DIY Workbench playable NES

This instructable aims to guide Makers through building a Workbench playable NES using a cheap NoaC (NES on a Chip) and a PSOne LCD.

Every Maker has experienced anger/frustration/mind-numness or any other nasty feeling due to burning circuits, crooked dremeling, melitng materials or what ever misshap every project holds. What better way to sooth out the stress than with some nice SMB Music? Never has up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A, Start in Contra so satisfiying than with the DIY Workbench playable NES.

Enjoy.

-Miltron B.

Wow! I'm Featured. I feel really flattered.

Echenle un ojo a la version en Espaniol muy pronto!

Edit: Post en Make: en Espa�ol! �Gracias H�ctor!

Post at the Makezine Blog! Thank you Gareth!

HACK-A-DAY Post. Thank you Caleb!

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Step 1: Get ur Materials!

The NES Chip.

Go to any kiosk, fleemarket, e-store or biddingsite and get your hand on a MegaJoy 1780983 games in 1 type of thing. If size is not an issue, get a whole NES console.

1x Nes on a Chip.

The LCD

Do the same for a PSOne LCD.

1x PSOne 5" TTF Screen.

The Controller

For a true 1980 NES experience, you NEED a NES Controller.

The Frame

Get some Plexyglass.

3x 18 cm-13 cm-3 mm
1x 20 cm-15 cm-3 mm

The Power Supply, LEDs and other Electronics

The screen runs off 7.5 V and the NES runs off 5 V. I don't want to be messing about with more than one power supply so I'm going to destribute power from a single adjustable supply. To do so I need to build a tiny Voltage regulator circuits using some ICs.

-For the 7.5 V Power Supply' (Screen)

1x LM350 IC
1x 220 Ohm resistor 5% 1/4 W
1x Stay Set 0-400 Ohm potenciometer
1x 1.2 kilo-Ohm resistor 5% 1/4 W
1x 0.1 uF ceramic capacitor
1x 1.0 uF electrolytic capacitor
-optional-
1x heat dissipator.

"-For the 5.0 V Power Supply (NoaC and LEDs)"

1x 7805 IC
-optional-
1x 1 mF electronytic capacitor.

"Other stuff"

You will need some cable, some 40/60 solder (if you can find leadless better) some screws and a 12 V Power Supply. Off course, you also Need a workbench or workspace to put your stress releasing NES.

triforce says: Jan 10, 2012. 2:10 PM

Great Job! I am working also on a portable.

ptentor says: Jul 5, 2011. 2:43 AM

very well

cheeserdane says: Mar 20, 2011. 8:44 PM

I see your finger print on the lens.

Cadillachearseguy says: Feb 28, 2010. 8:19 AM

up up down down left right left right, then B A B A select start, you got 30 lives

toogers in reply to CadillachearseguyOct 28, 2010. 4:23 PM

this is for Contra, right?

z3r0 in reply to CadillachearseguyMar 5, 2010. 7:33 PM

Actually its only one B A.

Miltron_B (author) in reply to z3r0Mar 8, 2010. 6:36 AM

Depends on the game.

TMNT 2 for NES is two BA-s.

Builder86 says: Jul 31, 2010. 4:08 AM

Sorry, how many LED you used?

russelljwr says: Sep 18, 2009. 6:02 AM

I really like your setup, but I am a little confused on your controller interface. Did you wire you Nes controller into the player two socket? Did you disconnect the control board totally from the NOAC? Thanks Jesse

Miltron_B (author) in reply to russelljwrJun 25, 2010. 2:15 PM

Hola Jesse! Sorry for the (very) late reply. I wired the Nes controler to P1 NOAC input. Let me know if you can't find the wiring diagram on google and I'll help you tackle it. Good Luck!

Miltron_B (author) in reply to Miltron_BJun 25, 2010. 2:23 PM

Jesse, Correct Pins are (from right to left): Pin 2 - P1 Controller Clock. Pin 4 - P1 Controller Data input. Pin 5 - P1 Controller Latch (same as P2 Controller Latch). Best of luck!

Heartwood154 says: Aug 21, 2009. 7:56 PM

Where do you get the NES on a chip from. I have searched everywhere and haven't been able to find one. This is a great indestructible over all.

Miltron_B (author) in reply to Heartwood154Aug 24, 2009. 12:55 PM

Glad you liked it. I found mine in a Kiosk outside a store in a Mall in Laredo, TX. Try Ebay for MegaJoy III or SuperJoy. There are some other alternatives, like those "plug-and-play" star wars games or the Sega Sonic games.

yawgmoth1 in reply to Miltron_BNov 18, 2009. 9:25 PM

really? Those can be used to play roms?

Miltron_B (author) in reply to yawgmoth1Nov 19, 2009. 7:28 AM

They have roms in them, but you can't add your own.

yawgmoth1 in reply to Miltron_BNov 19, 2009. 1:35 PM

Hmmm, ok. But any NOAC can have a 72 pin connector wired to it or no? I'm only asking because I cant buy anything online otherwise I'd get one of those nintendo clones and those "star wars" tv games are only 10 bucks at the most at my local target. Just dont want to waste my money.

Miltron_B (author) in reply to yawgmoth1Nov 19, 2009. 2:13 PM

You can Follow Ben Heck's tutorial to see how to change famicom cartridge pins to regular NES pins.

I believe they are both 72 pins.

redsoup in reply to Miltron_BJun 12, 2010. 4:03 PM

can you give me a link???

hintss in reply to Miltron_BFeb 6, 2010. 2:25 PM

famicons 60

check wikipedia

yawgmoth1 in reply to Miltron_BNov 23, 2009. 5:36 AM

Cool, will do. That guys a wellspring of console knowledge huh? He even wrote a book on making portables.

DuFFxP93 says: Feb 10, 2010. 12:11 PM

Where did you get that pillow?!

hintss says: Feb 6, 2010. 2:26 PM

add games for it to the materials?

clark says: Jul 31, 2009. 1:37 AM

"OMG its naked." hahahahaahah thats classic. Great instructable, I've been wondering about using the psone screen as a small tv or something else, and this answered most of my questions. (also, the second picture on step two has a small typo. You said sue instead of use.)

Miltron_B (author) in reply to clarkJul 31, 2009. 9:25 AM

Glad you liked it! (Thanks for the heads up)

clark in reply to Miltron_BJul 31, 2009. 8:39 PM

yup. I picked up a psone screen today, and got it working without a problem. Its actually taking in 10.5 volts, but if you notice, there is a 7805 voltage regulator connected to the 7.5v input on the screen. So im guessing it requires 7.5 volts to account for the voltage drop that the 7805 has.

tristantech in reply to clarkJan 4, 2010. 5:27 PM

You could just bypass the regulator and feed it 5 volts

Miltron_B (author) in reply to clarkAug 2, 2009. 6:59 PM

Yeah! Actually, in 1ups Instructablehe uses the screens 7805 to hook it up to god knows what.

I'm surprised you are getting it to work with 10.5 V, I had a hell of a time getting the 7.5 V Power Source so it could work properly (I had funny lines going down the screen with anything above 7.5!)

Hope you get some pics up soon with what ever you are conjuring up!

husker says: Oct 11, 2009. 3:23 PM

Why a workbench playable NES and not a portable, car NES.

mg0930mg in reply to huskerOct 21, 2009. 3:36 PM

That's liking asking why not get a psp instead of the portable nes. :rolls eyes:

moesboy says: Sep 8, 2009. 2:09 PM

could you do this with an old laptop screen

naruto1990 in reply to moesboySep 23, 2009. 5:35 PM

any one here to know how to create a virus and what software to use to create virus

Miltron_B (author) in reply to moesboySep 9, 2009. 7:51 AM

No. You need something that will acceot a composite signal. You can use the Laptop to emulate a NES and play some roms in it. Then you would only need to make a USB NES controller.