Cool Parts Thread

[Shank]

Find a cool or interesting new part that may be useful for projects? Wether its a cool new switch, chip, screen, circuit board module, or parts supplier, post it here. The modding scene is always looking for new ways to improve our craft, and sometimes new parts can inspire new ideas.

Post your cool parts here. Part numbers and pictures are preferred in addition to links, as links often break in time. If you purchased and tried the part, let us know what you think of it and its potential uses.

 

[StonedEdge]

Not really a "cool part" per say - but I'm uploading this here to encourage people to use PCBways' resin 3D printing services (which turns your hard work into an amazing clear transparent case).

If you go with the below settings, most importantly choosing the UTR-8100 resin (ignore the paint option, you can choose various finishes with them) you will be thoroughly impressed. They are using a polyjet printer which delivers very little/small warping compared to traditional resin printers. For people who want a little bit higher quality than a 3D printed FDM case, I'd recommend you give it a try - I painted my case and it was great!

 

[Nold]

One of my favorite part are these buttons by panasonic. I basically used them in all of my portables since the WooDii because they are smol & have a nice semi-tactile feeling at 1.6N. You can get the CAD file from panasonics website, too.

https://na.industrial.panasonic.com/products/electromechanical/switches/series/79212/model/79300

Part No: EVPBFAC1A000

 

[cy]

Here's a list of things that are mainly used for the G-Wii build, but are still overall useful. I figured these were worth posting since they still get asked about all the time and could be useful elsewhere. I've provided the part numbers and verified these components can be found by copy and pasting the part number into a Google search.


Speakers(Needed For The G-Wii):
These seem to be pretty universal in the community, but here they are regardless.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/soberton-inc/SP-1511S-4/6099102
Part Number: SP-1511S-4
(Digi-Key Part Number: 433-1128-ND)

Chonky Headphone Jack(Needed For The G-Wii):
I included the diagram I used to wire up mine.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/switchcraft-inc/35RAPC4BH3/1288781
Part Number: 35RAPC4BH3
(Digi-Key Part Number: SC1464-ND)

7mm Tact Switches(Useful In The G-Wii):
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/c-k/PTS645SL702-LFS/1146774
Part Number: PTS645SL702 LFS
(Digi-Key Part Number: CKN9071-ND)

4.4mm Tact Switches(Useful In The G-Wii):
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/nkk-switches/HP0315AFKP2-R/2640558
Part Number: HP0315AFKP2-R
(Digi-Key Part Number: 360-2595-2-ND)

Copper Plate For Heatsink & Fan Assembly(Needed For The G-Wii):
You'll need to specify the dimensions of the plate you want to order under "Custom Cut" or else you'll pay for way more than you need. In the case of the G-Wii those dimensions are 70mm x 35mm.
https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/buy/copper/0-093-copper-sheet-101-h02/pid/15247
Part Number: 15247


5 Inch 4:3 640x480 12 Volt Screen(Can Be Used For The G-Wii):
This screen was sold on the Bit Built store and was mainly used in the G-Wii. Data sheet for it can be found here. Just make sure you mod it for 5 volts.
https://www.good-display.com/product/278.html
Part Number: GDN-D567AT-GTI050NA-08C

35x35x8 5 Volt Fan(Can Be Used For The G-Wii):
I can't say enough good about this fan. It's unreasonably quiet and it gets the job done nicely!
Here's the link for this
Part Number: UDQFNKH01

Everything that went unlisted is either obvious(like replacement GC buttons), or are harder to find. Here are some other cool parts I've come across that may be of use:

3.5 inch 4:3 640x480 Display:
Should fit the G-Boy
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000516133188.html
Part Number: JT035IPS02-V0

Here's An Alternative 35x35x7mm 5 Volt Fan
Should also fit the G-Wii, not sure if it's as good or better than the I linked earlier, but I thought I'd link it regardless.
Here's the link
Part Number: ADDA AB3505MX-QB0 3507

Copper Heat Sinks:
These are just a bunch of copper heat sinks of varying dimensions. I'm sure someone will find one of these useful.
Here's the link
Part Number: N/A

 

[cy]

Not trying to bump a dead thread or double post here but there are a few parts I've been using recently that I've really liked. I thought it would be good to post them here so they're easier to find for everyone, so here they are:

This is a cheaper alternative screen and driver board to the one I linked for the G-Wii:

Here's the link
Part #ZJ050NA-08C
Thanks to @YveltalGriffin for sharing the link for this when I was trying to find it.

I also really like these switches. They're incredibly low profile and can handle up to 500mA of current.
@Wesk used it in his PS2 Ultra Slim, so credit belongs to him for finding them:

Here's the Mouser link
Here's the Digikey link
Part #CL-SA-12C4-22

There's also this volume wheel which is used in the Ashida. I also used it in my Cyxty Four build, and in my Starlight G-Wii build for analog volume control and I think it's great!
View attachment RV100F-30.webp
Here's the link
Part #RV100F-30-4K1B-B10K-B301
Once again, credit for this goes to @Wesk

Another awesome part is this USB-C charging board. This thing is low profile, and I also used it in the Cyxty Four along with another project for charging batteries. It works fine out of the box with the PMS1 and PMS2. Just make sure you double check your polarity(since it's only labeled on the bottom) and make sure you order the 12v version at checkout.

Amazon Link
Aliexpress Link
Relevant search terms: IP2721 and pdc004-pd
name: PDC004-PD.
It uses an IP2721 IC

Thanks to @YveltalGriffin again for supplying me with information regarding this component!

Hope you all find these useful! I certainly have!

 

[cy]

@YveltalGriffin recently made a forum post which I've linked here that covers where to find high capacity high quality 18650s and 21700s from reputable sources, and I wanted to post that along with a few other parts here for documentation purposes.

• Amprius SA110 (4000mAh 18650):

https://diy500amp.com/products/amprius-sa110-18650-battery-cell-4000mah-ultra-high-capacity

• Vapcell N41 (4050mAh 18650):

https://liionwholesale.com/products/vapcell-n41-18650-10a-flat-top-4050mah-battery-genuine

• Linkdata 65P (6500mAh 21700):

https://diy500amp.com/products/link...ell-6500mah-52a-high-capacity-high-power-cell

• BAK 65E (6500mAh 21700):

https://convoylight.com/products/bak-n21700cx-65e-21700-lithium-battery-6500mah-max-output-19a

• Vapcell F66 (6600mAh 21700):

https://www.vapcelltech.com/h-pd-329.html
I'm planning on using these cells for most of my future projects. The links are reputable and the battery life is better than a lot of the cells we've been using in this community for years now. You can find Yveltal's original post with more information here. I really did just copy and paste the links out of it, so I can't take any credit, I'm just trying to post the same links here where it's more accessible/easy to find. Please check out his original post for more information.

Yveltal was also nice enough to provide me with a part number for the plug and the JST connector used for the Switch 2 speakers:
Switch 2 JST connector:
SM02B-XSRS-ETB
Digikey Link
Switch 2 Plug:
02XSR-36S
Digikey Link

Here are some Switch 2 Speakers I found on Aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256811416665390.html
These were really easy to find by just searching "Switch 2 Speakers" so if the link for this dies, just search that.
Recently, I found myself ordering up thermal pads for my N64 project. When doing Yveltal also linked me to these thermal pads which I plan on using to fix problem with the N64's components having an inconsistent gap between chips. It definitely seems like it'd be useful for any N64 related project. If you are using this for an N64, you'll probably want to order 3mm and 1mm pads (that's what I ended using).
Here's the link for that:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802655851494.html

On Amazon when searching for heatsinks, I found this awesome set of four 80*11*40 heatsinks that I also plan to use in my latest N64 project. These seem like a really good option if you have the room for them:
https://www.amazon.com/Heatsink-Aluminum-Radiator-Conductive-Thermoelectric/dp/B0DDC78S8W

There's also these tantalum capacitors. These are great replacements for the important aluminum caps on the N64. Re-capping with these will provide you with more room for things like the heatsinks I linked above. It is also a great preventative maintenance the N64 as N64 aluminum caps are getting old and probably start failing at some point. So... yeah I would highly recommend swapping the original aluminum caps on the N64 out with these:
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kyocera-avx/TAJY686K020RNJ/4561814

I would also like to draw attention to this really cool chip that @Xenii brought my attention for an easy charging circuit:
Part # CH224K
LCSC Electronics Link

Finally, I figured I'd link the micro controller used in Gman's N64 controller module. It obviously has other use cases outside of this project, it just seems like a great compact micro controller option:
Part # PIC16F15324
Digikey Link
Microchip.com Link

Hope you all find this post helpful. I've found myself returning to this thread countless times over the years, so this is certainly going to help me even if it doesn't help anybody else.