Another ATARI Portable

[+karri]

These legs could be bent 45 degrees and soldered directly to your board. No need for 90 degrees.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

2 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Yes the legs on the socket I've been working on are straight, certainly bendable but I think too weak for a right angle, unless you have the socket actually attached to the PCB elsewhere other then the soldered legs.

 

Anyway, more then happy to send you a couple of my sockets, DM me if interested.

 

I very much like your case design and super to see original chips repurposed. Great project.

Ben the pins look longer than the ones used on the 2600+. If so that is good because it means these could be used on actual consoles to replace old cart slots? 

[Ben from Plaion]

16 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Ben the pins look longer than the ones used on the 2600+. If so that is good because it means these could be used on actual consoles to replace old cart slots? 

Yeah, pins at that length might be just be prototype lengths, I havent thought at all about selling them individually. Happy to send some spares out to test.

[+selgus]

Made some more progress assembling my portable motherboard.. all that's left are the electrolytic caps, some diodes, push buttons and then the sockets..

 

[PacManPlus]

Beautiful... just beautiful...

 

[+selgus]

Still need to install the leds, but want to create a small jig to bend them properly at their right angle.. I had been just using needle nose pilers before, but that won't always be consistent from bend to bend.

 

Also, just have the cartridge port loose fitted, as I will test out @Ben from Plaion 2600+ cartridge port, when it arrives.

 

[+sramirez2008]

17 minutes ago, selgus said:

Still need to install the leds, but want to create a small jig to bend them properly at their right angle.. I had been just using needle nose pilers before, but that won't always be consistent from bend to bend.

 

Also, just have the cartridge port loose fitted, as I will test out @Ben from Plaion 2600+ cartridge port, when it arrives.

 

Looking good!

[Maztr_0n]

What a fun little fella

[+selgus]

Received the new 2600+ cartridge connector that @Ben from Plaion sent me from ATARI, and did some observations/testing to see what, if anything, this could mean for my portable.

 

Here are the different 7800 cartridge connectors-- left is the original 7800 console, middle is the new one that ATARI will start using in the 2600+ and the right is the right-angle version I'm using in the portable..

 

    

 

The new connector's leads are longer than the original 7800 console, which is good, as the original are too short for the portable. They are the same length as the one's I'm currently using, just not bent.

 

The new one's also have the same keying, which while nice, doesn't really add value to my use of the connector.

 

All the spacings, obviously, are the same..

 

 

The downside of the new connectors for use in the portable, is the pins would need to be bent before installation, as the orientation is different than console sitting on a table/desk. These would need to be bent at precise distances/angles, to make sure it fit correctly into the enclosure and makes proper connection with a cartridge.

 

So my conclusion would be, unless I built some sort of jig to bend the pins just right, and the cost of these connectors were substantially less than my DigiKey right-angle versions, I should continue with my current setup.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

30 minutes ago, selgus said:

Received the new 2600+ cartridge connector that @Ben from Plaion sent me from ATARI, and did some observations/testing to see what, if anything, this could mean for my portable.

 

Here are the different 7800 cartridge connectors-- left is the original 7800 console, middle is the new one that ATARI will start using in the 2600+ and the right is the right-angle version I'm using in the portable..

 

    

 

The new connector's leads are longer than the original 7800 console, which is good, as the original are too short for the portable. They are the same length as the one's I'm currently using, just not bent.

 

The new one's also have the same keying, which while nice, doesn't really add value to my use of the connector.

 

All the spacings, obviously, are the same..

 

 

The downside of the new connectors for use in the portable, is the pins would need to be bent before installation, as the orientation is different than console sitting on a table/desk. These would need to be bent at precise distances/angles, to make sure it fit correctly into the enclosure and makes proper connection with a cartridge.

 

So my conclusion would be, unless I built some sort of jig to bend the pins just right, and the cost of these connectors were substantially less than my DigiKey right-angle versions, I should continue with my current setup.

I seem to recall that Ben stated that these pre-release ports we are being sent will likely NOT have as long of a leads on them. I kinda hope they do as it would allow for more versatile installs going forward as both OEM replacements and other projects.

 

Your right angle version also has the pre-drilled holes for securing the port to the PCB while that isn't really as much of an option on the Atari remakes. Unless another bracket or something is put into the mix to attach it all into place.

[Maztr_0n]

I would rock this on a train ngl..

[+selgus]

Another update, another rev of the board.. I didn't like how I routed the audio output around the board, to get to the speaker connector. I wanted to cleanest signal, so I reworked the pcb so that the speaker connector is right next to the audio capacitors. I also have been optimizing the schematic, to utilize more resistor and capacitor arrays, hence lower the part count (building these by hand is tedious, though I think my next step is to utilize my infra-red reflow oven and solder paste, instead of hand soldering). I've populated all the passives (except for the large caps, which I normally do last) and most other parts.. moving to the smd ics next..

 

 

I also wasn't happy with the 3d printed faceplate for the product name (there just isn't enough surface area to get crisp full-color 3d prints), so I spent some time designing a die press that I am going to cnc out of steel, and press into aluminum sheet. This is closer to what ATARI actually did for the 7800 console, just on a smaller scale. This way each enclosure will be cheaper, too. This is the die I will be machining..

 

[SuperZapperRecharge]

Love these updates, great progress!!!

[+selgus]

Thanks, making progress..

 

I think I have finished the die for pressing the faceplates, now to just get it cnc milled. Once done, I can just put it up on my hydraulic press and make as many faceplates as I wish.

 

[+selgus]

Board assembled and now test fitting the electronics..

 

[Aking]

On 6/18/2024 at 10:09 AM, selgus said:

Board assembled and now test fitting the electronics..

 

gimmme

[+selgus]

Been working on the stainless steel die press for making the name plates for the portable, but it's not as easy as you'd think. The text is so small, being able to get the tolerances needed to have the dies cnc cut is very challenging. I may have started down a rabbit hole and may need to switch it up. Here are some samples of trying to do it with 3d printing again, after I did a pass to make the text have a bit more height (for the color 3d nylon print on the left). Then I made the text even larger and split up the '7800' and 'PortSYSTEM' text on their own lines, to be able to enlarge the characters even more..

 

 

This was printed actually in aluminum (aluminum power is hit with a laser and layer after layer, creates a solid metal part). I do like how this came out, so if I can't get the die press to work, and press the text into a thin aluminum sheet, I will go with the 3d printed aluminum version.

[PacManPlus]

The work you are putting into this is amazing!

 

Everything looks phenomenal!  Looking forward to seeing the completed project!

[Maztr_0n]

ya know i do hope if its ever feesable someday that the 2600+ could be turned into a Jr/7800 styled portable, it wont give the switch a run for its money, or even the analogue pocket, but if its possible it would be the coolest thing to ever sell at a dollar store, and i'd see it doing oddly well.
 

 

But lets talk about reality for a second, what you're doing is amazing, i love it.

[Maztr_0n]

ngl i hereby say, since atari liked to name their consoles after cats in the late 80's-early 90's

this is the Atari 7800/Guiña, or something, i was debating on a cat that was either slightly smaller than a housecat or slightly larger than one, i went with smaller.

[Atari Dogs]

I just saw this.  It is crazy how making portable went from a Ben Heckendorn Frankensteined original 2600 motherboard and portable tv screen to newly designed motherboards and thin lcds.