CHIP8 Machine

Info:

The CHIP8 Machine is a modern recreation of a vintage 8-bit virtual machine designed to play classic CHIP8 games. Originally developed in the 1970s, CHIP8 was a simple, yet powerful, programming environment that allowed developers to create games and programs with minimal hardware requirements. This project brings the CHIP8 experience to life by building a physical device that runs these vintage games on a custom-made machine, complete with a tactile keyboard, LED display, and an SD card for game storage.

The CHIP8 Machine is perfect for enthusiasts of retro computing and gaming, as well as those interested in DIY electronics projects. It provides a hands-on way to explore the origins of digital entertainment while learning about hardware assembly, 3D printing, and embedded programming.

Overview:

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to build and set up a CHIP8 machine, including the parts needed, 3D printing instructions, wiring, and software installation.

Documentation:

Parts List:

You'll need the following components to build the CHIP8 machine:

Part	Quantity	Link
5V 4A power supply	1	Link
12x12mm tact switch with cap	16	Link
Micro SD card reader	1	Link
3mm yellow LED	1	Link
3mm red LED	1	Link
64x32px 2.5mm Waveshare matrix display	1	Link
Arduino Mega 2560	1	Link
Arduino Uno	1	Link
5mm power switch	1

Additional Tools & Materials:

• Wires
• Soldering tools
• Polishing papers
• Clips
• Screwdriver
• Nail polish remover (optional, for fitting parts)

Printing & Assembly:

1. 3D Printing:

   • Find the print files in the 3D/stl directory.
   • Print the following parts:

   File	Color	Quantity
   display_cover.stl	Gray	1
   keyboard_cover.stl	Gray	1
   screw_2x.stl	Gray	2
   screw_4x.stl	Gray	4
   display_mount.stl	White	1
   keyboard_mount.stl	White	1
   keyboard_holder.stl	White	1
   bottom.stl	White	1
   bottom_right.stl	White	1
   joiner_3mm_2x.stl	White	2
   joiner_5mm_2x.stl	White	2
   cartridge.stl	Black	1 or more

   Required Filament:

   • White: 0.7 kg
   • Gray: 0.2 kg
   • Black: 0.05 kg

2. Assembly:

   • Use the 3D/mode/chip8.blend file in Blender to visualize the assembly process.

   • Assemble the printed parts (use polishing paper, tools, and nail polish remover for better fitting).

   • Apply a protective coat or paint if desired.

   • Use 4x mm bolts to mount the bottom part with the top parts.

   • Insert the 16x 12x12mm tact switches into the keyboard_mount.stl part (use glue to secure them tightly).

   • Place the 3mm yellow LED in the upper hole and the 3mm red LED in the lower hole of keyboard_mount.stl (use glue).

   • Insert an OTG USB cable into the cartridge hole in keyboard_mount.stl (use glue).

   • Mount the 64x32px RGB matrix display into the display_mount.stl (use glue to secure it tightly).

   • Place the SD card reader inside the cartridge.stl.

   • Print labels on standard paper and glue them onto the tact switch caps using the following layout:

     1	2	3	C
     4	5	6	D
     7	8	9	E
     A	0	B	F

Wiring:

1. Arduino Mega Connections:

   Pin	Connected To
   rx3	Arduino Uno tx
   tx3	Arduino Uno rx
   A0	Matrix-A
   A1	Matrix-B
   A2	Matrix-C
   A3	Matrix-D
   9	Matrix-OE
   10	Matrix-LAT
   11	Matrix-CLK
   24	Matrix-R1
   25	Matrix-G1
   26	Matrix-B1
   27	Matrix-R2
   28	Matrix-G2
   29	Matrix-B2
   32	Buzzer-sig
   34	Power LED+
   35	Signal LED+
   42	C1
   43	C2
   44	C3
   45	C4
   48	R1
   49	R2
   50	R3
   51	R4
   5V	Buzzer 5V, Arduino Uno 5V
   GND	Power LED-, Signal LED-, Buzzer GND, Matrix GND1-5, Arduino Uno GND

2. Arduino Uno Connections:

   Pin	Connected To
   5V	Reader-5V
   GND	Reader-GND
   10	Reader-CS
   11	Reader-MOSI
   12	Reader-MISO
   13	Reader-SCK
   tx	Arduino Mega rx
   rx	Arduino Mega tx

3. Other Connections:

   • Insert the Arduino Mega and Arduino Uno into the bottom.stl part.
   • Insert the 5V 4A power supply through the first hole in the bottom.stl part.
   • Insert the power switch through the second hole in the bottom.stl part.

Software Installation:

1. Preparing the SD Card:

   • Format the SD card to the FAT file system and ensure its label is "chip8". If you want to use a different label, update the name in the runtime/runtime.py file.
   • Copy the CHIP8 ROMs you want to use onto the SD card (sample ROMs can be found in the samples directory).
   • Ensure that only .ch8 files are on the card (remove any system-generated files like trash, volume info, etc.).

2. Cloning the Repository:

   • Clone the repository:

     git clone git@github.com:wojlin/real-chip8.git

3. Installing Arduino IDE:

   • Download and install the Arduino IDE from here.

4. Uploading the Code:

   • Plug the machine into the 5V

4A socket (ensure the power supply is turned on before connecting the USB cable).

• Open sd/sd.ino in the Arduino IDE.
• Upload sd.ino to the Arduino Uno.
• Open emulator/emulator.ino in the Arduino IDE.
• Upload emulator.ino to the Arduino Mega.
• Unplug the USB cable, mount the bottom part of the machine with the top, and secure it with screws.

Troubleshooting:

1. Ensure the SD card is formatted to FAT.
2. Verify that the SD card name is "chip8".
3. Check that the files on the SD card are in DOS 8.3 format.