R-Kade Zero

Description

R-Kade Zero is a small and minimalist gaming controller for the Raspberry Pi Zero. If you add a tiny Raspberry Pi Zero and a case and you've built yourself a tiny video gaming platform.

The central idea to this is an interchangeable gaming controller gives the player a choice for their favourite style of play.

Update:

I've had a lot of interest in the project and a lot of encouragement from the great people at our local maker community "Maker Space", so for anyone wanting one I've started a kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1120658355/r-kade-zero

Files

RPi0_R-Kade_JS 0v10 Schematic.pdf

R-Kade Zero JS4

x-pdf - 51.71 kB - 02/23/2016 at 23:40

Preview

Components

Project Logs

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R-Kade Zero gets a LCD
TonyD • 03/18/2016 at 14:17 • 0 comments

After our previous musings about adding a expansion interface we're made a our first add-on: An LCD unit.
The LCD is a 2.4" module used is a pretty common one you can find on various on-line stores (Adafruit, eBay etc.). It's enclosed in a laser cut case that has an extended "lug" that's designed to slide into a slot in the R-Kade Zero's case. This creates a mechanical support. A pair of connectors mate together on the LCD unit and R-Kade Zero controller board to hold the two units together.
Check our kickstarter
The pic below shows the LCD unit and R-Kade Zero shown as separates.
The pic below shows the LCD unit and R-Kade Zero joined.
Expansion, expansion, expansion
TonyD • 03/15/2016 at 21:37 • 3 comments

I've been thinking about making R-Kade Zero more usable, more expandable. So I'm planning on adding a small expansion interface.
This expansion interface will have a SPI and I2C interfaces on a set of female pin headers located on the bottom PCB side and near the top edge of the PCB.
The SPI interface will allow us to add a LCD panel so R-Kade Zero becomes a hand held portable platform. Either a 2.2" or 2.4" LCD panel should do.
The I2C interface will allow us to use a touch screen controller if the LCD panel has one.
Both interfaces should allow us to use accelerometers sensors and such like, opening up some really interesting possibilities.
Setting up RetroPie & EmulationStation
TonyD • 03/04/2016 at 23:48 • 0 comments

Setting up RetroPie & EmulationStation

- Format the SD Card and write the Retropie image onto it
- Boot Retropie
- Set up your input device either a keyboard or a controller
- Using left & right buttons/keys scroll to the Retropie logo and press 'A' button
- Scroll down the list where to the Retropie Setup option and press 'A' again.
- Choose which emulators you want to install from the menu options
- Wait for the emulators to install (takes sveral minutes)
- Reboot Pi
Emulation Software
TonyD • 02/23/2016 at 23:59 • 0 comments

So far, we got RetroPie / EmulationStation working on the prototype and we are busy testing PiPlay and PES.
Case
TonyD • 02/23/2016 at 23:57 • 0 comments

We also made a "slice" case to accompany the PCB's. This was laser cut at "Maker Space" our local maker community.
First PCB's
TonyD • 02/23/2016 at 23:53 • 0 comments

Once we were happy with the prototype, two PCB (printed circuit boards) were designed, one with a single joystick and 4 control button which we called JS/4 and a second with just two joysticks which we called 2STIKS. Yeah we know pretty original names (or perhaps not). We had PCB's made from these designs and used DirtyPCB's and also Smart Prototyping to get them made.
Proof of Concept
TonyD • 02/23/2016 at 23:46 • 0 comments

The initial prototyping for R-Kade Zero was quick and easy as we had various joysticks and switches in our project boxes from previous arcade projects.
As well as those parts we also had a couple of PCB modules with joystick and buttons lying around so they were put into service as well.
So once we got our first RPiZ we were able to connect it up to the various PCB modules using jumper wires and write some code to test buttons and joysticks