The author is undertaking a project to develop "Bridgetris," a game for the vintage 1985 BBC Bridge Companion console originally intended to teach bridge via television. To achieve this, the creator must master Z80 assembly language, reverse-engineer the system BIOS to allow custom code execution from cartridges, and perform hardware modifications like composite video integration.
- The device uses the TMS9129 VDP which features 16kB of VRAM.
- Original retail price was approximately £200 in 1985.
- Hardware was originally designed by a company named Heber Ltd.
- A composite video mod was implemented to improve visual quality on modern displays compared to the original RF output.
- The device uses the TMS9129 VDP which features 16kB of VRAM.
- Original retail price was approximately £200 in 1985.
- Hardware was originally designed by a company named Heber Ltd.
- A composite video mod was implemented to improve visual quality on modern displays compared to the original RF output.
The z386 project aims to implement the Intel 80386 processor core on an FPGA. Recent optimizations have significantly improved its performance, including the implementation of early start memory access and a reduction in branch jump cycles from 9.25 down to six through microcode refinements. These changes resulted in approximately a 39% increase in DOOM benchmark scores, though the project still falls short of original hardware speed and cannot yet boot Windows.
- Implementation of early start memory access for FPGA cores
- Optimization of store queues and branch jump timing
- Significant performance gains in gaming benchmarks
- Implementation of early start memory access for FPGA cores
- Optimization of store queues and branch jump timing
- Significant performance gains in gaming benchmarks
This article explores the question of whether we've reached a point of diminishing returns in computing power. It notes historical mispredictions about computer demand and highlights the rapid increase in processing capabilities, comparing modern smartphones to 1980s supercomputers. The author discusses how software engineers will always utilize available resources and questions if the continued pursuit of ever-increasing compute power is truly beneficial. It suggests that for many personal projects, existing hardware is more than sufficient, and that the "enough" threshold is highly dependent on individual needs and tasks.
ZPUI (Zippy UI) is a lightweight control interface for single-board computers such Z the Raspberry Pi, designed to provide easy access to system information and control functions via a small I2C screen and a few buttons. It aims to solve the common frustrations of accessing and debugging SBCs without a full keyboard, monitor, and network connection.
A USB stick equipped with a Raspberry Pi Zero W runs a large language model using llama.cpp. The project involves porting the model to an ARMv6 architecture and setting up the device as a composite that presents a filesystem to the host, allowing users to interact with the LLM by creating text files that are automatically filled with generated content.
Pomelo is a complete low-power gamma ray spectrometer designed for independent use or integration into other projects. The repository includes hardware versions Pomelo Core and Pomelo Zest, with details available on Hackaday.io. It is licensed under MIT, featuring a variety of files primarily coded in C.
Review of the RK1 module by Turing Pi, featuring Rockchip RK3588 processors, highlighting its performance, installation challenges, and potential use cases despite initial kernel support issues.
A technique called lock-in thermography can enhance the thermal resolution of even low-cost IR cameras, allowing for more detailed thermal imaging by periodically modulating the heat produced by a device and applying math to the captured images.
Ricardo Lima Caratti releases an Arduino library that simplifies the use of the QN8066 FM transceiver, making it easier for hobbyists to build FM radio projects.
Atopile aims to simplify hardware design through coding schematics.
This approach may lead to easier reuse of circuit designs.
However, detecting errors on a schematic or PCB layout might be harder than spotting them in code.
This approach may lead to easier reuse of circuit designs.
However, detecting errors on a schematic or PCB layout might be harder than spotting them in code.
