So, I've made game device! It runs on a Teensy 4.0 and the firmware is written in Rust. This is thanks to the Teensy4-rs project. The Library, Template and examples were essential for this project.
This project is not meant to be used in any other way than learning purposes.
- ARM Cortex-M7 at 600 MHz
- 2MB of Flash memory
- 1MB of RAM memory
More info: https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy40.html
- 160 x 128 resolution
- 16 bit color-depth (RGB 565)
More info: https://www.displayfuture.com/Display/datasheet/controller/ST7735.pdf
- 12 buttons (Directionals, A, B, C, D, Start, Select, R and L)
- Written in Rust
- 2D and 3D Support
- Vector and Pixel Shader Support
- Interlaced frames (only when running on an actual Teensy)
- Affine texture mapping, just like the original Playstation!
Check the dependencies for SDL2.
You need to have a SDL2.dll or SDL2.so in the PATH variable or copy it to the target/debug or target/release directory.
If you're using VSCode it should be as easy as running the project, otherwise you can run cargo run --release on the project root folder.
Use WASD keys as directionals, IJKL keys as the ABCD buttons and Enter as Start, Tab as Select, Q as L and O as R
First you need to install the same dependencies as described here.
Run:
rustup target add thumbv7em-none-eabihf
Navigate to the project folder then run:
cd demo-kitferret
mkdir bin
cargo objcopy --release -- -O ihex bin/kit-ferret.hex
cd ..Upload the .hex file created in the demo-kitferret/bin folder to your teensy.
You will need to have a ST7735 TFT LCD screen on pins:
- P7 => Backlight
- P8 => RST
- P9 => DC
- P10 => CS (Chip select)
- P11 => MOSI
- P12 => MISO
- P13 => CLK
For the controller the pins they are setup in a matrix, for example if you turn on P0, you can check if either P3, P4, P5 or P6 are on to check for directionals, then turn it off, and turn P1, and test P3 to P6 for the ABCD buttons, and so on.
Cables:
Output pins:
- P0 => UP, RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT buttons
- P1 => A, B, C, D buttons
- P2 => START, SELECT, L, R buttons
Input pins:
- P3 => UP, A, START
- P4 => RIGHT, B, SELECT
- P5 => DOWN, C, L
- P6 => LEFT, D, R
This project couldn't have been made if wasn't for these:
- https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy40.html (Hardware and original C code)
- https://github.com/mciantyre/teensy4-rs (Library, Template, Example and Documenation)
- https://trenki2.github.io/blog/2017/06/06/developing-a-software-renderer-part1/ (3D Renderer concepts and ported code)
- https://github.com/sajattack/st7735-lcd-rs (TFT screen driver)
Game development always have been a area of interest for me, the problem with current tools and editors give too much options and barely any limitation. I don't want to make a commercial product from, I want to face a technical challenge, I want to understand how these things work on lower levels, I also want to do complex stuff in Rust.
I had to choose my battles, though: I didn't want to have to learn each command for the TFT screen or each math concept and optimization needed for a 3D renderer. Some code was ported, some libraries that did the basic were used.
No specific reason, I randomly picked an animal in a list generator and I found that baby ferrets are called "kits". Otherwise, this project would've been called Puppy-Dog, Kitten-Cat or Chick-Chicken. I'm a programmer and naming things are hard! I will let the marketing team deal with the PR.
- Certain combinations of button presses are registered wrongly due to no diodes being used
- Near-Plane clipping is not working properly
- Screen is not being updated using DMA
- Drawing Integer and Floats is not stabilized