How to build?

[aderp1]

Thanks so much Myndale! I ordered the LCDs and the ATmega328P-PU before I saw your post, so I will deal with the different ID when it arrives. As for replacing the Arduino boot loader, I have an Arduino Uno, which can probably do the trick. Also, do you know what microsd socket the gamebuino uses?

[Myndale]

Also, do you know what microsd socket the gamebuino uses?

I don't think it matters much, does it? They're pretty much all the same. When I built my first Gamebuino I used a socket that happened to be in a color LCD module, without using the LCD itself:

http://imgur.com/VvxGgz1

Doesn't have to be a micro either, mini and full-sized cards work just as well. You can even hack one from a few pins like I did here:

https://www.sparkfun.com/news/785

(For some reason the SparkFun write-up made out as though I was the first person to ever do this....I wasn't! People have been doing it for years.)

[aderp1]

Wow! That's great! By the way, do you know if r0d0t has put the layout for the PCB anywhere on the site? I like the way the original Gamebuino is constructed, besides, I'd probably mess up etching my own design.

[Myndale]

No, he hasn't. He's discussed his reasoning several times in these forums, basically it's to prevent someone else from manufacturing them and selling them cheaper....which is fair enough IMO, he's the one who has to bear the costs of running this site and hosting the games etc. Despite that he's always been willing to extend a helpful hand to those who do wish to make their own instead of buying one from his store, the PCB design is really the only thing he hasn't made public.

[jonnection]

As I understand it the 328 is SMD chip while the 328P is DIP. This is a bit of a confusing area actually because you also get other chips like the 328P-PU which is more-or-less the same but reports a different ID and thus require you to slightly modify the Arduino config settings if you plan to upload via the IDE. Short answer: get the 328P.

Attention: Do not get the DIP version. The DIP version is missing A6 and A7 input pins that are only present in the SMD version. While this may not seem like an issue, the way that the Gamebuino library has been built is it means you have to (1) turn off battery & ambient light monitoring from source (2) recompile every single game you plan to play on your device from source. Trust me, it starts getting on your nerves very quickly.

My advice is to buy an Arduino Nano or Arduino Mini and use those as a basis for your system, because then you have the SMD version and the A6 and A7 inputs available.

[Myndale]

Ack, my bad, jonnection's absolutely correct (I made my breadboarded version at the start of the campaign when even the boot loader didn't exist yet).

It's a good point though, maybe one of us should go through and recompile all the games for those with the missing analog inputs?

[rodot]

Good point Jonnection. Now that I caught up with the accumulated back orders, I'm going to be able to get back to development. One of the first think I plan to do is to add an option in the settings to disable the battery warning, so Gamebuino can work with the through hole version. I haven't started to work on it yet, but it should be done within a month.

[jonnection]

The simplest way would be to allow the user to disable battery monitoring at runtime by pressing a button @ bootloader or the game main menu state. Ofcourse, it could also be a setting saved in EEPROM, but... is there enough space for more settings ?

[aderp1]

I've already ordered the P-PU on amazon- should I cancel my order?

[jonnection]

I've already ordered the P-PU on amazon- should I cancel my order?

Absolutely not ! You're well on your way to the wonderful world of Arduino. Just order more Atmegas !!

I have several boxes full of this stuff and you always come up with ideas how to use it. You could build a Hackvision (a Arduino TV-out console, google it)