My Skunkboard case mod

[+save2600]

Received these (empty cases) from B&C today. Shipment came from CA as fast as I've ever received anything!

 

Since I already had the soldering iron all warmed up from removing the connector pins and USB ports, I decided I'd carve my own recesses out in order for the USB cable to slide through, whilst providing enough grip for it not to accidentally come unplugged. As you can see, I didn't hack my way to a holiday making room for ports that will never be used. Now, I just need to slap a nice fancy label on her and I'd be all set! I have a nice printer and all that, but I'd rather having something more professional, already cut, perfect fit, etc. The likes of what CPUWIZ and Shawn Sr. put out. Maybe just a glossy sticker done the way the label for the Skunkboard comes with on its outer box would be great. If anyone can help out in that department - lmk what it would cost...

 

On to the pics!

 

Edited November 9, 2009 by save2600

[Hyper_Eye]

Great job! It looks really good. Now you need a label. I believe there is a nice label on the forum somewhere that you can print and use. Some people peeled the label of the box the Skunk came in.

Edited November 9, 2009 by Hyper_Eye

[+save2600]

I did a search in the Jaguar (and all) forums for "Skunkboard label"... no results found.

Edited November 9, 2009 by save2600

[+remowilliams]

Some people peeled the label of the box the Skunk came in.

Yeah thats what I did. Worked pretty nicely too.

[Hyper_Eye]

I did a search in the Jaguar (and all) forums for "Skunkboard label"... no results found.

 

Here is one: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/143008-the-i-got-my-skunkboard-thread/page__view__findpost__p__1784452

 

Here is another: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/143008-the-i-got-my-skunkboard-thread/page__view__findpost__p__1754404

Edited November 9, 2009 by Hyper_Eye

[+save2600]

Shoot, Guitarman's was on a thread I had been paying attention to also... but thanks!! I'll print 'em both off and see if I can produce anything worthy enough of sticking on there. I think this will do (even though the Cyan cartridge is dying)... lol

 

 

Thanks Guitarman!

Edited November 9, 2009 by save2600

[disjaukifa]

atari2600 that looks amazing!!! I'm not confident enough to remove the Type A USB ports, I just don't have that kind of skill. But out of curiosity how difficult was it to do?

 

Thanks

Disjaukifa

[+save2600]

atari2600 that looks amazing!!! I'm not confident enough to remove the Type A USB ports, I just don't have that kind of skill. But out of curiosity how difficult was it to do?

 

Thanks

Disjaukifa

 

I have many, many years of soldering/de-soldering experience under my belt, so for me, was not a tough job at all. The soldering iron I used can switch between 15 and 30watts. I left it on 30 at all times, took a desoldering braided wick to it and was done within minutes. Oh, and there were a couple of joints where I used a spring loaded solder sucker too, but only used it because the braid was unable to attract some of the deeper solder. I'm talking about the solder side of the board of course. Some people will try to desolder from the parts side and that usually ends up in a big mess - often ruining boards. Best to use a solder sucker below instead of tackling from the top. In the case of the USB ports though... they have their ground tabs well soldered to the top. I did have to use the braid on the lugs, but they are far enough away from the more sensitive surface mounted components.

Edited November 10, 2009 by save2600

[disjaukifa]

atari2600 that looks amazing!!! I'm not confident enough to remove the Type A USB ports, I just don't have that kind of skill. But out of curiosity how difficult was it to do?

 

Thanks

Disjaukifa

 

I have many, many years of soldering/de-soldering experience under my belt, so for me, was not a tough job at all. The soldering iron I used can switch between 15 and 30watts. I left it on 30 at all times, took a desoldering braided wick to it and was done within minutes. Oh, and there were a couple of joints where I used a spring loaded solder sucker too, but only used it because the braid was unable to attract some of the deeper solder. I'm talking about the solder side of the board of course. Some people will try to desolder from the parts side and that usually ends up in a big mess - often ruining boards. Best to use a solder sucker below instead of tackling from the top.

 

So basically I'm just looking to shave the #$&*# out of the back of the cartridge , I think I will have more luck doing that!!! I have just some basic . . . very basic stuff with a soldier iron.

 

-Disjaukifa

[+save2600]

Shaving ain't gonna cut it my friend. You'd end up having to cut into the back of the case to make that thing fit. And then the case would be 'ruined'. Anyone close by that can help desolder for you? BTW: your empty case is now in transit.

Edited November 10, 2009 by save2600

[Hyper_Eye]

Shaving works for the USB ports according to Mr. Morden here: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/143008-the-i-got-my-skunkboard-thread/page__view__findpost__p__1773501

 

For the pins I think you could snip off enough to not have to drill the holes. This should be achievable without desoldering anything.

[+remowilliams]

For the pins I think you could snip off enough to not have to drill the holes. This should be achievable without desoldering anything.

You can also (carefully) bend the pins up to a right angle, which is what I did.

[disjaukifa]

For the pins I think you could snip off enough to not have to drill the holes. This should be achievable without desoldering anything.

You can also (carefully) bend the pins up to a right angle, which is what I did.

 

I already bent the pins up on my current one. Here is what my current case looks like, I want to make it better:

 

 

You can kind of see that the pins are already bent

 

-Disjaukifa

[Hyper_Eye]

Has anyone thought about using a short USB-mini-b to female USB-a cable so that the unit can be kept in a standard jag box with cardboard insert? The idea would be that you "plug" a regular USB cable into it when you want to use it and when not in use it just has the short cable protruding so it can be easily tucked away for storage.

 

Here is a pic of the cable:

 

 

Here are the cable details: http://www.usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=232

 

If you wanted to keep the plug end even more manageable you could just have a usb-mini-b short extension cable and plug the usb-mini-b cable into it for use.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Hyper_Eye

[doctorclu]

Received these (empty cases) from B&C today. Shipment came from CA as fast as I've ever received anything!

 

Since I already had the soldering iron all warmed up from removing the connector pins and USB ports, I decided I'd carve my own recesses out in order for the USB cable to slide through, whilst providing enough grip for it not to accidentally come unplugged. As you can see, I didn't hack my way to a holiday making room for ports that will never be used. Now, I just need to slap a nice fancy label on her and I'd be all set! I have a nice printer and all that, but I'd rather having something more professional, already cut, perfect fit, etc. The likes of what CPUWIZ and Shawn Sr. put out. Maybe just a glossy sticker done the way the label for the Skunkboard comes with on its outer box would be great. If anyone can help out in that department - lmk what it would cost...

 

Just wanted to say... great job!! You've answered once and for all that minus the USBless ports that this cart would fine just fine.

 

(Though if the USB ports did get working for something that would just AWESOME!)

 

Good cart shell work!

[+Stephen Moss]

Shaving ain't gonna cut it my friend. You'd end up having to cut into the back of the case to make that thing fit. And then the case would be 'ruined'. Anyone close by that can help desolder for you? BTW: your empty case is now in transit.

I shaved 1.5mm out the back of my case (from its highest point) which was just enough to allow the skunkboard including USB ports to fit without going through the back of the case having replaced the straight pin header with a right angled one but then I have access to a milling machine at work which most people do not.

Clamping the shell was a little problematic as it is a little more flexible then reqired to clamp it firmly without it bowing, I decided to run the cable out the side of the rounded section at the top of the cart. Someone mentioned in a post somewhere about filing down a lug somewhere, I found that I had to do that otherwise the PCB emerged from the bottom of the cartridge at an angle.

[disjaukifa]

Shaving ain't gonna cut it my friend. You'd end up having to cut into the back of the case to make that thing fit. And then the case would be 'ruined'. Anyone close by that can help desolder for you? BTW: your empty case is now in transit.

I shaved 1.5mm out the back of my case (from its highest point) which was just enough to allow the skunkboard including USB ports to fit without going through the back of the case having replaced the straight pin header with a right angled one but then I have access to a milling machine at work which most people do not.

Clamping the shell was a little problematic as it is a little more flexible then reqired to clamp it firmly without it bowing, I decided to run the cable out the side of the rounded section at the top of the cart. Someone mentioned in a post somewhere about filing down a lug somewhere, I found that I had to do that otherwise the PCB emerged from the bottom of the cartridge at an angle.

 

What do you mean by lug? I have heard that before but I can't seem to figure out what it means . . .

 

-Disjaukifa

[+Stephen Moss]

Someone mentioned in a post somewhere about filing down a lug somewhere, I found that I had to do that otherwise the PCB emerged from the bottom of the cartridge at an angle.

 

What do you mean by lug? I have heard that before but I can't seem to figure out what it means . . .

 

-Disjaukifa

If I remember I will take my cart appart and have a look at the weekend, maybe take some photos but off the top of my head I think it was a piece in the top (front) half of the shell that is supposed to clamp down on the top surface of the PCB to hold it in place but this causes a problem with the Skunkboard, possible because it does not sit as flatly as it should in the cartridge case without removing the rear of the case to make room for it as others have done.

[+Stephen Moss]

Well I took my cart appart and there does appear to be some scratched on the inside of the top half of the case that could have been made be the end of a file but I'll be damned if I can see what I was filing or where, perhaps I just imagined it all.

Anyway if there is something that needs filing or removing I am sure you will figure it out.

[+Guitarman]

Shoot, Guitarman's was on a thread I had been paying attention to also... but thanks!! I'll print 'em both off and see if I can produce anything worthy enough of sticking on there. I think this will do (even though the Cyan cartridge is dying)... lol

 

 

Thanks Guitarman!

 

You're welcome!!

Edited November 23, 2009 by Guitarman

[busterm]

I love case mods. This is mine that I did over the weekend. Took me about 2 hours.

 

I used a rotary tool with a flat sanding stone to miter out the areas for the Usb ports. I took maybe about 1mm-1.5mm in those to areas. I didn't want to bend the pins as I read that they wont cover any issues with the SB if you unsolder anything. So there is one small hole in the back.

 

Next I piked up a Mini Male and a standard Female port form Frys electronics and took some wire about an inch long out of a Cat5 cable and created my own mini usb cord.

 

After that I measured and again took the rotary took with a rotary saw blade to cut out the usb port on the top.

 

Once everything tuned to fit perfectly I screwed the case together and printed off the SB label from here on AA.

 

I must say it looks pretty good. All it cost me was one Dragon the Bruce Lee game ( it was the game i had the most of) $1.50 at frys. One spare Cat5 cable in my junk cord box and about 2 hours.

 

 

 

[doctorclu]

Yep they just keep looking better and better.

[Zerosquare]

Very nice !

[Gorf]

Interesting case mods....however, what will you do if someone comes up with a useful way to incorporate

the other two usb ports? I know there a re a few folk who have contemplated using those. It would be

some work involved as whomever decides to use those would need to port over the USB lib code to use

in the Jaguar. It would be cool to be able to use USB based controllers and even USB to ethernet for

online multiplayer gaming on the Jag....all which could be possible if someone goes through the trouble.

Then again, to allow decent performance in a more complex 3D game, the lib would have better to be ported

to the RISC's using the main code workaround Atari Owl and I discovered.

[+save2600]

Interesting case mods....however, what will you do if someone comes up with a useful way to incorporate

the other two usb ports? I know there a re a few folk who have contemplated using those. It would be

some work involved as whomever decides to use those would need to port over the USB lib code to use

in the Jaguar. It would be cool to be able to use USB based controllers and even USB to ethernet for

online multiplayer gaming on the Jag....all which could be possible if someone goes through the trouble.

Then again, to allow decent performance in a more complex 3D game, the lib would have better to be ported

to the RISC's using the main code workaround Atari Owl and I discovered.

 

Interesting notions. I for one would love to see a menu system of sorts where full games could be loaded from a USB mass storage device. But isn't the mini-USB port hooked up all the same? IF so, theoretically... all you'd need is a hub then.