Cube^3

[kill00man]

Hi everybody !
I guess it is time to talk about my cube ! Actually I started I gamecupe portable 2 years ago (you can find the topic in the forum) but had to stop it because of my studies... I got back to work 2 weeks ago and continued the project into a new name : cube^3.

Basically this will be a handeld gamecube for now, and when I will be able to afford batteries a portable one.

I'm actually doing kind of an egineering work on it, preparing the whole gamecube before doing it... Nevertheless I already started most electronics parts

Lets talk about the case : it will be a 3D printed model, with not any kind of tape or glue in it No offense to anybody, but I think gluing/epoxing everything in such a gamecube is not a good idea ... I want to be able to repair it easily if any problem occure. As it will be 3d printed, I will be able to put screws everywhere. On the other hand a 3d printed case means a really accurate 3d model... Which I'm working on for 2 weeks, and it is still not finished as I'm still waiting for my screen and controller board.

The electronics : this will be very mainstream, OMGWTF trimmed mobo, original wiikey fusion, zenloc regulator, mini controller board with 1st party buttons (I really want to keep this idea of a real product, looking like a gamecube, feeling like a gamecube), built-in memorycard, custom audio amp with psp speakers, and an external port to connect 4 controllers and another memorycard.

Size of the whole thing : a bit bigger than a psp fat... I wanted it to perfectly fit in a PSP, but actually as I want to keep the original controller I'll have to make it slight bigger.

Pic of the 3d model:

The wooden texture was just easier to work on than a black one
Only missing things in the model : screen, controller board, and L/R/Z buttons. I'm sure that screen and controller board will fit. But L/R/Z buttons are now my first problem.

TO DO list :
-Wait for my components...
-Finish the [audio amp/relocations/external port] board
-Finish the 3D model (with L/R/Z )
-Print it
-Do the powerboard and the other "big" one
-Wire everything up
-Find a suitabke heatsink
-Play

I hope you like it so far !
Last but not least... If I haven't finished the 3d model on June 27... I will not be able to print it before october as my brother's school will be closed... Time to work !
Tomorrow program : Do the powerboard and finish the plans for the other one !

 

[ttsgeb]

I was *really* hoping this was going to be cnc'd out of hardwood.
Would be sexy.

Still, I approve of all the actually thinking through this that you're doing. You seem far more patient than many of us.

 

[public-pervert]

Wow! I like it! Hope you get it painlessly.

 

[kill00man]

I was *really* hoping this was going to be cnc'd out of hardwood.
Would be sexy.

Should have be... but I wouldn't be able to do this kind of "sphere" for the directional joystick... And if I cannot do it, I cannot put the powerboard in the case
Anyway if I do another model with 3ds sticks or whatever, this one would be laser cutted out of wood and way smaller than this project.

Well, I worked on the controller tonight (11pm here in France), the buttons board are nearly finished. I also made the power regulator printed board... But I forgot to double check it and I finded an error on it I have to start it over....

 

[Monstercrunch]

Encore un français ! ça fait plaisir

Supers rendus en tout cas, hâte de voir ce que ça va donner en vrai

 

[bouchandre]

Nice to see someone else considering the idea of 3d printing! I made a complete 3d model of a case in the computer, but i'm waiting to get an actual printer to do it.

by the way, here is a 3d printed NES portable, it's really cool!



Et je parle français aussi

 

[orangeziggy84]

That looks like a great model. Good luck.

 

[SNEAKxxATTACK]

ben heck 3d printed his raspberry pi portable's case. it's his most recent video on his show.
I'd like to see another greatly designed 3d printed case here.

 

[kill00man]

Wow looks like many of you are insterested in 3d printed cases !

@bouchandre : thanks for the vid ! makes me more confident

Well I ran late on the project, still haven't received everything... I hope I'll gate the last components tomorrow. Anyway, I've finished the custom reg board. If anybody needs the board artwork, I can post the .sch and .brd eagle files ! (I'm not responsible of any errors in it, obviously )
I keep working on the controller... There is many pieces to work on, and I'm little crushed by the amount of work.

The Z button will probably not be on the top of the case, as I'm running out of space. For the L/R I want to keep the analog triggers, I may have enough space but need to get my 3rd party controller and screen to be sure...

Anyway, the electronics are nearly done. I started to trim down a second mobo (no, I'm not doing 2 gcp, I just keep one trimmed mobo as a reference ).

This weekend will be hard, but I hope to finish most electronics (everything but L/R triggers actually). Once it is done, the 3D model could go very fast !

Funny fact : I received my resistors for the regulator board, and did a mistake when choosing them... They are 0.2*0.3 mm... I will need a scope to solder them

A tous les français : je serais ravi de parler avec vous de vos projets et des problèmes que vous rencontrez Et eventuellement vous aider !

Question : Is there any guide to make a printed board in the forum ? I actually do mine with very minimal equipment, and it could be usefull to over people to know how to do so.

Pics soon

 

[public-pervert]

The more information you share, the better. Please post the eagle files, it could be useful!

 

[kill00man]

Worked a lot today !
I received everything but the 3rd party controller Sadly, the screen is bigger than expected and I have to redo part of the 3d model...
Anyway, I've finished every pcb artworks It smells like a nearly finished gamecube...

Also, I finished to trim the mobo and the original controller. The Z button will finaly be on the top of case, and L/R buttons will be analog, fully 3d printed. Still have to design them but it should work !

Two pics for you : the pcb artworks, and my trimmed down mobo, my screen and fans.

(the artworks are not on scale, the one at bottom right is very tiny and is the crystal and player transistors relocations)

I'll share most eagle files once I've tested everything out

I hope to finish the 3D model tomorrow, which would mean 3d printed case tuesday, and finished gamecube by the end of the week.

 

[kill00man]

I ran late today... Doing a perfect 3d case is way harder than what I was hoping for, and I encountered lots of little problems for every single component
I finished the top of the case (screen, controller, speakers) and need to improve everything else.
I hope to finish it tomorrow, and print the case wednesday.

I have a question now : does anybody ever tried to replace the bios battery by another smaller one ? furthermore I can't find the relocations pins for it so if anybody has a link which shows them, I'll gladly accept it.

I will post pictures of the final design tomorrow, which will be very similar to the one in my first post.

Thanks in advance for any help regarding my two questions

 

[SNEAKxxATTACK]

Motherboard battery powers the bios of the board to save the settings. Make sure you get one of same voltage. Smaller battery/less capacity, will just save the settings for a shorter period of time.

 

[kill00man]

@SNEAKxxATTACK : thanks for the tip, I was pretty sure any 3V battery would go.

Well, it is time for a MAJOR update.

First of all : the case it is being printed right now ! Printing started yesterday and is still not finished. I will get it tomorrow as I cant go back to my brother's school before. The printing process is lasting 12 hours, and each printed layer is 50µm thick. I didn't know they had such a high quality 3d printer
Little pic of the final 3d model :

x/y buttons are missing (my models were wrong, I corrected the case but didn't corrected the buttons), z button will be drilled directly on the real case (really hard to evaluate its location). L/R will be analog as the original ones (it was quite a pain in the ass to find enough room for those huge triggers )
Other great news : as I only pay the material, the case will only cost me 25€. Guess I have some luck here.

Electronics : Everything is done, I'm actually wiring everything up right now. Just finished to solder the player transistor relocations.

the amp and external port board

the powerboard

soldered crystal and transistors relocation board

little pic of how everything will be in the case : there is mobo, memorycard, bios battery, screen and screen board, WKF, and most of the controller. The power board will be under that "pack", with the shoulder buttons and some switches.

Bad news : still haven't received my 3rd party controller my screen died after 20 turn on/turn off I'm starting to hate deal extreme


Last but not least, as I don't know if there is any guide to make a printed board on modretro, here is my way to do it :
How to make a printed circuit board
This is an informative guide, you should read several guides before trying to do your own boards. Do it at your own risks. Any chemical products used in this guide are dangerous.Any chemical products or solution must be taken far away from children.
Bills of material:
-Any laser printer
-A cheap laminator (if you do not have one, you can try with a domestic iron... But you should really think about buying a 20$ laminator)
-A bare pcb (single or double sided, presensitized or not eventhough I prefer presensitized ones)
-Your sister's favorite magazine
-Some good tape
-A beer plastic glass
-ferric chloride (or hydrochloric acid HCl and hydrogen peroxide H2O2 DANGEROUS )
-acetone
-A drill and some basic equipment

First step : you need an artwork. I will not explain how to do it. It is quite easy. I personnaly use "eagle" to do it. Here is an exemple :

As you can see, this is a double sided board, so I need a double sided pcb.
Be carefull with those artworks. Depending on the program you used to make it, you will need or not to mirror it.... For instance in my artwork the top part has been mirrored upside down while the bottom hasn't. I highly recommend to verify your artwork 100 times before trying to do it (I restarted this particular board 5 times, and I swear this is upsetting).
This particular board is quite hard to do.

2nd step : cut your pcb to the size of the artwork + 0.5cm on each side. A dremel with a rotating disc is perfect. Be carefull, pcb are often epoxy, which is a very hard material... You should wear AT LEAST glasses.

3rd step : remove the plastic protection of your cutted pcb.
-If you bought a presensitized one, its color shall be blue/red/green or whatever. Take some acetone (wear gloves) and take the strange colored thingy off.

before acetone

after. do not take care of the 3 little holes, I wil explain it later.

-If you bought a normal board, you should directly see the copper. I will advice you to sand it a very little bit to eliminate any oxydation.

Now but your board somewhere with no dust on it.

4th step : take your sister's magazine, and find a glossy page in it. Cut it. And print your artwork on it. (I'm not reponsible of any problem with your laser printer ) Before printing, be sure that your laser printer is setted on its highest quality, and darker option. The printed artwork must be PERFECT.

sorry for the blurry picture.

5th step : Cut your printed artwork with a little space on each side. Put it on your copper board, and tape it. Be carefull, you shouldn't put your finger on the pcb nor the artwork.

VERY IMPORTANT 6th step : now the serious things are starting.
-If you have a laminator
Put your pcb in your laminator. Do it 8-15 times. The board should be hot as Heck
If you didn't put the board enough time in it, the traces will not be well "printed" on the copper. If you put it to many times, the traces will be blurry.

-If you don't have a laminator but you have an iron:
Put your iron the hotter it can, and put it on the pcb, directly on the tapped paper. Wait 30 seconds and take it off. This method is absolutely NOT accurate. I do not recommend it.

-If you don't have anything, go buy a laminator

7th step : here you should be wondering why the heck you just heated the board that much. While the board is still hot, fill your plastic glass with water and put the board in it. While it is cooling down, slowly remove the tape and the paper. The artwork should be printed on the copper. be sure to remove any uneeded paper.

If the traces are not perfect but you have only a few problems : take a permanent marker and draw the missing traces/pads.
If the board is not usable : remove the traces with some acetone and redo steps 4 to 7.

Last step for a single sided board, 8th step : it is time to remove the copper.

If you have some ferric chloride fill your plastic glass with it and put your board in it and keep slowly shaking it until there is no more uneeded copper. This is REALLY long (30mins to 4 hours depending the board and how many times you already used your ferric chloride).

Furthermore, ferric chloride is dangerous and cannot be thrown away easily. You should keep it and reuse it until it becomes green. Once it is green, you can give it to a professional who will neutralize it, or try to neutralize it by yourself (it is easy but long, you'll need some sodium carbonate and pH paper). Be really careful, any ferric chloride stain will NEVER go away (in fact it can but you'll need some expensive products like oxalic acid).

If you wanna make it quick, are experienced with chemical products, you can go for the following way:
this is f*cking dangerous, do not even bother reading what follows if you do not have serious knowing in chemistery. If you are willing to do this method, do it exactly as stated or you'll probably end up with some explosive mixture and a really toxic gaz : chlorine. This must b done outside. You must wear gloves, glasses, an overall and if you can a gaz mask.
I am NOT responsible of any injury, sudden death or whatever
Be sure that your HCl is concentrated at 30% and your H2O2 is at 130 volume
-Empty your plastic glass
-Fill it with 1 vol of water
-Add 0.6 vol of HCl
-Add 0.3 vol of H2O2
-Immediately put your board in the solution and shake it.
-30 seconds later take it off, the copper shall not be there anymore.
-Put the solution away, wait 24hours and give it to a dump which accept chemical products.

Last step : remove the black ink with acetone. Your board is done.

For double sided board, you have now done one side. Drill 3 pads in the board, print the other artwork, remove the blue thingy and blablabla. And try to perfectly put the second artwork according to the 3 holes you drilled. Take a look at my pictures to see how I do it. Once the artwork is "printed" on the copper, if the holes are not perfectly on the pads, redo steps 4 to 7. Do not forget to protect the side you have already done with some tape before reomving the copper with chemical products.

You can then protect your board. You can tin it, or varnish it. I would recommend chemical tin,which will tin your board in 1 minute.


Here it is, you now know how to make a printed circuit board. This is not that expensive if you already have a laser printer and a laminator. A bare pcb costs less than 10$, and the chemical products I use are not expensive at all : less than 5$ for 1 liter of acetone and HCl. 10$ for H2O2. I would recommend using ferric chloride to anybody who never tried to do a PCB before.



Enough for today, news soon.

 

[public-pervert]

Great work! I always love when people make his own PCBs. It looks much more organized.

 

[Fluxedo]

Super excited for this portable.

 

[orangeziggy84]

This whole build log looks really professional!

 

[kill00man]

.... ....​

I HAVE IT​

The Empire Strikes Back music​

Both parts

Front view

Top view with L/R location

Bottom view, from left to right : power input, on/off switch, stereo jack, volume knob, external port, lid switch, WKF reset (sd is on the side)​

Nearly perfect, every errors are mine obviously. So the screen housing is a to small (missing 1mm or so ). The R button broke during the cleaning process . Everything else looks super to me

 

[gman]

That is sexy. Please dont paint it! Also, it looks a little clear, you should put some leds insid of it and light it up.

 

[ttsgeb]

You will be polishing this case to a mirror finish, painting the inside with silver headlight tint, and adding a few LEDs; right?