Awful At Soldering To Pi

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RyeWoah
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Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by RyeWoah » Thu Jun 13, 2019 8:55 am

So I'm building my first GBZ and the build is going ok. Apparently I'm terrible at actually soldering to the Pi and have pulled both USB pads off. I ordered another but would like to see if I can salvage this one. Can I connect an OTG cable that I have and cut and solder the wires from that to connect to my Tinkerboy 3??

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rodocop
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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by rodocop » Thu Jun 13, 2019 2:29 pm

RyeWoah wrote:
Thu Jun 13, 2019 8:55 am
So I'm building my first GBZ and the build is going ok. Apparently I'm terrible at actually soldering to the Pi and have pulled both USB pads off. I ordered another but would like to see if I can salvage this one. Can I connect an OTG cable that I have and cut and solder the wires from that to connect to my Tinkerboy 3??
Yeah, that would be the easiest solution. Alternatively, you can follow the traces from those USB pads, scrape them abit to expose some copper and solder there. But that would involve a bit more work. I'd stick with your first thought of using a micro USB plug.

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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by RyeWoah » Thu Jun 13, 2019 3:53 pm

On a quick side question.

I am using an Adafruit Powerboost 1000c, Tinkerboy 3, tinkerboy add on board, BW 3.5 screen from Amazon, and Raspberry pi Zero.

I can get power to the pi through the Tinkerboy, and the screen goes on and it runs off the battery alone. Now I haven't tried the USB port on the add on board, because I was running late to work, but my tinkerboy 3 is not allowing me to use controls nor do I have sound.

Granted, I didn't try Tinkerboys image, so the config could be off. I will give that a try when I get home from work, midnight-ish.

Anything obvious that I'm missing? I'll reply after I try those things when I get home.

Thanks in advance.

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rodocop
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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by rodocop » Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:42 pm

Yes. Use tinkerboys image. Also his controls and sound are based on USB. So if you do not have the USB soldered properly. Or you did not connect the micro USB neither will work.

Not familiar with the add on board or what it does.

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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by RyeWoah » Thu Jun 13, 2019 11:18 pm

Its just a volume wheel, usb, shoulder button board

https://www.tinkerboy.xyz/product/tinke ... k-buttons/

His version of Retropie worked for me, I just now need to get it to what I want, visually and everything. But most importantly, the controls are working.

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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by RyeWoah » Fri Jun 14, 2019 8:19 am

So with Tinkerboys custom image, I managed to get the controls to work. However, It eventually goes into Emergency Mode and I can't do anything. The add on USB port doesn't seem to work, most definitely user error, will look into when I have time. So because the USB doesn't work, and the pi goes into Emergency mode, I'm having a difficult time getting roms onto it.

On my custom/loaded rom, I get it to boot up great, I see all my games, but no controls respond. Weirdly, I can press a button and exit the screensaver, but nothing responds. I can also log onto it with //RETROPIE. Any ideas on that?? I've got a new, nicer soldering iron coming today, so I plan on taking it apart and seeing if I can figure out the usb port issue.

Thanks.

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rodocop
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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by rodocop » Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:51 am

Hmm. If USB isnt working I would assume the soldering for the data connection is not great. Do you have any pictures?

And since you're not using his image on the custom image you made you'd need to remap the controls maybe?

Clear the defaults and reboot, see if you can remap them. The controller is USB, so it should just detect it if everything is good.

Here is how to clear the default controller config.

https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/506 ... guration/3

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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by RyeWoah » Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:01 am

Well I did some close inspecting and noticed that the Data + and 5V pads on the Tinkerboy had been bridged with a poor solder job. I just refluxed, sucked the solder and re did the solders and it works!!

Also your idea of resetting ES controls worked as well.

So now I have a working GBZ with working controls and working sound, and with the image that I already had. I had major slowdown issues with the Tinkerboy image.

This one is basically being used a learning process as I plan on making some for my groomsmen.

Thank you for your help on this topic.

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rodocop
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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by rodocop » Tue Jun 18, 2019 6:43 pm

RyeWoah wrote:
Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:01 am
Well I did some close inspecting and noticed that the Data + and 5V pads on the Tinkerboy had been bridged with a poor solder job. I just refluxed, sucked the solder and re did the solders and it works!!

Also your idea of resetting ES controls worked as well.

So now I have a working GBZ with working controls and working sound, and with the image that I already had. I had major slowdown issues with the Tinkerboy image.

This one is basically being used a learning process as I plan on making some for my groomsmen.

Thank you for your help on this topic.
Hey, no problem, glad you got it going!

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nexus23k
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Re: Awful At Soldering To Pi

Post by nexus23k » Wed Jun 19, 2019 2:59 pm

Hi, you can grab D+ & D- also from GPIO. No scrape needed! Take a lock at here:
https://www.thepolyglotdeveloper.com/20 ... ial-cable/

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