MiSTer on Analogue Pocket

[Mills]

Sorry this is a bit off topic...

I'm planning to build a MiSTer, but I just read about the analogue pocket.
I read the analogue pocket will use two chips, a Cyclone V (the same in the mega sg and super nt) and a cyclone 10 for programmers to add cores.

My main goal with MiSTer is to run PC cores (Amiga, 486) and consoles (genesis/megadrive, snes). Also I have an adlib clone (https://www.tindie.com/products/cheerfu ... dio-board/) that could be used with MiSTer (I think).

I would buy the analogue pocket, because I have a Game Boy Color (in very bad shape) and some games / flash cards for it, so I'll have a new Game Boy to use them .

How does the analogue pocket compare to the MiSTer?.
What MiSTer cores could be ported?, (assuming no jailbreaks, and programmers only using one of the FPGA's).
Should I just buy a MiSTer, or wait for the analogue pocket? .

what do you think?.

[crocky]

Sorry this is a bit off topic...

How does the analogue pocket compare to the MiSTer?.
What MiSTer cores could be ported?
what do you think?.

Analogue Pocket specifications are still unknown, Cyclone 10 has a lot of variety so this question cant be answered now.

Unless the MiSTer devs are interested in porting to Analogue Pocket for some reason, you would need other FPGA devs to do that, so good chance nothing gets ported by the MiSTer devs themselves. However since MiSTer cores are open-source anyone interested can port cores again depending on the actual specifications of AP - which is still unknown.

[Newsdee]

My main goal with MiSTer is to run PC cores (Amiga, 486) and consoles (genesis/megadrive, snes).
I would buy the analogue pocket, because I have a Game Boy Color (in very bad shape) and some games / flash cards for it,
[...]
Should I just buy a MiSTer, or wait for the analogue pocket? .

This is a false dichotomy.

If you care about GB and GBA carts, get a Pocket.
That's the only thing we know for sure at this point: it runs carts.

MiSTer will NOT run carts. If that is your purpose, you don't need to worry about it.
But running computer and console cores well is something that works right now, no need to speculate about that.

I cant' make up your mind for you. Only you know what matters to you.
MiSTer isn't a commercial project so whether you buy one or not is irrelevant.

[Mills]

I didn't know there was such a wide variety of FPGA chips. I guess the chips in the analogue pockect are going to be simpler, who knows.

Thanks for answering.

[nathanhardie]

I would say it's a safe dichotomy (haha) to assume that at least some of the glorious MiSTer devs would be interested on getting their amazing work on Analogue hardware.

[kitrinx]

I would say it's a safe dichotomy (haha) to assume that at least some of the glorious MiSTer devs would be interested on getting their amazing work on Analogue hardware.

I would say that is not safe assumption at all. I think many of the mister devs find them just to be capitalizing on open source with the ruse of somehow helping. The truth, however, is that they are just taking, not giving. As one of the devs, I'm not really happy at all about this behavior.

Relating the original question: Get whatever you want. MiSTer has a bigger fpga than whatever they will have, and is an open ecosystem, but also for more advanced users. Their thing is going to be at least partially locked down and probably abandoned after a year (based on their previous trends), but people will probably manage to make a lot of the open source cores work to at least some extent on it.

[Newsdee]

MiSTer uses a DE10 board produced by Terasic which has a very large FPGA with an embedded ARM chip.

Terasic is a much bigger company than Analogue,
and Analogue simply does not have the volumes to be able to produce their units with the same economies of scale.

In other words the same chip is too expensive for the Pocket.

They use a combination of smaller FPGAs instead which is interesting, but what developers can do with it remains to be seen (SDK, terms, etc).
Since they are a commercial company, one can't be too optimistic about it. They could surprise us for sure - but that hasn't been their track record.

The DE boards by Terasic are completely open (anybody can develop for it) and there is already more volume of those cards out there than all the consoles sold by Analogue put together.

I've seen some people tout the possibility of the DE10 going away or being "subsidized" (so not sustainable) as a scare tactic, but the cards are simply sold at cost at worst. DIgikey alone has almost 600 units in stock right now, and that couldn't be sold at a loss. Not only that, but if they were to stop being produced, there are already alternatives to the DE10 that could be used.

I'm all for giving the Analogue console credit for doing well what they advertise, i.e. play original and flash carts on HDMI.
But beyond that (JB, extra cores, etc) it is just speculation, so you are comparing a hypothetical platform to something already proven.

[nathanhardie]

To Kitrinx:

So you feel like they are making money off you? Is that your main problem? And what cores have you done?

[crocky]

To Kitrinx:

So you feel like they are making money off you? Is that your main problem? And what cores have you done?

She has contributed hugely to the framework and the NES core, mappers and display among other things. You really dont need her biodata If you want it, check her commits on github.

[SegaSnatcher]

Some devs have expressed some curiosity so far. If the Pocket SDK is developer friendly I see a couple devs giving it a go. The concept of taking some of these awesome open source cores on the go is going to be a great interest to many I feel.

[Newsdee]

I would say it's a safe dichotomy

The dichotomy I mention is whether to play physical carts vs. playing ROMs / disks (for computers).

If you want carts there will be only one option so there is nothing to debate.
If you want ROMs/disks then MiSTer is the cheapest and more powerful option. Albeit maybe it looks less pretty.

For developers, the DE10 is a much better value proposition since they can use it for other things than MiSTer and it has more appropiate developer tools. And a full MiSTer set is far cheaper than the Pocket+Dock+DAC+shipping.

One can even buy a MiSTer (DE10+RAM) at the cost of one SD2SNES Pro. So it's not like it's out of reach cost-wise.
If you can afford Analogue products and flash carts, you can easily get a MiSTer too and benefit from everything under the sun.

[kitrinx]

To Kitrinx:

So you feel like they are making money off you? Is that your main problem? And what cores have you done?

1) Yes.
2) My main problem is that they're profiting at the detriment of the projects they are taking from.
3) You can check my contributions on github.

[crocky]

Anyways the story in the street is that the open core would be for Playstation One core which Analogue themselves are going to release, so good chance you wont miss the MiSTer cores in it.

[crocky]

.

[Threepwood]

Is there proof that Analogue is using code from the MiSTer project?

[nathanhardie]

To Kitrinx

Do you think most of the devs feel the same as you or is it a mix feeling? Is the MiSTer gonna get screwed up because of this thing???

By the way thank you for your work on the NES core it's awesome! And everything else that I don't understand

[SegaSnatcher]

Kitrinx and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but her contributions to MiSTer can't be denied. She has put in some serious work in the NES and Genesis cores of late and I have nothing but the greatest respect for her contributions. The MiSTer is that much better because of her.

[Newsdee]

Is the MiSTer gonna get screwed up because of this thing???

MiSTer isn't going anywhere, and is not a commercial product so it doesn't "need" to succeed for it to keep going.

Things like saying the PSOne will be ported is pure speculation at this point. It feels like hype to me.
If you feel like not using anything else until that materializes, that's up to you, but that is also ignoring things that exist already.

It makes no sense to dev for the Pocket if it's in limited quantities (which Analogue claims in their announcement!).
And if it's not in limited quantities and a bunch of devs flock to it, you can always buy one later.

So get a MiSTer now if you want to try it. There will be people willing to buy if you don't like it.
In however months it takes for the Pocket to materialize, you can make up your mind and see if it's for you.

[Mills]

Thanks kitrinx and Newsdee.

I'll probably get a MiSTer without the USB hub board, I could always plug a battery and a screen, and make a very big game boy clone . (Mmm not a bad idea... I hope it does not get too hot using game boy core ).

[Dubon]

Noone saying Analogue are using Mister code. Theres no way of knowing that since their cores, and presumably their api are closed. But they will profit from porting mister cores or atleast suggesting that mister cores will be ported

[SegaSnatcher]

I mean who can deny how cool it would be to play that awesome NES core on the go. Hopefully the SDK is developer friendly.

[Dubon]

Analogue have their own nes core they can port.

[SegaSnatcher]

Analogue have their own nes core they can port.

Very true, but perhaps Kevtris would be too busy to port his own when he has to take care of brand new cores for GBA, NGP and Lynx. Open Source might be our only option.

[Dubon]

So open source developers have to save Kevtris time,who gets paid by analogue?

[SegaSnatcher]

So open source developers have to save Kevtris time,who gets paid by analogue?

Well thats why they opened up the platform to 3rd party devs, to add some cool stuff. Kevtris is only one guy, he can't do everything.