Max's Gameboy Color Zero

[Kilren]

Noooo Kilren, please ! Don't hate me
I have chosen the GBC, just for nostalgia, like you. But when you first open the GBC it's terrifying to see all this electronic stuff that is so different from the DMG. And I guess I'm the first one in this forum to working on it. I've never been sure to be competent to do it with the GBC (and still now). But if I failed, I'll go on the DMG.

Haha, I say it in jest. No worries. I am already building two DMG's. What's another GBCZ on top of it
Yeah, I am following this very closely. Besides the controller PCB, are you hoping to recycle a lot of the guts or replace with new components? I was stalking ebay earlier today for some damaged gbc. We'll see what happens. I'm contemplating what it'll take to construct new PCB's and the lots and get a following with this. The biggest holdback is that there are files already out there for the DMG, and a lot less for the gbc. Guess I need to learn how to use eagle to draw some PCB's.

[Max]

Besides the controller PCB, are you hoping to recycle a lot of the guts or replace with new components?

I'll try to keep as much component as I can like the cartridge reader (of course), the audio pot, the power switch, and the jack.

[RMwashere]

Hey man, how's the project coming along?

[Max]

Hey man, how's the project coming along?

I did not had time the last weekends to work on it, so it's still at the same point. But it will move soon

[Max]

Hey guys,

I finally got time to moving forward my Gameboy Color Zero.

Rewiring the controllers

As I said in the last post, the wires I used for the controllers were too rigid, and broke the solders. So I remade all the wiring stuff, and put thin wire in testing hole instead of the testing pads close to the controllers. The picture will be more speaking.



Putting the wires at the top is cleaner because the controller PCB stay straight without any solder that can bother the buttons.
I only have one wire on a pad, the up wire, because I broke the line during my first try, so I need to make a heap a this place to keep the connection. If someone has an idea on how I can fix this part cleaner, please tell me.

So now the wires are all working, let's cut some PCB !!!

Cutting the PCB

Before cutting the PCB to keep the cartridge reader, the power switch and the audio pot, I need to clean the PCB, and remove all the chips from it. I started with bottom of the card.
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]
And then I cut it.
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]

The bottom is made, let's do the top, a bit more difficult because I want to keep the power switch and the audio pot on the pcb, so they will stay at the perfect position in the gameboy case.
[spoiler="Front"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="Back"][/spoiler]
As now everything is cut, the next step will be to try the placement of every element in the Gameboy Color case.

[Flowlance]

Looks promising. Interesting to see you're going for gbc instead of dmg
Keep us updated about the screen and battery placement, I'm sure you can fit them somehow

[Max]

It have been a long time I did not keep you updated about my project.
Here I am, and I will do the most I can to make my Gameboy Color working before my holidays, at the end of the week.

I cut everything in the case and here is a positioning of all the stuff I have to put in, except the battery that I should receive this week. I took a 1400mAh.



I worked on the audio setup, but I have some problems with the potentiometer, so I have to try another wiring. Hope to fix it tonight.

[Max]

Bad news guys. I had to take a hard decision tonight. I have to remove the cartridge reader . It takes too many space in the Gameboy Color and it was already difficult to close the case without the charger and all their wires and the battery. So I took it off and now I can have a really better setup for the wires and the heat.

[Camble]

Looking good so far. I'm not surprised about the decision to remove the cartridge reader. It takes up a tonne of space, even in the DMG-01. It's a nice feature to have, but definitely not essential.

[abrugsch]

instead of using the original cart header, try and use a NDS header. they are really slim and only need a slight bit of modding