Need help in electronics...

[Harsky]

Saw this old picture on Maxconsole:

That was meant to be an MP3 player in a NES controller. Now, browsing for instructions to make it turned up with nothing. In fact, seeing this:

http://www.futurenews.at/uploads/NESAMP3.jpg

Where the creator claims that he mapped out all the NES buttons to correspond with the MP3 buttons seems a little bit busted when it just looks like nothing is connected to the A and B button. Anyways, with the remaining weekend left before I go back to college, I'm trying to see if I can attempt this myself (with the help of you guyz). I have a NES controller which I got for free when I bought a NES last year and I'll be browsing the Pawn Shops for a cheapo USB MP3 player that people traded in. My question before I start is.... is this possible?

 

[Noobix]

Easy peasy.

 

[mthrnite]

Well, here's the guy's blog entry on the subject, couldn't find any pictures (he got slashdotted and never put them back up) but he does give a rudimentary explanation:

(google translated from german)

What does one do on a boring Saturday, if outside the first snow falls? One builds oneself a MP3 Player from a cheap USB MP3 stick and an old NES CONTROLLER. The battery in the photos was replaced by the way in the meantime by a Akku, which up-loaded if the Player hangs itself on a USB cable. The control is made completely by the CONTROLLERs Buttons (“start” at the CONTROLLER is “on/play”, the tax cross serves for the song change and for the audio gain control, over “SELECT” can one the configuration attitudes of the Players call). Pictures for increasing click.

Update: I've been slashdotted. That's nice, but I don't think that my provider will be too happy about it. I've therefore taken down the images until the storm is over.

Btw., it is beyond me why some of the Slashdot folks are calling this a fake. All I did was disassemble an ordinary USB MP3 stick (a SHE MP-101 BD, to be exact), cut the NES controllers PCB to size, and wire the buttons to the MP3 players button contacts. The holes for the headphones and USB connector where indeed done using a dremel tool. This is of course not wizardry, but I still think its pretty cool to have a custom player like that. If you don't like it, don't read it.

http://www.futurenews.at/archives/826-NESamp-MP3-Player.html

It's been on the "boingboing" and "make" sites, you might search them for comments. Best I can do. Hope it helps.

 

[Harsky]

First prospect when I took apart my NES controller does not look good. The circuit board covers everything and I don't know which to cut without risking the buttons on the NES not working.

 

[yatzr]

can you post a picture of the pcb inside the nes controller? maybe show where the buttons are if it's not evident from the board.

 

[FAST6191]

Hehe NES controller (99% certain this has been posted before but what the hey some may have not seen it): http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/featur...d_the_DPad.html

As for this I should imagine if it is not a close fit the buttons are the same as is found in 99% of devices like this so a little bit of soldering skill and some wires should sort any issues, if not small push to make switches are can be picked up for next to nothing.

 

[yatzr]

i found some instructions that the guy wrote up in word
http://www.watchingthedetectives.org/files/ShuffleNES.doc

 

[Harsky]

Thanks for that link. Anyways, here's some pictures of what I'm faced with.





BTW, I do have some soldering experience so I think that much is known.

 

[Squiffy]

You're right, the A and B buttons dont do anything. He probably didnt use them to save room so he could cut down the PCB.

 

[Harsky]

Is there a recommended cheap MP3 player I could sacrifice to make this work? My sister has a shuffle but my uncle is getting her a Nano soon. I took a look at it but I can't seem to take it apart.

 

[Kyoji]

you're going to need something with buttons on the outside for playback features for your hack to work. I forgot what the term is called..circuit-jumping or something.

 

[Harsky]

Playback Feature? Can't this hack work with generical USB MP3 players? I know the instruction posted was meant to be for Shuffle but I guess it can be the same principle. Then again, I can't even start cos I don't have a Dremal tool

 

[zacstill]

www.instructables.com
There are alot of great NES controller mods on this website. belt buckles, LEDs, mp3 players etc

 

[Harsky]

Today, my sister said that she's just GIVING the shuffle to me. To be honest, I don't actually want to take it apart because

1. I could sell it again on ebay
2. It's too complicated and expensive to use it as part of a mod

Now I think I'll just buy a really cheap MP3 player from ebay. More questions. In the picture I posted, there are some black marks where the buttons normally go. Should I be soldering the wires onto them or should I follow the trace and solder the wire from the MP3 player to the end of the trace? I know I must be bordering on unnaturally annoying but I'm putting in a lot of research to make sure that I don't make a mistake that messes everything up. BTW that Instructable site doesn't have the guide to make one.

 

[Harsky]

Been wondering about circuit hijacking. Is it as simple as just scratching off some trace, soldering wire onto that, then solder that same wire onto the trace where the MP3 buttons are? Does it need any power?

 

[Harsky]

Well, I went out and bought the MP3 player. Decided a cheap one should do so I bought a 256mb one for £20. Not bad when you consider it also includes headphones and USB cable. Anyways... here's what it looks like:



Okay, pink is so not my colour. But anyhoo... SMASHY SMASHY



BTW, I abandoned the idea of using the original PCB and wiring it up. I decided I might as well get tracer switches. Now to go to Maplins later today.

 

[Harsky]

Went to my local Maplins..... and found a CR2032 battery and the battery holder. Now... it's 3V which is double the AAA battery it runs on. Recommended or not?

 

[Harsky]

I learnt something. Apparently just because lithium batteries say 3V doesn't mean it will actually power up an MP3 player. Played about 10 seconds of a song before ZAP. Battery dead.

 

[Kyoji]

Went to my local Maplins..... and found a CR2032 battery and the battery holder. Now... it's 3V which is double the AAA battery it runs on. Recommended or not?

Cant you get some resistors to lower the voltage a bit?

 

[Harsky]

Man, this project is really punishing me. I looked at the MP3 player and the little black bits on the top are what control the Play/fast forward etc





It doesn't seem like it's an easy case of, "pull buttons off, solder some wires onto the place". And what's worst is that I can't think of a way to get the display screen to show.