Do we have room for another N64P? (t64 WIP)

[Mario]

Awesome! Just make sure you go over that board with a fine-toothed comb - don't want to fry any of your N64 components!

[64M320N3]

Great!
It looks professionally done. I am glad this is coming around so quickly.
Keep it up!!

[argelfraster]

Amazing!
*Wonders what the case will look like....*

[kibble]

I figured, you guys might want an update.

Sigh, this is turning out to be quite a hassle. I have begun putting the board together, I have drilled out all the holes on the board and it sucks that a LOT of holes didn't line up properly this time. I managed to fry my little 3.3v to 5V step up when I soldered the components. I have this nasty green stuff that formed on the board cuz of the flux I was using (patina?). I cleaned most of it off but now the board looks like crap. I have the 3.3V regulator soldered onto the board and I have begun testing the power sections. This is not going smoothly at all, not like I'd hoped for. I guess it's a good thing this is the prototype board. There's definitely things I will be changing on it. I will continue with the assembly. Next up I will be testing the controller section. I will connect the data pin of the controller chip to a working 64 to make sure that it functions properly and the rumble and memory work as well.

[marshallh]

Did you clean off the copper layers at all? You need to run some steel wool over the copper otherwise you will be having a heck of a time soldering to it.

Here's what I suggest before you fry any more components: http://www.33each.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; And enter "Student" in the extra info box to order 1 board for $33.

[64M320N3]

Is that what you are using marshallh?
Pretty good deal if you ask me.

[kibble]

Did you clean off the copper layers at all? You need to run some steel wool over the copper otherwise you will be having a heck of a time soldering to it.

Yeah, I cleaned it off after I etched it and it was all nice and shiny copper, but after leaving that spray flux on for too long it started turning the board green and then when I tried to clean off the green stuff, it looked all tarnished and ugly. I wasn't having a hard time soldering to it and the only reason I was using flux was so that it would be easier to solder the smaller smd components without having to use too much solder. I'll try the flux on a piece of clean copper board so you can see what I mean. I don't have that issue with the gel flux stuff.

Here's what I suggest before you fry any more components: http://www.33each.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; And enter "Student" in the extra info box to order 1 board for $33.

I think it was my fault I fried something on the 5V step up, don't know how but, all the connections are fine on the copper. I should have made it modular, like the PTH so it was just a drop in. I'm wondering if those 5V step ups from the Transfer Paks put out enough to power the DAC? I got me a transfer pak and I will try it out.

I will order the next board from that place, I figured I'll work out all the kinks on this design and get the next one done at that place. I just want to make sure everything works properly before I order a pro board and find out I have to chop up parts of it because I messed up. I'd rather chop up my now crappy looking board.

[kibble]

I soldered the controller chip onto the board today and tested it's functionality by connecting its data pins and ground to a working 64. I'm happy to say that it worked, however, I also tried to install the FRAM chip onto the board and it refuses to work. The game says there's an abnormality with the controller pak. I messed with it for the longest time and still couldn't get it to read it. Thinking that maybe the chip died somehow, I removed it and placed it back onto that adapter I made last time to test it out on a regular controller. To my surprise, the chip is fine and the games I saved on it are still there.

Ok, so I figured I'd stop soldering and unsoldering that chip and use the other one that I have. I popped that onto the board and still get the error message, have tried the "repair" option too. I've checked continuity on all the connections to the controller chip and they all seem to be fine. The FRAM chip is getting power and everything so I'm kinda stumped. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe the controller chip is damaged, although button presses (grounding the input pins) register just fine.

I wouldn't think it has anything to do with the fact that the controller chip is being powered externally, not by the test 64 itself. Hmmm.... I haven't installed all the decoupling caps underneath the chip yet, just remembered that. I'm wondering if that could be causing problems. I might tackle this again tomorrow. I'm tired of soldering..... between this and working on soldering my friends Mega Squirt II I've been soldering practically all day.

[dragonhead]

megasquirt...fun stuff..

[Mario]

"I wouldn't think it has anything to do with the fact that the controller chip is being powered externally, not by the test 64 itself."

Just gotta make sure you connect the grounds together, but I'm sure you knew that. Maybe it's the traces causing latency or interference? Who knows... I just hope you spot a problem, because that rules out any unidentifiable/unfixable problem.

[kibble]

I was messing with it for several hours today and I managed to figure a few things out. First of all, I needed some pull-up/down on a few pins. I managed to get the 64 to say: "No controller pak found" instead of the abnormality error when I disabled one pin, which is exactly what I wanted. Turns out the controller chip has to be pulled up and down on some pins when the controller pak "present" pin is enabled, otherwise it gives abnormality errors. Oddly enough, that adapter I made for the FRAM chip works without those resistors but, only on SOME controllers! I tried it on another controller and it kept giving me errors, that is, until I installed those resistors, then it worked flawlessly on all controllers. I guess the first time I tried it out I managed to get lucky with one of those controllers and that's why it worked. Go figure....

I've checked and double checked all the data lines going to and from the memory and controller and they all seem fine. The only thing I can think of now is that maybe I have a/some lines crossed somewhere that I labeled incorrectly when I was trying to figure out the controller chip pinout. I'll have to go and continuity check all of those again and verify my pinouts. poo....

Using the o-scope has helped a lot with this, that's how I found out that some of the pins needed the resistor, they seemed to be floating when I checked them.

[runkillerrabbit]

hey i skimmed through out the whole post!!!

i did some screen printing and if your having problems with the negetive try using

http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/si ... oduct/S208" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or

Krylon clear enamel works too.

just spray a light coat of it over the ink side of the transperency. and let it dry for like 15 min you will see BIG difference in the opacity of the black!

how did you get all the small smd stuff on the back of the n64?

[kibble]

i did some screen printing and if your having problems with the negetive try using

http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/si ... oduct/S208" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or

Krylon clear enamel works too.

just spray a light coat of it over the ink side of the transperency. and let it dry for like 15 min you will see BIG difference in the opacity of the black!

how did you get all the small smd stuff on the back of the n64?

Definitely gonna have to check that stuff out! As for the smd stuff, I'm not sure what you mean by "how did get all.." I guess you're trying to ask how I did both sides? Exposed one side first and then the other, that's pretty much it.

So.... I messed with the memory some more today and I STILL can't get the controller to talk to the chip properly. I decided to skip this for now, removed the FRAM from the board and installed the rumble circuit onto the board and wouldn't you know it, it works great! This apparently means that the data lines are fine and I'm running out of ideas as to why I can't use the memory. I even tried swapping out the controller chip with one that I knew was able to communicate with the FRAM chip on the adapter but, still same thing. It's really frustrating.

Vid of rumble working:

[smitty]

What game is that? The beginning with the controller pack warning looked like Tony Hawk..

[marshallh]

Extreme-G