There are a handful of challenges that if solved would make our computers significantly more useful. While we are working on solving these challenges, we are limited by time and knowledge. We want to provide an opportunity and incentive to get these challenges solved sooner. Therefore we are introducing Bounties, a program that provides store credit for solving challenges.
In order to avoid too much fine print: we reserve the right to modify or cancel challenges at any time for any reason, and while we intend to reward good faith efforts, it is at our sole discretion whether or not a challenge was adequately completed. Any related repo, code or documentation must be published under an open-source license, preferably a permissive license. While some bounties may list additional rewards sponsored by third-parties, we only guarantee the delivery of Machdyne store credit for completed challenges.
Most of the challenges will require either one of the listed computers or a compatible development board. If you’re using a compatible development board and don’t have one the listed computers, we would be happy to test your submission for you.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Challenge: Oberon on Obst or Lakritz
What: Get Oberon booting on Obst or Lakritz.
Requirements: Keyboard, mouse, display and applications must work. Must use open-source FPGA tools.
Reward: €100 Machdyne store coupon.
Additional Reward: €500 sponsored by Symbioticeda.com
Additional Reward Requirements: All Lakritz hardware components must be supported.
Resources:
Status: Unclaimed.
Challenge: MDA or VGA video for LiteX/Linux
What: Implement an MDA or VGA-compatible video adapter for LiteX.
Requirements: Must be able to use Linux with the mdacon or vgacon driver.
Why: This should significantly speed up text mode vs. using fbcon.
Reward: €250 Machdyne store coupon.
Resources:
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/drivers/video/console/mdacon.c
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/drivers/video/console/vgacon.c
- https://github.com/enjoy-digital/litex/blob/master/litex/soc/cores/video.py
Status: Unclaimed.
Challenge: QuarterRateGENSDRPHY
What: Implement a quarter rate generic SDRAM PHY for LiteDRAM (LiteX).
Why: This could potentially double the memory speed for our computers with SDRAM, for example from 80MT/s to 160MT/s.
Reward: €100 Machdyne store coupon.
Resources:
Status: Unclaimed.
Challenge: NES on ICE40HX or ECP5
What: Get NES games running on Schoko, Konfekt, Noir, Eis, Keks, Minze, Lakritz or Kuchen.
Requirements: Games must be playable with a USB gamepad and use HDMI for video.
Reward: €250 Machdyne store coupon.
Resources:
Status: Unclaimed.
Challenge: DOS on ICE40HX or ECP5
What: Get DOS (or FreeDOS) running on Schoko, Konfekt, Noir, Riegel, Eis, Keks, Minze, Lakritz or Kuchen.
Requirements: Keyboard and display must work, must be able to run some apps and games.
Reward: €150 Machdyne store coupon.
Status: Unclaimed.
Challenge: Fully utilize Kuchen
What: Get all functionality working simultaneously on Kuchen.
Requirements: Demonstrate that SDRAM, HDMI, USB host and MicroSD can all function at the same time, for example by running Linux with an HDMI text console and a USB keyboard.
Reward: €100 Machdyne store coupon.
Status: Unclaimed.
Challenge: Make the Zwölf SOC fit in 384 LUTs
What: Get all minimum Zwölf functionality working on an ICE40LP384 FPGA.
Requirements: Build a Zwölf MCU/CPU implementation with I2C slave and SPI master (main memory) peripherals. Must support remote programming of SPI FRAM over the I2C bus, according to the specifications. CPU instructions can be removed as long as the same functionality can be implemented with other instructions.
Note: You can use any ICE40 FPGA to develop this as long as it works on an ICE40LP384.
Reward: €100 Machdyne store coupon.
Resources:
- https://github.com/machdyne/zwolf
- https://github.com/machdyne/zwolf/tree/main/soc (current implementation; doesn’t fit yet)
Status: Unclaimed.
Completed Bounties
Challenge: TCC Buildroot Package
What: Create a Buildroot package for the Tiny C Compiler.
Why: This will make it easy to build a C compiler for Kakao Linux.
Requirements: Must allow cross compilation of tcc to a riscv32 target from an x86_64 host and must build with the Kakao Linux Buildroot configuration.
Reward: €100 Machdyne store coupon.
Resources:
Status: Completed by Machdyne.
Result: https://github.com/machdyne/kakao
Challenge: Linux or BSD on ICE40HX
What: Get Linux or BSD running on Riegel, Eis, Keks, or Kuchen.
Requirements: Must use the onboard PSRAM or SDRAM as main memory.
Reward: €250 Machdyne store coupon.
Status: Completed.