Dual Console Idea...

Includes but not limited to: SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Gear and I guess the Virtual Boy.

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csurban
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Dual Console Idea...

Post by csurban » Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:38 pm

What would be the problems of combining a SNES and N64 into one portable?

Heres my main idea:

it will be different then the other portables because I decided to omit the onboard controller. My initial plan started out by just doing a frankenstein case with only the N64 in it. I got the the point of making the N64 run off of batteries when I thought of somthing. No matter what, the controls will be different then the real thing. Even those nice vacuume formed ones could not replicate the out-there trident shape of the N64 contoller. and on top of that, I was going to use a square fishing box! I then decided that I would omit the controller and just plug in one of the standard balkey ones. Now this may seem like its defeating the purpose of the portable but i thought about it and found out that the only time I would want to use this would be for an extended period of time and if I was going to play for 2+ hours, I would take the controller with me anyway and not struggle with the onboard one! So... the onboard controller is out of the picture. But as i was finishing the project, i saw that there was a huge amount of space in already small container. I had underestimated the size of the motherboard but was still ok with the size of the box (about the size of a small laptop except thicker). So I thought, "A whole nother' motherboard could fit in there!". So out of that, came the idea of putting a SNES in there to keep it company. Also, In this endevore, I am never giving up the objective of keeping any of my portables able to be used as it was intended, meaing that removing AV outputs, any controller ports and other standerd interfaces are not going to happen. (I actually had a hard time giving up the N64's bulcky power supply, but gave in when I could find no way of hooking it up without distroying the whole side of the case :lol: ) The other portables like Ben Heck's look cool as hell but removing the other controller ports kills it. ( the real fun of the N64 was playing Super Smash Bros with 4 other people and beating each other up :lol: )

Plan:
The box will be a square one (cause controller comfort dosent matter anymore :lol: ) with nothing on it except the screen on top with the standerd switches plus extra ones needed for the duel console support. The N64 motherboard will be on bottom and the N64 and the SNES console slots will be both relocated to the back in the "sliding down the back format". The N64's expansion slot will be permentally occupied by a expansion card with the plastic removed (expansion slot relocation will be preformed if nessisary) I will have both consoles wired to one 9.6 volt, 1800 miliamp power supply (a power distribution switch will be needed to switch from the SNES to the N64) Im thinking of having only one fan blowing in between the two consoles to cool both of them plus it will be cooling the N64's chips which is what it is most needed for. The screen will be wired to both consoles as only one will be on at a time so no switching is nessisary. The original AV output slot of only one console will be acessible(most likely the N64) and the SNES AV connections will be wired to the N64 AV slot ( I dont know if this is possible but i heard that the N64 and SNES AV Outputs were interchangible, if not, ill just have two plugins in the back.) The controller ports of both consoles will stay put as I, and others, need them to play. So, the N64's 4 ports will be on bottom while the SNES's two ports will be on top of it. So the box will actually look very clean and uncluttered because only switches and a screen will be on top along with the speaker holes and the two game slots in the back.

Are there any noticible problems with this setup?

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Post by Neildo_64 » Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:42 pm

Sounds like it could be done. You'll probably have a lot of trial and error if you actually decide to build it, though. I mean with the things like getting your power supply all worked out and and things like that.

Also, about that power supply. 1800 mAh is not very good at all. You may want to try to invest in a higher capacity battery. Maybe something somewhere around at least 2500-3000 mAh.

Yes the SNES and N64 AV cables are interchangable.

Also, I would recommend using diodes and things like that to keep the power from jumping back and forth through things that you wire in parallel. For instance, if you wire (in parallel) anything from the N64 to the SNES (or vice versa) then one system would be feeding back to the other one. Unless you prevent it with diodes or something else like that.

About the expansion pack relocation - You will have to be careful and you have to be pretty steady and experienced with a soldering iron to be able to pull that one off. As far as I know, only 4 people here have successfully done it. I'm not sure, but that may be because they are the only ones who have really tried.

You will really want some major cooling of that system, too. I'm not sure if one fan would cut it. You could maybe get some small heatsinks and a couple small fans (one would probably suffice) and make sure there are vents in the case - Plenty of room for air flow.

Before you even start, it would be a good idea to actually lay everything out on paper (or computer diagram, whatever) and make sure that it will all work, in theory of course. If it all sounds perfectly peachy after its been thoroughly planned, then take a shot and building that baby! It would just seem kind of pointless if you got to working on it and got half way done, and you realized that something wasn't going to work.

Oh yeah, one more thing. TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES OF THE PROCESS (if possible, cuz everybody loves to see "in-the-making" photos.)

Good luck, and whatever you do, don't give up or someone else might steal your idea. :shock:

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Post by Bíg à » Sun Apr 16, 2006 6:08 am

i was thinking the same thing, good luck. i'll never try it though :wink:

also, d'you think it would be cool if i put a portable cd player in the back and tried to make it work :D just out of curiosity :P
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Post by Sword_Gun » Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:47 am

I tried that with a NOAC and a SNES, just watch out, Its gonna be bulky.
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Post by Krepticor » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:47 am

search my posts i posted on this a whil back and i am actually working on it

I need to get all the crap first!

Anyway I have taken considerations on this and remember that the n64 needs the heatsinks, so remember to compensate for that

Also plan to relocate the cartriges and like, also consider the power supplies they WILL NEED diodes to redirect the current from powering the wrong board

Also consider the controller the controllers, i have planned to use tact switches in parallel

Also make sure that you have decent soldering skills (I've worked on guitars before the portable racket)

Also consider getting a mentor of some sort I have an uncle who has taken in depth electrical courses I say this so that you can have someone with more experience to help troubleshoot

Anyway I am right there with you and i am cheering for you!

GOOD LUCK!!!!! :D
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Post by blackbox_dev » Sun Apr 16, 2006 1:25 pm

With my second N64p (not my current BattleShip 64) i'm going to stuff as much crap as I can inside. On the back there will be a calculator, as well as the laser for a discman (of course connected to the diskman), on the sides I might put in a bunch of USB ports and stuff a USB hub in. I may be dreaming right now, but when I become as adventurous as Jack Harper i'm going to go for it.

Anyways, good luck with your project, it will be rewarding after its done!
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Post by csurban » Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:07 pm

im not shur you understood how im going to switch between the 2 sonsoles. The setup in this diagram does not require diods correct?

<a href="http://img230.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... wer1kd.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1749 ... 1kd.th.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>

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Post by Neildo_64 » Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:56 pm

Well, I see what you mean, but that diagram is a little off. If the pins on the switch were labled 1-3 (1 being on the top) then the power input would need to be on pin 2, the N64 on 1 (or 3) and the SNES on 3 (or 1).

The switch connects 1 and 2 OR 2 and 3. Hope that helps :wink:
See the way you have it now, it either connects the power to the SNES or it connects the SNES to the N64.

That would keep power from going between the systems, Yes.

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Post by G-force » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:17 pm

I'm putting a famiclone (NOAC to benheck people) in the case with my pN64+. The way I'm selecting between systems is I have two lever switches, one for each system, and when you insert a cartridge it pushes down the lever switch for that system and lets power through to the system, thus automatic system switching. And this is kinda neat, if there is no cartridge in then no power is going to either system, and I can use the LCD for input using RCA jacks going to the screen (when a system is on, these become AV out instead of AV in).
Jsut thought you might find that useful.

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Post by Beware of Guard Metroid » Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:07 pm

couldn't you just get a hold of a Tristar 64 and put that in your N64p? It allows you to play NES, SNES and N64 games by sticking it in the cart slot. You could just hack one of those and save some space, although I'm not sure how available those things are.

EDIT: And it becomes a Tri-Console.
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Post by csurban » Sat Apr 22, 2006 8:56 am

I though of that but when I researched it, I found out that they are in short supply but also, people say those devices emulate the other systems quite poorly. Think about a 90 Mhz PC tring to emulate a SNES! And anyway, I alreay have a portable NES and SNES Emulator on my Axim X50v Pocket PC :lol: . Now, I want the real deal...

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