What's new

Worklog Xii-Boy V2 - Xenii's second portable Wii

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hello everyone :)
This is the worklog of my second Wii portable: The Xii-Boy V2.
After finishing my first portable Wii, I was bored, I had nothing to do after school :D
So I decided to make a Version 2 of my Xii-Boy design...

So what is the goal of the V2 ? - Make a better and open source Xii-Boy !
Here are some flaws I want to fix with the V2:
- Add a 480p 3.5 inches screen plugged in VGA. ( will be much better than the actual 240p one )
- Add 4 custom PCBs ( instead of my random 3D printed pieces )
- Maybe add the Bluetooth module ( could be great in games like Skyward Sword )
- Fix some other small problems :)

I'll try to update this worklog as much as possible :)


So, let's start !
First, I started to replace my "random 3D pieces" by some custom PCBs...
The Xii-Boy has two fixations in plastic for the triggers: 1x for the Z buttons and 1x for the R and L buttons.

1716837163654.png

Here they are :\
So, I wanted to replace them by custom PCBs
I started with the simplest: The LZ / RZ PCB ( the left one in the picture )
Then, I placed the components, and wire them up !
And this is the result after maybe 1,5 day of work <3

1716837569838.png

Yeah, this is the first time I used Kicad... So I'm pretty slow :D

After that, I just put this PCB in my 3D design...
1716837776085.png

Then, I started the second custom PCB: the R / L PCB
Here is the schematic
1716837884883.png

I used the TMHF07 dual tact button. Thanks to @Y2K once again for the footprint !
( And yeah the connections for these buttons are wrong in that case. But I corrected it )
After one other day, this PCB was done !
1716838022492.png

I put a little 7 pin connector... You'll see later for what it will be used for :D

Once again, I put this guy in my design and...
1716838094517.png

It is actually in the RVL PMS... A bit worrying...

To fix that, I started the "DRILLING OPERATION"
and here is the result after "digging" the triggers:
1716838339066.png

This is much better !

I don't have enough time to continue my worklog right now... I'll continue it tomorrow :D
So yeah, thanks for the help, have a good day and see you next time <3
 
Last edited:

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hello everyone !
This is the part #2 of the Xii-Boy V2 worklog !

After digging the triggers, I modeled the DS lite membranes for the Dpad and the ABXY buttons.
1716981726036.png


Then, I printed some tests and finally add the membranes in my design
1716981812763.png
1716981783058.png

I've also corrected some problem the V1 has. For example, when I press the A button on the side, it sometimes gets stuck... With my last edits, the problem is almost done ! And with a little bit of sanding I think it will be much greater !
I've also removed the old fixations for my old buttons PCBs made in test board :facepalm:

After that, I ordered the DS lite buttons, the membranes and the screen !
For the screen, the commonly used is the "Wisecoco 480p 3.5 inches" at ~ 65 CHF ( 71.18 USD ) ( Here is the link: https://de.aliexpress.com/i/4000079736318.html )
But, by searching a bit more, I found exactly the same screen but at ~ 35 CHF ( 38.86 USD ) ( Here is the link: https://de.aliexpress.com/i/1005005389582535.html )
I don't know if this screen is a scam or not. The seller looks legit, and the screen had one sold. So for the low price, I tried to order it...

I'll see in maybe one week if it was a scam or not :D

Then, I'm currently making the schematic for the 2 others PCBs. I'll finish and order them when I'll receive the buttons and membranes to test the felling.
If it's good, I'll make a sketch, export it in DXF, import it in Kicad and make the PCB...

So actually I'm waiting for the buttons and the membranes.


If you have any question or recommendation, don't hesitate to ask / tell me :D
I'll maybe use the laminated screen that @supertazon recommended. But for that, I have to order the driver board only. And the Wisecoco one is at the same price as the full kit at the other seller...

Thanks for the help and the encouragements
Have a good day and see you next time ! <3
 

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hello everyone :)
Welcome to the episode #3 of the Xii-Boy V2's worklog !

Few days after posting the episode #2, I received the DS Lite buttons and membranes !
The painting isn't perfect but it isn't too bad :D
Image

After some 3D adjustments, I finally got a very nice feeling.
Unfortunately, I don't have a DS Lite to compare, but it feels good. And so much better than the V1.

Then, I started to prepare the case for the "Controller PCB"
1718900521235.png

I modeled the shape of this PCB and its fixations.
1718900582781.png


After that, I had to change the fixation's hole of the two first PCB (L|Z and LR|LZ)
The first version of those had a 1.4 mm hole's diameter. It's perfect for my screws... ...when they are screwed in the plastic case. But it's really too thin on a PCB...
So, I decided to change those to add a 1.9 mm diameter. (Exactly like the RVL PMS or the GC+ 2.0)
Here is the result:
1718900937810.png

1718900951138.png


I've also received the new screen ! It wasn't a scam <3
Here is the link: https://de.aliexpress.com/i/1005005389582535.html

Then I finally began the PCB Controller.
I had to create my own footprint for the DS Lite membranes.
I started by measuring the diameter of the contact pads on the membrane's side. (3mm)
I made a little schematic of what it'll should look like.
Here it is:
1718902284075.png



And here is the footprint finished:
1718902347128.png

The pad 1 and 2 are connected to GND and the 3 and 4 are connected together to the "DATA" Line.

And after a few days, the schematic of the PCB Controller was done !
1718902438362.png


I also wanted to add a rumble motor. But I didn't have the place, so I decided to change a bit the shape of the Controller PCB.
1718902548046.png

Right now, this PCB isn't done at all. I'll finish it soon :D
My first idea was to put the RGB LED at the same position as the V1. But this is not very optimal.
I'll put it on the top side. And this little change let me the place to put the rumble motor just under the PCB Controller !
Just like that:
1718907383519.png


I've also modeled the new screen and the screen driver board.
1718902708166.png


On this board, I will try to remove the biggest capacitors, the HDMI connector, the crystal, the power and menu button's connector.
I just asked @GingerOfOz if he has the references of the 2 components he changed (small capacitor and crystal) on his beautiful Wii Boy Color.
If I got them, I will be able to make the BEST upgrade on the Xii-Boy: The thickness.

Here are all the components seen from the left.
1718903096249.png

As you can see, the 240p screen driver board is very thick. But not the new one :awesome:
Here is the same picture but with the new screen and screen driver board:
1718903194984.png

And this is what I could have if I can get the references of the @GingerOfOz's smaller components:
1718903275343.png

(Yeah the picture is on the right side this time... Sorry)
But anyway, I can minimize the Xii-Boy's thickness from 31 mm to 26mm !
1718903431631.png

Here is another picture of what the Xii-Boy V2 could look like.
And its name will probably be changed to Xii-Boy Pocket... Because it's actually 16% smaller than the Xii-Boy V1. And ~25 from the Gboy Rev 3.
I didn't find the Wii Boy Color's dimensions to compare. But If someone has them, you can tell me :D

So the case isn't ready for this big change, I'll do the modification only if I'm sure that I can replace the screen driver board's components.

So yep, Thanks for the help and the encouragements
Have a good day and see you next time <3
 

Attachments

Last edited:

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hello everyone :)
Welcome to the episode #4 of my Xii-Boy V2's worklog.

Few days after the posting of the episode #3, @GingerOfOz answered me. (Thanks once again ;))
So, I'm happy to say that the Xii-Boy V2 will lose 5mm of height ! It will be the Xii-Boy Pocket :)
I've modified the case for this change.

I've also removed all the old fixations.
This is before (on the current V1)
1721836742724.png

And this is after (now)
1721836776903.png


After that, It was time to make the Controller PCB.
I've made a reference sketch to know where put the membrane's pad or other components.
Here it is:
1721837046248.png

15 minutes after, the pads were placed !
1721837104619.png


And, after a few weeks / months, it was finally done !
1721837232526.png
1721837241461.png

Thanks a lot to @YveltalGriffin and @Y2K for their help and advices ! I'm very grateful <3
As you can see, I've put a lot of connectors. The P2 goes to the R / L PCB for the triggers, the P3 and P4 to the Left and C stick and the P1 will be connected to the Main PCB.
Finally, there are 4 test points on the top and 6 on the bottom. The top ones are to power on the screen, and the bottom ones for the speakers and the rumble motor.

Speaking of the Main PCB, Here is the schematic: ( not done )
1721837724853.png

It will be on the top of the Xii-Boy V2:
1721837791835.png
1721837806153.png

It will also have two connectors for the Bluetooth and the Wifi modules

Then, I added the 2 more fixation for the case on top. This was a problem of the V1 so it should be much better now.
1721837937200.png
1721837946145.png
1721837955180.png


I've also corrected other problems the V1 had.
for example, I've modified the Power and Volume - / + buttons. They were way too small.
1721838036576.png
1721838049525.png

I decided to move the RGB LED on the top side. It will be much better. Thanks to @supertazon for the idea !
1721838106865.png

I've also upgraded the cooling setup. (but I don't have picture:facepalm:)

After that, with the advices of @supertazon, I decided to use the laminated screen. The same the Wii Boy Color II has.
I wasn't sure about the appearance the Xii-Boy V2 will have with that screen.
So, I decided to model that screen and see what looks better.
Here is the V1 (normal screen)
1721838378855.png

And here is with the laminated screen:
1721838404336.png

I think the laminated screen is sooooo much better. I'll order it soon.


If you remember, the V1 had no Bluetooth or Wifi. For the V2, I wanted to add only Bluetooth. But I decided to use Wifi too !
Soldering Wifi is tricky though. But, @supertazon and @YveltalGriffin made a very nice flex PCB for the WiFi: The WiFI Flex !
The problem is: I don't have the place to put a Wifi module where the WiFi Flex is.
So, I decided to make my own flex based on the WiFi Flex !
And after many days here is the Xii-Flex !
1721838663740.png

It contains the WiFI Flex, the GCC, the USB and the 12S data lines.
All the data lines go to a FFC male connector I've designed. With this connector, I'll be able to connect my flex directly to my next "Main PCB" through a FFC female connector.
Once, again, Thanks a lot to @YveltalGriffin for all his help and advices. I'm very very grateful <3
He also suggested me to add a diode to my Controller PCB for the MP jumpers. So I did !
1721838861663.png



I think this is all for this episode. If you have any idea to upgrade the Xii-Boy, don't hesitate to tell me :)
Thanks a lot to every person who helped me. I'm very grateful <3
Have a great day and see you next time !
 

Attachments

Last edited:

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hello everyone !
Welcome to the episode #5 of my Xii-Boy V2's Worklog.
This one will be shorter than the older one, but I wanted to show my latest work !

A few days after the episode #4, I ordered the @supertazon's Laminated Screen. (Link here: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzwvzFb)
And two weeks later, I receive it !
Here is a comparison between the Laminated Screen and the old 480P screen:
1723484058962.png


And now a comparison between the Xii-Boy V1's screen and the Laminated Screen:
1723484148321.png
1723484202583.png

As you can see, this is soooooo much better !

After that, I had to adapt the case for the new screen.
I've first modeled the screen:
1723484293299.png

And finally put it in my case:
1723484336816.png


And after a few tests, the final result: (V1 on top)
1723484388589.png
1723484593778.png

It's perfect :)

I've also worked on the Main PCB
First, I finished the schematic:
1723484682805.png

Then I started to place the components.
1723484764668.png

And start the routing !
1723484926884.png

I've also added the USB data line traces. With the help of @YveltalGriffin, I successfully add them.
He said they must have 90 Ohms impedance. So I did !
1723485081505.png

This PCB is a 4 layers board. The two external one are for data. The second one (In 1) is a big GND plane. And finally, the third one (In 2) is for the voltage polygons.
Here they are:
1723485409209.png

After many hours / days / weeks, I'm happy to say that it's finally done !
1723485195478.png
1723485208403.png

This PCB contains:
- A miniaturized U-Amp (based on @Gman's one)
- An USB-C 12V Power Delivery port (for the CHARGE)
- An USB to uSD converter
- A 17 pins FFC connector (to connect the Xii-Flex)
- Another 10 pins FFC connector (which will be connected to the Controller PCB)
- Four side buttons (Power, Volume -, Volume + and SYNC)
- A RGB LED
- And finally, a Bluetooth + WiFi module connector.

I've also corrected some mistakes the other PCBs had.

I'm also happy to say that all the Xii-Boy V2's PCBs are done !
I just have to check that everything is ok.
And If it is, I'll order them !

That's it !
Once again, If you have any idea to upgrade the Xii-Boy, don't hesitate to tell me !
Thanks a lot to every person who helped me. I'm very grateful <3
Special thanks to @YveltalGriffin for his wonderful help.

Have a great day and see you next time !
 

Stitches

2 and a Half Dollarydoos
Staff member
.
.
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
4,181
Likes
3,278
Location
Banana Bender Land, Australia
Portables
6
Damn that laminated boiye looks good!
 

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hello everyone !
Welcome to the episode #6 of the Xii-Boy Pocket (V2) worklog.
This episode will be even shorter than the previous one ;)

Well well well. I have something to show you :D
1724695908059.png
1724695935568.png


I've ordered them last week, and I'm proud to say that I finally receive them !!!
It took me 3 months of design. I've never used Kicad before.

Unfortunately, There are some mistakes on the Main PCB about solder mask.
The issue isn't really hard to correct, I just have to scratch the solder mask.

Once again, I wanted to thank everybody who helped me <3
Special thanks to @Y2K for some footprint, @supertazon for his general advices and @YveltalGriffin for his endless help <3
Also, big thanks to @Gman, @Aurelio, @supertazon and @YveltalGriffin for their wonderful open-source PCB (RVL-PMS, U-Amp, GC+ 2.0 and WiFi Flex)

I've also ordered the components through Digikey. I should receive them soon.

So where is the project progress now ?
Well, the longest part is done.
I will start the funny part soon: ASSEMBLY !
When I'll receive the components, I'll assemble the PCBs and then test them.
Next, I will be able to hack and trim a Wii and once again test it.
For the case, I'm working on the case every time something important happened (a new PCB to implement, etc)


If I have to give a number, I think the project is at 60% now.


By the way, the Xii-Boy V2 should be black with white buttons.
1724697325014.png

What do you think about it ?

That's it !
Once again, If you have any idea to upgrade the Xii-Boy, don't hesitate to tell me !
Thanks a lot to every person who helped me. I'm very grateful <3

Have a great day and see you next time !
 
Last edited:

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hi there !
Welcome to episode #7 of the Xii-Boy Pocket's worklog !

First, I wanted to say that the mistakes about solder mask on my Main PCB came from me and not from JLCPCB.
So, what's happened ?

When I was designing this PCB, I did modify the side button and the USB-C connector footprint. I wanted to expose a little less of solder mask. Unfortunately, I did remove a bit too much :facepalm: Result: I could see the pads in KiCad, because of the solder paste layer (HASL in my case) but there were no solder mask holes under them.
I didn't know this could happen, and KiCad said nothing in the DRC. I'll be more careful next time ;)

A few days after the episode #6, I received the components from Digikey.
I've also ordered some pieces and components from Aliexpress.

With the components, I did start the assembly process of my custom PCBs !
I've started with the two simplest: the LZ / RZ PCB and the L / R PCB. On this last one, there is a 7 pins 0.5mm pitch FFC connector. It was the first time I solder something like that. It went well !
Here they are:
1726771439720.png
1726771460004.png

As you can see, I did make a mistake (once again) with the R / L PCB. I did place the two dual tact button with the view set to the incorrect side. Result: They were reversed. I had to correct that with some small copper wire. It's ugly, but it works, and that's what matter the most :awesome:

After that, I started the second most complex PCB I've designed for this project: The Controller PCB !
The soldering process went well, and the programming too ! It was time to test it. On this PCB, I have to scratch a via to test the PCB. Or solder directly on the connector, but it's trickier in my opinion.

I've plugged everything to the Wii and.... ... the sticks don't work at all :o
I had some weird issues with them. I cannot calibrate them in RVLoader. I was a bit lost. I thought maybe my PCB is completely wrong, or the solder are bad.
And then, I had an idea: Why not test calibrating the sticks in the GC+ 2.0 configurator homebrew ?
I've tested, and this time, I was able to calibrate the sticks. After a few attempts, they work perfectly !
Unfortunately, the sticks are bad. Terrible feeling and terrible precision.

A week after, I received some new ones from Aliexpress. I took them in white to match with the Xii-Boy Pocket color prototype I've posted in the previous episode ;)
With them, it works perfectly ! They are just perfect !

With this success, I was able to completely finish the Controller PCB. Here it is:
1726772052745.png
1726772096634.png

I've tested all the buttons: everything works as expected !
However, I have some issue with the rumble. When I press A + B in the same time in RVLoader controller tester, They start to blink and the rumble motor doesn't spin at all. Maybe I will have a better result with the 5V. I've only tested it with the 3.3V... If someone has an idea, lemme know ;)

Then, I've received the majority of the Aliexpress components I've ordered. Except the copper plate for the heat sink. I'll see what's going on later.
I've also received the DS Lite buttons:
1726772393423.png

They aren't perfect, so I'll maybe send them to erase the ugly painting.

After that, I've started to assemble the most expensive PCB in the Xii-Boy Pocket: the RVL PMS from @Gman
After two days it was done !
1726772529187.png

I've tested it and it works perfectly ! All tensions are good ! I didn't test the RGB LED and the charge yet. But I think, if the PMS turns on, that means the microcontroller works. If it does, the RGB LED should work too. Same for the charge, the charge chip is working because the PMS turns on and shows all the good tensions, so the charge should work as well.

You might notice I never trim the Wii motherboard for this project. It was time :)
I've first relocated the U10 chip:
1726772785741.png

I've quickly tested it after that, and it's still working :)

Then I've traced the trim:
1726772931270.png


And then, start the trimming process B|
By the way, I've never trimmed a Wii before. On the V1, my brother did it for me <3

The trimming went well ! This is definitely not the prettiest trim we've never seen before, but I'm pretty proud of me for a first trim :)
1726773175812.png
1726773203586.png

1726773233409.png
1726773255602.png


With these both last elements (RVL-PMS + trimmed Wii), I was able to test it.
And.... IT WORKS !
I'm so happy, everything seems to work perfectly ! (I've quickly tested the USB and it works too)

The last PCB I have to assemble is the Main PCB.
I first started to assemble the 12V Power Delivery circuit.
It was tricky because I had to scratch the solder mask. It's a bit ugly due to my stupid mistake about the solder mask, but it works !
1726773628866.png

This chip is perfect: very cheap, very easy to use, works with both PD and classic 5V charger, and it only needs a 6 pins USB-C connector which is easy to solder. This is just perfect :awesome:
I you wanna make a USB-C PD circuit, check this one ! It's a CH224K. I bought it at Aliexpress and it works well !

I should finish the assembly process of this PCB soon. Then, I will be able to solder a Xii-Flex on the Wii and finally test everything together ! If everything works perfectly, I'll work on the final case :)

I think this is all for this episode. I hope you enjoyed reading it !
Once again, if you have any questions or recommendations, lemme know !
Thanks a lot to every person who helped / advised me. I'm very grateful <3

Have a great day and see you next time !
 

Attachments

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hi there !
Welcome to the episode #8 of the Xii-Boy Pocket's Worklog !
This episode was really hard to do. I hope you'll enjoy it !

First, I finished the assembly process of the Main PCB !
Here it is:
1728737338519.png
1728737353301.png

1728737380026.png

I love it <3
To test it, I had to solder a Xii-Flex on the trimmed Wii. Using the advices of @supertazon, I did !
1728737551084.png
1728737585598.png

It was surprisingly much simpler to solder than I thought !

After that, it was time to plug everything to the PMS and begin the test process !
And.... It was a big fail. Nothing worked as expected. Even the Wii didn't boot o.O

First I thought because it was nothing in the uSD card slot. I've put a card and then, I noticed that the slot was broken: the card didn't stay in :\
By applying some tape, the problem was fixed. However, even with a uSD card, it didn't work better...

Before testing the Main PCB, I've checked for short on the voltage lines, and I didn't find some...
But after my test, I had one between the GND and the 3.3V line. I was very confused.

Considering the short seemed to appear after powering the board, I thought a component fried.
I do not have a thermal camera, so I wasn't able to see where the faulty component was.

The only solution: I had to desolder every component which had link with the 3.3V line. It took a lot of time and it was very frustrating.
I had to remove almost every capacitor, every chip, etc.
I took one day to find where the short was. The last thing I had to remove was the WiFi module's connector. And when I did, the short was gone !

The problem is that I had to resolder all components I've removed. When I did, a short reappear :o
This time, I knew that the WiFi and Bluetooth connector could cause the problem. I clean them and the short was gone !

You might wonder it the Wii is fine after the short. And with a lot of luck, it seems to !

I've also replaced the uSD card slot with a new one. But it also broke... I had to order some new one through AliExpress.
Once again, I've applied some tape to fix the problem.
After all these problems, it was time to retest the Main PCB.

This time, the Wii did boot in RVLoader !
I wanted to launch a game to test the audio. I've first plugged my Controller PCB to the Main PCB using a 10 pins FFC cable. It also worked !
I decided to launch Metroid Prime 2 because I love the main theme <3
However, there was no sound coming out the headphone jack connector :o I've also tested with speakers, but it didn't work too.

I thought, the 3.3V short has fried the audio amplifier chip. And unfortunately, I just ordered one :(
Hopefully, I did assemble two U-Amps for the Xii-Boy V1, and I only used one of them. I just removed the chip from it and solder it back on my Main PCB.
And then, it worked perfectly !

I also wanted to launch a Wii game like Super Smash Bros Brawl to enjoy the main theme ! And then, I noticed that the Wii game do not launch and got stuck on the "Waiting for ES". I also noticed that the little chip which convert USB to uSD overheated. So I've changed it. But it didn't work better.

I changed it 3 times. And it still doesn't work. I decided to desolder the chip there was on another adapter, which I'm sure it worked, and then solder it back on my Main PCB.
And, it worked !

..... And then, it's never worked again.
I've tried to clean the slot, and it worked but only one time.

It was very frustrating and I was completely lost.
I asked @YveltalGriffin if he had some ideas to solve my problem. And he told me step by step how to identify my problem.

Following his advices, I've tried to rule out the Xii-Flex by soldering some magnet wires between the Wii and the FFC connector on the Main PCB. It didn't work better.
I've also tested to rule out the 90 Ohms impedance traces. I didn't do it properly so it didn't work too.

After a lot of tests, I didn't find any problems. Then I thought "The only things which remains is the uSD card slot"
So, I waited one week to receive the new one. When they finally arrived, I directly desolder the current one and solder the new one very quickly to not melt the plastic part inside.

Unfortunately, it didn't work... It was worse than the last time.
Once again, I was frustrated and lost. So I asked @YveltalGriffin.
After a few ideas, we thought the problem come from the uSD slot or the Xii-Flex + USB data lines impedance.

After some advices, I tried to retouch the uSD slot pads with my solder iron and properly clean it up.
And IT WORKS !!! I've tested 10 times, and it works well every time. No lags, No weird loading, very fast, etc

Finally, after all this pain, it was working !
I've also tested the RGB LED and the 12V charge. Both works well too !

I just have to say that @YveltalGriffin took a lot of time to help me. This guy is the savior of this project. I'll never say that enough, but THANKS A LOT @YveltalGriffin !


If you remember, in the Episode #3, I told that the Xii-Boy Pocket will be 5 mm thinner than the V1. To do that, I have to miniaturize the screen's driver board. It was hard, especially for the HDMI port. But I successfully did it !
1728740174064.png

Thanks a lot @GingerOfOz for the components, they work perfectly !

And here are all the PCBs the Xii-Boy Pocket has:
1728740258535.png


As you can see, I decided to use antennas for the WiFi Module. Like @YveltalGriffin said, it could work without them. However, my WiFi isn't very fast, that the reason why I'll use them.


And that's it for this episode. I hope you enjoyed it.
The next one will be about the case, because it's the last things I have to do to finish this project !
Thanks a lot to every person who helped me, I'm very grateful <3
Special thanks to @YveltalGriffin for all his precious help.

Have a wonderful day and see you next time, for maybe, one of the last episode of the Xii-Boy Pocket's Worklog !
 

Xenii

.
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
37
Likes
116
Location
Switzerland
Portables
Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket
Hi there !
Welcome to the final episode of the Xii-Boy pocket's Worklog.

Like I said, this episode will talk about the case :awesome:
First, I corrected every visible error the case had.

If you remember, in the first episode of this worklog, I did dig inside the triggers. However, I just noticed that this system cannot be used.
I decided to fully remake it.

First, I've remade the Z buttons. On the V1, they were too rounded, and they weren't comfortable to press.
Here are the new one: (New VS old)
1729979150893.png

Then, I remade the R / L trigger. After a few tests, here is the final system:
1729979220530.png


These new buttons give a much better feeling than the old V1 system.
The triggers are 2 mm lower in the case. This change is great because it makes the Z buttons more accessible.

After that, it was time to make the final parts and the tests. I first made the screen fixation:
1729979322039.png


Then, I printed the top case to test all the fitments and the global feeling of the face buttons. And... everything is good !
1729979440003.png
1729979443339.png


With some other tests I've made, I compared the difference of thickness between the V1 and the V2
1729979517402.png


Then, I did print the bottom case to test everything. It was also useful to test if the top and bottom can be screw together or not...
Here is the result:
1729979629258.png
1729979632613.png

I was also able to test the new feeling of the XB2. It is much better. The 5 mm thickness difference is a huge game changer.

Considering this case was great, I wanted to sand and paint it. However, this would take me a lot of time for a not really good result.
With the advices of @superzaon, I decided to order my final case through JLC3DP.

The best kind of case for portable is nylon. It is much less fragile than resin.
And with the help and advices from @CrazyGadget, I ordered it !
I took it in SLS, which is cheaper but offers a better color in my opinion.

I also decided to take one in resin, just to test the tolerances.

One week after, I received them !
1729980076736.png

Resin Nylon SLS PLA

The nylon case had a kinda powder on it which was supper uncomfortable. After brushing it with a big brush, It was much better.
1729980197715.png

And I love this color.

After that, it was time to finally assemble everything together !
1729980282407.png

Here is every single part the Xii-Boy Pocket has.

I first assembled the top case:
1729980428149.png

With the nylon case, the feeling of the face buttons is perfect <3

And then I assembled the bottom part:
1729980512428.png
1729980529179.png

This part was tricker. Fitting the Wi-Fi antennas wasn't easy. The trickiest part was to insert the whole Main PCB + Wi-Fi module + Bluetooth module + Wi-Fi antennas...
But I did it, and it's working !

After installing the Wii motherboard, it was time to finally connect both part (bottom and top) together !
This means that I had to wire VGA for the first time, considering the V1 doesn't have VGA.
It was tricky, but I did it !
1729980764350.png

At first, it didn't work. I forgot to connect the Mode to 3.3V :facepalm:
So I did, but it didn't work better. I was pretty lost. I'm sure my solders are great. Also, I'm sure the Wii was working, and I'm sure the screen worked. What could be wrong ?

And then @supertazon told me that my issue was normal, considering the label of the screen driver board are wrong. H sync and V sync are reversed !
So I did reverse them and it worked ! The picture wasn't centered, so I had to do a screen calibration. It wasn't easy considering the silkscreen is wrong. But I successfully did it.

Currently, the Xii-Boy Pocket is done.

I just have to correct some little software issue like some GC games which don't work properly with the screen.
I'll post the final result in a Cutting Edge thread, that I'll indicate here.

That's it.
Special thanks to @supertazon and @CrazyGadget for their help !
Also, thanks to every other person who helped me, I'm very grateful <3

Considering this episode was the last one, I just wanted to thank every person who did read, like and comment it.
All this support gave me a lot of motivation to finish this project.

I hope you liked this worklog !

Thanks to everybody for your support, have a wonderful day, and see you next time for the final result !
 

Attachments

Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
117
Likes
139
Great design and fantastic job! Your Xii-Flex is an awesome design and how you integrated both the Bluetooth and WiFi chip connectors on your main PCB is breakthrough material!
 
Top