Official Gamecube IDE/USB interface thread (PROJECT BEGUN!)

Post by **gannon** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:10 pm

I'm starting to get bored, so I may upload the files later for someone else to have fun with. Just have been enlarging power lines and moving some small things around. Not sure if I can even run the semi-larger power lines over the fpga pins, but I can at least have them elsewhere to help out a bit.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:21 pm

Oh my... that's some seriously pro-looking routing.

Tell me that most of that was done with the autorouter... please...

Post by **marshallh** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:21 pm

8 mil traces should be sufficient for all the power lines. No need to wear yourself out.

Post by **gannon** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:25 pm

Most was done with the autorouter.
I might hop back to my board before the additions and just add in the ground strips (make it look nicer I think....maybe

)

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:31 pm

What is the minimum spacing between traces/pads/vias? It looks closer than 8mil, in which case I can't use BatchPCB, who are far cheaper than any other place you or I have found. I'm going to try to get that autorouter working; Marshall gave me some tips over PM. I might have to make the board a bit larger, but even still, it should be cheaper if I can get the spacing at a minimum of 8mil so I can use BatchPCB. If I get enough interest in boards, I can get a bulk(ish) order from somewhere else so I can get cheaper prices.

Post by **gannon** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:38 pm

Spacing on the FPGA pins was 6mil

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:48 pm

...What? I thought they were 7.x mil, and I shrunk the pins a bit to get them to 8mil.

I thought you were using the library I compiled...

Post by **gannon** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:14 pm

Ah, they were. Just checked, 7.8mil clearance all across the board, 8mil is too big though

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:36 pm

Really? What size are the traces themselves, then?

Post by **gannon** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:02 pm

I know the FPGA pins are 12mil, but haven't measured the other traces.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:07 pm

I was just asking because... ah, nevermind. Sometimes it's just too difficult to put all of the jumbled thoughts in your head into words that other people can understand, you know?

I'll be screwing around with ELECTRA later tonight or tomorrow... finally got it working, but I need to use a different computer for it; one that's currently unavailable to me.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:56 pm

Some quick insight as to what I've been doing these past few days:

Top side

Top side without silkscreen, showing the traces, pads, and vias better.

Bottom side silkscreen... yeah, it's mirrored. It's supposed to be like that; deal with it.

Any thoughts? I think I'm done with it. All that remains is to order the parts and build it!

Edit: Actually, I think it will be best if I add some silkscreen for the FX2... you know, for the sake of proper orientation. But, I'm pretty sure you guys have at least the near-final version of the board right here in this post. I don't see any reason I'd have to change it drastically. I'll probably tweak it a lot before I send if off to Sparkfun, whenever that ends up being.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:16 pm

Hackmodford wrote:I'm kinda new to this topic so let me get this straight...

You are actually going ot build a GC-IDE Interface? And it has high hopes that it will work correct?

Well yeah, that's the plan, anyway...

Hackmodford wrote:Will you be able to play commercial games with this device or just homebrew?

Umm... I plea the fifth for fear that the NNN may be lurking in the shadows...

But yeah, you can play commercial games with it, and I think it's okay to do as long as you own the original disk. That's the main point of this entire project; a device that can make the Gamecube smaller for portablizing purposes. This not only will cut out the huge disk drive, but it allows you to store dozens of games on a single hard drive that's smaller than a single DVD case, rather than lugging around a bunch of disks. It should also nearly if not completely eliminate load times of any kind. You can also run homebrew/unsigned code on it, like GC Linux or various emulators that have been written for it. This project completely eliminates the disk drive and its control board, which contains all of the Gamecube's piracy protection. Without the DD board, the 'cube doesn't even know what unsigned code is.

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:06 pm

Yeah! Bite his head off ER!
(I thought a flaming post was coming, let me riivise this!)

Yaeya! Give em' a hug ER!
(Now to get down ta buisness)

Does anyone think that the GC could use the wii's DD

I ask this question because I would definitly like to try it out, as anyone who knows my recent modding history knows why I would ask this question.

SS

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:47 pm

ShockSlayer wrote:Does anyone think that the GC could use the wii's DD

Unlikely without some modification of both hardware and software, probably. I hear their DDs are similar, though. But, not the same.