Run Doom on a programmable thermostat

Even the blender we don't stop

Doom has been transformed beyond doubt into the new Hello World, or the classic flashing of an LED. If a device has enough processing power, chances are somebody will try. On this occasion, the YouTube user «Cz7 ASM» managed to execute the classic shooter on a Honeywell prestige programmable thermostat, with an arm chip. Its version is based on the port Chocolate Doom, and the code is available for anyone who wants to experience.

From ATMs to the touch bar of a MacBook Pro, Doom does not stop its advancement. His code was adapted to all kinds of platforms, and as it is a later released in 1993, let's say that it does not have many demands in terms of performance (which does happen with the new Doom). Another very interesting aspect is that if a device can run doom, it will surely have the ability to play more programs, as long as there is a developer wanting to get his hands dirty. The execution of homebrew code is very desired in consoles, but nothing prevents it from being expanded to other systems restricted by the manufacturer. This time, it's the turn of ... a thermostat?

Yes, the YouTube user «Cz7 asm» used a Honeywell Prestige programmable thermostat that apparently has a price of $220 in Amazon. This specific model uses a STM32F429 chip, derived from the arm Cortex-M4. The first efforts that sought to execute doom on that hardware date back to February 2015, when the user of GitHub "Floppes" succeeded in converting chocolate doom for the STM32F429IDISCOVERY development platform. With a couple of modifications, "cz7 ASM" could do the same on the thermostat.

This new code is available through a link to Dropbox published in the video description. It's not something that just gets loaded. Stakeholders should compile on their own, and resolve any compatibility details they can find. Now, if the plan is to play doom on a modern computer with no major jumps, chocolate doom does all the hard work, and the only thing he asks for in return is a copy of the original wads.

Source: Hackaday