https://hackaday.io/project/9325-dodo-6 ... ame-system

https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/03/03/do ... -hackaday/

It looks like a big mess of wires.



I did a google search for this project on this forum and through the website's search and so far, I think this is new and safe to post because I wouldn't knowingly post it if there was a project named here after it.

Good find! I see from the repo at https://github.com/peternoyes/dodo that this is by Peter Noyes and MIT-licensed, and he credits Garth's primer and Dirk Grappendorf's project site. I don't think Peter is a regular here, but maybe he is, or maybe he'll join us.

It's a breadboard implementation, with the advantages and disadvantages we've discussed before. I wouldn't describe it as a mess! Anyhow, Peter intends to get to a PCB in due course.

Hello everyone. Peter here. I created Dodo.

It was a big mess of wires, but it is now on a PCB. The breadboard worked at first but over time became very flaky. Here is where I am at:

- The main board is done and tested
- I have prototyped a game pad
- I have a single voice of sound working using the shift register on the 65C22
- Cobbled together a simulator so I can more quickly develop software.
- Deep in game development. In my simulator it is easy to see how many cpu cycles per frame my game is using. I am targeting 20fps on 1mhz so that means I am limited to 50,000 cylces. Right now I am at 60-70k so there is work to do. I am confident I can solve it by rewriting my sprite drawing functions in assembly.

What is left:
- Prototype hooking up an SPI FRAM chip to use as high score storage
- Design 2nd PCB for game buttons and to mount screen on, I will also put FRAM on here if it works out
- Design enclosure and 3D print it (waiting for my Kickstarter Tiko to arrive)

_________________
My 6502 Game System: https://hackaday.io/project/9325-dodo-6502-homebrew-game-system

Welcome! I was wandering around the web yesterday and found some of your photos:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCggao9y-D9 ... adofwonton

Yup. That's me!

_________________
My 6502 Game System: https://hackaday.io/project/9325-dodo-6502-homebrew-game-system

Oh - this simulator written in Go?
https://github.com/peternoyes/gododo
I'll have to read that code...

Yeah, I wrote it in Go but it is quick and dirty. A lot of cleanup needs to happen. I basically ported http://rubbermallet.org/fake6502.c, and I added in some of the 65C02 opcodes. I also need to audit the cycle counts for all instructions because fake6502 is an NMOS emulator and I am targeting the 65C02. The SBC implementation is a mess, but it is working in decimal mode. I have it passing the Klaus suite of tests. My SSD1305 implementation is an even bigger mess and only supports the mode that I am using it in. For now it outputs graphics straight to the console.

Once my hardware and game are done I plan to turn the Go simulator into a web service and host it in the cloud and allow a web front end to talk to it through websockets. I think it would be pretty neat to be able to play my games online.

_________________
My 6502 Game System: https://hackaday.io/project/9325-dodo-6502-homebrew-game-system

That would be neat!

Looks great!
Enjoyed reading about it, thanks for posting.

When you do your controller, are you planning to hack an existing unit, or design from scratch?
I am going the DIY route, keeping to the basic up, down, right, left, and dual fire unit.
Another option is to purchase one of those SNES knockoffs and gut the shift register.
I purchased a lot from EBay once, and added direct wiring. Worked great.

Brad

Brad

Thanks Brad!

For the controller I plan to start from scratch. I am going back and forth on using pushbuttons with caps, or going with conductive silicone membranes like in a real pad. I am keeping it simple too, Up, Down, Left, Right, A and B. My plan is to make a number of these things so I want a design that I can reproduce instead of a one off hack.

Also, I want the whole thing to be integrated like a real game boy so I kind of need a custom PCB for the controller.

_________________
My 6502 Game System: https://hackaday.io/project/9325-dodo-6502-homebrew-game-system

I have made a number of updates to Dodo.

1. There is now an ABI, and a game can be developed separate from the library calls
2. Game code can be stored on an SPI flash chip. The code is copied into RAM by the system.
3. Game cartridges can be flashed over RS-232 by Dodo
4. Game code can be written in C using cc65 and calls into the ABI written in assembly.
5. A sample project is hosted here: https://github.com/peternoyes/dodo-sample
6. I have sent off design files to have game cartridge boards printed
7. I have the beginnings of a web emulator working using websockets

The next step is to design another board to mount the screen, gamepad buttons, and card edge connector. After that board is done I just need to design an enclosure and it should be good!

_________________
My 6502 Game System: https://hackaday.io/project/9325-dodo-6502-homebrew-game-system

Sounds great - thanks for the update. I'm kind of following your progress on your hackaday minisite but there's no RSS for that so it's easy to miss things.