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    My handheld build (Pic heavy)

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Projects and Themes
    retropiehandheld3d printed
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    • M
      Mark_McQ
      last edited by

      IMG_20210128_174750.jpg

      Specs:

      Pi4 4GB model
      Elecrow 5" screen
      PiJuice hat
      PiJuice 12000mah battery
      Arduino Micro
      Noctua 40x10mm fan

      The Arduino is running the XInput library by David Madison. The Pi sees it as an Xbox pad. The analog triggers use Allegro AH503 hall sensors, small neodymium magnets and a 150gram keyboard switch spring.

      Case was printed in AMZ3D black and red PLA.


      IMG_20210125_142835.jpg

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      IMG_20210128_174451.jpg

      Designed the PCBs in EasyEDA. Forgot to change some of them to a black finish when I uploaded the gerber files to the manufacturer site. Annoying. They use soft-touch tactile buttons. JST-XH connectors join everything together.
      IMG_20210128_175148.jpg

      IMG_20210124_203325.jpg

      This is 7 months of designing, printing, changing a tiny thing by 1mm, reprinting, and then scrapping the design for a better one. Never though I'd get this thing finished, I started this last June.
      IMG_20210131_195924.jpg

      This was the very first design test.
      20201003_222608.jpg

      After printing it out though, it was just too big and bulky and I ended up starting over from scratch.
      20201015_192536.jpg

      20201021_182058.jpg

      I designed everything in small sections to test the fitments, and then once I had all the right dimensions, started building the full model in Fusion 360 from there. This is some of the test rigs for the screen fitting.
      IMG_20210131_200150.jpg

      20201003_222709.jpg

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      Enclosure tests.
      IMG_20210131_200254.jpg

      Test jigs and fitments for buttons, D-Pads and joysticks.
      IMG_20210131_200718.jpg

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      While I was waiting for the PCBs to arrive, I exported them from EasyEDA as dxf files and used that to 3D print fake PCBs for testing fitments.

      20201005_225931.jpg

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      Prototyping the controls.
      20201030_142110.jpg

      This is some of the renders of the original version and the final one. I'd like to revisit the Nintendo colours idea using the CM4 module at some point.
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      f2.PNG

      theissdevT markyh444M T P 4 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 9
      • theissdevT
        theissdev @Mark_McQ
        last edited by

        @mark_mcq Very nice, man!

        Cocktail Cab Project - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/23763/cocktail-cab-project?_=1592408967951

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • markyh444M
          markyh444 @Mark_McQ
          last edited by

          @mark_mcq lovely job. Well done!

          Retropie in a NES - Pi 3 with Mausberry circuit shutdown switch wired to buttons and 8bitdo NesPro30 controller
          Retropie in a Saturn Controller - Pi Zero, GPIO controls using DB9 driver
          Retropie in a PSX - Pi3
          https://markyh444.wordpress.com

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • H
            h2805270
            last edited by

            Do you plan on doing an RPi CM4/CM4 Lite build?
            I'd think the smaller form factor would be fitting.

            M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • M
              Mark_McQ @h2805270
              last edited by

              @h2805270 I'm tempted by it. At some point I'm going to look into other battery/charging options to see if I can get a smaller footprint. I'd like to build a V2 that's much slimmer. This one is ok for playing but the battery does add quite a bit of weight.

              H 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • H
                h2805270 @Mark_McQ
                last edited by

                @mark_mcq
                Forgot to mention.
                You've got a great thing going on here, I just think you can do the D-pad better (idk how it feels on your end, but that's just my opinion from what I can see in the photos).

                btw, I suggest looking into the leaked PiBoys for a comparison:

                M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • M
                  Mark_McQ @h2805270
                  last edited by

                  @h2805270 I originally had a regular style d-pad but the distance between the tact buttons on my PCB were causing issues with ghost button presses when I would press in one direction and sometimes it would also push the edge of another button's switch. I almost redesigned the PCB from scratch but them I remembered the PSP d-pad buttons and did them like that. They work really well, but if there's another version I might try doing it like a joypad where it uses a silicone membrane to short out contacts directly on the PCB.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • W
                    WilsonB
                    last edited by

                    NEW Experimental PiBoy Discord!
                    Alright.. I've been using the Eperimental Pi PiBoy w/ various Linux distros and it feels like the developer / creator is extremely busy to help most of the time..
                    I created a PiBoy Experimental Discord for discussions , ideas and help.
                    https://discord.gg/rcQdmv6Uxr

                    If you have one, come join...
                    Cheers..

                    mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • mituM
                      mitu Global Moderator @WilsonB
                      last edited by

                      @wilsonb Please stop spamming the forum with the discord link.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                      • T
                        Troopaking @Mark_McQ
                        last edited by Troopaking

                        @mark_mcq
                        Dude good job. I have been doing a very similar project on and off. With less success than you.
                        I am now doing a cm4 inside a NS Lite housing. Similar layout with a 5.5inch screen. Been making progress, paying for custom pcb now.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • P
                          Pylades @Mark_McQ
                          last edited by

                          @mark_mcq Nice work. I am looking for something like this! Where can I place my order ? :)

                          M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • M
                            Mark_McQ @Pylades
                            last edited by

                            @pylades Sadly it's a one-off. Couldn't face doing all that wiring again for any amount of money. It was torture getting everything in there.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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