I believe this post is for a smaller group of somewhat nerdy people, so I will write it in English rather than Swedish for my usual Swedish blog audience. Enjoy!

Page versions:

2021-11-08: First public version of this post. 
2021-11-25: Installed a modified (and externally powered) USB hub.
2021-11-29: Project paused. Trying to troubleshoot why MemTest give me errors. Waiting for a new SDRAM.
2022-01-06: New SDRAM arrived, but with similar performance issues. And a CEC blocker didn't do any difference for the build. Same issues remains but when I disconnected the PS1 power unit supply (PSU) seem to give me better MemTest results.
2022-01-20: Hurray!! I found the solution to the previous power issue I had. The fix? A new step-down module (XL4005) instead of the old (🤬) LM2596.
2022-02-03: Installed the upcoming PSX core (unstable build) in the MiSTer Station. Updated the chapter PSX core.
2022-12-31: Added info about the new SNAC PSX adapter (not in this build) to the "Todo / Future backlog". Clean up in this Page version section.
2023-03-08: Updated the software parts of this page a bit. Added videos and texts. Removed the separate SAM chapter (now included in Update All)
2024-10-07: Almost bricked the setup after a update via update_all.sh, so I added a section in Chapter 3 for a manual update of Linux, MiSTer and the Menu core.
2026-03-16: Improvments of the lauguage of the blog post. Enjoy!

❌ Current unsolved issues with this build

• The PS1 PSU use approx 10 to 11 Watts (rate as 10 W on the back sticker). PS1 PSU output seem to be approx. 6-7 V and 1 A. Compared to the 6 to 7 Watts of the original DE10-Nano Power brick.
  • Solution: Works anyway. I will ignore this finding for now.
• No SNAC PSX adapter is installed (does it fit?).

⏱️ Todo / Future backlog

• Optional: Experiment with a small fan (and fan control?). Because I almost burn myself on the CPU heatsink. Figures that this kind of heat couldn’t be a good thing for the board, in the long run.
• Optional: Make the Reset button (on the Playstation case) work (maybe with a transistor solution, connected to the I/O board in pin P3?).

If this would have been built in the late 2022. I should have tried to squeezed in the SNAC PSX adapter (better latency and power handling) instead of the (sort of ugly) blue USB adapter used in my build. Please find more via the link(s) below:

• https://misterfpga.co.uk/product/mister-snac-playstation-psx-adapter/
• https://github.com/blue212/SNAC-PSX

1. Intro

In my occasional series of tech DIY guides, such as the earlier Pacemaker SSD upgrade, and NESPi 4, I will share an overview of my latest project here. I present to you *drum roll*…The MiSTer Station (though you probably already knew that from the title). You can also call it a PlayStation 1 (aka PSX or PS1) DIY case mod, if that is more your cup of tea (or coffee), I don’t judge.

1.1 Pictures of the final result

1.2 Story behind the build

My main goal was to build a gaming computer inside a PlayStation case. The goal was to keep the exterior as intact as possible while making it function like modern technology in terms of input and output. For convenience, USB and HDMI output were minimum requirements.

Since it already had a built-in PSU, I decided early on to keep it along with the original power cord. This meant I was restricted to 10 W for the internal components.

After some research, I chose the DE10-Nano (5V, 2A) and the MiSTer project. I liked the idea of using accurate hardware as the backbone for running retro games. Since some skilled programmers like FPGAzumSpass (Twitter, Youtube, Patreon) and Laxer3A (Twitter, Patreon) work(ed) on the PSX core. Of course, it would be nice if this build could play PS1 games in the future. And maybe, just maybe, I could dig out some long-forgotten PS1 games from that nostalgic old box in the attic when this is all done.

Wait, what?! Are you not familiar with MiSTer FPGA? OK, let’s start from the beginning. I then recommend you to read a bit on the retro gaming phenomena Here, Here and/or watch some good YouTube videos on it, like this one below, before continuing this article:

..or if you would rather like to go directly to the documentation. Here you go: https://mister-devel.github.io/MkDocs_MiSTer/

1.3 Honourable mentions:

Inspiration for the front controller port solution came from a Playstation Raspberry Pi mod on Hackster.io.

I also picked up some useful tips and tricks from RMC Cave and his MiSTer Fusion build.

The FPGA developer FPGAzumSpass (Twitter, Youtube, Patreon) for excellent progress with the PSX MiSTer core from 2021.

A big shout-out to Alexey Melnikov (aka sorgelig) for his hard work with the MiSTer project. Go and back him at patreon.com/FPGAMiSTer

Also the social networks X (Twitter) and reddit. And all kind and helpful people there. Like @oscherler & Nat (@MiSTerFPGA_UK) , u/theypsilon.

I also used these webshops to buy specific MiSTer hardware from:

• https://www.mouser.se/new/terasic-technologies/terasic-de10-nano-kit/
• https://misterfpga.co.uk/
• https://misteraddons.com/

1.4 Initial risks of building this thing

Power consumption

My main concern before I started this build was the power consumption of the Terasic DE10-Nano board, together with all the additional accessories, such as:

• a non-powered USB splitter or USB hub inside the case.
• the front port solution with the controls, and
• an analogue extension I/O board.

I couldn’t find specifications for most of these parts before buying them.

Playstation hardware – Space within the case.

I knew there was actually quite a lot of space to work with, based on my previous NESPi 4 case mod (a Raspberry Pi 4 in an old NES box). But, I also knew that cable plugs sticking out of the board, along with the cables themselves, would take up far more space than it might initially seem..

Know-how

• MiSTer project

I knew very little about this at the beginning of the build. Were there any restrictions or any missing or buggy software?

• Soldering

I am in no means a master of soldering, so bear with me 🙂. It can take a while, and the results may vary, but with some patience this should not be a major risk. In the worst case, I might break something, pay extra for replacement parts, and have to start over. For example the DE10-Nano itself (as I later on would be painfully aware of. Woops.).

• Playstation hardware

In the beginning I didn’t knew a whole lot about the PSU or the controller ports. But I was sure I would gain more knowledge during the process. The same was true for the other electronic parts, as well as the plastic case itself.

Good, now that that is out of the way, we can begin looking at the actual hardware and the building process.

2. Hardware – Let us build this thing!

DE10-Nano schematic: https://www.intel.com/… /de10-nano-board-schematic.html

2.1 The parts of the build

As always, when you try to mix things together, it is good to have a recipe in hand. Here is my list of “ingredients,” split into three parts: Base, Full, and Front Ports:

Base

• 1 pcs DE10-Nano board. I tried ordering from both MiSTer addons and Mouser. The latter came without smashed cover glass, so I may use Mouser again if I buy another one in the future.
• Playstation 1 console. (SCPH-7002 in my case.. pun intended)
• SD Card. (8 GB minimum)
• RAM module (I choose 128 MB)
• Down-step XL4005 (max 5 A). ⚠ Do not choose the LM2596 due to power issues.
• 1 pcs Step-down heatsink. (7 mm x 7 mm x 6 mm)
• OTG-adapter with Micro-Usb
• Non-powered USB hub – (I choose ”Deltaco PRIME USB 3.0 hub, 2xType A”)
• Soldering equipment/accessories of choice.
• Some sort of back plate material. (I used some sort of white plexiglas, 3 mm thick.)
• Powered External USB hub (like Gembird UHB-U2P7-03). For Bluetooth adapter, keyboard and WiFi adapter. Therefore I recommend minimum of 4 USB ports are recommended.
• Some extensions cables and adapters. Flat jumper cables.

Full

• 40-pin GPIO-extention cable
• CPU/FPGA 12×12 mm Heatsink (could not hurt right?)
• Optional. 6 pcs RAM heatsink (kit).(7 mm x 7 mm x 6 mm)
• Power cord, if you want the option to also use the DE10-Nano standard power socket for test or whatever purpose. (I also included an unnecessary switch in my build, don’t do that if you are looking for space optimisation.)
• IO Board (I used the MiSTer FPGA I/O board (v.6.1)
• Real Time Clock (RTC v.1.3) board
• CR1220 battery (if not included in the RTC delivery)
• 3,5 mm 10 cm angled audio cable
• Chassi/panel mounted 3,5 mm stereo audio out.
• I can also recommend a short (0.25 m) Ethernet cable and a female-to-female adapter, if you want that feature as well.

Front ports

• USB to PS1 adapter: Game USB Dual Player Converter Adapter for PS2 USB
• One or two original PlayStation controllers (of course).
• Flat jumper cables. I mostly used 20 cm female-to-male cables, but buy a bunch of different lengths before you begin.

2.2 How-to fit all the hardware parts in there

 

The result:

If you are going to install an I/O board and/or use the GPIO ribbon extension, you will need to cut these “plastic towers” as well:

And also take the plastic pin out and cut of some of its holder, like this. Especially if you use the same USB mounting cable as I did (see the chapter about the I/O back panel):

Power

Down-step voltage (⚠ the picture show my old faulty LM2596):

A heatsink on the XL4005 is a good idea, as usual 🔥.

Not too high, because the network (RJ45) port will hit the top cover. In contrast, it may be a good idea to keep the board a bit tight against the top part above that network port, so that the DE10-Nano cannot move inside the PlayStation case later on.

Note: If you want, you can use the extra space under the board itself for cable management or for things like a USB cable or the 40-pin ribbon cable extension (see the later chapter on the I/O board installation).

The front ports

Take a deep breath and heat up your soldering iron. Note that a PS1 controller sometimes has 8 pins, but we only use 7 here (1–6 and 8). For the rest, I will let the pictures (A, B, C) below speak for themselves:

Power consumption

Now back to the topic of power consumption (remember my concern in the Risk chapter about power consumption?). To test the power consumption of the parts, but mostly to stress-test the PS1 PSU itself. I have written my conclusions and some numbers below for anyone who may find them helpful:

I bought myself an EU socket watt measurement tool, and a USB Volt/Ampere meter named ”Charger Doctor”. With an internal 5.15 V supply, (down-steped from PSU voltage output 7,56 V,  though it should have been 7.4 V according to Retroconsoles.fandom.com) from my PSU, running on an EU mains supply of 234–237 V, it showed the following results:

The MiSTer (DE10-Nano with 128 MB RAM) with that PS1 PSU and attached LM2596 used around 8.60 W at idle and 9.15 W maximum during startup, with no USB devices plugged in. A USB adapter (micro to USB-A) added 0.16 W, for a total of 8.76 W. Adding a non-powered 2-port USB hub to the adapter lowered the total power draw to 8.52 W. When I added my blue PS1/PS2 hub (2 ports) to the USB hub, the total power draw was 9.39 W at idle. Adding one PS controller (SCPH-1200) increased power draw by 0.03 W, and adding another (SCPH-10010) added 0.44 W to the equation. Connecting only one SCPH-1080 controller added around 0.18 W. Note that I had not plugged in the HDMI cable or started anything from the start menu during this test.

When I did so and started the DE10-Nano with HDMI attached but no USB devices connected, it used 9.35 W maximum during startup and 8.95 W at idle.

It is also worth noting that my BT USB dongle (CSR 4.0) added almost 1 W when it was plugged in while searching for devices to pair with.

With only the PS1 (SCPH-7002) plugged in and not powered on, it used 1.06 W.

The micro-USB port output was approximately 4.6 V with my 2-port USB hub connected and its ports empty.

Also, if I added the I/O board below (+ USB hub, HDMI, analogue audio cable, front-port hub, and one SCPH-1200 controller), it reached over 10 W (10.5 W) during startup. But it seem to work fine (even under the pressure of some SNES Super Mario World play).

The test:

[Warning and disclaimer] 

I did this so you do not have to. It might be a bad idea to load the PlayStation PSU this heavily.

⚠ I did this test with my old (incompatible) LM2596 step-down module.

How I did it:

• I ran MemTest to put the board under maximum load.
• The starting value was 10.98 W, and the maximum power consumption at the end of the test was 11.50 W.

Analogue I/O Board

One good thing to have in any electrical DIY build is the schematics. For the analogue I/O board v6.1, you can find the schematic Here.

I removed the fan for space optimisation, to reduce moving parts, and to improve power efficiency. I added a heatsink because – it could not hurt, right?

One issue: The Eurorack/ribbon connection does not fit if we try to put the top cover back on. Solution 1: remove the opening mechanism from the case so that the CD cover can no longer open. Not a very nice solution, so I went with Solution 2 instead, which was to modify the ribbon cable like this:

Modified ribbon connector:

OK… I confess, this is a bit overkill for me to put an I/O board like this inside the MiSTer Station. Because it is mostly for the audio-out functionality, this sounded like a good idea in the first place. But hey, this is more “retro-proof” (the opposite of future-proof) this way, with analogue video out included just in case. If I go full retro someday. The audio-out port is worth it anyway, since I now only need a computer screen and some headphones or an audio receiver.

Now I have another problem. The USB adapters, USB hub, and USB cables take up a tremendous amount of the space left in the case. And I still have not put the back ports in place. Time to be creative.

Mounting I/O ports to the back.

First, we need to create and add a new back plate for the I/O of your choice. In my case: one female USB port and one female 3.5 mm analogue audio-out jack.

Start by finding a piece of plastic or plexiglass that you have available.

Then saw, cut, or file it so that it fits perfectly in the case. Make it as high as possible, but still low enough that the case can be closed properly.

When you try to close the top CD cover, you might realise that it does not close properly. It is because of the tight space here:

It is too narrow for the back plate, so I recommend cutting into the case itself rather than into the homemade back cover. End result after some Dremel work:

I drilled holes for the screws and the audio jack. Including countersunk holes so the screws would not stick out too much from the white plastic. I glued extra pieces of plastic in place to support the force from later cable insertions.

At last, I needed to remove a grey cog with my Dremel. This was just to make it possible to close the top CD lid without it hitting the inside of the USB connector (I also carved into the black plastic of the USB next to the screw, just to be safe).

2.3 Power vs USB hub. (Aka installing USB hub without back powering the MiSTer.)

One new issue appeared when I connected my powered USB 2.0 hub (5 V, 2 A; Gembird UHB-U2P7-03) to the MiSTer/DE10-Nano (including the LM2596). When I shut down the PlayStation PSU, the MiSTer did not shut down with it because it was still receiving 5 V through the USB hub.

The solution?

1. Cut the USB hub cable in half! 😆
(…or just cut the red wire inside the cable if you are not going to use heat-shrink tubing as I did.)

2. Then solder it back together without connecting the red VCC +5 V wire. See the USB pinout schematic for details.

3. Test the wires to make sure there are no short circuits.

2.4 Reset button

⚠ Section is not yet finished – But the idea is to control the I/O board P3, btn_reset pin 3 (= pin 17 on GPIO1) and GND pin 5 with a transistor (2N2222, datasheet) via the PlayStation PSU (7.56 V pin 1 and GND pin 5), activated by the momentary reset switch.

Heatsinks – Tring to handle the heat in the somewhat closed case.

The first step-down module (LM2596) I used failed, possibly because of heat. The MemTest performance seemed to be affected by whether the top CD lid was open or closed. During the troubleshooting process, I switched to a better-performing module (XL4005) and at the same time added a heatsink to it, just in case.

Before this step-down module replacement  from LM2596 to XL4005. I ran the MiSTer MemTest with the top CD lid open. It first seemed stable at 122 MHz (after about 2.5 hours). I then closed the lid, and it first ran at 122, then dropped to 120, and finally ended up in the low 110 MHz range.

During troubleshooting, Nat from https://MiSTerFPGA.co.uk/, told me that the

”fastest any core needs is 126Mhz, if the speed never drops below this it does not matter. The only core that even requires 126Mhz is the Archie core (Acorn).” – Nat

Later findings showed that it was not heat in the SDRAM that caused MemTest to fail. The issue disappeared when I stopped using the PS1 power supply unit and also after switching to the new XL4005 step-down module. But since I had already used RAM heatsinks during the troubleshooting process, I will show them here in case anyone is interested in doing the same:

[Future/Optional idea] Use of a fan.

One idea is to experiment later with a chassis fan to find out whether it makes any difference to the CPU/FPGA temperature.

A fan like this one will fit along the sides of the PS1 case (by the side vents):

• SEPA MFB25B05 Axial fan 5 V/DC 23 l/min (L x W x H) 25 x 25 x 6.5 mm  (https://www.conrad.se/p/tru-components-vippstroembrytare-tc-r13-90paa-01-250-vac-10-a-2x-avpa-lasande-1-st-1587546)

Maybe with a manual switch for fan control?

• https://inf.se/naetverksswitch/57734-sub-miniatyr-vippstrombrytare-4051366100138.html?search_query

3. Software is what make the hardware worth it.

If you are like me, sitting around waiting for tech parts to arrive in Sweden in 2021, you can always make a light custom MiSTer logo in the meantime… or just use mine:

DOWNLOAD: .png (112 KB) .jpg (351 KB) .pdn (149 KB)

Start guide

https://boogermann.github.io/Bible_MiSTer/getting-started/how-to-setup/

Bluetooth setup:

https://boogermann.github.io/Bible_MiSTer/getting-started/inputs/bluetooth/

MiSTer image to a SD card

Mr. Fusion

”Mr. Fusion is a tiny, custom Linux distribution designed to run on the DE10-Nano and install MiSTer. It comes in the form of a compact image that you can download and flash onto an SD card of any size with a tool like Apple Pi Baker, balenaEtcher, Win32 Disk Imager or even dd.” – https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/mr-fusion

MiSTer.ini (settings)

This is the main configuration file for MiSTer settings. It can be edited manually or changed through the GUI in MiSTer. For example:

MiSTer IO Board v6.1 with Fan

”Configuration of the video output signal on the IO board is controlled via the MiSTer.ini file, more information on how to configure and download of the MiSTer.ini file see the MiSTer.ini configuration page.” – (2021, misterfpga.co.uk)

Also via an online INI generator: https://ini.misterkun.io/ (unavailable by November 2021). As shown in the video below:

Custom background picture and logo

I first created a wallpaper template (3840 × 2160) that I used in Paint.net to add a custom background with a new MiSTer Station logo. Here it is:

Then, to remove the existing logo, I hid the current one using a variable setting in MiSTer.ini (/media/fat/).

; 0 - disable MiSTer logo in Menu core
logo=0

A new desktop wallpaper as a .jpg file (named menu.jpg) should be placed in the root folder next to the menu.rbf file. In the MiSTer menu, press F1 to switch to the new wallpaper. Voilà!

Tip: You can find some wallpapers to use with the template above here, on wallpaperflare.com:

• Grey-sony-ps1-console-electronics-hardware-hub-computer-computer-keyboard-wallpaper-eawzz
• Sony-playstation-logo-video-games-consoles-launching-typography-wallpaper-pcaia
• Sony-playstation-logo-psp-simple-minimalism-black-background-wallpaper-pcxna

More UI tips

…can be found in this video:

Including:

• Wallpaper
• Fonts
• Sounds
• Game libery organisation
• Super Attract Mode (SAM)
• ..and more.

Scripts and updates

A great start is to make sure you have the latest — and highly recommended — Update_all script installed. It provides an all-in-one update experience for the system, cores, and much more.

• https://github.com/theypsilon/Update_All_MiSTer

Note: Always back up your SD card before you start an update. Me, myself and I use Win32DiskImager to create an .img backup of the card. That way, you can always roll back by flashing the card to its pre-update state. This has saved me more than once, so just trust me on this.

TThis unofficial updater uses the official Downloader along with other data sources for this task. Including data from:

• Main Distribution
• JTCORES for MiSTer
• Names TXT. (For better core names in the menus.)
• BIOS Database.
• Arcade ROMs Database
• Unofficial Cores
• Unofficial Scripts

 

Tips: Remember that you also can use SSH to run or do your updates.
(The default username/password is root/1)

• By running  scripts via commands (https://www.retrorgb.com/remotely-update-mister-via-ssh.html)
• Or via file transfers e.g. via (https://filezilla-project.org/)

 

When the update_all script runs, it will prompt you with the ongoing task along with a symbol system like this:

. = A file finished downloading.

\* = Waiting for files to download. It will display one each second if no other symbols are printed.

\~ = Some error / timeout occurred, and that download will be retried automatically.

As described by the creator, theypsilon, on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MiSTerFPGA/comments/116l0v5/what_does_update_all_loading_symbols_mean/j9858g0?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3

Other scripts

• https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Downloader_MiSTer
• https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/NeoGeo_MiSTer
• https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/ShadowMasks_MiSTer
• https://github.com/RobertPeip/PlayStation_MiSTer

 

Manual update

I also recommend that you back up the following items manually rather than relying on the update scripts. This is because an update once bricked the system for me, and I had to start over with a fresh install.

Here is how to update the following:

• Linux,
• Mister, and
• Menu core

At the time (2024-10-07), I used: mr-fusion-v2.9.img.zip, release_20241007.7z, MiSTer_20240912, and menu_20240408.rbf.

Comment
by u/bergq_se from discussion
inMiSTerFPGA

 

 

PSX core

Install the PSX core via the Update all script.

 

Last but certainly not least.

Playstation MiSTer FPGA core. Is it a good idea to make this core? Yes. Is it a total awesome idea? Absolutely! Was it finished at the time I wrote this? Nope. Yes — now it is

In conclusion, it is absolutely worth supporting the developer with a few bucks. ”Go find and support FPGAzumSpass via Patreon.” — Mr. Obvious. (EDIT: This Patreon page is now closed as mr. Wonderful Robert moved on to other projects.)

 

…or install the PSX core outside of the Update_all script

When you are ready, you can follow the guide at https://vampier.net/PSX/ to install the MiSTer PSX core.

As of 2022-02-02 (unstable build) you can also follow this YouTube clip:

…or in short:

1. Update the MiSTer
2. Copy the PSX core to /media/fat/_Console/
3. Make the SD card directory /media/fat/games/PSX/
4. Add/copy the BIOS file SCPH1001.bin to the new PSX directory. Rename it to bios.rom.
5. Add/Copy bin/cue files to PSX directory.
6. Add/Copy empty memory card files (mem_v1.mcd, mem_v2.mcd) to somewhere on the MiSTer SD card. I used /media/fat/saves/.
7. Set controller buttons and mount memory card files in the OSD PSX core. Save settings. Start a game.

4. Bonus

As a celebration to the Sony PlayStation you can look at this massive (1:22:25) history lesson:

Thank you for your time, and good luck if you are about to build something similar yourself!