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Technical Data

Here is an overview on the software, the hardware, and also the relevant authors who contributed to this project.

Software

  • Author of the ARM-port: Rasmus Althoff.
  • Base program: NG-Play v9.86 (with extensive improvements and bugfixes).
  • Author of the base program NG-Play v9.86: George Georgopoulos.
  • Author of the endgame bitbase for king and pawn vs. king: Marcel van Kervinck.
  • Opening book: 23,600 different plies in 13,400 unique positions. Transpositions are recognised.
  • Hash tables: 100 kB.
  • Pondering: none.
  • Maximum search depth: 22 plies full search plus 10 plies quiescence.
  • Maximum game length: 250 moves.
  • Free ROM: The firmware image is 384 kB, out of which 266 kB are used. 113 kB are for the opening book data and 24 kB for the endgame bitbase.
  • Free RAM: 16 kB.
  • Strength: around 2200 ELO.
  • Operating system: none / bare metal.
  • Other platforms (via UCI): Windows, Linux, Android, and Raspberry Pi.
  • Programming languages: mostly C (the best portable macro assembler ever!) and some assembly.
  • Compiler: GCC 7.3 Q2/2018 ARM none-eabi.
  • Licence: GNU General Public License, Version 3 or later.

Hardware

  • CPU: ARM Cortex M4 (STM32F405RG in Olimex STM32-H405).
  • Speed: 168 MHz (100%) while computing, 18 MHz while waiting for user input.
  • Clocking: the CPU speed during computing can be configured from 10% to 140%.
  • ROM:  MB.
  • RAM: 192 kB + 4 kB backup-RAM.
  • Display: text display with 4×20 characters, plus a red LED, a green LED, and a buzzer.
  • Display backlight: controlled by software.
  • Input: 4×4 matrix keypad plus one switch for manual backlight activation.
  • Power input: 5 V DC (USB) from a power bank, wall power adaptor, or computer. Alternatively, 4×AA NiMH or alkaline batteries.
  • Battery running time: 37 hours at 168 MHz.
  • Current consumption at  V: 18 mA at 18 MHz (user’s turn), 81 mA at 168 MHz. Each plus 28 mA with active display backlight.