Game Boy PC

Steve X2

The replacement part for that case arrive just now(very fast delivery from Belgium).

Same problem



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Myrddin

For god sake, can he not wrap them up a little better? I know that's likely a weak point...but if it's protected properly surely this shouldn't happen

Steve X2

EnterNow wrote: »

For god sake, can he not wrap them up a little better? I know that's likely a weak point...but if it's protected properly surely this shouldn't happen

To be honest I was half expecting it to arrive like that. I was speaking to him(maybe a her actually) yesterday and he/she seems to be taking the advice on board.

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Steve X2

My new Dremel and all the extra bits I ordered for it arrive just now in work. The mini joypad also arrived so I've no excuse any more (except lack of time) for not starting on the case mod.

I'll post a few pics later but I must say the Dremel is almost, dare I say it, sexy :eek:


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Steve X2

Ok, So here are my new mod tools and accessories(the mini joypad is in there as well if you can spot it).
This will be a very boring selection of pics for those not interested so apologies. I'm only posting them as they will all be used for modding the Game Boy case(as well as others). I've posted them in a small size so as not to fill a page with random non retro things. Click each pic if you want the full size version.












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Andrew76

Haven't been following every post in here but fair play for the amount of effort you're putting into this. Will the Pi really fit inside the GB casing height wise? Thought I saw a fairly tall looking multi-usb port on the device?

I take it you have several donor cases as backups? (Hopefully from broken GB's)

Myrddin

Andrew76 wrote: »

I take it you have several donor cases as backups? (Hopefully from broken GB's)

Many Gameboys died...to bring us this information.

Andrew76

EnterNow wrote: »

Many Gameboys died...to bring us this information.

:eek:

Steve X2

Andrew76 wrote: »

Haven't been following every post in here but fair play for the amount of effort you're putting into this. Will the Pi really fit inside the GB casing height wise? Thought I saw a fairly tall looking multi-usb port on the device?

I take it you have several donor cases as backups? (Hopefully from broken GB's)

No backups actually. Well I have a few Game Boys but they work fine so do t want to touch them. I'm am looking for a few faulty ones on eBay but so far they're all in very bad condition.

So it looks like its got to be perfect first time :eek:


Edit:
It will fit in the case by the way, with some help from the new Dremel.


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Myrddin

Dremel - Tool, of the Gods.

Steve X2

EnterNow wrote: »

Dremel - Tool, of the Gods.

I'm really happy with the new Dremel I must say. The vice is great as well.

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Doge

Steve SI wrote: »

I'm am looking for a few faulty ones on eBay but so far they're all in very bad condition.
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No way?

:pac:

Myrddin

waveform wrote: »

No way?

:pac:

I think Steve means cosmetically they're in bad shape, he doesn't care so much for the innards. A faulty one in good exterior condition is what he's after

Doge

EnterNow wrote: »

I think Steve means cosmetically they're in bad shape, he doesn't care so much for the innards. A faulty one in good exterior condition is what he's after

I know what he means, was just taking the piss out of him!

They're more likely to be faulty from shock and falls rather than components failing.

Steve X2

Yeah, cases way to yellow to make it worthwhile. Most of the faults you see with the DMG-01 are screen related as it has some issues there.

I'll stay on the lookout as I'm sure mistakes will be made on this first mod.

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Steve X2

Looks like that mini joypad I got will fit well into the controls area of the GB. And I should be able to re-use the original GB Dpad and buttons, which I'm glad about.




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Spacedog

nice pick, that ribbon on the hinge gives you a nice bit of leeway for positioning in the case. I'm eager to see how you intend to secure the boards inside the case, as it's something I have little experience with myself.

Steve X2

Spacedog wrote: »

nice pick, that ribbon on the hinge gives you a nice bit of leeway for positioning in the case. I'm eager to see how you intend to secure the boards inside the case, as it's something I have little experience with myself.

Yeah, I knew it had a ribbon cable inside and was hoping it was nice and flexible(which it is). Actually securing it inside the case will be an interesting little mod as there isn't exactly a load of room in there.

I have a feeling this mod might be using a lot of Sugru

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The Last Bandit

Steve SI wrote: »

I have a feeling this mod might be using a lot of Sugru

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Never heard of that stuff before !! Seems perfect for a few jobs I have in mind

Steve X2

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Never heard of that stuff before !! Seems perfect for a few jobs I have in mind

Sugru, dont leave home without it

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Steve X2

Few more sample parts arrived for the non Game Boy case for the Pi. Some thicker acrylic for the base to weigh the case down a little and some different coloured parts for the top and sides as well as a few other bits.
This seller is great and sent all this to me free of charge and even paid the 17 euro postage charge as well as a previous 13 euro charge for some parts I got last week.


Couple of quick pics(bit blurry )



You can see the thicker base plastic in this pic:


All these parts have a plastic wrap on them to protect the acrylic so will be much cleaner and clearer when that's removed.

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Doge

That's great,

but because of brats like you it will mean higher shipping costs for the rest of us!

Unfortunately I decided not to sell the cases on eBay anymore due to problems with the Belgian post. I did everything to keep the shipping costs as low as possible but I got lots of problems with broken parts, delayed deliveries, lost items, ... To avoid all this, the only option is sending the enclosures in a box instead of a foam padded envelope and use a tracking number.
As the Belgian postage rates are very high this, would cost 13,20 euro (+/- GBP 11) (Bpack world light 0-350g + option registered mail), which is quite unreasonable for a GBP 15 item.

I plan to offer the cases via my website, but with the high shipping cost (1-3 cases 13,20 euro, 4-10 cases 17,35 euro).

:pac:

Steve X2

waveform wrote: »

That's great,

but because of brats like you it will mean higher shipping costs for the rest of us!




:pac:

Well perhaps you might be able to purchase the same case from somewhere a bit more local in the near future

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Doge

Steve SI wrote: »

Well perhaps you might be able to purchase the same case from somewhere a bit more local in the near future

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Hehehe, I did not forsee this!

I have my Rpi on the backburner atm, going through a fair lazy gaming intensive period of my life!

Steve X2

Ok, I broke ground(so to speak) on the Game Boy mod today.

After much planning I've decided to remove the battery compartment and utilise that space to fit the Pi and have the USB and NIC connections facing out the bottom of the case. The plan now is to try and get extenders for the remaining connections and feed them up to the top of the case and have them all there, leaving the sides free for other things that I might like to have(extend the GPIO pins to a side port maybe).

The case closes over perfectly by the way.

It's a bit rough at the moment and needs some fine sanding but the basic plan is there. I'll be using Sugru to cushion certain parts as well as to cover up any mistakes in the cutting towards the end of the mod. When I'm done I might just get another Game Boy and redo the whole thing as I'll have learned from my mistakes and can hopefully do it perfectly then, maybe.







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Doge

Are class 10 SD Cards still problematic?

Because.....

http://www.mymemory.co.uk/SDHC/SanDisk/Sandisk-16GB-Extreme-SD-Card-%28SDHC%29-45MB_s---Class-10?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120516_SanDisk_Extreme_16GB_SDHC&origin=Newsletter





Edit: They seem to be similarly priced on amazon too.

Steve X2

waveform wrote: »

Are class 10 SD Cards still problematic?

Because.....

http://www.mymemory.co.uk/SDHC/SanDisk/Sandisk-16GB-Extreme-SD-Card-%28SDHC%29-45MB_s---Class-10?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120516_SanDisk_Extreme_16GB_SDHC&origin=Newsletter





Edit: They seem to be similarly priced on amazon too.

I use the Sandisk Extreme class 10 30MB/s SDHC without any issues at all.
Great performance on them compared to a lesser card and as you know the whole OS sits on them so every bit helps.

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Doge

This new camera module is going to make your PiBoy very reminiscent of the Game Boy Camera!

Linky for people that may not have seen:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1254

Steve X2

waveform wrote: »

This new camera module is going to make your PiBoy very reminiscent of the Game Boy Camera!

Linky for people that may not have seen:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1254

Yeah, looks good alright. Hopefully they can get it out quick enough.

CathalDublin

waveform wrote: »

Are class 10 SD Cards still problematic?

Because.....

http://www.mymemory.co.uk/SDHC/SanDisk/Sandisk-16GB-Extreme-SD-Card-%28SDHC%29-45MB_s---Class-10?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120516_SanDisk_Extreme_16GB_SDHC&origin=Newsletter





Edit: They seem to be similarly priced on amazon too.

Irish company selling them for €16 inc shipping
http://www.shop4memory.com/products/secure-digital.asp#sdhc

Edit: my bad, their only 23mbps

lostboy

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056645105

Steve X2

So, it looks like I'll be at least trying to squeeze a 3.5" LCD into the Game Boy PC and hooking it up to the composite video on the Pi. It's the only way of getting a working screen in it right now as the drivers for the DSI enabled screens just don't seem to be coming any time soon.
It means hacking the front of the device and I'm a bit worried it will come out looking crap, but I really want a screen in this thing.

Anyway, I've ordered a cheap (12 euro) screen that should be here next week and will give it a go then. The LCD looks similar to the car reversing screen used for the Nomad mod but is a bit higher in resolution and probably lower in quality.

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Doge

Steve SI wrote: »

So, it looks like I'll be at least trying to squeeze a 3.5" LCD into the Game Boy PC and hooking it up to the composite video on the Pi. It's the only way of getting a working screen in it right now as the drivers for the DSI enabled screens just don't seem to be coming any time soon.
It means hacking the front of the device and I'm a bit worried it will come out looking crap, but I really want a screen in this thing.

Anyway, I've ordered a cheap (12 euro) screen that should be here next week and will give it a go then. The LCD looks similar to the car reversing screen used for the Nomad mod but is a bit higher in resolution and probably lower in quality.

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What kind of linux do you plan on running on the Game Boy PC?

I'd say you'll be tweaking the distro / GUI so it looks good on a low resolution screen?

Since you're a code guru and all!

Steve X2

waveform wrote: »

What kind of linux do you plan on running on the Game Boy PC?

I'd say you'll be tweaking the distro / GUI so it looks good on a low resolution screen?

Since you're a code guru and all!

I'm not that worried about the GUI just yet. Hopefully someone else will have come up with a nice functional low res interface that I can modify by the time I get to that stage.

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CiDeRmAn

Will you hurry up and build it already!!!!

Steve X2

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Will you hurry up and build it already!!!!

If I rush it it'll end up like that abomination of a multi console system in the other thread (you know, sh1t). Anyway, I'm in no rush as the software side of things is still a bit crappy on the Pi.

Hopefully I'll have a small screen hooked up at the weekend so it will start to look a bit decent. Not looking forward to trying to jam a 3.5" screen onto the front of the Game Boy. Think I'll be needing a few trys at that one (all donation Game Boys accepted )



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CiDeRmAn

I've only got one classic gameboy and you can't have it!
There are some on Adverts but they are, apparently, R@RE!!!! and cost around €100...
tad steep....

Steve X2

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I've only got one classic gameboy and you can't have it!
There are some on Adverts but they are, apparently, R@RE!!!! and cost around €100...
tad steep....

Yeah, lot of rare Game Boys knocking around. Even the faulty ones are going for 15-20 sterling on ebay :eek:

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o1s1n

Steve SI wrote: »

If I rush it it'll end up like that abomination of a multi console system in the other thread
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How about you follow suit and try to fit 20 consoles inside the thing? You could start by putting a gameboy in it and see where it goes from there :pac:

Steve X2

o1s1n wrote: »

How about you follow suit and try to fit 20 consoles inside the thing? You could start by putting a gameboy in it and see where it goes from there :pac:

Don't be tempting me.
I'm in a very destructively creative mood lately :eek:

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Steve X2

Pi update:
Another two Rasp Pi's on the way to me. Happy days as I might have some actually free time in the next 2 months to work on mods. This working/travelling 7 days a week, 18 hours a day can get to a person after a while:o

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Myrddin

Steve SI wrote: »

This working/travelling 7 days a week, 18 hours a day can get to a person after a while:o

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Yeah but

Steve X2

EnterNow wrote: »

Yeah but

These days it's more like


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Doge

Steve SI wrote: »

Pi update:
Another two Rasp Pi's on the way to me.

2 + 1 = 3

3 is the new "couple!"







Steve SI circa Christmas 2007:

This marks a new milestone in your collection of tech.

Steve X2

The small 3.5" composite screen arrived this evening.
The quality isnt great on it but its more for testing to see if a 3.5" is viable inside the Game Boy and if so I'll spend more than 12 quid on it

So far after 5 mins of playing around I think once I strip it down it'll fit inside. I tried booting the Pi connected to it and it works fine, if a little crappy looking.

I'll post up some pics/vids a bit later.

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Steve X2

Ok, I managed to get all the electronics (except the screen as I've not cut a hole for it yet as It's not the final screen I'll be using) more or less inside the Game Boy. It's a bit of a ugly setup at the moment with the case held closed with a cable tie and the internals held in place with white tac but it's still not finalised so no point in doing anything permanent just yet.

Click for much larger images:




Pixel shot:



Boot Vid(best in 1080p Fullscreen):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAbJy9bMNbw

Still lots to do but getting there, bit by bit

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Pyongyang

It's starting to look mighty juicy this project of yours young Stefanopolis!

Steve X2

Pyongyang wrote: »

It's starting to look mighty juicy this project of yours young Stefanopolis!

Cheers, yeah starting to take shape a bit now.
Wish I had more time to spend on it but after next week I should have a bit.

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Doge

Excellent work Steve mate! Well done!

Wouldn't be surprised if this gets posted by liz on the Blog!

Steve X2

waveform wrote: »

Excellent work Steve mate! Well done!

Wouldn't be surprised if this gets posted by liz on the Blog!

Cheers, they can stick it up on the site when I have it finished. Right now it's a bit messy looking to be worthy of mass scrutiny.

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