Rymel's Handheld PS2

[Rymel]

this thread is a lead-on from this one originally:
http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=42180

sup guys, another PS2 project here. i'm sticking with a generic title because there's no catchy acronym that pops up in my head that doesn't simultaneously sound lame to me. here's the goals:

-first and foremost, getting it actually done, relatively quickly. i've given myself a deadline of end of this month. i am not allowing myself to be slowed down by details such as lack of vacuuforming facilities, inability to make 'pretty' cases (cuz i've never done this before) and trimming down the boards and such. i want to just plain get it done, prove to myself i can do it.
-streamlining the design, keeping the footprint as small and thin as possible. more than likely ending up with a PSP bar-style design.
-retaining the Playstation controller wings. i find that i can't play my PSP for extended hours unless it's in its protective Logitech case as it's too thin to be held onto while mashing buttons without cramping after a while.
-retaining the original L1/L2/R1/R2 shoulder buttons. i've looked at other people's layouts for them, and they just don't seem comfortable to me. so i'm just gonna keep as much of it original as possible.
-retaining dual shock capability. gonna have to remember to wire in an on/off button to save power when not needed.
-utilizing the best screen i can find at the best compromise of screen size (obviously, already done)
-at least 3 hours effective battery life, but aiming for 4. going to have to do some math to see if it's worth the weight.
-splicing in dimmer controls for the backlight
-should i give up on making it entirely handheld, i am instead opting into a clamshell design. i'm mostly doing this to use it at work and when i'm nerding out at anime conventions, so if anything i'll sacrifice portability for any on-the-go functionality at all
-line-out for larger-screen gaming
-some sort of line-out for external controllers
-removal of all left-side ports on the led tv, direct soldering of a/v cable to the board (may ignore this)
-amped speakers with volume control if going with clamshell, otherwise stealing speakers from the led tv and splicing in volume control if i delete the touch control panel from the tv
-system design must allow the system to be opened up with relative ease for servicing

aaand i think that's it for now...here's the sketch i came up with earlier today, please forgive the crap proportions:

pretty crap sketch of what i think the top half of the system will look for the most part. by top half i mean i'm totally ignoring the actual ps2 in this design, and am focusing solely on an ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing layout for the screen and controller. there's also zero consideration for the batteries and their subsequent layout as it's in the back of the entire design. i could also very feasibly use this design as the external controller/screen combo pack for other systems or isolated system/battery pack layouts. very likely ending up with the psp-style candy bar by the end of the day because of the ps2 board and batteries. however i want to retain the cut halves of the controller and use an acrylic panel overlaying the controller parts and to hold the screen. a sandwich design is what i'm calling it. this will also carry over to system and battery layout design to ease service and dis/reassembly.

if anyone's curious, the buttons on the bottom from left to right are select, start, analog on/off, dimmer -/+, sound -/+. i forgot to include rumble on/off and will probably sketch it in tomorrow, i'm feeling lazy now

here are the mock ups i did with PS3 controllers:

mock up 1. controller halves are mounted on the lower half of the sides. i'm not really feeling this layout, but since i haven't opened up my ps2 yet to lay the board out with it all this may change the game. battery packs will likely end up behind the d-pad and buttons, separated so it doesn't overheat the motherboard during operation.


higher up now, closer to a 'psp-style' layout, where the L/R buttons are parallel with the top of the screen. i'm probably going with this design.

so that's where i'm at now. questions? critiques? suggestions? flames? i've never done a system redesign before, so i'm all ears

[hackmodford]

I like the design I just don't know if you can fit everything...

[Rymel]

I'm building the case around the parts., not cramming the parts into the case. I have all the room I should need. I'd like to know what you think wouldn't fit though, so I can take it into consideration.

I'm gonna be using SMD components to save on space whenever possible btw

[Rymel]

well, fitting everything in won't be a problem anymore, it's going to be a little bigger than planned...



i'm mulling over the idea of dealing with it and accepting the size increase (and subsequently...where i'm putting the batteries if i'm not removing the dvd drive, since no trimming = may as well leave it all intact), or finding out just how much of that board i can trim off. it's a 70012 model, i think. can anyone point me to info on whether there's any parts of the board to trim off?

if i leave it all intact, the bottom plate can be used as the main mounting plate for the controller and lcd circuit board. however it's kinda thick that way. not unwieldy thick, just thick. and that's without the batteries.

failing finding a decent place to place the batteries without overheating the damn mainboard, i may just resort to an external battery pack. it's not really a big deal to me, it'd just be nice to have it all in one package. thoughts?

[Rymel]

i scored a 90001 model at my local shop today after work, so i got to taking the system apart. after a bit of head scratching though, since this new PSTwo uses screws to bolt the board down, where my 77012 board was simply held down by like...the controller/memory card port screw. fortunately, there's no guides online for fully disassembling a 90k PSTwo. oh wait, that's not good at all. anyway, here's the same proposed layout, but the new board:


not much has changed really. it's a little smaller sure, but now without some heavy duty super-fine rewiring, that dvd drive's staying put. so i'm leaving it there and hoping it doesn't change my layout too drastically. likewise, i need to figure out what i'm gonna do about those controller ports since i can't get rid of that piece of circuit board. the space that used to be occupied by the psu now gives me ample space for the four 3.7v LiPo battery packs i'd need to except the 12v i'm gonna need. i have no idea how to measure the power usage of my lcd, so rather than bumble around and hope it runs off of less volts i'm just gonna make the larger pack...worst case i just have more juice to play longer, i think.


side view, showing the estimated clearance between the disc drive and the bottom of the board and largest components on it. i'm pretty sure i can clear it without any issues, the main problem now is how to put it all together. i'm now thinking perforated sheet metal, to allow for ventilation but still have enough strength to hold the boards, together.


clearance view from the 'bottom'. it looks like i barely clear everything...which is fine by me. i'm probably leaving every port except the controller ports intact, just because there's no point in trimming them if it clears everything and doesn't stick out.

a couple of things to note:
-i realize i could just turn the board around, but i'm honestly not sure what that'd accomplish other than put the dvd drive in the back.
-the lcd is sitting on top of the mobo right now, but that's because i can't lay it centered without it falling off. i can't take a picture if it's falling off, so just use your imagination
-speaking of dvd drive, i'm thinking of revising the case so that the lcd lifts up from the right side, like a car hood, to allow access to the disc. i'm probably retaining the original plan to use a halved controller, but i'm gonna have to do some creative dremeling to clear that spinning disc...
-failing that idea, since i was planning on a sandwich design to begin with, i may make the entire lcd/controller top plate lift up to get to the disc. it's not really an inconvenience if you're likely never opening it on the go.
-the memory card and controller ports could actually be rerouted to the side instead of placing the stack of batteries there, lining the batteries up flat behind the system instead. but other than allow for use of the system on a tv, i'm not sure it's a good idea to leave them there as a permanent piece.
-i really don't want to sacrifice my original design plans in light of all this, so i'm just building around the changes. benefit of building the case around the parts, i suppose.
-i gave myself to the end of the month to finish this, but i was supposed to have this done in time to showcase at a monthly gaming meet up that i forgot was next Saturday. sooo...you guys might see a faster work log than i was planning on

that's all, wish me luck!

[Tchay]

you know you could scrap the disc drive right??? I don't know if you mentioned that yet, but you could just run games of a hard drive. Safe ya some space

[Rymel]

Yea I thought about it, but the 90k series was designed specifically to defeat the FMCB exploit, so unless I mod it and source a distributor that actually has an HD Connect in stock I don't actually know how to access HD Loader with this model. That's also besides the fact I was really trying to avoid using a USB hard drive if I could choose IDE instead. Or did they remove IDE functionality from the 90k too? Can't remember ATM...I'm at work and can't check

[Rymel]

got out of work early today, so i did a little shopping. dropped by home depot and a local hardware supply shop and bought stuff to work on the case. here we go! /mario


couldn't help myself, hunted down a 79001 PS2. spent a good hour half looking for one too, and pretty sure one gamestop manager hates me for making him look for a specific model. i had no idea that every used system was sealed in a box! i wouldn't have asked if i knew >_>; at least he found one within the first few...unlike the other gamestop's manager who had to open them all to no avail. since it's still FMCB-exploitable, and an overall smaller footprint than the 90001 i bou 2 days ago, this one will be used for the handheld. it will be hacked to use a hard drive, but whether i go with usb or somehow acquire an hd connect is yet to be seen. for now, i'm probably sticking with the disc drive, unless i change my mind and run with the usb for now. anyway this mock up looks like pretty much the other one, except you can see the different footprint of the motherboard. i'm gonna see if i can trim off the rightmost usb port to reduce the height of the board behind the lcd.


the haul from hardware store hopping. picked up most of what i think i'll need, sans connecting bolts since i'm not sure of the length i'll need yet. not shown are two lexan panels. shown above: sheet metal, two 1ml syringes for the epoxy work (50 cents each from the medical supply shop), velcro ties for the power brick cables, gorilla glue brand epoxy that was for some reason non-existent at home depot, and a plastic cutter for the lexan. total price? $30.21. not bad.

one thing i've omitted until final preparations is the sidewall. i'm probably going to measure both the open space and the area around the final combined set up, and pay the plastics shop to route the frame out of a thick piece of acrylic. it's going to be expensive, but it'll add a lot to the solidity of the unit imo.


nothing to say here, label says it all. though while drilling the thought passed my mind whether or not 22 gauge sheet metal was a bit too thick...oh well, next project i'll try thinner steel, or go aluminum.


lexan for the front and rear plates of the case. i was gonna buy acrylic, but i thought i'd try this stuff. it flexes a good bit, but i figure the PSP case probably flexes when it's not mounted too. i was also gonna buy a sheet of no-glare styrene to lay over the instead of all-lexan, but every single piece they had was cracked...in the same spot. wtf.


test 'fitting' general fitment test. it's a little smaller than planned, so i may end up layering the case a little more. as it stands now it can't fit the controls fully. actually, depending on how the rest fits behind it, i could just let the wings splay outwards...


yay first holes drilled! ever, lol. that crap is fun. traced (crappily) the rough shape of the board, did a best-guess marking for where the screws should probably go. it's going inside the case anyway, and nobody actually LOOKS at the sheet metal in there, so i don't really care if i have to drill the holes bigger if i'm off. the marker will come off with rubbing alcohol or something i'm sure, not worried about that.

and that's where i had to stop for the night since people sleep not far from the garage door and i don't think they'd appreciate drilling sounds while they try to sleep. i have to flip the plate over and trace out the ps2 mount points anyway, so no big deal.

only one final mystery...what the hell is this third wire for?!

[Snow_Cat]

My guess is that the Lithium Polymer battery is made of two 3.7V cells and for accurate (per cell) charging the middle contact is necessary. I'd expect to measure:
1.......2......3
|-3.7-|-3.7-|
|----7.4----|

[Rymel]

i'm not sure i understand your explanation. it is two 3.7v packs (you can see it in a previous post), but i thought you couldn't charge from anywhere else except one point

edit: i forgot i'd posted the pic in a different thread entirely...

[Rymel]

woke up bright n early this morning and had no work, which means two things - more project time, and procrastination! i'm way too lazy to work on it non-stop


traced out and drilled mounting holes for the PS2 motherboard. i'd show its relation to the screen's circuit board, but that's kind of on the other side of the board. use your imagination relative to those other holes


gutted a generic PS2 controller this morning to saw in half for the case. this would actually look pretty nice anywhere else if you needed to see the controller.


back side of the controller. nothing special here, just showing the 7 holes for the screws. my dremel can't cut through that much thickness, so i'm gonna take a trip to the hardware store later and see if anyone can make the cut for me.


other than plastic posts, the only thing securing the board down are screw posts straddling the analog LED's clear plastic. i was going to omit the clear plastic piece, except the screw post on the left was cracked. cheap and dirty chinese construction, but $15 for a new controller ain't bad at all. sawing through that later will be fun.

[Snow_Cat]

What I mean is that inside each "7.4V" battery are two 3.7V cells. The connector brings out the point between the two cells for charging, since it is advantageous for the life of the battery to charge each cell individually instead of in series.

Code: Select all

_│││               │││
╔╪╪╪════════════╗ ╔╪╪╪════════════╗
║││└─────┐"7.4V"║ ║││└─────┐"7.4V"║
║│└─────┐└─────┐║ ║│└─────┐└─────┐║
║│╔════╗│╔════╗│║ ║│╔════╗│╔════╗│║
║└╢3.7V╟┴╢3.7V╟┘║ ║└╢3.7V╟┴╢3.7V╟┘║
║ ╚════╝ ╚════╝ ║ ║ ╚════╝ ╚════╝ ║
╚═══════════════╝ ╚═══════════════╝

Two batteries, four cells.

[Rymel]

I understood the first part of what you said the first time. I just didn't think it affected the lifetime of the battery that much if it was charged in series. It does make sense now that you've cleared it up though, thanks. Have you ever built a battery gauge? I just realized I'll need that if I don't want to lose progress while I'm playing an RPG.

I ended up hitting a wall with ordering batteries (car insurance bill, now broke), so I'm breaking my own weekend deadline only 2 days in. I'll post new pics after I cut the sheet metal and mount the boards. In the meantime, this the battery I'll be using, x2:

http://www.batteryspace.com/polymerli-i ... roved.aspx

[Snow_Cat]

I have to admit that I've always wuss'd out when I needed one, and got one of my peers to source a ready made one instead.

How much of the original screen are you using? It had a built-in balance charger, does it also have a batery gauge?

I look forward to seeing how you solve this.

[Rymel]

batteryspace has a premade one, but i don't like it. it also won't show me a 'full' bar in my use because it's way over my voltage rating. it's also huge. waste of money, better to make one.

check out my vizio post in the screens section for pics as i opened it up. other than not needing the capacitive touch screen front panel (and being too lazy to want to retrofit it) there's actually nothing i can cut out of it sans a few unnecessary ports if i REALLY wanted to get rid of them. they won't get in the way in this design so i'm probably not desoldering anything off either board except the controller ports, and even then i've been reconsidering just leaving them. the tv didn't have a gauge but the power button's led did turn off once fully charged...wonder if i can use that. i'm assuming it has a balance charger if it's got a 3-wire arrangement, but i have no idea how to look for that so i'm likely ignoring its existence and putting in my own now that you've made me aware of its importance

you think i can rig the batteries to charge via the tv's charge port and still run the ps2? sounds logically possible, i just thought i'd ask.

the tv rns 7.4v@2a, and the ps2 runs 7.4@2.5a. i used a calculator online to figure the amp hours and the size of the pack i'd need, so i'm hoping i chose a good battery. i think i did. i just hope i can rig it up to charge off that port and save myself a few bucks on a charger haha