Help with n64 portable pt 1

[Cojiro]

Luke, is it fairly obvious where to connect the wires for the controller inputs? do you put them on the red white and black dots?

Yes, it is pretty simple. Obviously when you open up your n64, it won't be color coated like in the diagrams above, but it is extremely easy to see how the ports are connected, and once you remove them, just solder the wires directly on to those pins.

[AdumUp]

The actual points will not be red white and black, but it will be extremely obvious where to solder to... Once your able to take apart an N64 you will see them they have three large metal rods running through them

Edit: sorry for repeating what Luke had said (it takes forever to post on my Zune)

[Android]

Alright. Now, does anybody have a diagram showing how and where to cutup the controller and to reconnect the pieces? I can't seem to find one in the stickies.

[Cojiro]

if you are going to do this, you cut up the pieces you want to seperate, and reconnect them with wire. look at harshboy's wiring diagram, and look at the controller. see how he cut it apart, but then wired the traces that he cut back together? this illustrates what you must do.

however, if you are a beginner at this and not fairly decent with soldering, you probably want to buy your own buttons.

[Android]

Ok two things. I'm not really familiar with the traces. I don't even know what or where they are and for that matter, what they do. Second, how would buying separate buttons work out? How would I connect them and get them to work?

[AdumUp]

(not completely certain) You can solder to the controllers board, underneath the buttons are little black pads that I beleive you solder to, two for each button. you wire those to a tact switch that you can mount on some perf board where ever you decide to place it within the case

[Android]

The controller board looks like I couldn't even start to cut into it without destroying something needed for the controller to work.

[eagle5953]

The controller board looks like I couldn't even start to cut into it without destroying something needed for the controller to work.

That's true; however, by reconnecting what you cut through, you can re-establish its functionality.

Think of it like the game SimCity: you've got a residential neighborhood with streets laid out in a nice regular grid (like traces). Then suddenly AHHHHHH you run a river through the middle of it (like cutting the circuit board), and the Tansportation Advisor Gus starts to politely freak out. Sims (like electricity) are cut off from going from one side to the other. It doesn't work. However, when you reconnect your grid with bridges (or traces with wire), Sims can again go from one side of town to the other.

[Android]

Hah, I suppose that helps but I still don't understand a thing on the controllers board itself. Where are the trace, are there things you can't cut through no matter what, how do I know which two points to connect, etc.

[Cojiro]

obviously you can't cut through the black chip in the middle, or any of the resistors or components. the traces are the lighter green parts of the controller, if you sand it down just a little bit, you will get to metal, and that is how the buttons are connected to the main chip of the controller. you can cut through these, and then reconnect them with wire.

if you are a beginner, i would go with regular tact switches, or at least experiment with them at first (pushbuttons, whatever). where the start button is, there are two black pads, where when you push the button down it makes a connection. you will notice two black circles, one on each of these black pads. one is in the upper left, and one is in the lower right. carefully, take a screwdriver or knife or something sharp and scratch down the center of these pads, and you will get to metal. solder a wire to each of these. now you can connect them to a tact switch/pushbutton. this is the easiest way to relocate buttons.

[Android]

I think I understand now. So with those tactical buttons I don't even need to cut the board up? But how do I put the buttons over it if I can. I don't want just the exposed buttons showing except maybe start. I think it's possible.

[Cojiro]

Correct, you don't need to cut the board at all. Why are you worried about having the switches over the buttons? All they are doing is connecting the two pieces of wire, they don't need to be directly over where you soldered to. If you are worried about it, cover it with electrical tape.

[Android]

What I meant was when I cut the holes in the top of the case, I hope to have the a button, b button, etc instead of the bare button I would buy from radioshack. And also was adum right with the black pads under the button? As in, is that where I set up the button?

[Cojiro]

Are you talking about you want to wire up tact switches, but then put the regular buttons from the controller on top of the tact switch to make it look more real?

[Android]

Bingo.