NES in a cart!

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:35 pm

But how would it sense it? Won't it complain (or damage the circuits) to send high and low at the same time? I guess I could just put it through an OR gate as I said before... but that seems a little shady even so... is there a way to have it sense by the voltage draw from the controller or something?

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:49 pm

In mine, it just knows when an external controller is plugged in and overrides the internal. I dunno why it works, it just does...

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:58 pm

That just seems really odd to me. Are you sure that the internal one shuts down? If both worked I'd be less surprised, I think

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:50 pm

The switch cuts off the 5v to the internal controlls when the external is inserted or the switch is flipped.

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:24 pm

Sparkfist wrote:The switch cuts off the 5v to the internal controlls when the external is inserted or the switch is flipped.

In my case, externals do not work if it is flip0ped, it is auto-detect if not.

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:24 pm

What switch? I keep talking about auto-sensing and it seems like everyone else is talking about some switch... if possible I'd like to keep the mechanical aspects of the machine to a minimum, but if a switch is needed to tell it to use the internal pad or the external port, then that's what I guess I'll have to do.

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:26 pm

SgtBowhack wrote:What switch? I keep talking about auto-sensing and it seems like everyone else is talking about some switch... if possible I'd like to keep the mechanical aspects of the machine to a minimum, but if a switch is needed to tell it to use the internal pad or the external port, then that's what I guess I'll have to do.

It isn't needed. Just try to wire it in parallel. If it doesn't work, cut the internal's white wire....

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:46 pm

OK. Thanks for the clarification.

I'll give it a shot... worst thing that could happen is the need for a switch, right?

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:51 pm

SgtBowhack wrote:OK. Thanks for the clarification. I'll give it a shot... worst thing that could happen is the need for a switch, right?

^^

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:42 pm

I made a rough sketch of the system (in Paint) and I feel like this thing should have ample space... could someone check something for me though? There's that handle part on the top of the cart (the indentation) and I wonder if the space next to that (where the top part of the label is) would be large enough to fit a Famicom cart slot on? If not I might move the power/video/audio up there. I think that's the only hope for being able to use the cartridge as a controller though...it seems like it should fit barely. If there's over 3" of space there, we're in business (60 pins, .1" pitch?)

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:33 pm

Oh no! 2 people think this is stupid

Ah well, it's still got an 80% approval rating, good enough for me.
Besides, it's cheap. Really cheap. So cheap even I could afford to build it.

I figure this might cost about $15 for everything (except for the cart slot, but that's not a big deal). Anyway, one of my goals is to not have to redo too much stuff on the board. If at all possible, I'll just solder on the internal controller and the NES slot (and desolder the Famicom slot and move it)
I really want to make this look like a mini-NES too. The shape is... well, roughly the same (indented bottom sides, etc), and with some paint and stuff, this might be cool...
I'm thinking of adding a bit of black plastic attached where the handle is and put the controller sockets there (to simulate an NES). Not sure they'd fit though too well. We'll see.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:40 pm

Well show us what it looks like. I've seen the mini NES on assebly (or whatever) and I thought it would be cool to have one of those.

JackFrost22 · Post by **JackFrost22** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:42 pm

I saw a mini-nes in person at the philly classic gaming expo. I go every year

. Well it was a cool design but i like my polystation better it play fami and nes games

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:57 pm

I don't have an NES cart with me here (I left them all in America with my NES, surprisingly). But basically imagine an NES cart, with the handle area removed and replaced with controller ports, and a new paint job, plugging cartridges into where the card edge normally is.
Here is the mockup I made (keep in mind it's crappy because I did it in paint)

I have edited this post like 5 or 6 times already cuz I keep being unhappy with it. Anyway, I just want to say that if necessary, the controls could move up to the top, but that would likely interfere with the NES-ness of the look of it. I was gonna put little rubber feet on it too so that when it's sitting down and being used as a regular NES, it won't press the buttons on the built-in controller. Anyway, far from perfect, and it will likely be heavily painted and stuff (but I didn't feel like fiddling with colors too much on a simple mockup). Anyway, there's a vague idea

Though I think the controller ports will move into that black area on the top of the cartridge if I can get away with it.

SgtBowhack · Post by **SgtBowhack** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 12:31 am

JackFrost22 wrote:Well it was a cool design but i like my polystation better it play fami and nes games

When this is up and running, it should too. I'm even gonna rewire the stuff to make sure the Famicom's sound channels are coming through (if they aren't already). But right now I need to come up with concepts.

What do people think of this one: Since I probably couldn't fit both controller ports in the little handle space, I'll try to add a hinged door where the cart label is, and when you open it, there are the controller ports. Where the controller ports should be on an NES, then, would become the power/reset buttons. Yeah, it's not perfect, but hey, sacrifices for size. Maybe the power/reset should be in the same place and switches for other things could go there... (for example, overclocking). Of course I'd try to make little switch covers in the shape of the controller ports (roughly)

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NES in a cart!

Is this a stupid idea?