Another source for NES connectors

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ladyada
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by ladyada »

uze6666 wrote:
its basically free to have PCBs with extra pads but expensive to add later
Yeah I agree on that.

What I meant was more about peoples making games and sharing them. Personally, I don't want to limit myself to two button anymore ;). So there I release my next megatris game with 4 buttons support, what happens to the poor guy with a NES board? Well it will probably suck for him. That or games are made to support both (that sucks for developers) or worst (and that's my fear) everybody will go for the lower denominator and don't care about all the extra possibilities of the SNES controllers because they want there games to be seen. So all that work for nothing then?
another big frustration is that the SNES connectors have to be desoldered by hand. this is very annoying and time consuming and kinda wasteful.
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uze6666
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by uze6666 »

It's pretty new then. I liked that tidbit from one of the post:
I'm thinking that SNES might be a better way to go as designers will get more buttons to use with the same level of simplicity. And our project boards already have DE-9 for Genesis / Master System / Atari. I'll see what I can dig up...
Hehehe :D

Uze
havok1919
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by havok1919 »

ladyada wrote:
uze6666 wrote:another big frustration is that the SNES connectors have to be desoldered by hand. this is very annoying and time consuming and kinda wasteful.
So I've been doing a fair number of those... I have a Metcal iron with a blade tip so I can do all the pins at once:

http://www.solderconnection.com/metcal_ ... tytips.php

I can remove the actual connector in less than 2-3 seconds now. Including overhead (going from multitap in the retail box to five cleaned up connectors ready for use) takes me an average of 101 seconds which is about $3.50 of my time. Not too bad-- in theory I could do a thousand in a workday, but I don't see that need arriving quite yet. If we ever do get up that far I'll bit the bullet and tool up and make new ones. :|

As for wasteful, yeah, I see your point. But on the other hand these multitaps haven't sold in the last 14 years-- so I kinda consider this to actually *be* their recycling. ;-) The ABS cases can be recycled and you're left with some small phenolic PCB's with a few parts. Not too bad-- probably take a few hundred of them to add up to one old CRT TV!

-Clay
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uze6666
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by uze6666 »

For myself, I also bought a few multitaps recently and with a not-so-high-tech desoldering pump took me maybe <25 secs by connector. Not bad considering I spent literally *months* coding the kernel :D . I keep the plugs, and here we have recycling programs, so all the plastic went to the green bin, so only the PCBs are left. I was thinking of buying a larger batch of multitaps and reselling the connectors for those who wants to build the kit but not buy and old SNES just for that. I could probably sell them at 2$ each. How much would you need then ;) ?
these multitaps haven't sold in the last 14 years-- so I kinda consider this to actually *be* their recycling.
Good one :lol:

Uze
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by uze6666 »

Another thing I wanted to mention is availability of the controllers. NES ones are really hard to find. I looked at eStarland.com and innexinc.com They don't have any more clones. Though SNES are available at innex. For a PCB alone its no much of a problem, folks will probably just dig out their old NES controllers. For us (read Clay ;)) that could sell a kit, controllers are pretty much essential.

Anyways, my turn to put cool pictures ;). One thing I noticed with those SNES clones, is that they have a small ridged spot at the top, perfect to put a logo...so here you go, Photoshop magic! :D
Image

Cheers,

Uze
ladyada
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by ladyada »

havok1919 wrote:
ladyada wrote:
uze6666 wrote:another big frustration is that the SNES connectors have to be desoldered by hand. this is very annoying and time consuming and kinda wasteful.
So I've been doing a fair number of those... I have a Metcal iron with a blade tip so I can do all the pins at once:

http://www.solderconnection.com/metcal_ ... tytips.php
good thing i have a metcal mx500 (isnt it like, the best thing in the WORLD???) so i will try out that tip.
might have to get a #0 screwdriver bit for my drill to get the damn thing apart
one way to recycle the pcbs, oddly enough, is 'recycled jewelery' makers who have emailed me before asking for excess PCBs. the 'hand drawn' traces are very pretty :D
havok1919
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Re: Another source for NES connectors

Post by havok1919 »

uze6666 wrote:Another thing I wanted to mention is availability of the controllers. NES ones are really hard to find. I looked at eStarland.com and innexinc.com They don't have any more clones. Though SNES are available at innex. For a PCB alone its no much of a problem, folks will probably just dig out their old NES controllers. For us (read Clay ;)) that could sell a kit, controllers are pretty much essential.
Yeah, just FYI I'll have a complete 'starter' kit with power supply, controllers, etc. (video cables if I can find some priced right) I bought a case of 100 SNES controllers (no price break at that quantity, bastards ;-) and IIRC I picked up 300 power supplies a while back. (They're 5V switching wall-warts, so they'd be useful for other stuff if I don't sell that many kits. ;-)
Anyways, my turn to put cool pictures ;). One thing I noticed with those SNES clones, is that they have a small ridged spot at the top, perfect to put a logo...so here you go, Photoshop magic! :D
Awesome-- I was looking at the controller plastic thinking "ahhh, those used to have a name embossed there". (the ridge is raised, which means they removed metal from the tool-- probably milling out whatever was there before)

There's a place up here that used to do silk-screened, die cut, adhesive color labels on plastic for me. Wonder how much it'd cost for a batch? ;-)

-Clay
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