PALPi Retro Game Console
Introduction: PALPi Retro Game Console
Hey everyone what's up!
So this is my RecalBox based handheld gaming console aka the PALPi
Its name is PALPi because it uses a composite PAL Display.
When I was little I love playing games like Pokemon, contra, super Mario, Final Fantasy, and other games mostly on Gameboy advance and that game console that we hooked up with our CRT TVs to run great old stuff.
Well, nowadays we can just download the retro game ROM and open it up in an emulator and play that game on our laptop and mobile devices.
But as a maker, I wanted to do something different, so I prepared this handheld retro gaming console setup which is powered by a Raspberry pi zero, the OS that I'm using here is the Recalbox os. It's a decent Emulator OS that also comes with few preloaded games.
This whole setup is powered by an IP5306 IC which is a 5V 2A Constant Boost IC. It's used in a power bank circuit which is ideal for powering a Raspberry Pi zero.
In this Instructables, I'm gonna show you guys how you can set up this gaming console and make a Complete handheld Gameboy that can emulate any retro game that you can imagine.
(Also, the First Half of this project contains the breadboard version and the second half contains the PCB Edition)
Supplies
Material Required
These are the things that we need for this build
* Raspberry pi zero
* 16GB memory card (8GB will work as well but I wanted to add many games in it so I choose this instead)
* TV
* HDMI to micro HDMI adaptor
* 5V 2 A Charger/ PowerBank that can output stable 2A
* keyboard
* USB to micro USB adaptor
* RecalBox os image file/ Raspberry Pi Image Flasher
* Regular Pushbuttons
* Custom PCB
* IP5306 IC
* 10uf 0805 Capacitors
* USB Port
* USB Micro Port
* Li-ion Battery with CON2 Connector wire
* CON2 Connector
* 10k 0603 Resistance
* 2R 0805 Resistance
* Vertical Push Button
Step 1: Basic Setup
This is what I want to make, a cliche Gameboy layout.
I'm using a 4.3-inch display in this setup which is pretty huge if compared with a regular Gameboy screen so this setup size will be around 135mm x 140mm. On the front side, there's a display and buttons and on the bottom side, raspberry pi zero along with a boost converter circuit and a Li-Ion Cell will be placed. 848
This Setup is a combination of PCB and 3D Printed Body which will be connected together via screws through the given mounting holes in the PCB.
Step 2: Setting UP the RecalBox
If Raspberry Pi is the Brain of this Project, then the RecalBox is the Heart.
I'm just making Hardware for this setup, there are already a bunch of other similar Gameboy stations based around Recalbox OS. The reason for that is simple, setting up RecalBox is a pretty easy thing to do and we only have to tweak few things in the OS to make certain things run. Here's how you can install the Recalbox for your raspberry pi!
* Download the Raspberry Pi imager.
* Select the right OS for your device, which would be RecalBox
* select your system which is Rpi0
* Raspberry pi imager will do your work of downloading and installing the RecalBox on the memory card.
After installing the RecalBox os, you need to plug your Raspberry pi setup with a TV and a Keyboard.
After booting the whole setup, our RecalBox works like a normal emulator.
Step 3: Schematic for Basic GPIO Wiring
This is the schematic that we have to use for GPIO Buttons. The buttons work when we pull down any GPIO Pin to GND.
Step 4: Display and GPIO Controls
Let's talk about external display now, because this project apparently has 2 hearts, the second heart is the display.
when it comes to displays, we can find a bunch of them, both for HDMI ports and the ribbon cable one. they all work perfectly well but for this project, a 30$ display is not ideal so I bought a cheap car monitor which has a composite PAL Port.
Yes, I'm using a composite PAL Port here, I'm making a retro gaming console and the FPS is not really an issue here so composite is now my best friend, friendship ended with HDMI Port.
Before Hooking up the Car Monitor with Rpi, there was a small problem.
Car Monitor works with 12V and we require a 5V or 3.3V Display. 848