29 August 1970

Mini NES Electronics Kit Status Update

This post is an update on the progress of the Mini NES Electronics Kit.
As you might know, last week I released the 3D files for the case so people can start on their build.
Unfortunately, since then I haven't been able to make much progress on the project because I've been waiting for the sample PCBs to arrive so I can test and approve them.
Well today they turned up, so I'll be testing them tonight and will make the final order in the next couple of days.
During that time I'll send an email to everyone who's ordered a kit, with more details and an estimated shipping date.
I apologise for the lack of direct communication so far, but this is the first time I've done something like this and don't have a proper store set-up.
If you have any concerns or questions, you can contact me from the form on the sidebar, leave a comment here or email me at 'mike' 'at' my domain name.com

Look out for an update video on the kits soon.

31 comments:

  1. Hi! First of all I would like to say that your project is awesome!! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!

    My question is, how much time do you need to print the case and how much for a cartridge? I don't have a 3D printer but I'm considering to buy one for that!

    Thanks!

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    1. It depends a lot on the settings you choose. I printed my case at 0.15mm layer height at 50mm/sec, 2 shells and 25% infill.

      The top and bottom shells took around 3 hours each and the rest of the case parts another hour, the cartridges take 30-40 minutes.

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    2. As an amature 3D printer, I've been trying to dial in my settings, and am taking it a bit slower. I also wanted stuff a little thicker because I got some pillowing in the first few tests of the cart. Due to my settings, not the design.

      Cartridges took me about 1 hour 20 minutes. And the bottom case took about 4 hours 30 minutes.

      Just figured I'd give you a range of what to expect. I'm hoping to get that down quicker now that I've figured out some better settings.

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  2. Where did you get the cartridge labels

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  3. Would you be able to separate out the .stl files that have multiple pieces in them? They seem to be grouped and am unable to ungroup them. I want to print the case and carts with an SLA printer, and having all the individual pieces would greatly help!

    Thanks!!

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  4. Can't wait to hear back about the final product! I preordered the first day :) Really excited to get everything together.

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  5. I want to place an order but I read on one of the comments that you don't include the case. Is this correct? Want to order the unit with out the raspberry since I already have it. Also is this kit for the raspberry 3? The images don't match to the 3 but for the older raspberry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The case files are freely available to download from my Thingiverse page linked in the sidebar.
      It is NOT included in the kit.
      The kit is designed for Raspberry Pi 3 but will be compatible with any of the other Model B boards.

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  6. Where did you get there cartridge labels and if we bought an electronics kit do we have to code

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    1. I made the cartridge labels by scaling down photos I took of the originals.
      If you buy a kit, there will be some configuration of the software required but I'll provide full instructions.

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    2. So you took the labels off the original carts and then took a photo and scaled it down

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    3. I didn't remove the labels, just took a quick picture in-situ and played around with it in an image editor until it looked right.

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    4. Oh thanks mike I will let you know if there are any more questions I have about the project and I am glad I don't have to remove the labels off those 30 year old carts

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  7. Hello. I was wondering if you have any prebuilt you might want to sell. I would like to have 2 cartridges (no label, just for looks) no rfid needed. No software installed necessary. Would this be possible?

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    Replies
    1. No, I don't sell pre-built units, sorry.

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  8. Do you know anywhere I would be able to 3d print this files in some sort of public place?

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    Replies
    1. Sorry, I don't have any experience with 3D printing services, I've only ever used my own printer.

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    2. I know that in a town close to me they have 3D printers at the local library. You have to supply or buy filament. Or look for a "makers" group,you may have to pay a fee to join but they usually have printers too.

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    3. I know this is a late reply, but I got my case made using Sculpteo. They are an online service that will print the .stl files for you directly and ship them out. They are actually very quick too. Got all my parts within a week (US). Just make sure you upload the parts in (mm) NOT (cm) and it should come out perfect....only downside to not having your own printer, online services can be pretty pricey.

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  9. What program and camera did you use to take the picture of the cart and edit it or could you just make a video on how to do it.

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    1. Just my phone and GIMP 2. Because you're printing so small it's pretty forgiving.
      Someone did link me to a site that has NES labels you can download but I can't find it now.

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    2. I've been using this site for cart images http://bootgod.dyndns.org/

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  10. Ok show me what the link is when you find it. Thanks Mike

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  11. daftmike, could you please describe the steps you are doing when printing with your own printer ? so you print the supports first, or which files first etc ? because I think many would try to print them themselves or at friends or fablabs, but dont know exactly how to do it.
    Thank you for your help !

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    Replies
    1. That's a good idea. I'll make a specific video about my printing process as part of the guide series.

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  12. Selling anymore of these? Thanks.

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    1. Batch 3 still has some stock left for pre-order and I'll start another batch after that if there's demand.

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  13. Greetings from Chile!
    This is one of those projects that makes me enthuse, as it has some of my passions like 3d design (used to model 3D objects like a hobby), programming (I'm a computer engineer) and game consoles (used to play with a megadrive sega ). I recently bought a raspberry pi, and installed Retropie on it.
    Unfortunately I am not an electronic guy , so is costing me a lot to learn. I could see from latest updates that the serial communication (as explained in the tutorial) has been replaced by I2C. Is that so? Maybe because it's better. Are you planning toupdate the blog to teach people like me (enthusiasts willing to learn)?

    Thanks you for your creativitie.

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    1. Hi Javier,
      I've had a lot of fun with this project for all the same reasons you mention(although I'm not an engineer and I had Nintendos growing up ;)
      The new version still uses serial communication with the Pi but I did switch to i2c for the NFC to save on wiring.
      When I eventually finish the guide I'd like to write a whole new article on the project with all the updates and improvements I've learned along the way.

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  14. Thanks a lot for sharing your project. This is great stuff to learn about.

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  15. What parts do you use to make them???

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