N64 Schematic

[SwimmingKittens]

I wanted to try my hand at a schematic of the n64 so I could mess around with it a bit. I'm pretty new to the schematic world as far as doing it through a computer and not by hand, but I'm also ambitious. I couldn't find/figure out which libraries I needed, but it's a 120-pin plastic QFP (28×28mm) made by NEC. I saw RDC had the parts in the schematic, but I don't know what was used there.

On another note I found a bunch of information that might be useful to some of you if you don't already know. It might be fun to play around with the pins if you know what you're doing (I don't haha).

 

[SwimmingKittens]

First of all, I screwed up on the labeling on the CPU... I oriented it wrong, but use the cut-corner for reference.

Second of all, I figured out how to make the chip on eagle and found a link to the RCP dimensions. I used 2.0x0.35mm for the CPU which is the size of the pin and I'm not sure if that's right. Anyone have a closeup of the N64's CPU/RCP pins?

The Pins for the RCP are slightly smaller at 2.0x0.32mm. The part that touches the PCB is 0.8mm on both. Anyone know how to determine what size the pad for each pin should be? If no one knows, I'll just continue to use the full pin size (should still work). It looks like the traces go through to the other side under the CPU, so maybe keeping them that length will be advantageous?

I only have the free version of Eagle, but I can still make all the parts I can't find and I may have access to a full version if I decide to create a PCB. As far as I know the schematic side lets you make a schematic as big as you want, so in the meantime I can work on that.

 

[DuHasst0]

It took me some time to get the pads right but I recently started work on a PCB for the GameCube's DVD connector. But to get the pads just right I ended up finding a picture of the DVD drive board without the connector and dropped it into gimp, an open source Photoshop if you will. You can then measure the chip your working on and get a more accurate footprint.

 

[SwimmingKittens]

I actually found a program that makes them as a .scr file using all the stuff from the data sheet and I can import them into Eagle and create a custom library from that. Eventually I'll test it out, but for now I don't have all the stuff on hand and making the schematic comes first. The program is called library expert lite, and it seems to work well for making the pads, but no schematic and I still have to connect each pin one by one to the pad after I make and label it. I have the CPU done, and I'm working on the RCP. Once I get that done I'll post some progress. But I need to get a digital caliper at some point.

 

[SwimmingKittens]

Some Progress, not much but I stayed up all night figuring out how to make chips, and finally came up with a good solution! Hopefully more progress to come!

and

Any weird spacing in the pcb doesn't look like that in the program, It's just the way it exported.