Totokan's official 'PiiWii' topic

Retromaster · Post by **Retromaster** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:03 am

Totokan, I have your screen solution!!!
Go to the BenHeck.com homepage and go to video game projects.
click on Atari 800 laptop and browse through the making of story.
when you get to the part where he starts talking about the screen, look at the picture of the screen he used. write down the type of screen it is and go to radioshack, the place ben got it from. or bestbuy, whichever has it.
Now this screen is 8", so if you're making a big portable or laptop, this will be perfect.

totokan · Post by **totokan** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:30 am

here are my current plans:
1) For current Wii (as it is very hard to find a Wii anywhere now), make a sort of screen unit that connects on the back and makes a 90 degree angle into the unit, so the screen+batteries takes up one of the longer sides of the Wii.
2) When I can get a second Wii, I'll make a clamshell type design, with the screen unit connected through a hinge on the bottom, making the front have GC controller/Memory card ports and the left side a disc drive/sd card/power buttons. If I don't remove them, I guess I could make the right side ports: Video out becomes alt. video out
Sensor Bar out removed
Power in becomes charger in
Usb stays
If I do that, than I guess I would make a detachable sensor bar that clips into the top of the screen, making it 100% usable as a regular Wii.
Project one probably will be completed by the end of January, and I hopefully can ge Project two finished sometime before april, as I hope to bring it on a long trip I'm going on then.

Post by **CronoTriggerfan** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:42 pm

Well, totokan, you may wanna hold out. Intec (I think it was Intec) is releasing a Wii screen with a built-in sensor bar of Q1 2006. That way, you'd only have to slap on a battery. Less work for you, and it'd probably look better, seeing as it was factory-built for Wii use. Good luck!

CTFan

totokan · Post by **totokan** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:13 pm

Yeah, you may be right. But, as it is with every console screen, the quality will probably be sub-par. Plus, since I'm making it by my own design, I can have the battery built in so I don't have to worry about modding some crappy sub-par screen just to add battery support. Of course, I'm also assuming the screen will be less energy efficient because it's expected to run off of normal power.

Post by **benheck** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:20 am

FYI, the Wii will NOT run off 10 AA batteries, whereas the Gamcube will run off 9.

-Ben

Post by **Skyone** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:33 am

benheck wrote:FYI, the Wii will NOT run off 10 AA batteries, whereas the Gamcube will run off 9.

-Ben

Why can't it? It only need 12v, right?

Post by **marshallh** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:24 pm

Skyone wrote:
benheck wrote:FYI, the Wii will NOT run off 10 AA batteries, whereas the Gamcube will run off 9.

-Ben
Why can't it? It only need 12v, right?

Because those puny little AAs aren't nearly big enough to handle the current load that the Wii draws. Go ahead and try, they will most likely heat up and vent, and you'll just have fried 10 batteries.

If you want this thing to work well, use cells that can handle large loads. R/C packs are a good example. Most (except the cheap ones) are made to handle 15-20 amp draws when the large 540-size motors accelerate from a standstill.
Another good place to look is extended-capacity DVD batteries. Though pricier, they are smaller, lighter, and much more dangerous. Try to get a set with built-in regulation circuitry. You can't wire two packs in parallel, the protection circuitry won't like it.

edit: the Wii doesn't have VGA despite early claims by Nintendo.

totokan · Post by **totokan** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:39 pm

@ Marshallh: The Wii does not work with VGA as far as I know. Also, for batteries, any specific suggestions/recommendations?
@ Ben: From what you've said, it would seem you know the power draw of the Wii. Mind filling me (and anyone else interested) in?

totokan · Post by **totokan** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:37 pm

Me again. I still need power info before i can proceed any further.