Worklog Widescreen Dreamcast Portable

cheese

the tallest memer in town
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There was also some headway on patching widescreen hacks directly into the disc images, but the forum with all this info went down like a month ago with no sign of return (if anyone knows where relevant people from assemblergames have gone do let me know!)
Oshit wat assembler is down? Anyway, you could check the internet archives for that, it may be on there
 
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Oshit wat assembler is down? Anyway, you could check the internet archives for that, it may be on there
The last archive doesn't have any of the patch hacks, but someone put some up on the reddit group. Thanks anyway for the tip.

Anyway:
I have the case layout and trigger funcionality sorted.
I want to leave all 4 controller ports in, but I'm not sure if they'll fit with the layout so may end up with a breakout-box solution.

I found a controller testing app so will check the range on the analog slider I hope to use soon, and want to build a low-power indicator.

After that I will be cracking out the kapton tape and doing the final wiring of the major components (leaving controls and ports temporary until I get some real work done on the case).

I still don't know what the battery life will be, but it seems I'll only bebable to fit four 18650 cells (was hoping for six).

The cells will be removeable for replacement and recharging (wall power will be optional from a PS2 power adapter, but no charging circuitry).

I had hoped to find another controller board for the screen (to be able to use the native VGA from the dreamcast), but the model number written on it comes up with zero results on google.
VGA will have to wait for the next DC portable!

I also have to buy a 555 timer chip to be able to do away with the standard noisy DC fan, but don't know when I can get to the electronics shop.

I haven't yet played around with extending the SD card slot, so am hoping it's relatively forgiving with impedance etc, I guess I'll find out...
 
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The range on the analogs is fine.

I tried extending the SD card with IDE cable and the GDemu was having none of it.

Then I split an FFC lengthways and spent far too long making a 12cm extender from 2 micro SD adapters with my not-very-fine soldering iron:
20170520_120327.jpg


It works fine on a computer, but the GDemu doesn't play nicely with it at all.

Looks like I'm going to have to rethink the layout of the internals to allow direct access to the original SD slot on the GDemu (unless anyone has any better ideas?).
 

Shank

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Thats a tough one. I wonder if you could add any passives to help make it work, similar to the wasp SD card pcb. Maybe an off-the-shelf sd card extension cable might work?
 
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Maybe an off-the-shelf sd card extension cable might work?
I just looked into that and they're stupidly expensive here (like 25 USD) and just the same as the 4 dollar ones from China on ebay/aliexpress (I don't want to wait for China shipping, which is balls here).

I think I have an idea for the layout that can work. I'm gonna get all the parts into 3D CAD and start messing around.

Thanks for the ideas anyway.
 
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Made a simple to-scale model mobo to learn the 3d program I'm using (I'm not used to CAD stuff):

mobo.jpg


More detailed than neccessary for planning out my internals, but it was to learn the program as I mentioned. It's as dimensionally accurate as I could make it measuring with a steel rule.

This is the actual board (really ugly phone pic SORRY!):
20170521_204503.jpg


Now I understand the workflow of the program I'm gonna stop messing around and actually plan out the case more exactly over the next week.
 
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