machjas n64p work log

[machjas]

Is there a particular length the screw posts should be? I have plenty I can salvage, I just haven't seen any indication in the MegaStickies.

Also, I finished the enclosure for the analog stick to be mounted from the inside of the case:

I salvaged and cut up the circuit board the stick was originally soldered to in the GCN controller and used the mounting points so that I would have the analog stick mounted to a flat surface:

Then I cut up the ps1 controller to make an enclosure:

It seems like it's in there straight:

I know these achievements are fairly small, but this is my first time running through this, so I apologize if I may seem unjustifiably proud of my work

 

[machjas]

Small update. I got a bit more controller work done. Seems to be wired up solid, continuity tested 100% on all my connections at this point. I'm going to ground it at the Z button and daisy-chain the tact switches from there. I have some uninsulated wire I got from the PS1/2 controllers that I'll likely use to do this if I can make it work without shorting anything. Once the tact switches are wired up and attached to some perf board or acrylic, I'll test the controller and move on to case work.

EDIT: Cut off the expansion port (checked for shorts, there were none) and hot glued over the joints to prevent shorting with other boards. Also, wired up the second Z button.

 

[Basement_Modder]

Nice even hotglue blobs on the button contacts.

 

[machjas]

LOL! thanks, Basement! Yeah, hot glue pretty much runs the show...

 

[Basement_Modder]

I always lick my finger and flatten hotglue, so I rarely see it actually clear and blobby.

 

[machjas]

Just a small update, as I'm still waiting for my tact switches to leave customs...

I have the controller wired to the board. Also went ahead and put wired the board with power, a/v and to the TI regulator.

I read somewhere that ribbon cable also works fine for power, can you guys confirm this?

I've spent some time getting my other n64 board wired up to the same point, seems I'm building two of these at once. However, I don't have a GCN controller to cut up, so I'm going to put a PS2 analog stick on this second controller.

My problem is, I'm not entirely sure where to cut to separate the analog stick from the board. Here's a picture, can anyone give me an idea as to where to cut? I'm assuming the joints for the analog stick are all that matter, but just wanted to be sure.

(Sorry it's a little blurry, I can upload another one if necessary)

Once I finish with this second controller, I suppose I'll spend time correcting my previous attempts at relocating the cart slot... At least until my tact switches come in...

(lol)

 

[Jidan]

I wish I could help more, but the only answer I know is that you won't want to use ribbon cable for power because it's too thin.

It's looking great so far

 

[XCVG]

Using ribbon cable for power generally isn't a good idea. It will work if you double or triple it up. However, 22 AWG hook-up wire is better. In other words, try to find some thicker stuff. I doubt you have to use speaker wire (16 AWG) like I did, though.

 

[machjas]

I originally used some 18awg speaker wire, but felt like the soldering job was messy and it was a pain getting that size wire soldered to the TI stepdown chip. My continuity was fine, but I probably should have just left it on there and sucked up the fact that it didn't look all that great lol. Bacteria suggested 24awg, but I think that's what I was using from the ribbon cable though I'm not 100% on that. Thanks for the advice, guys.

 

[Mako321]

I thought ribbon cable was at least close to fine for using

 

[machjas]

I've heard that too, but I can't remember from where. I'm hearing conflicting opinions, can someone step in and regulate?

=P

 

[snowpenguin]

Do not listen to bacteria. 24 IS NOT OKAY FOR POWER.

XCVG, 22 awg is standard ribbon cable, lol.

Use around 18-20, 16 if you want. You just need a little thicker of a wire to carry the juice, and it's much much better to have it in one wire rather than like 3 ribbon strands.

 

[machjas]

That's what I needed to know.

SNOWPENGUIN WITH THE ASSIST!

 

[machjas]

I thought I posted an update last night, but looks like it didn't take.

I went ahead and replaced the ribbon cable I had wired to power with what appears to be at least 22awg wire (maybe a little larger). I got it from a defective DC wall brick that was used as a DSL Modem power supply.

I doubt this helps much, but Pic anyway:

 

[XCVG]

Do not listen to bacteria. 24 IS NOT OKAY FOR POWER.

XCVG, 22 awg is standard ribbon cable, lol.

Use around 18-20, 16 if you want. You just need a little thicker of a wire to carry the juice, and it's much much better to have it in one wire rather than like 3 ribbon strands.

Ribbon cable is not 22 AWG. It's 28 AWG. I've checked. 22 AWG wire is significantly thicker than 28 AWG. Although I'm beginning to wonder whether the scale is linear or not, since there's a much bigger difference between 12 and 14 AWG wire than there is between 28 and 30 AWG.

24 AWG in theory can handle something like 5 amps, but much less is recommended in reality. I guess it would be stretching it a bit for N64, but it would be fine for an older console like a NES.

I would have used 18-20 AWG wire, but I didn't have any.

 

[machjas]

Ran into a problem wiring up the controller on my other n64p. This was the first controller i cracked open, and for some reason, I decided to desolder the wires for the analog. As I was soldering new wire to the joints, the last joint came off, I think I let it get too hot. This is a Yobo controller. Does anyone know where I can tap into a tracer or something? I can't seem to find one.

Picture:

 

[snowpenguin]

Just follow the trace away from the original solder point and find another point where it is connected to.

 

[XCVG]

Ouch, man. I ripped off some already-small traces that go to the analog stick on my SuperPad Plus controller while building YAP64. I had to solder to two microscopic traces really close together. It was sketchy. I used lots of hot glue to keep it from happening again.

Anyway, my point is that it should be fixable if you are careful and good at soldering to tiny stuff.

 

[machjas]

I went ahead and just ordered another Yobo. I'll keep it around and tinker with it when I have some more time to waste on it. Tracking my tact switches, there's a good chance I might get those in today, so I'll be putting those on my main project's controller hopefully sometime this weekend.

 

[Basement_Modder]

Do not listen to bacteria. 24 IS NOT OKAY FOR POWER.

XCVG, 22 awg is standard ribbon cable, lol.

Use around 18-20, 16 if you want. You just need a little thicker of a wire to carry the juice, and it's much much better to have it in one wire rather than like 3 ribbon strands.

NOT EVEN CLOSE TO CORRECT NOBODY FOLLOW THIS ADVICE IT IS DUMB AS *Can'tSayThisOnTV*.

24 AWG is FINE for power. 18 AWG is thick and annoying as Heck, and 16 AWG is what some contractors use for AC in-wall house wiring.

God Dangit, snow.