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A project log for Game Boy Cartridge plus Programmer

not the first cartridge on this platform

davedarkodavedarko 11/14/2016 at 22:306 Comments

Too. Much. Overkill. what started as a basic teensy++ 2.0 based cartridge reader/writer is now a full blown project with a nokia 5110 LCD display with rgb backlight, 3D printed, vintage looking case, pcb for an at90usb1286. At least in my head. Please. Somebody stop me.

I slept a night (read: 3hours) over it, I'm going to cut off the display part and will make it a separate board with mounting holes. Furthermore I will find another crystal and button and rearrange everything.

Discussions

K.C. Lee wrote 11/15/2016 at 14:34 point

Looks like you are mounting LCD directly instead of using pre-mounted modules.  Make sure that your PCB thickness is exactly 0.040" (1mm) as that's what those metal clips are specifically designed for.  I don't like the way that the PCB modules vendors that ended up twisting the metal clips because they screwed up using 0.047" (1.2mm) PCB that are too thick for the clips. 

If you are printing the case, make the LCD window a bit narrower (by a few mm on left/right side) to block off the bright spots from the backlight.

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davedarko wrote 11/15/2016 at 15:27 point

Thank you for your input, I really appreciate it! I was about to order this at OSHpark - that wouldn't have worked, at least with the 1.6mm boards - do you think 0.8mm will work? Otherwise I'd just have to bend it as well. The plan right now is to make a custom board for the RGB LED backlight with similar dimensions etc.  - maybe I'll drop that completely though. 

Trust me with the LCD, I'm the guy who gets annoyed by metal frames of 1602 displays looking out of project encasings... :)

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Andrew Cassidy wrote 11/15/2016 at 18:38 point

Im using the same display, and the clips are pretty easy to bend to fit on other thicknesses of boards

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Craig Hissett wrote 11/15/2016 at 12:36 point

Stop you? Why would we do that??

We are here to encourage you, Dave....

:-)

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davedarko wrote 11/15/2016 at 13:25 point

ahh well.. but getting rid of the lcd still feels like the right decision! thanks for the comment, follow and skull (well, like) :)

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Craig Hissett wrote 11/15/2016 at 14:41 point

It makes sense. Keeping it simple(r) makes sense. As you said, you can always add the lcd to a separate board.

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