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A while back I stripped and scanned a SNES Jr (SNS-101) to help verify the existing 1Chip SNES schematics floating around on the internet. Never a good policy to blindly trust someone else's work without cross-checking it yourself! You can find the scans here if you're interested. I've also just...

αSNES (alphaSNES): A modern, zero-compromise, single-PCB Super Nintendo Entertainment System portable. Why? After getting I2S audio from the SNES in 2020, I thought it would be a shame to build a SNESp with digital audio, yet settle for composite video, a hand-wired cartridge slot, and all the...

For 3.5" 640x480 I'd recommend the JT035IPS02-V0 over the PD035VX2. It's full 24-bit color instead of 18-bit, and IPS. Really vibrant with great viewing angles. Only downside is the Wisecoco driver board doesn't support composite video in AFAIK.

Solder paste stenciling was an absolute nightmare... For some reason, JLCPCB's stencil was warped right in the middle between the GPU and CPU. I eventually managed to get the CPU and GPU pasted properly but had to wipe off the RAM pads and do them separately in a second pass. I've gotten dozens...

After months and months of procrastination, I've finally begun assembling a prototype of my Wii motherboard redesign, which I'm calling Vegas. The name is an homage to Nintendo's naming scheme for the Wii's chipset (Broadway and Hollywood, both famous hubs of entertainment in the US). I designed...

Yeah, I have both a legit GDEMU v5.5 ($140, whole morning wasted constantly refreshing the order page, rude email from Deunan confirming my order) and a clone v5.15 from AliExpress ($45 at the time, painless). They function identically.

If you don't have a VA0/1, or just want to experience the authentic clicking and whirring of the original disc drive, you can also burn games in CDI format to CDs and play them with zero modification to the Dreamcast. That might be even cheaper than a GDEMU if you happen to own a laptop with an...

18650s max out at around 12.5Wh, so any cell advertised above 3600mAh is fake. Those "8800mAh" ones are probably more like 1500mAh. I recommend lygte-info.dk for trustworthy cell capacity tests. Here's a test of an UltraFire cell claiming to be 9900mAh, when it's really 500mAh. If you want...

Wow! Such a unique form factor! Those grips and triggers are sexy. Got any pics of the two 20mm fans? Sounds like a neat cooling setup.

Really cool portable! I like the unconventional mobo placement. The dual rumble motors, enclosed speakers and FFC boards are all really nice touches too. What motors are you using? Maybe they're LRAs and you need to solder the GC+ jumper closed.

Cool to see other people trying this! I designed a similar prototype PCB but I haven't ordered it yet. Still need to pick up some of the reball equipment as well. Maybe we can compare notes on the layout & impedances, if you've looked into that? I think I've figured out some options to get...

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Nothing too major to report. I've been busy with some other projects, but Wii U is still on my to-do list. Here's a quick update. I succeeded in rewiring the disc drive daughterboard to the AC coupling capacitors on the SATA lines. The 10nF series capacitors are required as part of the SATA...

Felt obligated to mention that I'm working on MaplePad, a portablizing-specific fork of Charcole's Dreamcast controller emulator using the Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040). It's pretty mature, though not ready for a formal release. So far I've implemented full controls + scaling, multipage VMU...

Yep, P-channels turn on when the voltage on the gate is negative with respect to the source voltage. I would use a mux for the controller data line, since you don't want the external controller to 'phantom power' the GC+ through its GPIO.

For high-side switching like this, you should probably stick with an enhancement-mode P-channel FET. Add a pulldown resistor in the range of 1k - 100kohms to the gate to make it "on" by default, and then have your dock connect the gate directly to 3.3v to turn it off. Just make sure you...

PM'd!

You're right, magnet wire is just enameled copper wire. The stuff you linked is usable. But just so you know, it's around 29AWG which is pretty thick as far as magnet wire is concerned. Good for wiring power to something that draws more than ~100mA, but less ideal for data lines or other...

Welp, no sooner than I designed this PCB and posted about it, a Chinese supplier (stockpiler? hoarder?) got back to me and said they have BQ25792s in stock for $31 each. I'd rather buy 15 actual chips than a single panel of interposer PCBs for the same price. Desperate times indeed... :P

As everyone knows, the silicon shortage has made it hard to get many different ICs for our hobby. I'm especially sad about the BQ25792 being unavailable for all of 2022. It's one of TI's latest li-ion chargers and combines the best features of the BQ24292i and BQ25895. 24V input, 5A charging for...