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Project Final ~ Oct. 2023

A project log for PC-64

"Retro"-fitting an Asus PN-Series Mini PC inside a Nintendo 64 case

retromodderRetroModder 10/23/2023 at 17:190 Comments

This last update shows off the finalized PC mounting and PCBA design solutions for the Asus PN51 variant of this N64 console computer mod.

The main controller board was broken out into two halves. The controller port board and the controller adapter board. The controller port board consists of the power switch circuitry, power LED, and original controller ports which are then re-routed to the controller adapter board.

The controller adapter board contains two 2-port USB adapters for N64 controllers routed to a 2-port USB hub with ESD suppression circuitry.

The mounting brackets were also improved upon by using a single 3D printed mount for the mini PC and A/V port cover, and then another mount for the controller adapter board, rather than several different pieces.

Since the Asus PN51 does not have provisions for a reset switch, a block-off spacer was designed to keep the N64 Reset button propped up in its un-actuated position.

Lastly, an adapter was made for the controller adapter board USB cable because in some cases, the adapter board was having intermittent connection issues with the motherboard's onboard header. This problem did not persist when using the front or rear USB Type-A ports on a different computer, so this adapter should solve that issue.

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