451 Asicle v2
451 : Asicle v2
- Author: htfab
- Description: Wordle clone in raw silicon
- GitHub repository
- Open in 3D viewer
- Clock: 25175000 Hz
How it works
Asicle is a Wordle clone implemented directly in hardware. A first version of it was taped out on the Google-Skywater MPW6 shuttle. This second version is a rewrite for Tiny Tapeout.
The 25-fold decrease in area mostly comes from moving the word list and font bitmaps to external flash on the QSPI Pmod, with some architectural changes to compensate for slower memory access. The design was also adapted to the Tiny Tapeout ecosystem by using the Gamepad Pmod for input and the Tiny VGA Pmod for output.
How to test
- Connect the Pmods:
- Gamepad to input port (optional, you can also drive the input pins using the commander app or momentary push buttons)
- QSPI to bidirectional port
- Tiny VGA to output port
- Flash the data file to the QSPI Pmod using the Tiny Tapeout flasher
- Select the design
- Set the clock to 25.175 MHz and reset the design
- Play the game
If you haven't played Wordle before, the aim is to guess a five-letter English word in six attempts. Each time you get feedback: a green square indicates that the letter is correct, a yellow square indicates that it appears in the hidden word but at a different position, and a grey square means that the letter doesn't appear in the solution at all.
Gamepad controls:
- <kbd>🠝</kbd> <kbd>🠟</kbd>: change the letter in the selected position
- <kbd>🠜</kbd> <kbd>🠞</kbd>: move the selection
- <kbd>A</kbd>: make a guess
- <kbd>START</kbd>: start a new game (if the current one is finished)
- <kbd>SELECT</kbd>+<kbd>START</kbd>: start a new game (any time)
- <kbd>SELECT</kbd>+<kbd>X</kbd>: show the solution*
- <kbd>SELECT</kbd>+<kbd>Y</kbd>: re-roll the solution*
(* only in debug mode)
Direct input using ui_in:
- <kbd>0</kbd> <kbd>1</kbd>: change the letter in the selected position
- <kbd>2</kbd> <kbd>3</kbd>: move the selection
- <kbd>4</kbd>: make a guess
- <kbd>5</kbd>: start a new game
- <kbd>6</kbd>: show the solution
- <kbd>7</kbd>: re-roll the solution
External hardware
- Tiny VGA Pmod
- QSPI Pmod
- Gamepad Pmod (optional)
IO
| # | Input | Output | Bidirectional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | up | tinyvga: r1 | qspi: cs0 (flash) |
| 1 | down | tinyvga: g1 | qspi: sd0/mosi |
| 2 | left | tinyvga: b1 | qspi: sd1/miso |
| 3 | right | tinyvga: vsync | qspi: sck |
| 4 | guess / gamepad: latch | tinyvga: r0 | qspi: sd2 |
| 5 | new game / gamepad: clock | tinyvga: g0 | qspi: sd3 |
| 6 | peek (debug) / gamepad: data | tinyvga: b0 | qspi: cs1 (unused) |
| 7 | roll (debug) | tinyvga: hsync | qspi: cs2 (unused) |