Worklog Madmorda's First Wii Portable (Wii S Lite)

[Toaster912]

Both really I'm using a ZN45 case for my portable and don't know how to put buttons in. Sorry I didn't reply sooner.

 

[Madmorda]

People use different methods. In my case I am frankencasing in button holes from a 3ds, and using a new 3ds dpad underneath to support them and be the actual "buttons". You could also cut up a gamecube controller and do the same thing for the gc layout. Some people 3d print their holes, others laser cut them. Some people use controller parts to serve as the circuit for the buttons, others just use tact switches. It's really pretty individual looking at various worklogs would probably help get some ideas

 

[tyE]

I am back from vacation and ready to make some real progress on this. I have received my battery, and am very happy with it. It should definitely be possible to fit both cells in somehow, and the circuit board is small. For some reason, my multimeter refused to tell me the amperage it would output, so I hooked up my TI regulators and got an LED to light up with the 3.3v one so it seems to be working fine. I just hope the 2.4 amp output is accurate. The cells don't seem to be Panasonic ones, so it might not be as big of a capacity as it says it is, but we'll see. I'd rather have pass-through charging and a compact design than an extra 20 or so minutes of battery life.

On one of my regulators, I'm off on resistance by a little bit. For the 1v one, it should be 87.2k ohms according to the guide here or 86.6k ohms according to the data sheet. Mine is 87.6k ohms which is a little higher than both but hopefully it'll be okay. That was the closest I could get without using more than two resistors.

In the picture you can also see the amplifier board I'm planning on using, a ds lite speaker (i might go bigger on the speakers later on if I can), and the switching headphone jack.

The next thing to do is to trim the motherboard. I can't seem to find my dremel's cutting wheel and my hacksaw is getting kind of dull. Since I need to buy cutting tools either way, does anybody have a preferred method of cutting pcb? If not, I'll just pick up some more hacksaw blades.

can you link the amp you are using for your audio? and also is there a forum on how to make the custom regulators? or tell me what you used for your regulators? thanks.

-merge-

People use different methods. In my case I am frankencasing in button holes from a 3ds, and using a new 3ds dpad underneath to support them and be the actual "buttons". You could also cut up a gamecube controller and do the same thing for the gc layout. Some people 3d print their holes, others laser cut them. Some people use controller parts to serve as the circuit for the buttons, others just use tact switches. It's really pretty individual looking at various worklogs would probably help get some ideas

I have many tactile switches that I would like to use for A B Y X L R and D-pad. Would I wire those into the gamecube controller chip ? Or is there a better alternative.

Moderator note: Please don't double post

 

[jefflongo]

can you link the amp you are using for your audio? and also is there a forum on how to make the custom regulators? or tell me what you used for your regulators? thanks.

Many trusted supplies can be found in the BOM. Also there is a guide on how to make custom regulators.

I have many tactile switches that I would like to use for A B Y X L R and D-pad. Would I wire those into the gamecube controller chip ? Or is there a better alternative.

A better alternative is the GC+ which is essentially a clone of the GC controller that is made much smaller and easier to solder to.

Read through all the things on the guide hub, you'll probably get a lot of your questions answered there. Also try to edit your post instead of double posting.

 

[Toaster912]

People use different methods. In my case I am frankencasing in button holes from a 3ds, and using a new 3ds dpad underneath to support them and be the actual "buttons". You could also cut up a gamecube controller and do the same thing for the gc layout. Some people 3d print their holes, others laser cut them. Some people use controller parts to serve as the circuit for the buttons, others just use tact switches. It's really pretty individual looking at various worklogs would probably help get some ideas

Thanks I'll be sure to watch your worklog so I can get an idea too.

 

[Madmorda]

Phew guys, I finally got my new screen so I can get this train moving again.

It's a generic 5" composite monitor, so not the greatest video quality, but I can always upgrade if I want. I mainly chose this one because of the size of the driver board. Since my board has to be no taller than 3mm except along one side to fit under my screen, I chose my screen because of the size of the driver board. It's very small and fits my requirements without too much work.


Here is the board next to the screen for size reference.


I had to relocate some components to get it to fit under the screen, (1000 thank you's to @Aurelio for helping me find my screwup), but after relocating them it still works. The wires in the picture are only temporary and will be done more neatly before the project is finished. It runs on 3.3v just fine.

As you can see, I 3d printed my top piece already, and it fits fairly well. I have a couple more screw holes to add, and some positioning work, but that's basically how it will look. I still need another piece for the round hinge part.


I decided to go ahead and start doing casework since that takes a while and I'd like to have this done in a couple of weeks. This isn't even close to done, but you can kind of tell what it'll look like since it's got primer on it. I still need to add a reset button (planning on using the home button from a wiimote since it brings you to home), a fan vent (if I still use the same fan), a power switch, headphone jack, and some kind of jack(s) for video output. Since my screen is composite, I'm aiming for component out. I also need to put the battery indicator lights and the micro usb charge port.

Anybody know if it's okay to replace those little rectangular leds on a circuit board with regular leds? I assume it is, but don't want to test it on my charger board unless someone else has done it.

So right now my main concern is getting video hooked up and my 3d printed parts perfected. I'll be moving on to audio as soon as I get my new soldering iron tips in, and working on casework intermittently as my patience allows

Oh, I also ordered a wii u gc adapter, so I'll test with that soon and get back to you guys on how that works

 

[Toaster912]

Phew guys, I finally got my new screen so I can get this train moving again.
View attachment 2337
It's a generic 5" composite monitor, so not the greatest video quality, but I can always upgrade if I want. I mainly chose this one because of the size of the driver board. Since my board has to be no taller than 3mm except along one side to fit under my screen, I chose my screen because of the size of the driver board. It's very small and fits my requirements without too much work.

View attachment 2338
Here is the board next to the screen for size reference.

View attachment 2339 View attachment 2341
I had to relocate some components to get it to fit under the screen, (1000 thank you's to @Aurelio for helping me find my screwup), but after relocating them it still works. The wires in the picture are only temporary and will be done more neatly before the project is finished. It runs on 3.3v just fine.

As you can see, I 3d printed my top piece already, and it fits fairly well. I have a couple more screw holes to add, and some positioning work, but that's basically how it will look. I still need another piece for the round hinge part.

View attachment 2342 View attachment 2343
I decided to go ahead and start doing casework since that takes a while and I'd like to have this done in a couple of weeks. This isn't even close to done, but you can kind of tell what it'll look like since it's got primer on it. I still need to add a reset button (planning on using the home button from a wiimote since it brings you to home), a fan vent (if I still use the same fan), a power switch, headphone jack, and some kind of jack(s) for video output. Since my screen is composite, I'm aiming for component out. I also need to put the battery indicator lights and the micro usb charge port.

Anybody know if it's okay to replace those little rectangular leds on a circuit board with regular leds? I assume it is, but don't want to test it on my charger board unless someone else has done it.

So right now my main concern is getting video hooked up and my 3d printed parts perfected. I'll be moving on to audio as soon as I get my new soldering iron tips in, and working on casework intermittently as my patience allows

Oh, I also ordered a wii u gc adapter, so I'll test with that soon and get back to you guys on how that works

Nice, what color code Ohm resistors did you use?

 

[Madmorda]

Nice, what color code Ohm resistors did you use?

I just used what I had, since I have a whole box of various resistors. Mine aren't the best way to go since I have multiples on my regs and they aren't all that accurate. You just have to find what resistance you need then order the right resistors for you. Just make sure that you measure it with your multimeter instead of assuming they're correct. I think that's why my first wii wouldn't boot I had to change them up some

 

[Stitches]

Phew guys, I finally got my new screen so I can get this train moving again.
View attachment 2337
It's a generic 5" composite monitor, so not the greatest video quality, but I can always upgrade if I want. I mainly chose this one because of the size of the driver board. Since my board has to be no taller than 3mm except along one side to fit under my screen, I chose my screen because of the size of the driver board. It's very small and fits my requirements without too much work.

View attachment 2338
Here is the board next to the screen for size reference.

View attachment 2339 View attachment 2341
I had to relocate some components to get it to fit under the screen, (1000 thank you's to @Aurelio for helping me find my screwup), but after relocating them it still works. The wires in the picture are only temporary and will be done more neatly before the project is finished. It runs on 3.3v just fine.

As you can see, I 3d printed my top piece already, and it fits fairly well. I have a couple more screw holes to add, and some positioning work, but that's basically how it will look. I still need another piece for the round hinge part.

View attachment 2342 View attachment 2343
I decided to go ahead and start doing casework since that takes a while and I'd like to have this done in a couple of weeks. This isn't even close to done, but you can kind of tell what it'll look like since it's got primer on it. I still need to add a reset button (planning on using the home button from a wiimote since it brings you to home), a fan vent (if I still use the same fan), a power switch, headphone jack, and some kind of jack(s) for video output. Since my screen is composite, I'm aiming for component out. I also need to put the battery indicator lights and the micro usb charge port.

Anybody know if it's okay to replace those little rectangular leds on a circuit board with regular leds? I assume it is, but don't want to test it on my charger board unless someone else has done it.

So right now my main concern is getting video hooked up and my 3d printed parts perfected. I'll be moving on to audio as soon as I get my new soldering iron tips in, and working on casework intermittently as my patience allows

Oh, I also ordered a wii u gc adapter, so I'll test with that soon and get back to you guys on how that works

That board and screen is a 480x278 set. And any small LED SHOULD work, but still measure the voltage going in just in case it's really low. The LED itself should be inconsequential to the operation of the board. The worst that can happen is the LED dies and needs replacing.

 

[Madmorda]

Wow I just realized how long it's been since I've updated this worklog. I've been making slow but steady progress on it, but didn't add to this thread since it wasn't anything major, but apparently it built up haha.

First of all, I broke my driver board. Actually it still works, but I was messing with the ribbon cable connector too much and it got loose. So I ordered a new one, and this screen is actually 800x480, not 480x272. It looks MUCH better. I relocated all the caps needed, tested, and it's all good. Unfortunately I have to resize my top half a little bit since the bezel is different.


I also decided to 3d print the entire bottom half, including holes for all the buttons, with screw posts for the 3ds dpad circuit boards (I still love those).

I decided to indent the buttons this way because I just can't get the screen shallow enough to not indent them at all. If I ever get the idea to make another clamshell, somebody stop me
As you can see though, the screw posts are working out great. The whole thing is 3 parts, the main part, the abxy side, and the dpad size. Each rectangle of buttons is attached to the back of the main part.


Here is my heatsink fan setup. I haven't tested it yet, but I think it's probably safe to say it works considering my GameCube Portable had much worse cooling with no problem. There is really good airflow through it, and it blows in the side from the fan then upwards out the top. The silver stuff is aluminum tape to direct the airflow.

Here's how I made the heatsink, one fin at a time.


I added some new holes along the back here. From left to right (from the outside) it now goes: R, Z, USB port av/controller out, switch, micro usb for charging, headphone jack, the wii usb ports, Start, and L.

The switch is for enabling component output. I'll have to test with it a bit, but it's a 6 pin switch, so I can make it do something else, like disable the gc+ (so I can use an external controller) or cut power to the screen.

As for the wii u gamecube adapter, it does work with all four ports, BUT if you have a controller plugged into the wii itself, that port won't work on the wii u adapter. So it prioritizes actual gc ports over usb ones.


I bought tiny square 3ds speakers, but they can't handle the sheer awesomeness of the WiiHUD audio amp. So I pulled apart a couple of portable dvd players and really lucked out. These speakers are 8ohm, and the absolute EXACT largest size they could be in my case. The best part is they're square so they sit nicely in the case without rolling around.

The power switch is most likely going to go on the right side of the case, a bit more centered than where the ds lite's is.

I have a WiiHUD audio amp that I got as a beta test sample a while back hooked up, although a few of the wires are temporary. It's amazing and tiny, and of course changing volume with your controller is super handy. The wiring wasn't too bad, but it is super tiny so magnet wire and a tiny soldering tip are a must.

I think that's about all I've got for now. I have two of my four screw posts centered just right and I'm currently working on the two upper ones. I haven't done any screw posts in the top half of the case yet, so that will be next.

 

[Madmorda]

I finally got the screw posts on 3d printed side lined up perfectly with the holes. It took quite a bit of trial and error, but they're all exactly where they should be now. The rubber ps2 feet fit over the screws, and the whole thing feels solid. I may make a ledge that goes around the inside of the shell to give the faceplate extra support, but it feels pretty sturdy as is.


The silver screw is the ps2 one, but I am using a slightly smaller black screw <I think> I pulled out of a wii. I am doing it because I have more of them in case they strip, and they are a more convenient length.

Originally however, these screw posts weren't put in place just for solidity, the purpose was to prevent the case from wobbling slightly when placed on a flat surface, and I'm happy to say that's still working great. It also prevents the paint from being knocked around quite as much.

I'm thinking that if I have time, I'd like to make a custom carrying case for it. I've been on the lookout for a good case, but I haven't found one in particular that really pops. It might be worth it to make my own, or to customize one I find.

On to putting in the switches!

 

[Madmorda]

I have added all of the ports I need on the outside shell. On the left of the case, I added in the led indicator holes from a wiimote because they happen to line up perfectly with the leds on my battery circuit. On the right side is a switch for power. I drilled speaker holes on the front as well and think they came out pretty well.

I tested with component video today and am happy to report that when you enable component, it disables composite until you disable it. This means that when I plug in the component cable (with automatic switching) then my screen will turn itself off and save power.

The reason for the switch on the back of the portable is to disconnect the gc+. That way I don't have to use the console as a controller for player 1, and can use port 1 on the wii u gc adapter.

I added in small tacts for reset and sync on the bottom inside half. On the top inside half, I included three tacts for screen control.

The outside shell is ready to be painted tomorrow, but the inside halves still need some work. The plan for this week is to get the entire shell fully painted and dried so I can finish assembling it next week.

 

[Madmorda]

I painted the shell

It's orange with red shoulders and a green Metroid arm cannon (all metallic). Then I printed out a stencil that said Wii S Lite, cut out the middle, then stuck it on and used a black Posca pen to fill in the middle. When I took the sticker off, it looked much better than if I'd written it by hand. I also outlined the green design in black with the pen, then clear coated everything.


I got the top half assembled and working. I messed with it a bit, and don't think interference will be much of an issue with this setup. The wires for the screen are going through the hinge itself. I have my heatsink and fan set up now, and have tested it. It all looks good


I really didn't want to paint the inside of my clamshell because paint tends to stick to paint when left touching for a long time, which can lead to it coming off in random spots. So my solution was to 3d print the perfect (as far as PLA goes) first layer for my inside halves, so it would look smooth and nice and wouldn't need to be bondoed and painted. It took a lot of messing around, but after leveling the bed extra carefully and setting the print speed for the initial layer to 7mm/s instead of 30, the print quality went way up. So the insides of my portable are black. I may use red 3ds buttons to match the shoulders, but am undecided. The little square button holes near the heatsink vent are for reset and sync.


I spent the entirety of the day setting up my video and controller output through usb 3.0. The 3.0 has nine pins instead of four, so here are the pins as I have them now:
Y, Pb, Pr, Ground, 3.3v, Mode, P1 data, P2 data, P3 data.
I have tested all of the player ports and was able to output component video to my tv, which was super exciting. There were no interference issues even though the usb port is right next to the regulators.

My plan is to make a small breakout box with the controller ports and a switch to switch on/off enabling component, then with the av cables going to the tv. I'll be pulling audio from the headphone jack. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this breakout box before the contest ends, but I'm cutting it pretty close so I might not be able to. Either way though, the points are all tested and currently being epoxied into place.

 

[YveltalGriffin]

The metallic paint looks amazing. Really cool aesthetics!

 

[Madmorda]

Here she is

The shoulder buttons are actually incredibly comfortable, and everything seems to be in working order. The wiimote works great in a comfortable range, the screen control buttons work, and the case closes entirely while using the same latch that the original case did. Those were my main concerns, but it all checks out. I can't tell you guys how good it feels to have this done I'm going to be playing some paper mario here real soon haha

 

[Aurelio]

Beautiful!!!

 

[Spencer Richardson]

View attachment 3525 View attachment 3526 View attachment 3527 View attachment 3528 View attachment 3529 View attachment 3530 View attachment 3531 View attachment 3532
Here she is

The shoulder buttons are actually incredibly comfortable, and everything seems to be in working order. The wiimote works great in a comfortable range, the screen control buttons work, and the case closes entirely while using the same latch that the original case did. Those were my main concerns, but it all checks out. I can't tell you guys how good it feels to have this done I'm going to be playing some paper mario here real soon haha

Wow. This is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hot madmorda. You killed it!!! This was one of the first worklogs I came across when I first started portablizing! I love it all and I'm so happy for you that it's finished.

 

[GingerOfOz]

*Raises head from project*

"Beautiful"

*Immediately returns to the grind*

 

[fibbef]

Awesome work Madmorda! I love the use of space, especially with regard to the ports on top.

Hereby calling for more clamshell designs from the community.

 

[Madmorda]

Thank you everyone

Awesome work Madmorda! I love the use of space, especially with regard to the ports on top.

Hereby calling for more clamshell designs from the community.

No lol. No clamshells. They're so hard haha. There's no room for anything xD