TangCore Retro Gaming Installation Guide¶
🎮 Supported Devices¶
Board Model | FPGA Capacity | Compatible Cores | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Tang Console 60K | 60K LUT | All cores | ✔️ Great |
Tang Console 138K | 138K LUT | All cores | ✔️ Great |
Tang Primer 25K | 25K LUT | NESTang, SNESTang | ✔️ Experimental (v0.7) |
NESTang/SNESTang |
📦 Pre-Install Checklist¶
- Bouffalo Flash Cube v1.1 (in
tools/bflb_tools/bouffalo_flash_cube
of Bouffalo SDK, also a local standalone version here) - MicroSD card or USB 2.0 drive (FAT32/exFAT, ≤32GB recommended)
- USB-C OTG adapter with power pass-through
- Valid GBA BIOS (
gba_bios.bin
) - Valid PC/XT BIOS (
bios.bin
) - Latest TangCore Release Package
🔧 Firmware Installation¶
- Extract release package
-
Launch Flash Cube → Browse → Select:
(e.g.,flash_console60k.ini
) -
Boot Mode Activation:
- Hold BOOT button → Connect USB → Release after connection
-
Note for Tang Primer 25K: the primer does not have a BOOT button. Short these two pins and connect USB instead.
-
Flash Process:
- Refresh COM ports → Select Port/SN → Download
- Confirm success screen:
Green status indicates successful programming
🕹️ Game System Setup¶
SD/USB drive content¶
📁 /
├── 📁 cores/ # `cores` directory from release
│ ├── 📁 console60k/
│ └── 📁 console138k/
├── 📁 nes/ # .nes rom files
├── 📁 snes/ # .smc/.sfc files
├── 📁 gba/
│ └── 🗎 gba_bios.bin # GBA BIOS
├── 📁 genesis/ # .bin/.md files
├── 📁 sms/ # .sms files
└── 📁 pc/ # .img floppy images
│ └── 🗎 bios.bin # PC 5160 BIOS
Hardware Assembly¶
- Connect components as shown (DS2 controller setup shown):
Left: OTG+USB | Right: DS2 PMOD+Wireless Receiver | Top: HDMI output
- Power sequence:
-
Insert USB drive → Connect OTG → Apply power
-
Initial Boot:
- FPGA auto-programs (5-7 sec)
- Main menu appears
Navigation using gamepad