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The All things MiSTer thread (Now Consolised)

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    Originally posted by dataDave View Post
    A custom stainless steel job with the tube popping out of the top would be ace.
    Yeah it would!

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      Seriously impressive stuff.

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        Probably pointless but thought I'd amuse myself this evening with some lag testing. Having two MiSTer setups in my Egret II cabs I was thinking of getting one for the OLED in the living room but wanted to see how it compared strictly lag-wise with my Series X and Retroarch and also how it compared to a CRT. Indoors I'm using the vsync=2 option, which is (I'm told) the lowest lag option available if your display supports it, which mine does. The OLED is set to GAME mode for the fastest response time and Retroarch is running 4K.

        Just to get an idea of my current setup I used Artemio's test suite using the SNES core and my horizontal Egret II. I've got a MiSTer in there running 2 x Arduino Daemonbite setups with some quick custom cables I rigged up going from USB to the JST connectors thus (in reality it's neater than it looks!):
        Arudino Sticks.jpg

        Using the Daemonbite setup and the reflex test which is apparently 'not a lag test' (I'm pretty sure it is) I got the following with the MiSTer SNES core:
        Snes CORE DB.jpg
        If you can't be bothered to click, it's 0 frames of lag. I was suspicious of the Dameonbite's claims but they prove true.

        I then tested something which I could use on both the MiSTer in the arcade room on the CRT monitor and the OLED indoors. I used a Buffalo SNES pad again with the Artemio suite and the SNES core and got the following:

        BuffaloCRT.jpg
        1 dirty 'ol frame of lag. I'm pretty sure the SNES console has something similar, so pretty decent.
        Indoors on the OLED, the results were slightly different:

        OLED Buffalo.jpg
        A whopping 2 frames of lag, I'm was almost in tears (I wasn't). Still, pretty decent for a modern TV, only 1 frame of difference. To reiterate I'm using a Buffalo pad here, which is a wired SNES style controller that I find more comfy than the official Switch BT ones.

        I then thought I'd try original hardware and using the SNAC adapter plugged in my Super Famicom pad both for both setups.
        First the CRT in the cab:
        SNAC CRT.jpg
        Interestingly (or not) this pretty much the same as the USB Buffalo Pad, 1 frame of lag. Making the Daemonbite 'adapters' the clear winner, having less lag than the original hardware...in my poorly controlled testing anyhow.

        Moving on to the MiSTer and the OLED:
        SNAC OLED.jpg
        Much like the Buffalo pad the SNAC wired official pad gets 1 frame of lag added, not too shabby - making it 2 frames of lag for the OLED.

        I wasn't entirely sure I fancied spending close to £400 for an indoor MiSTer setup if I was getting better results outside on the CRTs, I really just wanted to see how much of a difference there was. So just for the chucks I thought I'd compare the MiSTer on the OLED to Retroarch on the Series X. I am running a retail build of RA on the Series X (so not in developer mode). It's the latest build and I'm using the official Series X controller, the Snes 9X core (BSNES gave the exact same result) and the Artemio test suite.

        The results:
        RA SNES OLED.jpg
        A hoofing great 4 frames of lag. After this I could be found up in the corner crying. However...I was using a wireless pad and Retroarch has Run Ahead. While this may hamper emulation accuracy (I couldn't notice anything) it means you can reduce the lag down to zero frames. I got it to half a frame as for some reason that sits better with me; somewhere between the instant response of the daemonbite and the 1 frame lag of the original hardware. I didn't take a picture of this since it seemed pointless. I also did not test anything wired on the Series X so have no idea how that would have performed.

        I'm unsure if any of the above is useful, but I thought it might help those considering a MiSTer FPGA setup as it isn't a cheap option and there is (of course) some lag still present if using on a modern set. There's then the conundrum of what controllers to use. I didn't use any wireless controllers on the MiSTer tests, but assume the lag would be higher using the equivalent of an Xbox pad. I think, for now, in my living room I'll probably stick with the Series X and Retroarch, despite the MiSTer being much cleaner and having more options for controls. Anyhow, the above helped me make an inform choice and might be useful to someone going forward.
        3DS FC (updated 2015): 0447-8108-3129

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          Hey, so, question...

          If I wanted to get a MiSTer setup, primarily anticipating the future Saturn compatibility (so I'll need whatever I need to get the best out of this), with nice crisp scanlines on a 1080p display over HDMI, what do I need?

          Like what box, cables, pads, etc.? What's the generally accepted thing? Ideally I want something neat which doesn't have cables coming out of 3/4 sides, even if that means I have to put the unit in a slightly larger box.

          Has anyone put this shopping list together already, before I try to figure it out myself?

          Comment


            Originally posted by Asura View Post
            Hey, so, question...

            If I wanted to get a MiSTer setup, primarily anticipating the future Saturn compatibility (so I'll need whatever I need to get the best out of this), with nice crisp scanlines on a 1080p display over HDMI, what do I need?

            Like what box, cables, pads, etc.? What's the generally accepted thing? Ideally I want something neat which doesn't have cables coming out of 3/4 sides, even if that means I have to put the unit in a slightly larger box.

            Has anyone put this shopping list together already, before I try to figure it out myself?
            From Mouser:
            Nano DE10

            From misterfpga.co.uk:
            PSU
            128MB SDRAM module
            USB hub
            £10 copper heatsink (don't compromise over a tenner)
            £7 WiFi dongle (to save a cable popping out the front)

            Storage:
            A MicroSD card from a reputable brand. 128GB will fit all of the console EverDrive packs, all the arcade cores, and space to spare for 30 or so PSX disc images.

            Optional:
            I/O board w/ noctua fan. You don't need this for non-CRT video out, but you'll maybe miss the buttons, the fan mount, and the optical audio out - misterfpga does both analogue and digital I/O boards. Personally I'd opt for the former as you never know, you might end up with a sweet PVM by chance at some point.
            Top and bottom perspex plates. The full case also works if you're concerned about dust and never use compressed air to clean your kit.

            Recommended controllers:
            8BitDo M30 2.4GHz (wireless, can also be connected with USB)
            RetroBit Saturn controller (wired)

            You won't regret it. It's quite easily the single best gaming purchase I've ever made and I can see it sticking with me for the rest of my life.



            My M30s are both downstairs atm for 3P SoR4, so I'm currently using the wired RetroBit Saturn controller. Usually, I only have cables popping out the back of it. See the top of the page.
            Last edited by dataDave; 04-03-2023, 19:53.

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              What Dave said. He specced my system out too and he was spot on with everything. I would say that you probably want a proper case of some sort. You are looking at cables or dongles coming out of at least 2 sides I think if you don’t, though I’m happy to be corrected (mine isn’t set up currently else I’d check for you).

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                Yeah, a nice case might be an idea at some point, although I've yet to be impressed by any offerings. To get started the perspex efforts are nice enough while inexpensive. They also come in lots of colours.



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                  Originally posted by dataDave View Post
                  From Mouser:
                  Nano DE10
                  Sorry, via google I see loads of different boards with different names - what am I looking for?

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                    Originally posted by Asura View Post
                    Sorry, via google I see loads of different boards with different names - what am I looking for?
                    Terasic DE10-Nano
                    Manufacturer Product Number: P0496

                    - Cyclone V SoC with Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 (HPS) - 1GB DDR3 SDRAM (32-bit data bus)(HPS) - Arduino Expansion Header (Uno R3 Compatibility), Full HD HDMI Output, UART-to-USB, USB OTG Port, Micro SD Card Socket, Gigabit Ethernet and GPIO Headers






                    Comment


                      Originally posted by dataDave View Post
                      Terasic DE10-Nano
                      Manufacturer Product Number: P0496

                      - Cyclone V SoC with Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 (HPS) - 1GB DDR3 SDRAM (32-bit data bus)(HPS) - Arduino Expansion Header (Uno R3 Compatibility), Full HD HDMI Output, UART-to-USB, USB OTG Port, Micro SD Card Socket, Gigabit Ethernet and GPIO Headers






                      https://www.amazon.com/Terasic-Techn.../dp/B07B89YHSB
                      Gah, out of stock everywhere and the factory lead time is FORTY SIX WEEKS.

                      Will set a reminder for next year.

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                        Yeah. It's bollocks. It's not tech stuff that's suffering from these issues, either.

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                          Originally posted by Asura View Post
                          Gah, out of stock everywhere and the factory lead time is FORTY SIX WEEKS.

                          Will set a reminder for next year.
                          Youi can buy mine off me for... ONE MILLION DOLLARS! <Dr Evil GIF>

                          Mouser expect 455 in stock in the next 6 days mate. Just order it! Ignore the factory lead time, it doesn't mean what it seems like it means.
                          Last edited by Brad; 23-11-2021, 14:24.

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                            Another smart looking case enters the ring:

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                              Originally posted by Asura View Post
                              Gah, out of stock everywhere and the factory lead time is FORTY SIX WEEKS.

                              Will set a reminder for next year.
                              Did you put an order in for one in the end?

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                                I ordered a MiSTer setup from Ultimate MiSTer last week and apparently it will be shipping soon. I’m really quite excited. Stock levels do seem erratic though.

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