Do you find games much harder to play on the GT? Making a new handheld.

[soop]

I have perfect eyesight, but even in optimum conditions I find games really hard to play on the GT to the same standard I can play on a TV.  To be honest, after modding my Nomad, the screens are now really miles apart, and the GT has fallen out of favour.

No way I'm going to open up my GT short of saving its life, but I've been thinking more of some kind of portable mod, and I've now got a stash of 5 stand-alone core units, 3 PCE, 2 Core II's.  I'm going to mod some/all of them for RGB, and probably sell a couple to cover costs and lend a few out to friends (growing the PCE fanbase can't be a bad thing).  That leaves me at least one spare to mess around with.

So, the options are:
Part one:
White PCE or Core II?
The White PCE can do everything the Core II can do, but is lighter, and I assume has less inside.  No idea why/how, but this would make it better for a portable unless anyone has any ojections (caveat; making as realistic LT copy as possible, the grey Core II would look nicer).

Part 2:
Form factor
I still like the idea of the LT copy, as it allows a big protected screen, but it's the most technically challenging in my eyes.  Since I have no idea how to connect the screen through a hinge, or even how to make a hinge, I'd ideally re-use a similar hinged screen (even if the screen itself needed to be replaced).  I've been unable to source a suitable screen though.  The Gamecube screens come close, but they're ever so slightly larger than the PCE.  The other options include setting a screen into the top of the case, having a portable screen (duo monitor style), or creating a full-on Ben Hack style portable (not even close to the needed resources).

Part 3: 
The goddamn screen.
The PCE is something like 6.5" in diameter (can't remember exactly), so it will fit a far larger screen than the 3.5" I used in my Nomad, and indeed may look a bit silly with such a large bezel.
However, the progression into decent, cheap, low power TFTs has gone hand in hand with the adoption of Widescreen, and the real estate would be far better served with 4:3.  I just cannot find a source of screens with TFT, composite (or even RGB) input in 4:3.  Ben Heck forums were not much help either.
the playstationOne screen came close, but it has a stupid-large bezel because of its whacky circuit board.

Part 4:
The power
I still don't know what kind of power this will all require.  It must be different to the GT, even though it has less to do.  I wonder if it's possible to reduce the amount of power it consumes somehow.  Any experts out there know anything that can be streamlined?

[soop]

Wow, I found a screen that might be pretty good.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-5-TFT-LCD-Monitor-Car-Reverse-Camera-DVD-VCR-CCTV-B-/160587406727?pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP&hash=item2563c15d87

I'm guessing that it's only slighly less wide than the PCE, and although it doesn't look it, going by dimensions, it's 4:3.

*edit* I think I've worked out how the hinges work too...6 wires would go up through the hinges.  For some strange reason I couldn't get past the mental image that it was going to be a ribbon cable.  That means the LT is looking quite possible.  Wonder if anyone has ever taken an LT apart?

*edit 2* Aha!  Like this:

Which makes me think... a DS must be close in width to the PCE...

[alexsduo]

I really like where this thead is going... I have a broken hinge ds and I don't know how you seperated that shit!  Have you heard of any boots, like tg on a chip, like those nes clones?

[soop]

I really like where this thead is going... I have a broken hinge ds and I don't know how you seperated that shit!  Have you heard of any boots, like tg on a chip, like those nes clones?

Nope, never heard of such a thing   I think tats had a thread asking if anyone would be interested in such a thing, and I think if done well, it would be a superb idea.  No idea how one would go about it though.
Oh, and that's not my DS btw, that's just a pic I found.  If you look at the replacement shells too, they give you a clue to taking apart a DS, the right hinge comes off completely.

When I got home last night, I compared the width of the PCE to the DS, and it's almost exactly between the width of the top part of the PCE, and the rim going around the outside.  This brings about a whole new issue.
It's sacrilege to cut a PCE like this, but it looks like the most sensible/straightforward thing to do is to cut off the bump on top, replace it with a flat piece of plastic, and then mount the hinge on top of that.

Now that will likely be frightfully ugly when open. There maaaay be a way to re-use it on top of the screen though.  and I still haven't really decided whether it would be better to mount the hinge at the back, or further forward like the LT, to maintain compatability with CD interfaces.  It likely depends on the screen and maybe the space inside.

Also, FYI, DS shells can be had for $1 on eBay.

[GameFreak]

here is some inspiration even though it is a modern console. personally, I would like to see a pc-engine with a folding LCD screen and a battery pack, so it resembles a PCengine LT. That would be cool. 

[soop]

here is some inspiration even though it is a modern console. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYBekOTTBEY&feature=player_embedded#at=136 personally, I would like to see a pc-engine with a folding LCD screen and a battery pack, so it resembles a PCengine LT. That would be cool. 

That looks really nice actually.  I'm actually worried about the type of plastic to use for the screen cover and ... replacement inside lid.  Need me some non shiny plastic.  Not sure what it's called.

[Bonknuts]

Having removed and resoldered some surface mounted chips, your post gave me an idea. Since there are only three chips for the PCE, excluding the single work sram and two video sram chips. you could remove all 5 chips and redesign a new smaller, much more compact PCB for used in a portable unit. Of course, for whatever LCD unit you use - make sure it actually have the LCD driver with it - else you'll need a analog to digital fpga type chip to convert the RGB for you (unless you have experience in this area, this isn't an option. So pick a LCD with a correct driver).

[blueraven]

I believe someone made a PSP looking unit a few years back with a larger screen. If I recall it was red.

If you search for it I'm sure you will find it.

[soop]

Having removed and resoldered some surface mounted chips, your post gave me an idea. Since there are only three chips for the PCE, excluding the single work sram and two video sram chips. you could remove all 5 chips and redesign a new smaller, much more compact PCB for used in a portable unit. Of course, for whatever LCD unit you use - make sure it actually have the LCD driver with it - else you'll need a analog to digital fpga type chip to convert the RGB for you (unless you have experience in this area, this isn't an option. So pick a LCD with a correct driver).

Yep, the one I linked to will have it's own driver.  I'd love to see a reduced sized circuit board, but that's way beyond my current skill level.

I believe someone made a PSP looking unit a few years back with a larger screen. If I recall it was red.

If you search for it I'm sure you will find it.

That was the Turbografx thing, I don't really like that one :/

[SignOfZeta]

I'm %99.9 sure the DS screen is going to be fully digital, so getting a PCE's output to display on it is probably going to be a huge endeavor. Look elsewhere.

I think the easiest way to do this would be to destroy yet another official PSOne LCD or after market Gamecube screen (there were several). Chuck the PCE's case completely and build it in two layers with OEM buttons/pad transferred to a new surface.

As much as I'm underwhelmed by emulation, this is personally how I play PCE games portably (or rather, I don't play them portably, in reality). Whatever you create is going to be creaky and buggy and unreliable and have terrible battery life in addition to just being too fragile to use every day. This is meant as no offense to you, its just the case with virtually all one-off prototypes. I know a guy with an actual Ben Heck 2600, and as amazing as it is, its not something you really spend hours playing. Its something you show to people for 10 seconds and if you let them touch it you have to say, "be very very careful" first. This is true with most prototypes, from the garage stuff all the way to console OEMs.

I'm not saying that you can't make something really really cool, or that it won't be fun to do (even if you abandon it) I'm just saying that whatever you make...its highly unlikely to ever be your "daily driver". Therefore if you truly want a practical portable PCE that you will/can actually play I suggest just cutting your losses now and buying a Pandora or even a PSP.

[soop]

Agreed, it's not going to be perfect, I just want to mess around.
By the way, I'm not using a DS screen, just considering using the hinge mechanism.

[soop]

ok, I had a poke about in one of them, and here's what I'm considering.  Firstly, removing the external bus, and then moving the Hu Card slot into its place (but a little further back).

Hopefully, this should lower the height of the internals so that I'd be able to give the PCE a lobotomy, ideally somewhere below that ridge before the top bump.

Then, (and I still don't know how possible this is), cutting out the Hu Card port, and filling in the gap with something that won't look to shitty.  This should provide enough room (in terms of depth) for the LCD screen and the driver board.

If the above is possible, that that's a fantastic start.

other notes:
The Core Grafx II is only heavier than the PCE because of the metal RF shielding in the base.
Behind the Power switch is a large piece of metal that only seems to be protecting the fuse(?).  Removing this may reduce weight.
There may also be space for a fairly large battery at the front of the unit, which could possibly be routed to the power input for charging, and then through the battery back to the input on the board.

[soop]

Ok, I've sourced a screen http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160587406727&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
And the plasic to mould the rest of the case: http://www.maplin.co.uk/polymorph-35511?ordercode=N15AT
The plastic can make hinges too, so it's perfect.  As long as it doesn't get too hot.

The next thing to solve, is "is that lump of metal behind the power button a ground for something?"

Do the cables from the motherboard to the HuCard slot need to be that thick?  Are they shielded or something?

and

"Should/can I replace the capacitors with SMT caps or something, or rerouter them to create more space for the HuCard slot?" (will likely route it to the back)