https://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/Embedded systems programming, design and products; also microcontrollers, programmable logic, memory, DSP and controllers. en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/b/blog/posts/modder-upgrades-playstation-one-console-by-expanding-its-memory-capacityThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:50:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:6f0f165a-9ce4-47a7-a92c-544cad368542CatwellThe PlayStation one console. (Image Credit: Vance A./ Unsplash ) This caught my eye recently looking at ways people have modified old consoles. It's quite an achievement, despite the end results. Over 30 years ago, the PlayStation one console officially launched with 2MB RAM. Recently, with the help of the PSX dev Discord community, TunerTom expanded its memory capacity from 2MB to 16MB. With this upgrade, the console’s capabilities can expand through custom software and hardware projects. Many PlayStation fanatics believed the console had an 8MB memory limit, as the ISA and PCI development cards shipped with that amount of RAM. This inspired earlier memory expansion projects. Later on, modder TunerTom spoke to developer Spicy JPEG and researched PlayStation arcade boards. He discovered some of these boards feature 16 MB RAM. By analyzing the wiring configuration, he noticed the CPU can handle up to 16 MB, and Sony never enabled that on its systems. TunerTom installed eight times more RAM to the PS one console. (Image Credit: Macho Nacho Productions/ YouTube ) The modder removed the four 512KB EDO DRAM chips in the PS One, replacing them with eight 2MB chips taken from legacy EDO memory modules. Since the motherboard has space for four chips, he installed those before stacking the other four on top. Several motherboard signals were then rerouted using a custom quick solder board. After he installed the RAM chips, a diagnostic program verified that the console recognized and accessed the 16MB RAM. This matches the configuration in some PlayStation arcade hardware. It only works on PU-8 motherboards, similar to those in SCPH-5500 consoles. Wiring to route the signals. (Image Credit: Macho Nacho Productions/ YouTube ) However, adding more RAM to the PS One doesn’t mean existing games will run better. Games were developed around the console’s 2MB RAM, which means they won’t notice any additional RAM. You can expect normal performance. Even then, the mod isn’t universally compatible. Certain games access system memory in unusual ways, leading to crashes or bootup issues. For instance, Final Fantasy IX wouldn’t move past the PS startup screen. Installing RAM gives developers greater flexibility by reducing the amount of data that must be frequently loaded and unloaded. More detailed assets can then remain stored in memory. This is shown in a modified Gran Turismo 2 game. It loads higher-detail vehicle models throughout races rather than switching to simpler models to save memory. With the upgrade, homebrew ports could be simplified. The Super Mario 64 PlayStation port developer says 16 MB of memory reduces complex memory management during development. And more game data can be loaded at once instead of streaming assets. TunerTom continues to improve the system. He’s working on upgrading the video memory from 1MB to 2MB. Additionally, he plans to expand the console’s sound RAM to make it closely resemble the hardware used in the arcade systems. It’s still a challenging build due to sourcing compatible memory chips. This modification requires older EDO RAM modules that aren’t very easy to find. To solve that problem, the modder is identifying modern replacement chips to make the upgrade accessible for future builders. On a related note, the Sega Saturn has a 4MB expansion cartridge you could get that would open up new features the PlayStation didn't have. So, maybe, the PSX upgrade might unlock crossplatform game features? Time will tell. www.youtube.com/watch Have a story tip? Message me here at element14.rammodplaystationsaturnram expansionmemorysonyembeddedgamessegahttps://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/m/managed-videos/151559Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:50:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:68f96f26-75ca-4895-9c72-62ea0fc5a889CatwellHuge Thank You to PCBWay for sponsoring this video. Special coupon code good until December 31, 2026: PCBWay-MACHONACHO10 Get $10 off orders over $30 Can you really upgrade the original PlayStation from just 2MB of RAM to 16MB? In this video, we i...retro console modsplaystationPSX.DevPS1 16MB RAMPlayStation RAM Modretro gaming16MB RAMPlayStation restorationmacho nacho productionsPlayStation 1ps1playstation 1 homebrewmacho nachops1 16mb ram upgradeSuper Mario 64 PS1PS1 arcade hardwareconsole moddingPS1 homebrewGran Turismo 2PS1 hardware modspicyjpeg8MB RAMtito macho nachoPS1 RAM modTunerTomPlayStation homebrewPS1 modmacho nacho titoPlayStation upgradehttps://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/b/blog/posts/researchers-develop-3d-chip-that-boosts-computing-powerWed, 22 Jul 2026 19:23:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:d4814286-01f6-407f-9817-ecd6485a712cCatwellSchematic and false-colored electron microscopy of monolithic 3D SRAM cell. (Image Credit: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ) Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign created a new technique to produce 3D chips. They did this by vertically stacking ultrathin layers of silicon circuits without performance loss. According to the team, the monolithic 3D chip could extend Moore’s Law beyond traditional 2D scaling limits. “Vertical integration is already starting to make its way into commercial devices, particularly in specialized AI hardware, but monolithic integration is what unlocks the full promise of 3D chips,” Illinois Grainger Engineering materials science and engineering professor Qing Cao said . “For the first time, we have met the thermal budget of monolithic 3D integration using standard single-crystalline silicon and delivered unprecedented performance.” For a while, heat has been a technical challenge for 3D chips. Additional circuit layers must be integrated above completed wiring and devices without melting or degrading the layers underneath. To overcome this issue, the team used a low-temperature fabrication technique that relies on single-crystal silicon nanomembranes measuring 10 nanometers thick or less. They created the silicon films separately and used a roll laminator to transfer them onto a substrate that has bottom-layer circuits. Temperatures only need to reach 392 F to produce a strong bond between the substrate and the transferred layer. The team transfers the ultrathin silicon membrane onto the wafer. (Image Credit: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ) The team also used junctionless transistor designs to avoid high-temperature doping. Rather than using extreme heat to produce sharp p-n junctions, the team uniformly and heavily doped the silicon. With the ultrathin layers, the gate still controls current flow. Meanwhile, the high doping decreases parasitic contact resistance. Even though these are fabricated at a low temperature, the transistors achieve current densities comparable to those produced at high temperatures. In addition, they perform three to four times better than low-temperature materials used in monolithic 3D schemes. Engineers can then stack high-performance transistors on circuitry without exposing the underlying layers to heat. The researchers used this process to fabricate three vertically stacked silicon layers. Each layer has 625 transistors, achieving device yields of 98-100%. All the layers were connected using vertical metal interconnects, demonstrating reliable functionality for 3D logic circuits and SRAM cells. Some SRAM cells only took up 1/3rd of the area of similar 2D cells, showing the potential for significant density gains. This technology may play a huge role in the future of computing. By vertically stacking transistors, signals travel less time between circuit blocks. It also reduces parasitic effects and increases bandwidth. These are beneficial for data-heavy applications like AI training and inference. Since this technique relies on single-crystal silicon and can be implemented in foundry processes, it could eventually be commercialized. “But most importantly, we’ve shown that this process is scalable,” Cao said. “You can keep stacking layers beyond the three we demonstrated. And the process will yield high-performing transistors with high yield and low variability. We now have a strong foundation for transferring this technology and demonstrating its immediate promise in an industrial semiconductor foundry.” Have a story tip? Message me here at element14.fabrication3d chipmanufacturingon_campusUniversity of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignDesignuniversityinnovationhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/b/blog/posts/gps-tracker-using-heltec-wifi-lora-32-v4-and-reyax-rys352a-gnss-moduleThu, 02 Jul 2026 13:35:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:fb3a99ea-9375-472a-8872-aa05e6801342rachna62Real-time positioning has become a fundamental requirement in applications such as vehicle tracking, fleet management, robotics, asset monitoring, and outdoor navigation. Although many GPS tracking systems rely on cloud platforms to visualize location data, local browser-based tracking provides a simpler architecture for development, testing, and educational applications. This project combines the Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 development board with the REYAX RYS352A Multi-GNSS module to build a self-hosted GPS tracking system. The GNSS receiver acquires positioning information from multiple satellite constellations, while the ESP32 processes the received NMEA data, displays key information on the onboard OLED, and hosts a lightweight web interface for real-time visualization. Hardware Implementation The hardware consists of the Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 development board and the REYAX RYS352A Multi-GNSS receiver. Supporting components include a breadboard, jumper wires, a USB Type-C cable for development, a breadboard power supply, and a portable lithium battery used during outdoor testing. The GNSS module communicates with the ESP32 using a UART interface. Only three primary connections are required: VCC is connected to the 3.3 V supply, GND is connected to ground, and the module's TX pin is connected to GPIO38 (UART RX). The Heltec board also provides a dedicated GNSS connector, simplifying the overall hardware assembly. System Operation After power-up, the Heltec board connects to the configured Wi-Fi network and initializes the embedded web server. Meanwhile, the REYAX RYS352A begins searching for available satellites and continuously outputs NMEA sentences. Once a valid position is obtained, the firmware extracts the required positioning parameters and updates the OLED display with the current latitude, longitude, and connected satellite count. The OLED also displays the IP address assigned to the ESP32, allowing devices on the same network to access the browser interface. Opening the IP address in a web browser loads an interactive OpenStreetMap interface. As new positioning data becomes available, the marker location and travelled path are updated automatically, providing real-time visualization without requiring any cloud infrastructure. Testing System validation was performed outdoors by installing the completed hardware inside a moving vehicle. The tracker was powered using a portable battery while travelling through different locations to evaluate positioning accuracy and browser responsiveness. Once the GNSS receiver acquired sufficient satellite signals, the OLED continuously displayed live positioning data while the browser interface accurately tracked the vehicle's movement. The travelled route was plotted in real time throughout the journey, demonstrating stable communication between the GNSS receiver, the ESP32, and the browser application. https://youtu.be/SXwq6RzUrG0 For source code visit: https://playwithcircuit.com/gps-tracker-using-reyax-gnss-module-and-heltec-v4-board/esp32gps trackerdiy projectsdiy electronichttps://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/m/managed-videos/151514Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:35:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:99cb145c-e3c7-4fc3-92bf-bde2a3cfe852rachna62In this video, we demonstrate a real-time GPS tracker built using the *Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4* development board and the *REYAX RYS352A GNSS module*. The tracker receives location data from multiple GNSS satellite constellations, including GPS, GL...https://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/b/blog/posts/seeed-studio-launches-new-xiao-nrf54lm20a-dev-boardTue, 30 Jun 2026 19:45:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:6042caad-49dc-42ca-b9da-90819ef2245brscIf you like the XIAO platform format, this could be your next project. https://www.seeedstudio.com/Seeed-Studio-XIAO-nRF54LM20A-p-6841.html https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/xiao_nrf54lm20a_getting_started/embeddedhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/embedded/f/embedded-forum/56538/hands-on-raspberry-pi-pico-2-project-book-free-review-copies-for-embedded-devs/236274Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:53:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:2f7c5c39-812e-4594-aeb5-80883cd7e3cejpsousaDear Michael, I recently bought the paper version of your book on Amazon.fr. Unfortunately, the code snippets have formatting issues that make them unreadable. Is the code available online?"