Xenii
.
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2024
- Messages
- 116
- Likes
- 414
- Location
- Switzerland
- Portables
- Xii-Boy Original, Xii-Boy Pocket, Xii-Boy Ultra
Hi all!
Before posting a new Worklog episode, I wanted to share my latest work here.
In the last episode, I mentioned the new upcoming Revision 2 of the Xii-Boy Ultra.
I also mentioned it's released that was planned two weeks later
Unfortunately, I had a lot of delays and issue, so it's currently not ready to be published.
Though I wanted to keep everyone, reason why I'm here today!
It's time to reveal the new Xii-Boy Ultra REV2!!!
First, you might ask; "What the heck are Xii-Boy Ultra revisions?"
My answer would be; Making a portable Wii project requires a lot of organization. Things must be well referenced and easy to understand for everyone.
Revisions on the Xii-Boy Ultra are what we could say "life times" of the design.
To give an example, the REV 0 was the first build I've done. It's an early prototype to test the boards and the design, and it was named XBU-001. Only Bryce and I have those.
The later Xii-Boy Ultra REV 1 was the Beta revision released on the GitHub since May. It received some updates, and changes. (It's the one @Hili is making)
And now, the Xii-Boy Ultra REV 2 is the one I'm showcasing today. It's the new Revision used in the Beta Kit consoles. It will also be the new GitHub version until the final kit, which will be REV 3.
Naming revisions makes things easier for me to publish and update, and it's also a nice indication for you to follow and to know if the files you got are the latest revisions or not.
Anyway, so what does the Xii-Boy Ultra REV 2 changed?
The Xii-Boy Ultra REV 2 has corrected all the issues the previous revisions had. Most of the issues were reported by @Bryceshaw06, but haven't been published yet since they required testing.
The most obvious change is the reliability. My first Xii-Boy Ultra (REV 0) had a lot of issues. The shell was still 26mm thick (like the Xii-Boy Pocket). Which caused the screen to constantly pop out the shell. I also noticed a LOT of crashes and failed boots due to the old Pogo pins used to power the Wii motherboard.
Furthermore, USB was routed on the fan PWM traces, which sometimes caused slow loading due to interferences, and probably contributed to some crashes.
This revision also had some buttons issues. The two Z buttons were way too wobbly, and the Power and Sync buttons were badly designed, causing them to sometimes fall out inside the shell.
Furthermore, the designed had many flaws including bad battery tabs, and various not optimized choices.
The REV 2 fixed all of this. Of course some things might change later, nothing is perfect, but I'm really proud of all I was able to fix in one revision.
This revision is also mentioning all the Beta Testers names on them, which is a nice little touch! Some boards have changed to make assembly easier and cleaner.
You waited enough, here are some pictures of this new Rev 2 Xii-Boy Ultra!!!
The REV 2 is identical to the two first revision in terms of features, so I'm not going to list everything it features.
Though if you're interested, I'll put a link here in case you're new here and want to take a look
For this new build, I decided to use Nylon for the shell, like the Xii-Boy Pocket. The resin is nice and smooth, but I had the feeling of holding a terribly fragile glass that is going to break every time I put it on a table
When I took it with me, I always had to bring a huge carrying case to avoid it to break.I love SLS, but it's true that it is a bit rough. For this new build, I decided to try something new. I chose the latest MJF Nylon from JLC3DP; the PA11.
And it's gorgeous! It does have bigger grains, but they are way smoother and feel awesome in the hands. I suggest everybody taking this for a portable shell, and also to try it out for the people who dislike SLS. In my opinion, it is even stronger than SLS, and seems to be really durable, SLS tents to change color over time.
MJF PA11 is almost as cheap as SLS, and is just the best material for a portable so far in my opinion.
And now here is a neat picture of the internals!
I'm a true fan of how it turns out, and I'm happy to finally have an awesome portable to travel with during my long trains session to go to school.
I'll explain everything related to the kits on my worklog soon. I'll show you all the new PCBs, assembly, fails, boxes and more!
When does this new revision come out?
I've been really busy with school and kits over the past few weeks. I just finished and confirmed this build being working, so I will release the files on Github soon!
I hope doing that next weekend. I'll mention it here when it comes out.
Special thanks to:
- All the Beta Kit Testers that are going to receive their kits soon!
- The Xii-Boy Team (@JamesPi, @Bryceshaw06 and I) for helping me a lot with the administrative side of the kits, boxes, bags and the guide of course.
- @Bryceshaw06 for the upgrade recommendations
- @JamesPi for the support
- @YveltalGriffin for general help about the kits and PCB design
- @supertazon for general help and troubleshooting
Thanks for reading this post! I made it pretty quick, since those times are pretty stressful and busy for me.
I just had a few extra time today to share and showcase my latest work
The following weeks will be extremely amazing for the Xii-Boy Ultra! Stay tuned!!
Thanks a lot, have a wonderful day, and see you next time!
(PS: this is my first wire-free portable lol, the REV 0 used mag wires for some PCB mistakes. Nobody can ever tell I don't have any wire-free portables anymore)
