Max's Gameboy Color Zero

[Max]

Hi everyone,

I just started my CGZ but with a GameBoy Color.

For this mod I want to keep the case as brand new as possible. I will not add any more button. A+B are enough for me, but I'm sure there are enough place to add them.

What pieces I got :
- GameBoy Color (the blue one)
- Raspberry Pi Zero
- 2.5 Adafruit TFT Screen. The 3.5 is too big for the GameBoy Color. It can probably fit in the case but you have to move the volume pot and the power switch.
- Powerboost 1000 C
- Audio amplifier from Adafruit
- Speaker from Adafruit
- GameBoy cartridge

What I need now :
- The battery
- Some small stuff like small button for the display, etc...

What I don't use :
- Teensy LC to keep space
- USB hub
- More button



I did not start as Wermy because I want to be sure every part can work with each other before to cut the case.


First Step : The screen

So the screen PCB for the 2.5 is not the same of the 3.5. But the chip which should be removed is also on this board at the bottom right of the photo
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]

So i removed it
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]

And link the power + ground to old place of the chip, like the tutorial.
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]

Then I linked everything to the raspberry. But watch out, to link the composite to the raspberry, I had to link the yellow to the square, and the white to the circle. This is the opposite of Wermy. When I did as Wermy the screen turned on (the backlight) but nothing appeared on the screen.
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]

And finally, I linked the raspberry to the power and wouuuuuaaa, it works.
[spoiler="Show me the photo"][/spoiler]

This step is validated for me. I'm already happy.
The next step will be the buttons. I think I got an advantage to use a GameBoy Color, because there is a lot of testing patches on the PCB, So I will not have to scratch the PCB

[Kilren]

I just started my CGZ but with a GameBoy Color.

Fun. Looks like it's going to end up really nice.

Just a nice forum etiquette tip (and it just barely became available), put your future picture posts in [spoiler="text")image.jpeg[/spoiler] tags to allow navigation to be easier.

Good luck!

[Max]

Yes you're right, it's more readable like that

[Ganreizu]

Lol'd at your spoiler text. Show me the money!!

Quite interested in seeing how this progresses. Gameboy color is definitely my retro console of choice but the GBZ had way too many erotic features for me to pass it up. Godspeed to you sir.

[RMwashere]

Dang man, I've been doing some research on how to put a Pi in a GBC. I'm going to have to follow this thread!

[Bols]

There's even this guy who put a full size RPi 2 in a GBC, http://www.xodustech.com/projects/raspb ... boy-pocket

[Kilren]

If enough of a following jumps behind the GBC-Z, maybe some of these awesome PCB boards will come out for it also. I know that prerunnerseth's setup is so clean, that I'm willing to bet that you could get a SD-Cartridge running all the same. Hopefully people jump on this and figure out how to do it compact and clean enough. I'd prefer a GBC over a DMG just for nostalgia reasons alone.

[Max]

Controller Testing

I had one small hour to spend on the mod, so I wanted to try the testing patches on the GBC's PCB. So I soldered a wire in each patch, and soldered one more for the ground.



As my GBC is still working, I put a Mario cartridge in it and tried my buttons by making the wires touch the ground. It works like a charm.
This is a big point, because I don't have to scratch the PCB or make or buy a new PCB for the controllers. It's just easy.

The only thing, the wires is used are too thick for the patches, and too rigid so the solder are breaking each time I move a wire too hard. I used 24 AGW wire (0.20mm2). So I will redo everything with a much thinner wire.

Next step : Remove some chips from the PCB, cut the board to keep controllers, cartridge reader, power switch and audio pot.

[Kilren]

It works like a charm... It's just easy.

I hate you.

Guess it is time to go buy a damaged GBC.

[Max]

It works like a charm... It's just easy.

I hate you.

Guess it is time to go buy a damaged GBC.

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.