G9 Impulse: Video Game System

Description

CVS is currently out of date, update when I get the time (as well as things such as schematics)

Custom built and designed video game system. Also includes hardware interface C routines and code for StarCell XF-1 (the 'release' game). All designs are open source and specification are free to be modified by the community. Specifications are currently for an early 16 bit system.

Specifications

- Graphics accelerator (XESS XSA-50 Spartan II based development board)
- 320x240 resolution at 64 colors, plus 64 possible intensity field colors
- 8 MB graphics RAM (approximately 7.5 MB available for user data)
- Accelerated background and sprite drawing with transparency
- VGA video generation and output (single and double buffered operation)

- Dual PIC18 Microcontrollers (Main and Sound Processors)
- 2 x 18F4520 at 50 Mhz (25 MIPS total)
- 32 KB program memory, 32 KB PCM wavetable memory
- Capable of tracking over 128 sprites

- Other Hardware
- Software controlled MP3 player (to be removed)
- PIC16F628 (serializes controller I/O)
- ICSP for PIC microcontrollers

Status

Here is a movie of the Impulse running StarCell XF-1
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/zcheng1/wwwimpulse.mov

The hardware unit:
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/zcheng1/wwwimpulsehw.jpg

Some screenshots:
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/zcheng1/wwwimpulseLogo.jpg
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/zcheng1/wwwstarcell.jpg