Game Boy 3 A+

Show off your completed Game Boy Zero, or post your build logs here!
Post Reply
Polybius
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 07, 2019 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Game Boy 3 A+

Post by Polybius » Mon Jul 15, 2019 7:27 pm

Zero, schmero. Pi 3 A+ is where it's at.

I am by no means expert at any of this but with help from this community, Wermy's Guide and chatting with Rodocop, I'm almost finished! Just waiting for my 3000mAh battery! I'll be covering the Pi at the back with a cartridge (it sticks through). I liked the idea of using the cartridge slot as an extended microSD slot but there just isn't room with that A+ in there. I will probably get another case and redo that part as this one isn't in the best shape and I cracked it trying to do the extra button holes.

Quick question about my PowerBoost 1000c if anybody happens to know. It doesn't appear to run everything with just the USB connected (no battery). I only get 1.2V. When I disconnect the screen, it powers on and the voltage goes up. It appears to work fine with a battery connected. Anybody know why this is?

Thanks for the help!
SpoilerShow
Image
SpoilerShow
Image
SpoilerShow
Image
SpoilerShow
Image
PS JST connectors rock!

MrErickson
Posts: 171
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2017 3:04 pm
Has thanked: 54 times
Been thanked: 38 times

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by MrErickson » Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:29 am

Nice!

User avatar
infinitLoop
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2018 11:46 am
Location: Portland, OR
Has thanked: 222 times
Been thanked: 199 times
Contact:

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by infinitLoop » Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:30 am

Polybius wrote:
Mon Jul 15, 2019 7:27 pm
Quick question about my PowerBoost 1000c if anybody happens to know. It doesn't appear to run everything with just the USB connected (no battery). I only get 1.2V. When I disconnect the screen, it powers on and the voltage goes up. It appears to work fine with a battery connected. Anybody know why this is?
yeah, that's typical.

first, the 1000c can only do up to 1 amp (that's the "1000" in the name, 1000mah), and the A+ can pull up to 2.5, itself, on heavy load. startup would typically pull more power than idle would. Add in other components and that's even more - most components would require more to start up than to keep running (charging up capacitors and what not). Too much current being pulled may show as a voltage drop.

second, the psu is meant to be a battery boost + recharger, so the voltage from the battery gets boosted to 5v, and the usb connection sends power to the battery - but that doesn't mean that the power from the external source is boosted directly. you shouldn't send 5v in to a battery unprotected, so it probably has some limits there to prevent damage.

third, all external power blocks are different, so depending on what yours can support, it may not do 5v, and the current matters.

Dawilson123
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2019 12:08 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by Dawilson123 » Thu Jul 18, 2019 4:35 pm

Hi,

Congrats on the build.

I'm looking to convert my DMG RPi Zero to a RPI 3A+. Did you have to do anything unusual to the power circuitry?

Also what's that little board which the sliding power switch is soldered to - is it a safe shutdown? If so, where did you get it from - I would like one too 😀

Polybius
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 07, 2019 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by Polybius » Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:55 am

Thanks for the replies everybody! Next, I'll put in my sound card and cover the Pi in the back with a cartridge shell (Super Scrabble!).

@Dawilson123 Thanks! I haven't done anything special for the power circuitry (although maybe I should have?). Based on infinitLoop's reply, I may try to get a bigger PSU, perhaps the RetroPSU.

It's actually the original PCB cut down for just the power switch. I wanted to use as little hot glue as possible so I wanted to be able to screw things down. This was the way I did it. It may change in the future. Could you explain exactly what a safe shutdown does?

Thanks for the info @infinitLoop!

User avatar
infinitLoop
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2018 11:46 am
Location: Portland, OR
Has thanked: 222 times
Been thanked: 199 times
Contact:

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by infinitLoop » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:28 am

Polybius wrote:
Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:55 am
Thanks for the replies everybody! Next, I'll put in my sound card and cover the Pi in the back with a cartridge shell (Super Scrabble!).

@Dawilson123 Thanks! I haven't done anything special for the power circuitry (although maybe I should have?). Based on infinitLoop's reply, I may try to get a bigger PSU, perhaps the RetroPSU.

It's actually the original PCB cut down for just the power switch. I wanted to use as little hot glue as possible so I wanted to be able to screw things down. This was the way I did it. It may change in the future. Could you explain exactly what a safe shutdown does?

Thanks for the info @infinitLoop!
the retropsu works flawlessly in my 3a+ build :D

the "safe" shutdown means it triggers the pi to power-down before it cuts the power. the most popular one here one the forums for doing that at the power switch is camble's: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2260

you can also do it with a hotkey (or just by shutting down yourself, in the software)

User avatar
GigaCat
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 1:21 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by GigaCat » Fri Jul 19, 2019 1:51 pm

I don't know why I love that JST jungle so much, but I do. Nice work, man.

I ordered a 3A+ for just this purpose just this morning. Love my Zero W, but I found myself wanting more.

Edit: Just saw what you did there with the button board. Clever.

Dawilson123
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2019 12:08 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: Game Boy 3 A+

Post by Dawilson123 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 3:28 pm

Polybius wrote:
Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:55 am

@Dawilson123 Thanks! I haven't done anything special for the power circuitry (although maybe I should have?). Based on infinitLoop's reply, I may try to get a bigger PSU, perhaps the RetroPSU.

It's actually the original PCB cut down for just the power switch. I wanted to use as little hot glue as possible so I wanted to be able to screw things down. This was the way I did it. It may change in the future. Could you explain exactly what a safe shutdown does?
Thanks for letting me know.

The safe shutdown prevents the corruption of the o/s on the microsd which can happen when you switch the pi off suddenly ('pull the plug').

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest