Home made FPGA computer

Hardware :
FPGA kit : DE2-70 (terasic)
FPGA : Cyclone II 70k LE
Memory : 32 bit SDRAM @125 Mhz : SDCARD (FAT32 file system)
Network : 100 Mbit/s ethernet controller
Input : PS2 mouse and keyboard
Video output : 2*VGA Each can make 1280*1024@60hz
Audio output : Stereo 24bit@88Khz

Software :
For this run, the screen résolution is set has 1024*768@60Hz
and the software work on NIOS II processor @83 Mhz. It's work to on ARM9
All is home made, exept the very good BOX2D physic library : D
More than 70'000 ligne of C++/VHDL
The ethernet network is not demonstrated in this video, it's come. All frome Ethernet to HTTP server are home made : D
Global view :
The SDRAM memory has a 500 MB/s bandwidth (max) it's shared betwin the processor (code + data), Graphic unite,VGA output buffer and Ethernet buffer (2 MB).

Others :
The Graphic accelerator has a long pixel pipline.
160 MPixel/s 2 pixel per clock
Support 2 texture access simultaneously for each pixel,¨
Bilinear interpolation for texture sample, small texture cache.
A lot of color operation betwinn color source (add,sub,mul,...) (2 Texture source, 4 constant source, actual buffer source,)
The sdram memory is shared betwinn 13 port.

All general thing, are make by the NIOS II, (sound, all stack after ethernet, graphic user interface, game physic , ect)

Charles papon :
VHDL : SDRAM multi-port ctrl, VGA ctrl, Graphic unite, Pixel pipline, Ethernet ctrl interface, NIOS II configuration.
C++ : GUI library, Audio library, Task manager, audio player, 2Dbox adaptation (The only not home made library, Thanks to 2Dbox) Pong game, Meteor effect, Shadow test 3D test, Picture viewer, SDCARD library,FAT32 ARP,IP,ICMP (ping)UDP,DHCP,TCP, HTTP stack

MrLambdaUser :
VHDL : PS2 controller, Audio codec interface
media : All Picture for the GUI, All sound track for the pong game.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• FPGA
• NIOS
• electronic
• ARM
• 3D
• 2D
• graphic
• Hardware
• software
• ethernet
• embedded
• SOPC
• Altera
• Cyclone
• game
• pong
• computers
• system
• technology
• electronics
• computer

[skawanagi]

This is an amazing result for a single person. I can`t imagine the tremendous effort you put into this project. Could you estimate the time needed from start to completion? Also, I would be interested in the total cost of the hardware. What was your primary goal when deciding to start with building this?



[capons1990]

@skawanagi

Hi :)

I was not realy single, a friend has code the interface of the audio DAC, PS2 interface driver , make audio file and bitmap file.

The time from the start to the end was 1 jahr for this version. but i have make a lot of pause.

i 'm in a school and sometime an exam period coming ;)

1 jahr is long because i never have VHDL course, and i have learn C++ object oriented part with this project..

[capons1990]

@skawanagi

the cost was not the primary goal. but actualy the board cost is 279 $ for academic

If i remove the 3D part of the project , a FPGA with 20K lut is oky.

[capons1990]

@skawanagi

the cost was not the primary goal. but actualy the board cost is 279 $ for academic

If i remove the 3D part of the project , a FPGA with 20K lut is oky.

[tennirva]

(Con't)

If you write the linux's kernel too, Would you think you can write a device driver to support your "home-made graphics library" ? Both of 2D and 3D.

Another thing is that the kernel that relies on X86 architecture. I'm not quite an OS software person, so I'm not sure if it's difficult to modify just this part to support our "home made system" (CPU, BUS, etc).

[capons1990]

@tennirva

I think use a X86 is not a problem

Ahahahah The only problem was the difference bettwin GCC for arm and GCC for NIOS II, they don't have the same idea of "What is a signed/unsigned" XD

The bus system is not a standard bus,If the processor want read something -> it read a FIFO, it was design for make possible parallel (ARM EBI) and serial control (RS232 in begin XD). but implement a bridge is not a probleme.

[Richie086]

Wow, amazing! Good job on this project..



[capons1990]

@tennirva

Hi, thanks for comment : D

I'm not a OS software person to, I don't know how linux work, how linux draw.

if it's possible to port graphic part on linux i have no idea.

My OS has no interruption, and no MMU, All work like a game runing in a infinite loop.

the bus system is very simple. When i have translate frome ARM9(Extern) to NIOS II(intern) , it was made fast because i don't have use a peripheral of the ARM9. All timer, SPI,Ethernet ect is in FPGA logique.

[tennirva]

Your project is very interesting to me. If you are capable of both coding and hardware Design, I think you could make a huge contribution to migrating the whole x86 Linux onto the FPGA. All I have seen in public, there are many FPGA-Based Linux but none (or few all them, in case I don't know) has a significant Graphics that supports daily-life applications (For example, Internet Browsers, Office, etc)

(to be continued)...