Engin Cilasun
@sparsevoxel.bsky.social
Blizzard, Activision, Avalanche, Starbreeze, Simbin
(World of Warcraft / CoD Vanguard / JustCause3 & 4 / Rage / Syndicate / Race Pro)
github.com/ecilasun/tinysys
github.com/ecilasun/sandpiper_hw
@the_cilasun@mastodon.gamedev.place
u/Not_Computer
(World of Warcraft / CoD Vanguard / JustCause3 & 4 / Rage / Syndicate / Race Pro)
github.com/ecilasun/tinysys
github.com/ecilasun/sandpiper_hw
@the_cilasun@mastodon.gamedev.place
u/Not_Computer
All of the files to make one of these 'sandpiper' things is posted on my github. I'll add detailed documentation and more samples on first chance. Likely that the enclosure design will change.
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
November 17, 2025 at 2:24 AM
All of the files to make one of these 'sandpiper' things is posted on my github. I'll add detailed documentation and more samples on first chance. Likely that the enclosure design will change.
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
github.com/ecilasun/san...
And finally, audio over HDMI is problem free too
November 17, 2025 at 2:20 AM
And finally, audio over HDMI is problem free too
Quake is also running at a decent frame rate without prior can issues. I think all that’s left to do is to try to get a qemu version working and finish the darned enclosure so it can close properly 🤣
November 17, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Quake is also running at a decent frame rate without prior can issues. I think all that’s left to do is to try to get a qemu version working and finish the darned enclosure so it can close properly 🤣
Testing out the video coprocessor with a short palette update program.
November 17, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Testing out the video coprocessor with a short palette update program.
Done with the video coprocessor instruction set for the time being, and it runs quite well so far.
I can now to Amiga-like copper effects on sandpiper.
I think I'm getting closer to being able to opensource this.
I can now to Amiga-like copper effects on sandpiper.
I think I'm getting closer to being able to opensource this.
November 15, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Done with the video coprocessor instruction set for the time being, and it runs quite well so far.
I can now to Amiga-like copper effects on sandpiper.
I think I'm getting closer to being able to opensource this.
I can now to Amiga-like copper effects on sandpiper.
I think I'm getting closer to being able to opensource this.
Little bit of sandpiper time today.
I want to port a few more samples to the device and wrap up that copper unit.
I want to port a few more samples to the device and wrap up that copper unit.
September 16, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Little bit of sandpiper time today.
I want to port a few more samples to the device and wrap up that copper unit.
I want to port a few more samples to the device and wrap up that copper unit.
The complete enclosure. Slicer mess-up in some parts, I’ll fix later.
Feels just right in this form factor, slightly larger than a 60% keyboard :)
Feels just right in this form factor, slightly larger than a 60% keyboard :)
September 9, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The complete enclosure. Slicer mess-up in some parts, I’ll fix later.
Feels just right in this form factor, slightly larger than a 60% keyboard :)
Feels just right in this form factor, slightly larger than a 60% keyboard :)
Enclosure bottom plate fits. Now to start printing that top half…
September 8, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Enclosure bottom plate fits. Now to start printing that top half…
“How else would they know it’s made in Orange County?”
September 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
“How else would they know it’s made in Orange County?”
Working on VCP (video coprocessor) today. It can wait for a scanline or pixel and has full access to the AXI bus to poke at pixels and palette entries.
A much more advanced version of the Amiga copper, if you will.
A much more advanced version of the Amiga copper, if you will.
September 1, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Working on VCP (video coprocessor) today. It can wait for a scanline or pixel and has full access to the AXI bus to poke at pixels and palette entries.
A much more advanced version of the Amiga copper, if you will.
A much more advanced version of the Amiga copper, if you will.
After I get the video coprocessor working, I'll look into open sourcing sandpiper in the coming months.
August 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
After I get the video coprocessor working, I'll look into open sourcing sandpiper in the coming months.
Sandpiper is moving forward. Relocated the palette device to axi bus and I'm going to add a copper on the bus so it'll be easier to access everything from both the CPU and the VPU.
Going console-y
Going console-y
August 30, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Sandpiper is moving forward. Relocated the palette device to axi bus and I'm going to add a copper on the bus so it'll be easier to access everything from both the CPU and the VPU.
Going console-y
Going console-y
Got u-boot to load my splash screen before anything else happens, could have also just memset to zero apparently.
Nice to not have to touch Linux kernel / drivers for a change, for once.
Nice to not have to touch Linux kernel / drivers for a change, for once.
August 10, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Got u-boot to load my splash screen before anything else happens, could have also just memset to zero apparently.
Nice to not have to touch Linux kernel / drivers for a change, for once.
Nice to not have to touch Linux kernel / drivers for a change, for once.
I think this suffices for an initial test.
Getting this fabricated costs 180USD now thanks to price increases, so that makes this a 36USD keyboard + 3 port hub combo.
Not that bad really, but it could have been way cheaper.
Getting this fabricated costs 180USD now thanks to price increases, so that makes this a 36USD keyboard + 3 port hub combo.
Not that bad really, but it could have been way cheaper.
August 10, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I think this suffices for an initial test.
Getting this fabricated costs 180USD now thanks to price increases, so that makes this a 36USD keyboard + 3 port hub combo.
Not that bad really, but it could have been way cheaper.
Getting this fabricated costs 180USD now thanks to price increases, so that makes this a 36USD keyboard + 3 port hub combo.
Not that bad really, but it could have been way cheaper.
Looking at adding a 4-port USB hub today, with one hardwired to the keyboard. The hub connects to the FPGA board's USB port.
August 9, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Looking at adding a 4-port USB hub today, with one hardwired to the keyboard. The hub connects to the FPGA board's USB port.
How do 9 elephants get into a car?
August 7, 2025 at 3:20 AM
How do 9 elephants get into a car?
A transparent mockup (since I ran out of tough resin)
Brittle, but should hold to test putting one machine together.
Brittle, but should hold to test putting one machine together.
August 5, 2025 at 11:41 PM
A transparent mockup (since I ran out of tough resin)
Brittle, but should hold to test putting one machine together.
Brittle, but should hold to test putting one machine together.
Things are coming along nicely. Also managed to fix my old 3D printer and printing a few mockups to see how they hold up.
August 5, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Things are coming along nicely. Also managed to fix my old 3D printer and printing a few mockups to see how they hold up.
Made the enclosure much smaller today.
It still requires a large format printer (to not cause cuts), but on the bright side it doesn't require screws to hold together except for the 4x 1mm screws at the bottom for the FPGA board.
It still requires a large format printer (to not cause cuts), but on the bright side it doesn't require screws to hold together except for the 4x 1mm screws at the bottom for the FPGA board.
August 3, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Made the enclosure much smaller today.
It still requires a large format printer (to not cause cuts), but on the bright side it doesn't require screws to hold together except for the 4x 1mm screws at the bottom for the FPGA board.
It still requires a large format printer (to not cause cuts), but on the bright side it doesn't require screws to hold together except for the 4x 1mm screws at the bottom for the FPGA board.
Took a week off to work on sandpiper and relax my mind a bit.
This evening, I added a hardware scroller. Thanks to the extra 64 bytes I read at the end of a scanline, I can scroll the view by that much without CPU intervention.
Once I get permits, I'll opensource this thing as well.
This evening, I added a hardware scroller. Thanks to the extra 64 bytes I read at the end of a scanline, I can scroll the view by that much without CPU intervention.
Once I get permits, I'll opensource this thing as well.
August 2, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Took a week off to work on sandpiper and relax my mind a bit.
This evening, I added a hardware scroller. Thanks to the extra 64 bytes I read at the end of a scanline, I can scroll the view by that much without CPU intervention.
Once I get permits, I'll opensource this thing as well.
This evening, I added a hardware scroller. Thanks to the extra 64 bytes I read at the end of a scanline, I can scroll the view by that much without CPU intervention.
Once I get permits, I'll opensource this thing as well.
Coding some samples on the sandpiper itself. Just got a 4:3 monitor to fit its display output.
Once I recover from this cold I’ll do more, now I have to get back to rest.
Once I recover from this cold I’ll do more, now I have to get back to rest.
July 29, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Coding some samples on the sandpiper itself. Just got a 4:3 monitor to fit its display output.
Once I recover from this cold I’ll do more, now I have to get back to rest.
Once I recover from this cold I’ll do more, now I have to get back to rest.
Audio and video modules are now both according to design.
Now, to add other interesting hardware bits and finish the enclosure of sandpiper :)
Now, to add other interesting hardware bits and finish the enclosure of sandpiper :)
July 22, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Audio and video modules are now both according to design.
Now, to add other interesting hardware bits and finish the enclosure of sandpiper :)
Now, to add other interesting hardware bits and finish the enclosure of sandpiper :)
Sandpiper is up and running with everything I wanted from software side.
One problem is that audio ticks way too fast, I have to allocate some time to fix it.
One problem is that audio ticks way too fast, I have to allocate some time to fix it.
July 21, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Sandpiper is up and running with everything I wanted from software side.
One problem is that audio ticks way too fast, I have to allocate some time to fix it.
One problem is that audio ticks way too fast, I have to allocate some time to fix it.
The sandpiper platform driver works.
It maps the physical address of control registers for the video and audio devices and allows mmap access to shared physical memory from user space, for non-root user.
This way, apps & games have direct access to hardware as one would with older home computers.
It maps the physical address of control registers for the video and audio devices and allows mmap access to shared physical memory from user space, for non-root user.
This way, apps & games have direct access to hardware as one would with older home computers.
July 20, 2025 at 4:02 PM
The sandpiper platform driver works.
It maps the physical address of control registers for the video and audio devices and allows mmap access to shared physical memory from user space, for non-root user.
This way, apps & games have direct access to hardware as one would with older home computers.
It maps the physical address of control registers for the video and audio devices and allows mmap access to shared physical memory from user space, for non-root user.
This way, apps & games have direct access to hardware as one would with older home computers.