Anybody up for... ?

[tappan]

Anybody interested in composing a faq about the questions asked in the forum?

Looking back through the posts, it seems that the same stuff is asked over and over again.

So if someone gleaned the good stuff. And posted it for peer review.
Then post the finished version onto doomportables. It would save a lot of your time.( Other than the usual amount of people that ignore FAQs... )

Now I know it sounds like I want someone else to do all the work, but I would help out more if I knew more about it than I do.

I'm a beginner in electronics, and everything that I know about the n64 innards has come from the posts from ya'll.

Also, there are some of the older posts that had images of schematics/diagrams that I was interested in, but they are no longer there.


It's just a thought.....

[HK-47]

I already discussed this with Gannon. It was decided that it was not neccisary but if need be I will right one up...

[tappan]

It was just a thought....

[Sparkfist]

Q - How do I open the N64?
A - The N64 like the SNES and the GameCube use inverted torque screws. You can by the screw driver on sites like Lik-sang.com, or you can take a dremel to the screw to cut a notch and use a flat-head driver.

Q - How big is the motherboard?
A - It mesures 5 x 6.3 inches.

Q- What voltages does the N64 take?
A - The motherboard takes two inputs 12v and 3.3v. The 12v line goes to a 7805 power regulator on the board and so 7v can be used or replace the regulator with a 5v LDO and use 6v battery instead. The 3.3v input can be done by connecting a dc-dc converter to the battery you have for the 12v line, or use two 7805 power regulator and 2 1ohm resister (setup in paralle) to supply power.

Nice start huh?

Edit - It might be good to have it stickied to the top of the N64 forum as newbie rarely use the search function, so this will help keep the threads on the three questions I answered from popping up again and again.

[JackFrost22]

Only a N64 one

[tappan]

Yes... I meant just for this section(n64) of the forums.

Q: Can the 3.3v line run off of just 3v? ... (read this in a couple of posts)

[Sparkfist]

Yes... I meant just for this section(n64) of the forums.

Q: Can the 3.3v line run off of just 3v? ... (read this in a couple of posts)

At bare minimum yes, max I've heard it can handle is 3.6v so if you got 6 batteries and made two sets of three in series then connected the two sets in paralle you'll have enough for adcent run time, but using seperat batteries adds to weight (not suggested).

[JackFrost22]

its best at 3.3v thoguh

[tappan]

I just remember reading sonicfan saying that he had just used a portion of the battery to power the 3.3v line. In other words, he had used 2 cells out of the battery to supply 3v to the line.... Any problems with doing it that way? It would affect the charging, correct?

.

[JackFrost22]

you would need a seperate chager

[tappan]

Okedoke. Then here are two more electronics newby questions...

Q) What is an LDO?

Q) Why does Gamelver have two 7805 regulators in his power schematic.?
...And are the in series, or parallel?

[HK-47]

1 LDO is low drop out, it means you dont have to use so may volts
(you can use 6v instead of 7.2v)
2 The 2 7805s would make 2 5v sorces then the resistor would make it 3.3v (read it again you'll see what I mean.)

[JackFrost22]

actually there in parellel to handle the amps

[Octavious]

well, heres a few questions I have

How many amps does the N64 pull ( and the PSone screen pulls 1 right? )

How big is the expansion pack PCB board?

all I have for now

~Octavious

[SpongeBuell]

I've been thinking about a FAQ for doomportables on general portablizing. I suppose I should work on that more.