● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact
Custom CPU Runs Doom After Overcoming Design Challenges
A team successfully ran Doom on a custom-built CPU designed at the logic gate level and deployed on FPGA. The project highlights advancements in CPU design and challenges such as memory limitations and processing speed for larger games.
Key points
- Custom CPU designed from logic gates and deployed on FPGA
- Successfully ran Doom after prior simpler programs
- Overcame memory limitations using cache integration
Overview of the Project
Two weeks ago, a team succeeded in running Doom on a self-designed CPU. This CPU was built from the ground up and subsequently deployed on an FPGA. The project gained significant attention online due to a viral video showcasing the achievement.
Initial Challenges
The team's initial programming experiences included simpler games like Pong. Transitioning to Doom presented significant hurdles regarding memory and processing speed, as Doom's shareware file size greatly exceeded the CPU's available storage.
Addressing Memory Limitations
The design initially utilized FPGA's built-in BRAM, but faced limitations with only less than a megabyte available. The basic Doom shareware requires 14 megabytes of storage, necessitating a solution for increased memory capacity and speed. The project adapted by integrating DDR3 memory alongside caching strategies to optimize access speed.
Enhancements to CPU Technology
The CPU operates on a 5-stage pipeline system aiding in executing commands efficiently. By implementing out-of-order processing, the team aims to enhance parallelism and overall performance of the CPU substantially. Subsequent memory optimizations through caching techniques are expected to mitigate added latency from DDR3 memory.
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Primary sources
GitHub ozkl/doomgenericReporting from
A team successfully ran Doom on a custom-built CPU designed at the logic gate level and deployed on FPGA. The project highlights advancements in CPU design and challenges such as memory limitations and processing speed for larger games.