Bacteria's N64/GBA combined portable - Nintendo 64 Advance
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- bacteria
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Wired up the GBA cart extension, tested each connection, checked everything and made sure each wire was fine and had no contact with adjacent wires. Booted up, fried my GBA M3 flashcart; it refuses to work now, dead. Just had to buy another one, $82 (about £42). Will take about 2 weeks or so to arrive.
Desoldered the wires to the extension, put in a normal GBA cart, everything fine again. Yes, I know, I should have done this in the first place; oh well, too late now.
I won't try this again; I will have to adapt the case to allow me to change the card if I need to. The new M3 card takes the SD card at the back instead of the side, which will be better in this regard for me.
Expensive project this is overall, worth it though.
Desoldered the wires to the extension, put in a normal GBA cart, everything fine again. Yes, I know, I should have done this in the first place; oh well, too late now.
I won't try this again; I will have to adapt the case to allow me to change the card if I need to. The new M3 card takes the SD card at the back instead of the side, which will be better in this regard for me.
Expensive project this is overall, worth it though.
- bacteria
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Pretty annoyed about having to buy a new flashcart. No logical reason why what happened happened, I was very careful; mind you the soldering process was extremely fiddly.
I just took delivery of two sheets of A4 (210x297mm) 2mm thick crystal clear prespex. I figured I would aim to use one sheet for the whole of the front - rather than making a wooden back and then a thin acetate sheet to cover it (painted on reverse) - to do the same with a single, thick sheet. It will make the whole front look extremely sleek; the only things pertruding will be the buttons, D-pad and joystick.
2mm of this plastic is quite thick, yet not too thick (mounting buttons, etc); and is stronger than 4mm wood. I can build a structure between the front and back of the case (pillars) to make the thing completely solid (honeycombed effect).
They use this material as glass replacement for picture framing. It is crystal clear. In other words, I get a sheeny front and the PSone screen is protected. Only downside I can see is that I might have some fun with the cutting and drilling of this material...
I just took delivery of two sheets of A4 (210x297mm) 2mm thick crystal clear prespex. I figured I would aim to use one sheet for the whole of the front - rather than making a wooden back and then a thin acetate sheet to cover it (painted on reverse) - to do the same with a single, thick sheet. It will make the whole front look extremely sleek; the only things pertruding will be the buttons, D-pad and joystick.
2mm of this plastic is quite thick, yet not too thick (mounting buttons, etc); and is stronger than 4mm wood. I can build a structure between the front and back of the case (pillars) to make the thing completely solid (honeycombed effect).
They use this material as glass replacement for picture framing. It is crystal clear. In other words, I get a sheeny front and the PSone screen is protected. Only downside I can see is that I might have some fun with the cutting and drilling of this material...
- bacteria
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Looks like I will need to use a fourth GBA/N64 switch, . The N64 is stereo, the GBA is mono. When you connect up the GBA it only plays on one speaker, to get sound from both speakers you have to connect the mono signal to both speakers. If you leave the wires as this, the N64 will get one of the channels with both left and right speaker signals; so this fourth switch is needed to enable mono on both speakers but cut this when in N64 mode so you get the proper N64 stereo signal, rather than one of the speakers being combined.
Not an issue.
The other thing is that I have a main on/off button so the power can be in the console but off; however if the GBA/N64 switch is left on GBA mode then even when the system is off, the GBA will get its 3v from the two batteries (in N64 mode, it won't). I therefore need to use an on/off switch which also connects to the GBA 3v supply; so:
1) main on/off switch is off, GBA gets no power.
2) main on/off switch is on, in N64 mode, GBA gets no power.
3) main on/off switch is on, in GBA mode, GBA gets power (both contacts connected).
This is easily done via my 2 switch system.
These are the switches I am using. The larger one is the main on/off one and the smaller ones (4 needed) all connected together as one switch - either in 2 x 2 setup or 1 x 4 block; not decided yet which.
As I said before, I won't start on the case construction until I have everything completely done and fully tested. It is a slow process, but I have to do small steps at a time so I can easily resolve any issues as they creep up.
Not an issue.
The other thing is that I have a main on/off button so the power can be in the console but off; however if the GBA/N64 switch is left on GBA mode then even when the system is off, the GBA will get its 3v from the two batteries (in N64 mode, it won't). I therefore need to use an on/off switch which also connects to the GBA 3v supply; so:
1) main on/off switch is off, GBA gets no power.
2) main on/off switch is on, in N64 mode, GBA gets no power.
3) main on/off switch is on, in GBA mode, GBA gets power (both contacts connected).
This is easily done via my 2 switch system.
These are the switches I am using. The larger one is the main on/off one and the smaller ones (4 needed) all connected together as one switch - either in 2 x 2 setup or 1 x 4 block; not decided yet which.
As I said before, I won't start on the case construction until I have everything completely done and fully tested. It is a slow process, but I have to do small steps at a time so I can easily resolve any issues as they creep up.
- bacteria
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Yup, the above works in practice fine for the GBA. No point having the 3v batteries working when the unit is off after all! 2 switches make a simple logic circuit - off+off=off, on+off=off, on+on=on - although on+on will also provide main power to the GBA system and on+off will provide power to the N64. Quite clever really. Also on+(on/off) powers the PSone screen, but off+(on/off) everything is off.
I am in the process now of wiring each of the 5 D-pad wires (up, down, left, right, common) from the GBA > switch > D-pad < switch < N64. Quite a bit of wiring; but at least this will mean that I only need one D-pad for both systems - far neater than using two...
My GBA M3 flashcart has been sent from Canada and should be with me in next fortnight. In the meantime, I can continue with all my testing via one of my normal GBA carts (I have 2 still - one I got free (Power Rangers - I have no interest at all in this game, as I said, it was free with a GBA I bought recently) and GameBoy Gallery 3 - a good game of the Game & Watch variety).
When I have finished all this wiring, I will test everything again (GBA first) and post a pic.
I am in the process now of wiring each of the 5 D-pad wires (up, down, left, right, common) from the GBA > switch > D-pad < switch < N64. Quite a bit of wiring; but at least this will mean that I only need one D-pad for both systems - far neater than using two...
My GBA M3 flashcart has been sent from Canada and should be with me in next fortnight. In the meantime, I can continue with all my testing via one of my normal GBA carts (I have 2 still - one I got free (Power Rangers - I have no interest at all in this game, as I said, it was free with a GBA I bought recently) and GameBoy Gallery 3 - a good game of the Game & Watch variety).
When I have finished all this wiring, I will test everything again (GBA first) and post a pic.
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- bacteria
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Great, wired up and the GBA system fully works. I need to test the N64 wiring next; however I have run out of time today. Next time!
Did a little basic photo-editing to get rid of some clutter from the photo which is not relevant to the system. What you see below is the whole system (except the N64 fan, off pic). Plenty of space (enough anyway) in the case I will design.
I did this pic a little bigger than normal, to give a better view of the parts.
Did a little basic photo-editing to get rid of some clutter from the photo which is not relevant to the system. What you see below is the whole system (except the N64 fan, off pic). Plenty of space (enough anyway) in the case I will design.
I did this pic a little bigger than normal, to give a better view of the parts.
- ShockSlayer
- Niblet 64
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I'm betting this thing will blow away the l64.
This is my dream console.
SS
This is my dream console.
SS
http://twitter.com/ShockSlayer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- CronoTriggerfan
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