Modding and Devices: Raspberry Pi Pico, RP2040, and More
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Raspberry Pi Pico Game Boy Interceptor | The MagPi #128
The RP2040 microcontroller-based Game Boy Interceptor came about when just such a tournament was being planned, “and, of course, they wanted to stream the contestants’ gameplay,” relates fellow Tetris fan Sebastian Staacks. “Streaming would not be a problem with a modified Game Boy or a modern Game Boy clone such as the Analogue Pocket,” says Sebastian, “but it would mean contestants would be forced to use the same platform in order to compete.” This change just wouldn’t fly: “the contestants always played their favourite Game Boy model and, in a contest, would want to use the model on which they trained their muscle memory.”
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Could 1080p Video Output From The RP2040 Be Possible?
Modern microcontrollers often have specs comparable with or exceeding early gaming consoles. However, where they tend to fall short is in the video department, due to their lack of dedicated graphics hardware. With some nifty coding, though, great things can be achieved — as demonstrated by [TEC_IST]’s project that gets the RP2040 outputting 1080p video over HDMI.
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Foldable PCB Becomes Tiny Rover
Typically, when you’re putting electronics in a robot, you install the various controller PCBs into the robot’s chassis. But what if the PCB itself was the chassis? [Carl Bugeja’s] latest design explores just that idea.
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A reply to Josef Průša
Yesterday, Prusa Research announced their latest 3D printer: the Original Prusa MK4, a fantastic follow-up to the award winning MK3 which is a favorite among hobbyists and professionals alike. At the same time, founder Josef Průša shared a post lamenting the state of open source hardware in 2023. Josef shares his experience over the last ten years with open hardware and his frustrations around the lack of reciprocity among fellow 3D printer manufacturers. At the end, Josef shares that he's chosen not to open source the electronics for the MK4 yet1 and calls for the establishment and adoption of a new, highly restrictive license.
Josef adds that he wants to have a conversation, so this post is my reply. I deeply respect Josef, his company, and all of the work they've done within the open source community, but I disagree with him on this matter. The rest of the post is opinion and it's given from someone with a different perspective- I fully expect many people to disagree with both me and Josef! I welcome feedback, but please treat me, Josef, and each other with respect. For what it's worth, I own a Prusa MINI+ and I plan on buying the MK4 when kits are available.