Portable Retro Gaming Console
Author: Illia Kucherenko
GitHub Project Link: link to github
Description
It's a portable gaming console that will run some retro games that used to be popular back in the day. It is built using 2 RP pico 2w, an LCD Display, 4 buttons for controls and LEDs for visual feedback.
Motivation
I've always been passionate about games and it remains a big part of my life even today. I decided to make something fun that would bring that childish joy we all crave for. I plan on implementing games like Pac-Man and Snake for now, if I succeed, I will try implementing more games.
Architecture
Architectural Diagram:
Raspberry RP Pico 2W (Debugger)
-Used to flash firmware to processing RP Pico 2W and debug in case of issues.
-Connects to the PC via micro-usb cable and to processing PR Pico 2W via debug interface 
Raspberry RP Pico 2W (Processing) -Runs flashed firmware and acts as a main processing unit for the whole model. Reads data from buttons, controls LCDs, sends and updates image on an LCD, runs firmware with games and games themselves.
LEDs -Used to add visual feedback to whats going on on the screen -Connected via gpio pins to processing RP Pico 2W
Buttons -Used for controls in menus and games -Connected via gpio pins to processing RP Pico 2W
LCD -Used to display the image (menus, games etc.) -Connected via spi interface to processing RP Pico 2W
Log
Week 5 - 11 May
I've acquired all the necessary hardware, which is likely still subject to be rethought and changed. I've set up a configuration with two Pico 2Ws, one of them being a debugger for another one. Currently I'm in the process of getting LCD to work and looking for suitable libraries and crates for the project.
Week 12 - 18 May
Week 19 - 25 May
Hardware
Consists of RP Pico 2W (2x), LCD TFT 2.2" module, buttons and resistors and 2 breadboards to hold everything together. At the moment buttons and resistors are not installed due to design concerns.
Schematics
At the moment KiCad schematic cannot be done as I am unsure about connections. For now I will only provide architectural schematic, KiCad schematic is WIP.
Bill of Materials
| Device | Usage | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2W (2x) | Microcontroller | 39.66 RON |
| LCD SPI 2,2 '' 240x320 PX (1x) | LCD Screen | 59.99 RON |
| Wire Kit(2x) | Wires | 7.99 RON |
| Resistor Kit (1x) | Resistors | 14.99 RON |
| Breadboard (2x) | Breadboards | 19.96 |
| White Capped Buttons (4x) | Buttons | 1.99 RON |
| Common Cathode RGB (3x) | RGB LEDs | 0.99 RON |
Software
| Library | Description | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| embassy-rp | Grants access to low-level peripherals on RP microcontrollers | Initializing and interacting with peripherals |
| embassy-executor | Async runtime tailored for embedded environments | Used for async programming |
| embassy-time | Time abstraction library for delays and timers | Used for delays |
| embassy-sync | Async-safe primitives for shared state management | Used for inter-task communication via channels, mutexes, etc. in async code |
| ili9341 | Driver for TFT module based on ILI9341 chip | Used for rendering graphics on compatible TFT LCD displays |
| embedded-graphics | 2D graphics library that is focused on memory constrained embedded devices | Used for displaying graphics on the display |
| embedded-hal-async | An asynchronous Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for embedded systems | Provides a standard way to use hardware asynchronously across different embedded devices |
| gpio | GPIO management | Used for controlling GPIO pins |