Construction Log

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 4:31 pm

Thanks, I am just trying to cover all my bases, so that I don't kill too many systems/$s. Also, I am working on some of the wiring while I wait for the gamebit.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:41 pm

Alright, holidays over, I am back at it.

Some decisions I have made:

1. Not bothering with RGB. I can't seem to find consistent info on which NTSC machines can be rigged for RGB, the N64 I am using is: NS600952044, which seems like it is a later serial number. If someone thinks that RGB will work on this let me know, and I may end up trying it, but for now I will just steal the composite out.

2. I will be using the expansion port. I was able to get a TI chip, so I should be able to get close enough to 3.3 with that to allow me to run the expansion port. Excellent! Perfect Dark, Donkey Kong, Majoras Mask, here I come.

I am waiting on:

My Screen. Ordered it over 2 weeks ago

, should be here on Monday though, and I am patient.

Things I am not looking forward to:

1. Relocation of cartridge slot. I am not a fan of stripping IDE cables as I don't have a stripper for that size of cable (grr.) It will be fiddley work, which I am not a fan of.

2. Building a case. I have designed the case (roughly) and will be using fibre class I think for the final construction of it. I really don't think that it will be much fun though.

Overall, not much has been done besides taking the console apart (gamebit finally arrived). But I have been researching, and there are not many thing I don't know what to do about anymore.

Some final thoughts.

1. I have been working on a design of a circuit that uses a light sensitive resistor to turn on bonus back lighting when you go into brighter places which I may or may not add to this portable.

2. Thinking about how I will control using the portable as a system. I think I will end up adding a d.p.d.t. switch to powerdown the Ps1 screen, and disconnect it from the composite input. Also, wondering if I will need to add a switch to change between first player external controller, and built in controller. I think that this would only be an issue if there was a memory card in both the external controller and the built in controller. How did you deal with this Marshallh?[/list]

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:04 am

Yes, I think the N64 is a later model. Look on my thread (sticky) it mentioned about serial numbers which indicated RGB for NTSC systems.

Try RGB, it is easy to try and if you have it the quality increase will be worth the tiny effort against composite.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:49 pm

Okay, on bacteria's advice I went ahead and grabbed the RGB off of the U4, I will test it with the screen when it arrives tonight.

Multimeter shows good connections, and no short circuits.

I am going to have to get better at this fine detail soldering

.[/u]

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:42 pm

Good, you have nothing to lose - either you get RGB signals or you don't, if you don't get RGB then use composite. I live in the UK so have to use composite, unless I buy a French or Australian PAL N64 which has RGB modding capability, unlike the UK version.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:37 am

After starting to plan how I will be assembling the boards, and the case, I have decided that I will put off the screen for a while... I want to get the cartridge relocated first... I was hoping to put it off, but I think doing it with the screen in the way would be a mistake.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:51 pm

I have been working with trying to find more elegant solutions to the cartridge problem, and was wondering about something involving my controllers.

I am going to be leaving the controller ports on(will leave the systm as a fully functional N64 console while being a portable. However, I was wondering weather I should have a switch to change between built in 1Player, or external 1Player... Possible issues with having no switch: How will the N64 deal with having 1Player input from two sources simultaneously? How will the N64 deal with having a memory card in the 1P controller, and having the built in memory card at the same time?

Valium · Post by **Valium** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:06 pm

I'd suggest just having the switch, that way you don't have to worry about anything happening in the future.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:15 pm

Thinking on this, I was going to attempt to find a TTDP switch to do this, but it occurs to me that if I were to have one DTDP switch, I could have the three wires or-ed to an enable, (and the same for the other side). And I could achieve the same result. I know I could do this with transistors, but can I get a cheap IC which would make this easier?

tyromaniac · Post by **tyromaniac** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:25 pm

I believe the l337 64 has the player ports left in, so you may as well ask the man himself how he did.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:00 pm

I know marshallh did it as well, and he frequents here, so he may pop in and let me know, but also I know there are different ways of doing this. It may just come down to a preference.

Edit: De-r, I didn't realize that you meant the L64 when you said L337 64. Yes, I will ask marshallh, but I don't want to disturb him, and he is around fairly often.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:26 pm

You could easily use a switch to swap between the built in controller and an external one (using same port). Don't have both running at the same time.

Memory card - see above. If you are trying to write to 2 memory cards at the same time, it will give problems; use a simple switch as above - the N64 controller only uses one data line so is easy to put a switch there.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:29 pm

Thanks, bacteria.

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:25 pm

Desolder the n64 switch and use it.

SS

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:19 am

You mean the power switch? That is a larger switch than I would like to use. Anyways, I don't need a TPDT switch anymore.