active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Show off your completed Game Boy Zero, or post your build logs here!
activex
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active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:55 am

Hi,

I got inspired when i first saw wermys gameboy zero earlier ths year, but did not start the project before august i think it was. The main goal of this project was to have fun while making it. I'we taken a whole lot of inspiration from wermys original guides, but some of the building was done by own ideas. I have done a lot of programming before and I work as an industrial electrician, so i have experience with programming, electronics and soldering. I have used Raspberry Pi with some other projects aswell.

Partlist:
  • Broken DMG-01 without screenprotector (used the original volume wheel, speaker, pcb and buttons)
    Gearbest 3.5" screen
    Buttons from a fake SNES controller (also cut out some button wells from this one)
    Banggood powersupply
    CAT B15Q 2000mAh battery
    Banggood 4-port USBHUB
    Sparkfun microusb breakout card
    Banggood audio amplifier
    Raspberry Pi Zero
    Kitsch-Bent PWM audio filter
    16Gb MicroSD card
    3D printed screwbracket for the screen
    day's 1mm screenprotector
    Teensy 3.2
    A couple of red/green-LEDs
    Misc resistors
    MCP3008 (for batterymonitoring)
    Prototype PCBs
    An old boring Hercules something cartridge
    Offical Raspberry Pi WiFi Dongle
MicroUSB charging port in the original charging port, and I have also added a red LED next to it to indicate charging.

Tools
  • Dremel 8000
    Fluke 179
    Weller soldering iron
    A million different plyers and screwdrivers
The battery was a bit bigger than I had hoped for, so i had to use the cartridgespace to get to cram everything inside the build.

Right now I'm working on a onscreen battery monitor. I'm really close to done. See pictures
As of now the script is a mashup of my code, https://github.com/aboudou/picheckvoltage, popcorn's low battery script, and https://github.com/AndrewFromMelbourne/raspidmx/. I also have a green/red-LED in the top left corner for battery status.
I think i will share my code and diagrams when I'm done :D
Attachments
IMG_0128.jpg
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IMG_0308.jpg
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Last edited by activex on Thu Dec 01, 2016 11:34 am, edited 4 times in total.

activex
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:57 am

Right now I'm currently working on the discharge curve of the battery, because my battery icon now is not linear. I'm also thinking about adding a WiFi-icon when i use wifi

activex
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:45 am

I'm done with the batteryindicator! It works perfect right now! Will probably post a guide in the guide section soon :D

Attached is the voltage curve of my 2000mAh battery, as you can see its kind of unstable, so i had to drop the 10% steps in the battery icon and replace them with 25% steps
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Lpoolm
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by Lpoolm » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:32 am

I have been hoping a clever person would get a battery icon with instructions :D
Check out my modding and repair channel of retro and modern consoles:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFz7yW ... GtQ/videos

activex
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Sun Dec 04, 2016 2:24 am

I'm currently strugling for what I'm going to do with the contrast hole. Any suggestions? :mrgreen:
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sotasystems
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by sotasystems » Sun Dec 04, 2016 6:20 am

activex wrote:I'm currently strugling for what I'm going to do with the contrast hole. Any suggestions? :mrgreen:
A HDMI port if there isn't already somewhere else :)
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you that I am currently moving very far away, and therefore I am very busy.

UPDATE: I am still alive! My ISP is setting up my internet on the 19th of January at my new place, explaining my offline-ness.

If you write me a PM, I will very likely take some time to respond.

Also, my 2nd build will soon go on, so if you've been following it, please stay tuned! :)

Many thanks for your understanding!

activex
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Sun Dec 04, 2016 7:22 am

sotasystems wrote:A HDMI port if there isn't already somewhere else :)
I don't think i'll ever connect this to a tv, so I think that would be a waste of time :cry: but thanks for the suggestion!

activex
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:37 am

Just orderer a Pololu switch, found out that i want a safe shutdown function :lol:

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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by sotasystems » Mon Dec 05, 2016 8:50 am

activex wrote:Just orderer a Pololu switch, found out that i want a safe shutdown function :lol:
I added a tactile switch for safe shutdown to the top right corner on mine ;)
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you that I am currently moving very far away, and therefore I am very busy.

UPDATE: I am still alive! My ISP is setting up my internet on the 19th of January at my new place, explaining my offline-ness.

If you write me a PM, I will very likely take some time to respond.

Also, my 2nd build will soon go on, so if you've been following it, please stay tuned! :)

Many thanks for your understanding!

activex
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:19 am
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Re: active-x' GBZ (Neverending project)

Post by activex » Mon Dec 05, 2016 11:37 am

sotasystems wrote:I added a tactile switch for safe shutdown to the top right corner on mine ;)
Thought about it, but when gf/friends are playing on it and are done, they use the original switch :o

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