The Workstation You Wanted in 1990, in Your Pocket
A project emulates a DECstation on an RP2040 microcontroller, showcasing 1990s computing power. The emulation board offers modest specs but highlights past software efficiency. Enthusiasts discuss early workstation capabilities.
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In a nostalgic throwback to the powerful workstations of the 1990s, a project by [rscott2049] showcases an emulation of a DECstation on an RP2040 microcontroller. The DECstation line from DEC featured a MIPS processor running ULTRIX and DECWindows, offering high-end computing at the time. The RP2040-based emulation board includes 32 MB of PSRAM, an Ethernet interface, and a VGA socket, driving a monochrome screen at 1024 x 864 pixels. Despite its modest specs by today's standards, the project highlights the less demanding software environment of the past. The emulation could potentially serve as an X server to display modern applications, providing a glimpse into computing history. The full project details are available on its GitHub repository, offering a blend of retrocomputing charm and modern microcontroller technology. Enthusiasts reminisce about the computing power and resolutions of early workstations like Sun and NeXT, sparking discussions on monitor capabilities and software efficiency from that era.
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1 comments> The video PIO engine can support up to a sysclk/2 pixel rate. Thus, for the 300 MHz sysclk typically used, it is possible to run 1080p60 at a pixel rate of 148.5 MHz. The default video rate is 1024 x 768 @ 70Hz, as this matches the screen used for development and the pixel rate is an integral divisor from sysclk. Only five PIO instruction slots are used.
PIO code https://github.com/rscott2049/DECstation2040/blob/main/sw/ps...
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