital I/O board if that helps.
Yes my MiSTer uses a 2TB SSD in addition to the OS sitting on a 16gb SD. I run it fine with the stock power supply.
The OS, core, etc. has to be on an SD card but you don't need a large one. ROMs (including arcade ROMs) are easy to stick on an external drive and are the space hogs anyway. Just stick everything in /games/ folder and delete games folder from your SD card. (Might need to adjust some settings in the autoupdaters too so your arcade roms go to the right place.)
The bigger/split power supply is mostly about giving good power to the USB hub, which you ironically might need if this is a spinning/magnetic drive powered by USB.
The bigger/split power supply is mostly about giving good power to the USB hub, which you ironically might need if this is a spinning/magnetic drive powered by USB.
Unless I'm misunderstanding these responses it seems like they maybe conflict each other in if a MicroSD card is necessary for setup? Either way, is there good guides out there for this? Most guides I've come across don't get into setting up external drives or setting up a MiSTer using an external drive. I do have external SSDs but they're all significantly smaller than the hard drive I have (also, the SSDs might all have USB-C out which I don't think i have any converters for).
Any thoughts on my power supply situation? Can I use those both in place of using one power supply with a splitter? Or would that cause issues? Essentially the I/O board and the DE-10 nano are powdered separately, so using one power supply for the I/O board and the other for the DE-10 nano wouldn't cause issues, would it?
Ultimately, I'll get the splitter but I'm trying to figure what's the most optimal experience I can have with the MiSTer right now using what I have on hand.
EDIT: I misread read the first response. Seems like a MicroSD card is definitely needed for setup and OS. For some reason I read them saying SD as SSD. Apologies
I guess it depends on what you want out of it and in how much of a rush you are. I have a Mister and I love it. You get a lot extra to what is currently available in the Analogue Pocket, minus the portability.
As for the Mars, we still haven't seen any proof (unless I'm mistaken). They have been promising a lot of extra cores but all the videos are not recorded on hardware. In favor of them, I think a lot of people behind it have worked on Mister before, so I think there will be an actual product. The question is if they will deliver everything they promised on day 1 and when
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Up to you and your immediate needs vs your financials. The MiSTer is amazing and definitely a good investment for me personally.
The MARS is likely to remain vaporware and the people involved are toxic as hell, so not likely to be the winning horse in the race. The clone may come out, but it's early to tell and we still have no dates. New FPGAs may replace the DE10 used by the MiSTer in the near future. We don't know.
You are living in the present and only you can answer what you need right now.
I am personally waiting on the clone, they keep showing board revisions, so I am hopeful it will come out and that is a very large decrease in price. I honestly wouldnt mind paying more for a more power FPGA but I dont think that is happening anytime soon (MARS seems plagued with issues)
If what you really want is another handheld FPGA I'd definitely wait a bit. Little worried how cheap Taki is going ($150) but let's see what he has.
MARS is a joke. Replay 2 seem to be cooking something with an actual stronger FPGA at a lower price but are keeping quiet until development is further along, MARS could learn a lot from them.
MARS is a joke. Replay 2 seem to be cooking something with an actual stronger FPGA at a lower price but are keeping quiet until development is further along, MARS could learn a lot from them.
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I would either go ahead and get a DE-10 Nano or wait on a clone board, just maybe not fully kit them out until you want to commit to either one. Regular MiSTer with the Gen5 support now is probably the best thing you can get that is attached to a screen.
I'm not convinced Mars will run exclusive cores I care about enough to drop that kinda money on.
I know about the extremely sus rollout of "features" from MARS but have they done anything else toxic? Not jumping to their defense--this thing is vaporwear until proven otherwise to me. I just haven't seen it and I'd hate it if Mike Chi was involved with actual shitlords.
Most recently, one of the people involved pulled all support for their cores from MiSTer, which also messed up the update script most people used for a while, and now the MARS team refuses to port any cores to MiSTer.
They then put all the blame for pulling cores on a small YouTuber for calling out their stupid drama as of late.
It was, IMO, clearly an excuse to pull their cores from their "competitor".
I don't remember any other drama, as it was mostly pretty acts of aggression, but trying to actively sabotage (my opinion) the MiSTer project was where I stopped having any respect for them.
That whole situation drew a good amount of condemnation from many, and I haven't heard much about drama from the MARS team since.