Dive into building a Retro Video Game console with the CELUS Design Platform. This guide focuses on using the platform to find the right solutions and assemble a project that lets you recreate and enjoy classic video games in your custom-built console.
Starting Out:
You are constructing a Retro Video Game console. This means you'll need a central processing unit capable of running games, display and audio components to output video and sound, and user interface elements like buttons. The CELUS Design Platform assists you in selecting these elements based on your project's specific needs.
Choosing Parts with the Platform:
- Central Processing Unit: The heart of your console. It processes the game data and executes the game code. The platform helps you find the CPU that best fits your console’s requirements.
- Display and Sound Output: Essential for visual and audio game experiences. Choose from options like LCD screens and audio outputs that the platform suggests, evaluating the solution that best fits your design.
- User Interface Controls: Buttons to interact with the game. The platform provides various options for these, enhancing the user experience.
Putting It All Together:
- Describe Your Design: First, outline what your project needs to accomplish on the CELUS Design Platform. This helps you track your technical and design goals.
- Plan Your System: The platform allows you to arrange how all functionalities connect and work together. This step ensures that all parts fit into your design plan seamlessly.
- Pick Your CUBOs: Use the platform to find and choose the central processor, display, sound parts, and user controls that meet your project’s specifications.
- Build and Review: After moving your project to your EDA tool of choice, start integrating all parts. Ensure all connections are properly established, then proceed with layout and routing. Finally, test everything to make sure your Retro Video Game console works as expected.
Wrap Up:
By following these steps, you'll learn how to use the CELUS Design Platform to build a project from initial concept to a ready-to-build EDA prototype. You're not just assembling parts; you're engineering a functional and enjoyable retro gaming device. This guide simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on the fun part of building your own video game console without getting lost in technical complexities.
Step 1: Getting Acquainted with the CELUS Design Platform
- Welcome Screen:
Upon launching the CELUS Design Platform, you're greeted by the welcome screen, a gateway to innovation and creativity. This is where your project begins. Look for the 'Create New Project' button. This initial step is your entry point into a world where classic video games are reborn. Clicking this button opens up a new realm of possibilities, guiding you to the first phase of project settings.
Step 2: Defining Your Project
- Project Description:
Articulate the purpose and essential features of your console.
Now at the project settings phase, you're tasked with describing your project in detail. This is crucial as it sets the direction and specifications for your retro console. Start by filling in the project description with aims such as simulating classic video games, ensuring low power consumption, and providing a seamless user experience. This description should encapsulate the essence of your project, highlighting key features like the power management system, microcontroller core, sound, data storage, graphics, and HMI capabilities.
- Project Information:
At this crucial juncture, we enter the specificities that will guide the design process:
- Project Name: Assign a unique identity to your console project for easy reference. In our tutorial, we’ll name it "Retro Game Console."
- Design Function: This is where you define the main function of your project. You might have multiple functionalities, but for our retro console, let’s keep it focused on gaming.
- Application: Choose the applications that best describe your project's end-use. For this console, "IoT" and "Consumer Electronics" are fitting categories that the CELUS Platform will use to suggest appropriate templates.
- Output: The target CAD tool and the BOM type are critical choices. For seamless integration, select the CAD tool you’re most comfortable with, such as "Altium Designer," and decide on the BOM type—either "Flat" or "Consolidated," depending on how you want to view your component list.
- Optional Information: Estimate the annual units, set a project identifier, and a production start date to give more context to your project. This data aids in the project's traceability and manufacturing timeline.
- Project Specification:
Here you will detail the technical constraints and preferences for your design:
- Parts & Manufacturers: Clearly state your preferred parts and manufacturers. If you have specific parts like the "ESP32-WROOM-32E-N16" that you’d like to use, list them here. Also, specify preferred manufacturers, such as "Espressif Systems" or "Panasonic," which will help the CELUS Platform to prioritize these when suggesting CUBOs.
- Exclusions: If there are certain parts or manufacturers you want to avoid, this is the place to list them.
The information inputted here serves as the foundation for the CELUS Platform’s AI and database algorithms, ensuring that the subsequent steps in the design process are tailored to your specific needs and preferences. With these settings finely tuned, you can confidently proceed to the Design Canvas to begin piecing together the architecture of your retro game console.
Step 3: Structuring Your Console's Design
- Design Canvas Interface:
With the foundational project settings in place, venture into the Design Canvas – the creative heart of the CELUS Design Platform. Here, you'll visually construct your system's architecture using functional blocks to represent the console's functionalities. This interactive environment allows for intuitive drag-and-drop actions to layout the power management, processing unit, sound module, storage, graphics interface, and HMI. Each block and its connections on the canvas encapsulate your console's functionalities, transforming abstract concepts into a structured collection of electronic functional blocks.
Step 4: Completing the System Architecture
- Linking Functional Blocks: Following the image presented above, we can identify both the necessary functional blocks for our project, and a highly detailed list that will assist us in creating the connection points for each block, as well as the types of links required to connect the blocks to each other.
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Battery Management
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Connection Points: 2 (Supply to USB Connector, Supply to Battery Housing)
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Interfaces: Both interfaces are of type "SUPPLY."
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USB Connector
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Connection Points: 2 (Supply from Battery Management, USB to USB Bridge)
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Interfaces: "SUPPLY" from Battery Management, "USB" to USB Bridge.
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USB Bridge
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Connection Points: 2 (USB from USB Connector, UART to UART block)
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Interfaces: "USB" from USB Connector, "UART" to UART block.
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UART
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Connection Points: 2 (UART from USB Bridge, Supply to Switching DC/DC Conversion)
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Interfaces: "UART" from USB Bridge, "SUPPLY" to Switching DC/DC Conversion.
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Switching DC/DC Conversion
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Connection Points: 2 (Supply from UART, Supply to Load Switching)
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Interfaces: "SUPPLY" from UART, "SUPPLY" to Load Switching.
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Load Switching
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Connection Points: 2 (Supply from Switching DC/DC Conversion, Supply to Battery Housing)
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Interfaces: "SUPPLY" from Switching DC/DC Conversion, "SUPPLY" to Battery Housing.
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Battery Housing
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Connection Points: 2 (Supply from Load Switching, Supply from Battery Management)
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Interfaces: Both interfaces are of type "SUPPLY."
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Liquid Crystal Display
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Connection Points: 1 (GPIO)
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Interfaces: "GPIO" for data and control.
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Micro SD/TF Card
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Connection Points: 1 (GPIO)
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Interfaces: "GPIO" for data access.
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Audio Output
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Connection Points: 1 (GPIO)
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Interfaces: "GPIO" for audio signal output.
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Wireless Communication
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Connection Points: 1 (GPIO)
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Interfaces: "GPIO" for communication protocols.
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Standard LED
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Connection Points: 1 (GPIO)
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Interfaces: "GPIO" for control signals.
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Connection Points: 1 per instance (GPIO)
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Interfaces: "GPIO" for user input.
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Number of Instances: 6
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After defining your system architecture in the Design Canvas, it's time to utilize the CELUS Platform's capabilities to match your functional blocks with appropriate CUBOs. This process, known as 'resolving,' is where the platform's intelligence shines, suggesting the most suitable CUBOs based on your project's requirements.
- Action: Hit the
Resolve button on the Design Canvas. This instructs the platform to analyze the specifications of each functional block you've laid out.
- Outcome: You'll be presented with a list of CUBOs for each block. These CUBOs are essentially pre-designed circuit modules tailored to fulfill the functions you need, from processing and power management to sound, navigation buttons and display.
Step 5: Harnessing CELUS Power for CUBO™ Selection
- Resolve and Choose CUBOs:
With the help of the CUBOt AI Assistant, an advanced tool designed to answer queries regarding CUBOs, including their functions, specifications, and helping you find the right CUBO™ for your project, we can gain additional support in selecting our ideal CUBO™. When you click on the CUBOt AI Assistant button, a dedicated window pops up to facilitate real-time answers and guidance tailored to your specific needs. This interactive feature ensures that all your questions are addressed promptly, enhancing your decision-making process for project planning and implementation.
With CUBOs selected, your project starts to resemble a fully-realized electronic design. This stage allows for the adjustment and customization of your chosen CUBOs to perfectly fit your project's unique specifications.
- Instructions: For each functional block, review the suggested CUBOs. You can view detailed information, schematics, and BOM for each CUBO™, ensuring it aligns with your project's needs.
- Locking CUBOs: If you're satisfied with a CUBO™ selection, you can 'lock' it to ensure it remains part of your design as you make further adjustments or resolve again.
Step 6: Navigating the BOM Preview
The Bill of Materials (BOM) Preview is an essential feature that offers a detailed glimpse into all the components required for your project. This comprehensive overview is crucial in ensuring you have all necessary materials listed before finalizing your design. Here's how to navigate and use the BOM Preview:
- Accessing the BOM Preview: Upon reaching a satisfactory stage in your design process, click on the 'BOM Preview' option within the CELUS Design Platform. This action opens a window that displays a list of all functional blocks along with their corresponding CUBOs and the materials for each CUBO™.
- Understanding the BOM Structure: The BOM Preview is organized hierarchically, starting with the functional blocks, expanding into individual CUBOs, and further into detailed lists of components for each CUBO™. This hierarchical view allows for easy identification and verification of parts at different levels of the design.
- Reviewing Component Details: In the BOM Preview, you can review specific details such as part numbers, descriptions, quantities, and manufacturer details.
Step 7: Output Files and Downloads
- Downloading Your Design Files:
Your design is now complete, and it's time to bring your virtual project into the real world. The CELUS Design Platform provides all necessary files for this transition.
- Accessing Output Files: Navigate to the 'Output Files' section. Here, you'll find options to download your project's comprehensive PDF documentation, the Bill of Materials (BOM), and the Project Package.
- Downloading: Click on the download arrow next to each file type. Ensure you allow multiple downloads if prompted by your browser.
Step 8: Preparing for EDA Import
- Unpacking Your Project Package: To proceed with PCB layout and circuit testing, you'll need to import your design into an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool.
- Unzipping Project Package: Once downloaded, unzip your Project Package to access the files.
For PC (Windows):
- Locate the ZIP file: Navigate to the folder where the ZIP file is saved.
- Extract the files: Right-click on the ZIP file. Choose "Extract All" from the context menu.
- Choose the destination: Windows will prompt you to select a destination folder where the extracted files should be placed. You can choose the suggested location or click "Browse" to select a different folder.
- Complete the extraction: After selecting the destination, click "Extract". The files will be decompressed into the chosen folder, where they can be accessed normally.
For Mac (macOS):
- Find the ZIP file: Go to the location of the ZIP file in Finder.
- Unzip the file: Double-click the ZIP file. macOS will automatically extract its contents into the same folder where the ZIP file is located, creating a new folder if necessary.
- Access the files: Open the new folder (if created) or the existing location to view the extracted files.
EDA Tool Preparation: Open your preferred EDA tool—Altium Designer, Autodesk Eagle, or KiCad EDA—and import the project files. This step is crucial for transitioning from conceptual design to physical prototype preparation. After importing, it's essential to check and verify all connections within the schematic. Make sure everything is properly connected to ensure functionality and avoid errors during the PCB layout phase.
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In Autodesk Eagle: Use the 'ERC' (Electrical Rule Check) function to check for any electrical and connection errors in your schematic.
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In Altium Designer: Utilize the 'Design Rule Check' (DRC) to verify connections and ensure that all design rules are met before proceeding.
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In KiCad EDA: Employ the 'Electrical Rules Checker' under the Inspect menu to validate the schematic electrical connections.
These tools help in identifying and rectifying any potential issues early in the design process, paving the way for a smoother transition to the next stages of development.
Step 9: Wrapping Up and Seeking Support
Congratulations, you've completed the design of your Retro Video Game console on the CELUS Design Platform! But remember, the journey doesn't end here.
- Seeking Further Assistance: Should you have any questions or encounter challenges, the CELUS Support Center is at your disposal to access a plethora of resources, join the community forum, and connect with fellow users and the CELUS team for support.
This detailed tutorial guides you through each step of creating a Retro Video Game console using the CELUS Design Platform, from initial concept to ready-for-production design. Remember, every great design begins with a single step, and with CELUS, you're well-equipped to bring your creative visions to fruition.