Leapster Explorer Continues The Didj Tradition

July 8, 2010 by Mike Szczys 14 Comments

Leapfrog has a new device out called the Leapster Explorer. [The Moogle] has been poking around the insides and he patched into the serial bus to get USB host mode running. Because the same cartridge interface is used for the Didj and the Explorer, tools like the DJHI should continue to work. The $70 price tag makes this a no-brainer if you interested in doing some portable hacking. We’ve seen promising Didj hacks such as OpenGL and Video out, hopefully the new hardware will help advance the cause.

DIDJ Composite Video Out

June 30, 2010 by Mike Szczys 8 Comments

[Nirvous] managed to get composite video out working on the DIDJ. He knew that the CPU had the ability to generate the signal, and that similar devices already had this capability. After studying some DIDJ teardowns he figured out which connection on the processor should provide the appropriate signal. Next was the firmware side of things and after sifting through a lot of code he was pleased to find a flag that looked like it would enable video out. Some cross-compiling, soldering, and a low-pass filter got it to work.

If you’ve been hacking around on the device you might try this. The CPU uses a ball grid array so soldering is a bit difficult. We covered a BGA soldering trick that might be just the thing so check it out before you retreat into your soldering-fortress of solitude.

Portable Atari The Size Of A Game Boy

June 26, 2010 by Mike Szczys 19 Comments

This portable Atari is the result of [Mario’s] toils. The core system is an Atari Flashback 2, an embedded system released in 2005 with several built-in games. The stock titles weren’t enough so [Mario] added a cartridge slot in order to play whichever games he wishes. The case was originally the packaging for an iPod touch so you know it’s sturdy. We also like the free-formed audio amplifier as seen in the work log. Does anyone know if the Flashback 2 has a pause feature?

Adding A Serial Port To The Zipit

June 24, 2010 by Mike Szczys 19 Comments

[Geordy] added a serial port to his Zipit. It uses a 3.5mm jack as the connector. He managed to include an RS232 level converter inside the case. Both components were hard to fit into the cramped quarters but he did it and he kept the hacker-friendly device looking nice too.

PlayStation 2 Portable

June 22, 2010 by Mike Szczys 21 Comments

[Raizer04] just completed his PlayStation 2 portable build. He feels that the PS2 hardware has much more to offer than the PSP and that’s why he chose to cram the PS2 slim hardware into a portable case. He started with an electronic toy to serve as a case donor and used bondo to form openings for the controller, speakers, lights, and screen. A beautiful paint job and some metal work resulted in the pleasant finish seen above. On the back you’ll find a lighted case fan, hard drive, and USB port. There’s no optical drive as games are loaded from a thumb drive. Take a look at the demo video after the break, but do yourself a favor and turn your sound all the way down first.

If this doesn’t quench your thirst for portable console projects you might also take a look at this N64 build.

Continue reading “PlayStation 2 Portable” →

Tetris Code Theory Explained

June 20, 2010 by Mike Szczys 25 Comments

[Graham] designed this PIC based Tetris game on a single board. The hardware is quite nice but we enjoyed his explanation of the graphics algorithm that he used. Having coded Tetris from the ground up ourselves we understand how difficult it is to explain how the program works. Tracking pieces already on the board as well as moving pieces, making sure that rotation won’t cause a collision with another piece or go out-of-bounds, and looking for completed lines all add up to one bid headache.

[Graham’s] method for handling rotation involves choosing a point around which to rotate, measuring how this affects each pixel in the piece, and then checking those pixels for overlaps. It may take a couple of readings, but he’s done a brilliant job of making it understandable. There’s a demo after the break and the link at the top takes you to his treatise on Tetris. Continue reading “Tetris Code Theory Explained” →

Dingoo A320 RAM Upgrade

June 10, 2010 by Mike Szczys 19 Comments

[Stephanie] beefed up the hardware on her Dingoo A320. She enjoyed the features that the A320 handheld gaming system offered, but wanted the 64mb of RAM available in its bigger brother, the A330. A comparison of the two led her to believe a swap might be possible and after sourcing a pair of replacement chips for $12.50 she took the plunge. Once the solder had cooled it was just a matter of flashing some different firmware to take advantage of the upgrade.

[Thanks Juan via Dingoonity]