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Introducing Video Game Module

Powered by Raspberry Pi

We're excited to announce the Video Game Module, our

new product developed in collaboration with Raspberry Pi!
The module is powered by the first chip designed by
Raspberry Pi—the RP2040 microcontroller, the same as in
the Raspberry Pi Pico board.

We slightly overclocked the microcontroller so it could

generate a video signal. This allowed us to add the Video
Out port for connecting to a TV and mirroring the Flipper
Zero screen. The module also has a motion-tracking sensor
that can be used in games and apps. As always, the
firmware and schematics are completely open-source, so
we’re excited to see the ideas our community will come up
with.

Technical Specs

We decided to encase the module instead of leaving it as a

bare PCB so that it could fit tightly on Flipper Zero and
support the weight of a heavy video cable. The body of the
module is made of the same plastic as Flipper Zero, so the
devices look like a single unit when connected.

The module is powered by the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller

Microcontroller: Raspberry Pi RP2040. Dual-core ARM
Cortex-M0+ processor, clock running up to 133 MHz.

SRAM: 264 kB on-chip

Gyroscope & Accelerometer sensor: TDK ICM-42688-

P is a 6-axis MEMS motion-tracking sensor (IMU)

USB Type-C port connected to the microcontroller. Acts

as a USB device or host (with the limitation that USB
power delivery is not supported)

Video Out port: DVI-D signal in 640х480 px, 60 Hz. The

port supports a well-known video standard that we can't
name due to copyright limitations The first letter is H,
and the last one is I.

GPIO breakout: 11 GPIO pins connected to the RP2040

microcontroller, two ground pins, and one 3.3 V power
pin

Boot button: activates bootloader mode (for developers)

Reset button: reboots the module hardware

Video Out port

Playing games and using apps developed for Flipper Zero is

much more fun on a bigger screen. The Video Out port can
also be useful for practical purposes like displaying
intercepted data on a larger screen while monitoring the
broadcast on your Flipper Zero.

The Video Game Module allows mirroring the Flipper Zero screen
to a TV

For the video out, we chose the most popular video port
found in most modern TVs and monitors.
 We can’t name the port’s standard due to strict
copyright limitations. Getting certified to use the
name seemed like too much work. We were too lazy
to do it :)

The module transmits the DVI-D video signal with a

resolution of 640х480 px and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The
image resolution may seem low, but it’s important to
remember that Flipper Zero’s screen resolution is 128х64
px, and such pixelated image looks very nice and sharp on
a TV screen.

The top side of the Video Game Module with the Video Out port
and status LED
Video cables and their connectors are usually heavy, so we
designed the module to fit Flipper Zero very tightly, making
it hard to pull the module out of Flipper Zero when
connected to a TV.

Gyroscope & Accelerometer Sensor

To add another input method, we installed a 6-axis MEMS

motion-tracking sensor into the Video Game Module. This
TDK ICM-42688-P sensor has a gyroscope and
accelerometer. It can be used to control games and for
more practical purposes like controlling a computer with an
air mouse.

The motion-tracking sensor can be used in apps and games

Independent access to the sensor from
Flipper Zero

To make the motion-tracking sensor accessible not only for

the Video Game Module microcontroller, we exposed the
sensor's SPI pins at the Flipper Zero connector. This means
that the motion-tracking sensor can be used directly by
apps running on Flipper Zero, for example, Air Mouse.

The motion-tracking sensor is connected to the Raspberry Pi

chip and Flipper Zero

The motion-tracking sensor is also connected to the

Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller inside the Video Game
Module. This means that Video Game Module firmware and
apps running on Flipper Zero have access to the sensor.
Unfortunately, the sensor can’t be used by the module and
Flipper Zero at the same time because of the SPI interface
connection limitations.

Quick Start Guide

Make sure to read the Quick start guide carefully before

starting the Video Game Module for the first time because
these steps may not be immediately obvious:

Update firmware on your Flipper Zero. You’ll need

firmware version 0.98.3 or later.

If you keep your Flipper Zero in a case, remove the

silicone bumper before installing the module:
 Remove the silicone bumper if your Flipper Zero is in a case

Demo Apps

The Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller inside the Video

Game Module makes it compatible with many open-source
Raspberry Pi Pico projects. This means that the module can
be used as a standalone device without connecting to
Flipper Zero.

Here are several apps we prepared for Flipper Zero that

work with the Video Game Module. We hope that trying
them out will help you appreciate the sensitivity of the
motion-tracking sensor and video out refresh rate. We’ll be
happy if these apps inspire you with ideas for your own
projects!

Oscilloscope (Scoppy project)

Scoppy is an open-source project that turns Raspberry Pi
Pico into a simple 200 kHz Digital Oscilloscope. The
Scoppy code can also run on the Video Game Module—just
flash the module with Scoppy firmware and connect it to an
Android smartphone via USB.

Scoppy Sources & Documentation: github.com/fhdm-dev/scoppy

The Video Game Module can be turned into a simple digital

oscilloscope

Air Arkanoid game

Arkanoid is one of the most famous arcades in the world.

Our version of the game is designed for Flipper Zero and
supports the Video Game Module. Control the paddle in the
game by tilting your Flipper Zero left or right and using the
central button on the device’s directional pad.

The Air Arkanoid game can be controlled via the motion-tracking

sensor in the Video Game Module

To download Air Arkanoid, go to the Apps tab in the Flipper

Mobile App.

Air Mouse app

The Air Mouse app turns Flipper Zero with the module into a
computer mouse. Control the pointer on your computer by
tilting and rotating your Flipper Zero with the help of the
motion-tracking sensor inside the module. Simply connect
your Flipper Zero to a computer or smartphone via
Bluetooth or USB.
 Control your computer with your Flipper Zero and the Video
Game Module via Bluetooth

To download Air Mouse, go to the Apps tab in the Flipper

Mobile App.

Flipper Zero Game Engine

To make it easier to develop games for Flipper Zero, we’re

sharing our Flipper Zero Game Engine. The game engine
helps game developers to do routine work faster, such as
vector math, sprite caching, rendering, event and object
behavior processing, etc. The Flipper Zero Game Engine
also includes a motion-tracking sensor driver (ICM-42688-
P), that can be used in games that support the Video Game
Module. We’re also sharing an example of a simple demo
game that uses the Flipper Zero Game Engine.
 Flipper Zero Game Engine: github.com/flipperdevices/flipperzero-game-
engine

Demo Game: github.com/flipperdevices/flipperzero-game-engine-example

Open-source Firmware and Schematics

As always, the firmware and schematics are fully open-

source. We can’t wait to see the amazing use cases for the
module the community will come up with. We also welcome
commits to our official firmware repository.
Firmware Sources: github.com/flipperdevices/video-game-module

Schematics & Pinouts: docs.flipper.net/video-game-module/gpio

Compatibility with Raspberry Pi Pico

We exposed all unused RP2040 pins at the 14-pin GPIO

breakout and Flipper Zero connector for you to use in your
projects. You can compare the Video Game Module pinout
and Raspberry Pi Pico board pinout below:
 The Video Game Module pinout and Raspberry Pi Pico
board pinout

Please note that although the Video Game Module is

compatible with the Raspberry Pi Pico, because the
module is built on the same microcontroller, the GPIO
pinouts are slightly different.

GPIO pins 8-15 and 18-20 are used inside the Video
 Game Module for video out. These pins aren’t accessible
via Video Game Module connectors.

GPIO pins 0-7, 16, 17, 21, 22, 26-28 are exposed at the
connectors in both the Video Game Module and the
Raspberry Pi Pico board. Note that pins 2-7 are also
connected to the motion-tracking sensor.

GPIO pins 23-25 and 29 are used inside the Raspberry

Pi Pico board and aren’t accessible via the connectors.
In the Video Game Module, these pins are unused and
are exposed at the 14-pin GPIO breakout.

How to Buy

The Video Game Module is now available for customers in

the EU and US through our official shop and our official
distributor, Lab401. Shipping to other regions through
partner distributors will be available soon.
 Leave a comment here:

Comments

Flipper Devices Inc.

2803 Philadelphia Pike, Suite B #551
Claymont, DE 19703, USA

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