Hey everyone, time for another update!
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their patience and support. I know the project has taken longer than anticipated thanks to some unforeseen issues and I'm sorry I haven't been able to meet the "best case" deadlines I had set. Hardware is a tricky thing sometimes and even the smallest change to the PCB adds at least a week to the project (as well as a good chunk of my time and cash budgeted for my hobbies) while I wait for them to be manufactured and shipped. You all have been really understanding about this and I'm grateful for that.
So, what's going on with the project right now? As previously mentioned, I'm waiting on the new boards to arrive. They were ordered last week and will hopefully be here this week, at which time I'll solder one up and get to testing. If it works, I'll post a video demonstrating such and get to work soldering up the ten prototype units.
In addition to the schematic fixes, there have also been many of other changes to the PCB to facilitate hand soldering. This will remove a good bit of frustration and save time both for myself and anyone else who wants to try to build one. The SMD parts are now largely all in a single row and have silkscreen identifiers now. The Type C footprint was modified to remove unused pins and have large solder reservoirs which, combined with the thicker 0.8mm board, should make soldering the Type C connector magnitudes easier than it was before. Many component footprints were enlarged as well, such as the RGB LED, for easier soldering. Gerber images are below.
One other thing that was bothering me was the single screw holding the board in. It was functional, but I started to worry that over time the PCB may warp with heat from the console or some other unforeseen issue and raise up slightly. It might be paranoia, but I've added two more screws to the design, one to secure the edge of the board properly and another to further strengthen the Type C port so it's secured on both sides.
This leads me into the next change. I mentioned the new board design before, even if I didn't have time to go into great detail at that moment. Something I
didn't mention before is that I'm also waiting on a new case design.
Long story short, while making the latest revision of the PCB I found a bunch of ways to optimize part locations, traces etc. and in doing so I managed to shave the length of the board down by quite a bit, which gave me a lot more room to play with for the design. If I think I can make something better, I don't really give myself any choice but try. I was getting a little dissatisfied with the old case design and didn't like a few things about it, such as the cap being held on by the friction of the Type C port or the big ugly holes for the buttons and RGB LED. I had a new PCB I was quite proud of and I really wanted a new case to match. Shrinking the PCB was all the motivation I needed for a redesign and I now have a case I'm quite happy with. I've attached some basic renders below. I will update the main post with proper renders and a revised poster as soon as I can find the time - day job is still quite busy and overtime is still required which limits my time to work on the project.
The cap now slides on via a butterfly groove which should be much easier to put on and take off and should stand up much better to years of abuse. The switches were replaced with low profile tactile domes and are getting proper plastic buttons for them now. The jig is largely unchanged other than adding a bit more length so it's more comfortable to use and easier to install the resistor.. I'm still getting the prototype cases made through 3DHubs and they should be here shortly after the new boards arrive, but I also now have two Anycubic Photon printers in the mail that I bought a few days ago that I can't wait to put to work.
Anyways, I think that about covers where the project stands right now. I'd really like some feedback on the new case and PCB design so please let me know what you think!
EDIT: Forgot to mention that all the components and circuitry for card slot charging is still present in case a software solution is found later to make it work. I put the solder bridge pads for the "detect" pin on the exposed side of the PCB near the logo so you don't have to take it to bits to enable the feature. Also, the "R" button is the reset button and the "+" button will be used to change payloads. Also, the board will be black, not green.
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