Worklog Nold's N64p

Nold

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Ok, found out I got two n64 board which show this symptoms.. one is my N64p trimmed board, PAL; and the other is a japanese NTSC-board with PAL PIF(E)-NUS and RGB-Mod..

The weirdest thing is, on the NTSC-Board even RGB doesn't work.. it's just black-and-white and totally screwed up... So it might be the video-chip?!
Which is odd, because the trimmed board has a DENC-NUS and the NTSC a VDC-NUS.. <.<

I'm starting to think, n64's don't like me ;-) So I'll slit up the working board the next days >:)>:)


//Edit1:
Finally cut up my working board! This time I did everything right ;-)
Cut board -> test -> relocate cardslot -> test -> relocate extention port -> happiness!

I also found one really "easy" way to relocate the extention port this time. I simply reused the connectors of the extention port after pulling of the connector's case. then soldered the first row of short pins, isolated everything with kapton & soldered the rest.
Really quick & easy.

Sadly my camera didn't save the pictures <.< ... I'll make some new then next time I work on it... now I finally can start with something else.. next will be the step-down regulator & controller :)
 
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Nold

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Lost pictures showed up somehow...
Here's my extentionslot relocation:
DSCF5233.JPG DSCF5238.JPG DSCF5254.JPG

And a pic of my trimmed board, didn't cut this much this time, my case is much too big anyway :D
DSCF5256.JPG

Next I installed the power regulator..
DSCF5266.JPG DSCF5269.JPG

So now it just ran the first time of a battery :) :)

Hey Banjo! What do you say about the result of my day?
DSCF5275.JPG
... -.- yea, whatever...

... soon the real work will start... casework <.< ....
 
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jefflongo

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Lost pictures showed up somehow...
Here's my extentionslot relocation:
View attachment 3857 View attachment 3858 View attachment 3859

And a pic of my trimmed board, didn't cut this much this time, my case is much too big anyway :D
View attachment 3860

Next I installed the power regulator..
View attachment 3861 View attachment 3862

So now it just ran the first time of a battery :) :)

Hey Banjo! What do you say about the result of my day?
View attachment 3863
... -.- yea, whatever...

... soon the real work will start... casework <.< ....
Looks great! That is some mighty clean wiring. Keep up the good work!
 

E64

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How you manage to remove the expansion port without removing the pins?O.o
 

Shank

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Workmanship so far is excellent! The expansion pack relocation is super clever, and really clean. When the day comes that I finally work on rewiring an N64, I hope that it looks as good as this.
 

Nold

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How you manage to remove the expansion port without removing the pins?O.o
Very, very, VERY carefully.
It's actually pretty easy.. Since the connectorpins are quite springy, they don't tend to bend that easy :)

All you need to do is unsolder every of the four big solderpoints of the port-case. When they are loose, carefully pull the port upwards with a pair of pliers.


//Edit 1:
And another small update, I started to work on the case today...
DSCF5278.JPG

Well, to glue the grips from the back wasn't my best idea today, but I need to putty & sand it anyway ;-)
Also the pak-slot should fit into my case, so I'm thinking about integrating them.. but I need to see if there's still enoth space on the inside..

I also did some CAD today! This is my first real selfmade 3D-Model, I'm acutally printing :)
freecad-n64-slot.png

Nothing special, but hey! I don't need to built a card-slot from scratch :) I just hope everything will fit.. and also had to cut it in half, so it fits on my M3D <.< ... but anyway, if it comes out nicely, I'll definetly share it with you :)


//Edit 2:
Oh, and right now I'm doing a heat-check :D
DSCF5284.JPG
~47°C & not rising.. pretty "cool" so far..


//Edit 3:
Temp. didn't go over 50°C - think that's fine for this hardware.
I just ordered the last missing parts for my N64p: 18650 batteries, BMS, PAM8403 & Nintendo DS speakers :)
 
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Nold

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Here is the first pic of da' case:
DSCF5319.JPG

Man, frankencasing is hard work.. But epoxy is some nice stuff! Also I started working on the controller & made some custom speaker grids.
I hope I can start printing the second version of my card slot soon, too. But my printer is makin some trouble the last time..

Anyway, just some more putty & sanding, and the case front is nearly done! I'm full of hope that this monster will become a true beauty :)
 

Nold

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Another small update, before I'll move to a nother town :)

Besides working on a RGB-PAL N64, writing a Region-Swap Guide and playing Banjo, I did a lot of CAD the last weeks. After getting used to FreeCAD & CAD in general, it's actually quite easy & my designs start to come out pretty good (I think).

First I finished my Pak-Slot as you can see here: N64p pak-slot model

And the last days I printed a lot of custom R/L & Z-Buttons (since my case has two Z-button handles). So this might be the final design<3:
freecad-ZRL-Button.png DSCF5417.JPG

I'm thinking of making left & right async. left: L on top, Z on bottom - right: R on bottom, Z on to.
I think it could feel quite natural in the most games using the analogstick. In this case, the Z-Button is basically used as the L-Button and the real L-Button stays unused.

I have been also working a little bit on the case itself. It needs still a lot of sanding, the card & pak-slot, too. But I think I know now where to put everything inside. Since the case is HUGE it was quite easy :D But it's quite slim, combined with the handles, i think it will become pretty ergonomic :)
DSCF5402.JPG
 

Nold

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Miceeno

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Lost pictures showed up somehow...
Here's my extentionslot relocation:
View attachment 3857 View attachment 3858 View attachment 3859

And a pic of my trimmed board, didn't cut this much this time, my case is much too big anyway :D
View attachment 3860

Next I installed the power regulator..
View attachment 3861 View attachment 3862

So now it just ran the first time of a battery :) :)

Hey Banjo! What do you say about the result of my day?
View attachment 3863
... -.- yea, whatever...

... soon the real work will start... casework <.< ....
I'd like to know how your relocation holds up in the long run. I did this once and after a while the springiness of the pins started lifting the solder pads off of the board. I ended up flooding the area with hot glue after fixing it several times.

aCAgCvbl.jpg
eLgssPjl.jpg
ULjf8vyl.jpg

As you can see by my pictures you did a much cleaner job so yours will probably hold up better.

Also something to note from my experience, if you ever think your board is dead it's probably not. With a soldered expansion pak you can't do the ol remove the cartridge and pak, power on for 10 seconds, power off, insert pak, power on for 10 seconds, power off, insert cartridge, power on and it works again trick. If you let the board sit unpowered for a day or three it will usually just wake up.
 
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Nold

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I'd like to know how your relocation holds up in the long run. I did this once and after a while the springiness of the pins started lifting the solder pads off of the board. I ended up flooding the area with hot glue after fixing it several times.
As you can see by my pictures you did a much cleaner job so yours will probably hold up better.
I noticed that, too now. I glued the Pak down with some "montage tape" (directly translated from german, it's some nice doublesided tape). But it lifted the whole pak anyways :D
So I'll do it like you, just takt I'll use epoxy for it. Just too make sure.. More updates (hopefully) soon. :)
 

Nold

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Here is a small update. Casework is nearly done! I hope I'll sand it for the last time.. can't wait to get some paint on it :)
I'm afraid to tell ya, but I was cheating on my N64p in the last time.. did a lot of Dreamcast stuff instead :D... anyway, here is the final placement:

DSCF5562.JPG


So next I'll make the buttons sit on the push-buttons & wire up the controllerboard >.< (hate those)..
Also I'll modify the heatsink for a better "airflow".

Here is an updated pic of the workstation in my new flat :)
https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/post-your-workstation.154/page-3#post-23174
 

Nold

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... oh man! Murphy hit me hard finishing this project!
First I noticed that my case is too thin.. So I improviced a new heatsink.. i knew i still had a piece of brass & some small ram heatsings lying around.. and it fit!.. but since the board was getting too hot with it, i needed to add a fan. Luckily these Dreamcast fans are pretty neat, running from 3.3v.
So after a lot of expirments, how I could place the fan in my case, without modifying it, I had to give in & drilled a few holes in the case.. at least the cooling seems to be fair enouth now.. i hope..

Also i had to find out, that my li-ion cells are broken.. Note to myself: always load cells, when you get them!
Oh yea! I also killed my controller board.. (I was like "damn! these f*in controllers run off 3.3v! Not 5!.. -.-")

So, after a lot of frustration, i hope it's now done.. I salvaged the batteries from my GCp & they are loading now... hopefully they'll work.. they were also undervoltaged already.. >.<

anyway.. everything is working now.. and if the batteries are loaded, there will be a "cutting edge" post by tomorrow :)
Here are the last pics of the (messy) final internals..
lower_case_finished.jpg


upper_case_finished.jpg


Still can't believe there isn't enough space in this huge case <.< ... but damn i learned a lot again! The most space basically do the original controlls take.. so i already got some 3DS sliders for my next projects :)
But I definitely need/want to work on the size of my next portables :/

Nextup will be my (still non-tiny) DCp project.. but after that i might get my hands on a Wii.. :mrgreen:
 
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