This is where it gets interesting, because the future of MiSTer isn’t a done deal. The DE10-Nano is a legend, a beast that has pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible or even at one point impossible. But even a legend has its limits. So, when we talk about a successor, we’re stepping into the realm of speculation and possibility.
This isn’t about facts; it’s about the “what ifs”, based on community chatter.
What if the DE25-Nano is the “MiSTer 2.0”? Or even “MiSTer 1.5”?
The DE25-Nano is on the horizon. It’s got a lot of buzz around it for a reason. It could be the answer to the biggest questions facing the MiSTer community.
A Bigger Canvas for Developers
The DE10-Nano’s FPGA, the Cyclone V, is pushing its limits with cores like the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and the SEGA Saturn. It’s like a painter with a small canvas; they must be a genius to make a masterpiece fit. The DE25, with its Agilex 5 FPGA, offers a bit more logic space, but the real benefit seems to be the much higher FMAX (maximum frequency) and more Block RAM and MLABs (Memory Logic Array Blocks). This could potentially mean developers have more flexibility to optimize cores for speed and performance, even with a mild increase in pure logic space.
The Promise of a Faster Ride
One of the biggest bottlenecks on the DE10-Nano is the ARM processor and the speed of the DDR3 RAM. The DE25-Nano, with its dual-CPU Hard Processor System (HPS) and a doubling of DDR memory, could change the game. This could potentially allow for smoother menus, faster loading times, and perhaps even open the door to “hybrid emulation” where the ARM side handles some of the more complex parts of a system. A truly awesome and unexpected discovery is the presence of onboard SDRAM, which could be a huge asset for certain cores.
Unlocking New Eras?
This one is big. The Diamond. The dream. The DE10-Nano has its limits, and most developers agree that systems beyond the fifth generation are a tough, if not impossible, mountain to climb. The extra power of a DE25-Nano, especially its increased DSP (Digital Signal Processing) resources, could potentially be the key. We’re talking about cores for consoles like the Nintendo 64 or the Sega Saturn reaching a new level of accuracy and stability. Some in the community even dare to dream about a Dreamcast core, but that may be a little over ambitious.
Interesting Possibilities
The DE25-Nano also presents a few intriguing new features that could change the way we interact with MiSTer. While the board still uses the ADV7513 for HDMI out (meaning the scaler capabilities likely won’t change), the MIPI connector on the back is directly connected to the FPGA. This is fascinating because it’s a standard capable of very high speeds and could be suitable for a direct connection to portable displays. This could open the door for a future where MiSTer is built into a handheld device. A nice bonus is a dedicated fan header with a controller from the FPGA, which could allow for a neat variable-speed fan on a 4-pin header, a welcome quality of life improvement.
The Caveat
But remember, this is all speculation. The DE25-Nano isn’t a dedicated MiSTer board. It’s a development kit. The MiSTer community would need to put their support behind it and port the entire framework over, which is a massive undertaking.
So, while the hardware on the DE25-Nano looks incredibly promising, the future of MiSTer on a new platform is still open wide, and it’ll certainly be interesting to see where it goes.
A special thanks to all the fine folk over on the MiSTer FPGA discord server, especially Birdy Bro for helping me with this article and educating me on all of the above.
Below are some tweets that I have embedded from various FPGA core developers and members of the scene, with some interesting information and takes.