Using cartridge slot for the Pi camera and additional storage
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:01 pm
Hi guys.
As my personal Gameboy project is going super slow. Hit a brick wall with a shitty screen that is god awful hot and takin it's toll on the battery I've had some (too much) time to think. Plus, working 10-12 hours a day for the last few weeks and the next... So, what I've decided on (the rest will be covered in my topic after the new screen comes.)
Camera.
I've always wanted to put the Pi camera somehow on the device, but decided that would be mostly ans impossible task. The only way woulg be using the "battery cover" area, but that would mean smaller battery. So, the next logical place to look was the cartridge slot. But, because the connection is by a flat cable that was a no no.
So I've decided to find a connector that would be best to use as an adaptor (so I don't use the original carthridge slot connector of the gameboy.
So, the basic idea is (I've ordered them already and waiting to come) is to use this
https://www.tindie.com/products/freto/p ... extension/
What I will do is. Inside the gameboy I will put one part and connect it with a flat cable to the Pi. The female jack on it will sit underneath the cartridge slot waiting for a HDMI connector (male) to connect to it from the outside (with an expansion unit/cartridge) I've started looking for the HDMI because it has enough pins and that's how I've found that pi camera hdmi cable extension up for grabs.
Software wise. Would like to be able to start up somehow a script (or a bunch of scripts) so I could use the buttons on the back for example (not all of these are possible or easy to implement, but one day...)
L1 - Take auto photo
R1 - Take auto raw photo
A - Increase shutter speed
B - Decrease shutter speed
X - Increase ISO
Y - Decrease ISO
Arrow keys - Navigate menu
Select - Back in menu
Start - Confirm changes in menu
Start+Select - Exit
USB Storage cartridge
I've loved it immediatly not just because of the camera thing but also because it has 4 pins that are left to use how you like. Which means that I can use the same thing for connecting a camera (with 5V USB being able to fire up the LEDs for example) and just make another carthridge that can be connected using the same board in which a stripped down USB sitck can be sitting so when you slide it in you can have additional storage. This is important to me because I can put a micro-usb port on the same cartridge on the side and via that you can connect the USB to any computer to fill it up (will research those with recessing USB port mehanisms also if it will be possible).
Why do I want that extra USB? Because software wise I will be using Attract-Mode for starting the games and having Kodi to watch movies (or streaming). So I can take that out, fill it with movies, TV shows or music and use the Kodi for playback (mainly this option is when conncted to a TV via HDMI port).
I wanted to put this here, outside of my build topic so You guys maybe get an inspiration. When I get it I will show my progress concerning this topic and then also finally update my build topic when I get the new screen.
As my personal Gameboy project is going super slow. Hit a brick wall with a shitty screen that is god awful hot and takin it's toll on the battery I've had some (too much) time to think. Plus, working 10-12 hours a day for the last few weeks and the next... So, what I've decided on (the rest will be covered in my topic after the new screen comes.)
Camera.
I've always wanted to put the Pi camera somehow on the device, but decided that would be mostly ans impossible task. The only way woulg be using the "battery cover" area, but that would mean smaller battery. So, the next logical place to look was the cartridge slot. But, because the connection is by a flat cable that was a no no.
So I've decided to find a connector that would be best to use as an adaptor (so I don't use the original carthridge slot connector of the gameboy.
So, the basic idea is (I've ordered them already and waiting to come) is to use this
https://www.tindie.com/products/freto/p ... extension/
What I will do is. Inside the gameboy I will put one part and connect it with a flat cable to the Pi. The female jack on it will sit underneath the cartridge slot waiting for a HDMI connector (male) to connect to it from the outside (with an expansion unit/cartridge) I've started looking for the HDMI because it has enough pins and that's how I've found that pi camera hdmi cable extension up for grabs.
Software wise. Would like to be able to start up somehow a script (or a bunch of scripts) so I could use the buttons on the back for example (not all of these are possible or easy to implement, but one day...)
L1 - Take auto photo
R1 - Take auto raw photo
A - Increase shutter speed
B - Decrease shutter speed
X - Increase ISO
Y - Decrease ISO
Arrow keys - Navigate menu
Select - Back in menu
Start - Confirm changes in menu
Start+Select - Exit
USB Storage cartridge
I've loved it immediatly not just because of the camera thing but also because it has 4 pins that are left to use how you like. Which means that I can use the same thing for connecting a camera (with 5V USB being able to fire up the LEDs for example) and just make another carthridge that can be connected using the same board in which a stripped down USB sitck can be sitting so when you slide it in you can have additional storage. This is important to me because I can put a micro-usb port on the same cartridge on the side and via that you can connect the USB to any computer to fill it up (will research those with recessing USB port mehanisms also if it will be possible).
Why do I want that extra USB? Because software wise I will be using Attract-Mode for starting the games and having Kodi to watch movies (or streaming). So I can take that out, fill it with movies, TV shows or music and use the Kodi for playback (mainly this option is when conncted to a TV via HDMI port).
I wanted to put this here, outside of my build topic so You guys maybe get an inspiration. When I get it I will show my progress concerning this topic and then also finally update my build topic when I get the new screen.