Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [COMPLETE]

Show off your completed Game Boy Zero, or post your build logs here!
User avatar
rodocop
Posts: 1723
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:14 pm
Location: Saskatchewan
Has thanked: 606 times
Been thanked: 608 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by rodocop » Tue May 02, 2017 8:07 am

Few updates:

So I finished the audio, I am doing mono sound with the small adafruit amp, speaker, original headphone jack, and a new volume wheel. In my first build I made a low pass filter and it made no noticeable difference, so i didn't even bother with one in this build. I was thinking about USB audio, but I want to save my USB sound card for a minty pi build.
Still need to glue audio stuff in placeShow
Image
Next I added a few LED's running from the powerboost, into the cartridge...Blue LED shows that there is load on the powerboost, red LED shows charging, and green LED shows fully charged...Only one problem, I tested the green LED, soldered everything, and glued the cartridge shut, then all the sudden the green didn't work, I had to install a larger green LED where the power jack was, since it was too big to fit in the cartridge. So now I have one useless LED in the cartridge, oh well.
kinda see the green LED along with a mess of wiresShow
Image
we'll see how much it bothers me having a useless LED in thereShow
Image
So, now all I am waiting on is my screen, which should be here this week. I am also still waiting on my SNES colored buttons too, those aren't a huge concern though.

User avatar
Lphillimore
Posts: 993
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2017 7:03 pm
Location: Perth, WA
Has thanked: 796 times
Been thanked: 527 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by Lphillimore » Tue May 02, 2017 8:43 am

Nice work man. I havent used any LEDs at all yet but i really want to. Maybe if i do a 5th build!!!??

User avatar
RarinImp
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:17 am
Has thanked: 21 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by RarinImp » Wed May 03, 2017 12:48 pm

rodocop wrote:
Tue May 02, 2017 8:07 am
Few updates:

So I finished the audio, I am doing mono sound with the small adafruit amp, speaker, original headphone jack, and a new volume wheel. In my first build I made a low pass filter and it made no noticeable difference, so i didn't even bother with one in this build. I was thinking about USB audio, but I want to save my USB sound card for a minty pi build.
Still need to glue audio stuff in placeShow
Image
Next I added a few LED's running from the powerboost, into the cartridge...Blue LED shows that there is load on the powerboost, red LED shows charging, and green LED shows fully charged...Only one problem, I tested the green LED, soldered everything, and glued the cartridge shut, then all the sudden the green didn't work, I had to install a larger green LED where the power jack was, since it was too big to fit in the cartridge. So now I have one useless LED in the cartridge, oh well.
kinda see the green LED along with a mess of wiresShow
Image
we'll see how much it bothers me having a useless LED in thereShow
Image
So, now all I am waiting on is my screen, which should be here this week. I am also still waiting on my SNES colored buttons too, those aren't a huge concern though.
That sucks about the green LED. Build looks great thus far, though. Did you use the multiple led's for ease of wiring or space? I'm looking at possibly doing an indication led on my project, but was leaning towards a single rgb led.

User avatar
VeteranGamer
Posts: 1738
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 11:12 am
Location: London, UK
Has thanked: 528 times
Been thanked: 909 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by VeteranGamer » Wed May 03, 2017 1:03 pm

rodocop wrote:
Tue May 02, 2017 8:07 am


Only one problem, I tested the green LED, soldered everything, and glued the cartridge shut, then all the sudden the green didn't work,

a similar thing happened to me....

did you use any resistors with the leds

User avatar
rodocop
Posts: 1723
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:14 pm
Location: Saskatchewan
Has thanked: 606 times
Been thanked: 608 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by rodocop » Wed May 03, 2017 1:55 pm

@RarinImp

I used multiple LEDs since that is what I had on hand. In retrospect a RGB LED would have been better (thinking about it now...I might have one at home, i'll have to check....). I guess I could still do that, and just place it where I have the green one. I have a new cartridge coming in the mail in case I want to get rid of the one with the LED holes.

@VeteranGamer

No, I didn't use resistors.

User avatar
rodocop
Posts: 1723
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:14 pm
Location: Saskatchewan
Has thanked: 606 times
Been thanked: 608 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by rodocop » Sat May 06, 2017 10:54 am

Screen came in the mail from gearbest. It works without any modification, which is awesome. My last screen from gearbest had a slightly different driver board and did require a 5v mod, so I was happy this one worked without.

This screen:
http://m.gearbest.com/development-board ... tml?wid=21

Now all I need is my screen cover from @dominator, and to put everything together and close it up.
zelda splash screenShow
Image
no 5v mod necessaryShow
Image

User avatar
rodocop
Posts: 1723
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:14 pm
Location: Saskatchewan
Has thanked: 606 times
Been thanked: 608 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by rodocop » Mon May 08, 2017 10:46 am

Well, I am all done, with the exception of my screen cover, which is shipped and on the way from retrofresh.uk. I am also still waiting on some SNES colored buttons from China too. I'm not even sure if they'll fit, we'll see when they get here. Anyways, here are some final photo's

In this photo the battery compartment was intact. I actaully had to cut it out to allow a better fit. I did not get a picture of it cut out.
Internals, its hard to keep wires clean, I tried my best.Show
Image
The screen bracket designed by @HoolyHoo was awesome for fitting the screen
Here is the frontShow
Image
Buttons protrude a bit, but they feel nice.
Back viewShow
Image
I added the microusb charge port in the battery compartment. I used the original power hole for an LED, and I have the micro HDMI in the contrast slot, and a volume wheel in the volume spot. I really don't like the look of drilled or dremeled holes, since I can never make them perfect.

I also have a JST connector in this one so I can easily remove the battery. I have not had that in my other 2 builds.
Inside the coverShow
Image
Now that I am finished I just need to wait for the complete guide and the AIO for the Minty Pi I plan to build!!

User avatar
rodocop
Posts: 1723
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:14 pm
Location: Saskatchewan
Has thanked: 606 times
Been thanked: 608 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [COMPLETE]

Post by rodocop » Wed May 17, 2017 3:40 pm

Final post. 100% complete. Got my SNES colored buttons. They are a little smaller than the original gameboy buttons but they work fine. Screen cover came in from retrofresh.uk. Got the HDMI port lined up and everything is glued in place.
1Show
Image
2Show
Image
3Show
Image
4Show
Image

User avatar
rogersouza
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 3:53 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [WIP]

Post by rogersouza » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:39 am

rodocop wrote:
Tue May 02, 2017 8:07 am
Few updates:

So I finished the audio, I am doing mono sound with the small adafruit amp, speaker, original headphone jack, and a new volume wheel. In my first build I made a low pass filter and it made no noticeable difference, so i didn't even bother with one in this build. I was thinking about USB audio, but I want to save my USB sound card for a minty pi build.
Still need to glue audio stuff in placeShow
Image
Next I added a few LED's running from the powerboost, into the cartridge...Blue LED shows that there is load on the powerboost, red LED shows charging, and green LED shows fully charged...Only one problem, I tested the green LED, soldered everything, and glued the cartridge shut, then all the sudden the green didn't work, I had to install a larger green LED where the power jack was, since it was too big to fit in the cartridge. So now I have one useless LED in the cartridge, oh well.
kinda see the green LED along with a mess of wiresShow
Image
we'll see how much it bothers me having a useless LED in thereShow
Image
So, now all I am waiting on is my screen, which should be here this week. I am also still waiting on my SNES colored buttons too, those aren't a huge concern though.
Hi, @rodocop Could you give me a hand? Im trying to get audio working on pi zero for months without success. Already tried Helder's boars, simple boards, with filter, without filter, anyway :|

Can you post a sound diagram of your 3rd GBZ please? It isn't using filter, is it?
Thanks

User avatar
rodocop
Posts: 1723
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:14 pm
Location: Saskatchewan
Has thanked: 606 times
Been thanked: 608 times

Re: Rodocop's 3rd GBZ [COMPLETE]

Post by rodocop » Wed Jun 21, 2017 10:58 am

To answer @rogersouza, or anyone else who is interested.

So this would be my exact wiring:
audioShow
Image
Make sure you edit you config text to allow GPIO PWM audio. My diagram is only for mono sound.

The purple wire coming from the Pi is GPIO 18, I ran a ground wire from the pi twisted around the purple wire, which helps with the interference a bit. The ground goes to pin 1 on the volume wheel, and the purple GPIO wire goes to the 3rd pin, which is L audio in. The yellow wire from pin 4 is the L audio out, I have also wrapped a ground wire to that one as well. The ground goes to A- and the audio out yellow wire goes to the A+.

Vin and ground go to your power strip, or whatever you have for power. I followed wermy's original guide and used an original gameboy headphone jack and wired it like you see there. The top three pins are all soldered together.

Just note, with this setup I still get some static, but it wasn't bad for me. In all honesty, the volume wheel did not work great on this one, and I ended up setting up a volume toggle in game, so holding select + up or down changed the volume.

If you want to go that route and skip the volume wheel you would wire the purple GPIO wire to A+ and ground to A- on the amp.

If you are using the adafruit amp like I did, it also has a small volume potentiometer on it which can be adjusted with a screw driver.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest