Nintendo Controller MP3, Version 2.0

First of all, I offer recognition to Morte_Moya for his instructable "NES Controller MP3 Player". I built one following his instructable and it worked great!
I let my imagination go on a second build. I utilized the original NES circuit board found inside the controller. Using the NES circuit board eliminates purchasing micro-tactile switches and gluing buttons.
My son got this for Christmas and hasn't put it down!

Step 1 Items To Score:

NES Controller
Coby MP200-1G, 1GB MP3 Player
Blue Ray Gift Card (Mine came from Target)
Soldering Iron (Low temp ~ 6w - 15w)
Desoldering tool
Razor Knife or Exacto-Knife
Wire Cutters
Small Needle-nose Pliers
Super Glue
Small amount of Baking Soda (trust me!)
Round Tooth Picks
Finger-Nail Polish Remover
Kitchen Sponge or Tempurpedic Memory Foam (Send away for a sample!)
Female USB Port (Goodwill Thrift Store - I got 4 in an old USB Hub for $0.99!)
Computer Ribbon Cable (Goodwill Thrift Store or computer parts pile)
Male to Male USB Cable (Dollar Store or make one)
Random maker gear

Comments

[genericusername5]

My MP3 player has different buttons just a small domed circle do you think i can use this? or will i have to get a different one. they are 5mm diameter. please anybody get back to me as soon as possible its for a birthday present.

[ryan97128]

You won't know until you crack it open. Once you get it open, take a look at the circuit board and test it out.

Good luck

"If you can't open it, you don't own it!" ~Make

[genericusername5]

Yeah i opened it all up but the size I gave is the actually button size inside the MP3. I'm just not sure i have space to solder. Do you think i could take of the top of the dome and connect the dome and the pad underneath it to some tactile switches?

[zombeastly]

I HOPE UR NOT MI SURGENT!!!! lol

[hammertong]

You REALLY need a low watt soldering gun. I went ahead & tried this with a 30 watt gun, and noticed the copper strips were coming up from the controllers board. After trying for awhile to get them to stay down, they just broke off. I didn't have enough room left to wire anything together, so I gave up. I'm waiting for new controllers to come in the mail so I can try again.

[Enzomatico]

same here:(

[Enzomatico]

Hi I'm really considering doing this but I want to use an mp3 player with a bigger capacity. Could you tell me if you think I would be able to use this one? 

[ryan97128]

You probably could, but what will you do with the screen? I think the screen is likely an integral part of this MP3's functionality You could make a cut-out for the screen, but then it starts looking less and less like an original controller. '

Consider an iPod shuffle as your MP3 player - check this one out: http://www.instructables.com/id/NES-Controller-Shuffle-Nintendo-Controller-MP3-v/

Good luck!

Post a pic of your finished product :-)

[Enzomatico]

Yeah I would be alright with the screen cutting part but the main reason I liked that mp3 player was that it used micro SD cards instead of internal memory. Seemed like a neat idea. Hmmm I think I will go with the shuffle. Definetly will post pictures once I finish.

Thank you for your help :)

[Snowtrooper514]

I know the gift card is for the free lights but as I saw in latter steps you use other materials from the card, such as the clear plastic what should i use instead, and maybe you should a substitute to the list?

[ryan97128]

Try any thick chunk of clear or mostly clear plastic. You could probably find something to disassemble from a thrift store like Goodwill or something. Good luck

[Snowtrooper514]

thanks.

[technoguy94]

It would make a little more sense to me if "A" was Play/Pause (and "B" was On/Off if they were two different buttons originally) and up/down on the Dpad was volume up/down...

[ryan97128]

Call Coby USA
Toll-free: 800-727-3592 (8:30AM to 9:00PM on weekdays, 9:00AM to 5:30PM on weekends)
Good luck! :-)
JK, other MP3 players may have different button arrangements, this one happened to combine many functions into one

[young modern]

hi.
i want to make this proyect.. but watching the pictures and reading.. i'm wondering.. you didn't mention nothing about the on/off button or the button for cancel every button operation to put nes control in the pocket and walk freely without push a button by accident. why is that? i mean.. it is possible do it?

greetings from chile. and congratz for that nice control.
bye
:D

[ryan97128]

The ON/OFF/PAUSE/PLAY buttons on the controller all are one button. In order to turn the device on or off, the button must be depressed for approximately 3 seconds. This eliminates accidental button pushing.
Hope that helps. Good Luck

[ithinkmynameisbob PunkyRC]

can i put the a button as the play/pause/on/off
and the up and down buttons on the d-pad as volume up and volume down?
if so, do i have to drill the holes and make the breaks in a different way? or just solder the wires to them.

[ryan97128]

You can use whichever buttons in any combination you wish. You would drill according to which buttons you plan to use. Study the circuit board to make breaks where appropriate to isolate each button you  plan to use. Good luck!

[ithinkmynameisbob PunkyRC]

oh, ok thank you

[willie19a]

Since your not using the two centre buttons, start and select, you could use an ipod mini and fit the screen here. I was going to use my sony walkman nwz-a816 but if i break it i cant afford another one lol. Damn kids! anyway, just a thought. Nice TUT aswell.

[inventordude14]

  this is cool! 

[skygunner58203]

If I used an MP3 player with an internal rechargeable battery would that work in place of the AAA?  I like the player i have and the functionality of it...but would LOVE the controller mod.  The player is a GPX ML648S player - 2 GB version.

[ryan97128]

Go for it. Here is an example from ihrtglfx10. Here is his Instructable that uses a iPod Shuffle - which has an internal, rechargeable battery, check it out:

http://www.instructables.com/id/NES-Controller-Shuffle-Nintendo-Controller-MP3-v/

Good luck!

[MrKill]

nice tut but i couldn't find a blu ray gift card like that :/

[ryan97128]

well, the blue-ray gift cards are just a source for free LED lights. Try finding LED lights from some other device or buy some. Good luck!

[DFree]

If you use a slightly better mp3 player with a screen you could just use the light from that. The screen only really tells you what your listenin to

[ryan97128]

But then you would not get the intensity of color through the Nintendo lettering.
If you do make one using the MP3 screen for light, throw it up on Instructables so we can check it out!! :)

[rambertron]

lol i epicly failed this, i'll ask my dad for help next time, luckily you can get really cheap nes controllers off ebay.

[Sick_Nixon]

 man!!!!!!that's really awesome!!!!!! and i really like the idea of using the original nes buttons.very nice instructable.

[stitch201]

Would it be possible to use the start and select buttons as on/off instead of having the on/off be the same button as the play/stop?

:\

[ryan97128]

Not possible with this particular MP3 player. This Coby MP3 player uses the play button as the on/off button by holding it down for 3-5 seconds. If you found a different MP3 player with a separate power button, then you certainly could hook that up! Good Luck!

[dokcal]

I don't have a Coby MP3 player, but from others I've hacked, I'd be willing to bet that one side of the buttons on the Coby are connected to a common ground, as are the buttons on the NES controller. You could use that common ground and avoid having to break all these traces... and only have to solder six wires instead of ten.

[ryan97128]

Sounds plausible. Give it a shot and let me know if it works! Good Luck!

[CHRIS1701]

ONE MORE QUESTION I SEEN YOUR CIRCUTS BREAKS DO U HAVE TO MAKE A BREAK ON EVERY BUTTON TO SEPERATE THEM FROM THE OTHERS

[ryan97128]

You could meter the wires that are already on the circuit board to determine which wires are for which buttons. That is a good idea and could save you alot of work. However, I would solder the controller wires to some smaller wires for soldering to the MP3 circuit board. The circuit breaks are only a precaution. If you look closely, it looks like some of the circuit track might share the same run with another button. So, as a precaution, I cut the track to isolate each button. Experimentation is the fun part of this process - if you make a good improvement, be sure to post it on Instructables!!

[CHRIS1701]

ONE MORE THING SOMBODY TOLD ME I COULD JUST USE THE WIRES THAT GO TO THE CONTROLLER IS THAT TRUE DONT SOUND TO ME LKE IT WOULD WORK U KNOW I MEAN THE GIRLS ALREADY ON THE BOARD

[TREKER1701]

HEY I WANT TO BUILD ONE OF YOUR PLAYERS RYAN BUT I WANT IT CLEAN NO HOLES LIKE THE ONE FOR THE USE AND DONT WANT TO USE IPOD I DONT MING CHANGING THE BATTERY COULD I JUST LEAVE THE ORGINAL MALE USE AND WHEN I WANT TO ADD MUSIC JUST OPEN UP AND THEN PUT MUSIC ON THAT WAY WOULD THAT WOULD OR WOULD I NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM JUST A QUESTION THANS AND GREAT JOB I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO DO THIS FOR A WHILE AND HOW WOULD I TEST THE BUTTONS AFTER I WIRE THEM TO THE CIRCUT BOARD TO MAKE SURE THEY R GOING TO WORK THANK U

[ryan97128]

If you don't mind opening up the case every time you want to add/remove your music, then it would totally work if you mounted the USB connection on the inside. That is actually a good idea. As for the buttons, you can test your soldering job with a multimeter and test for continuity. Lay the button overlays back over the circuit board, press, and check your meter. If you don't have one, just solder it up as best you can and test it with the MP3 player.

[eichermacher]

Could you use this method to just add LEDs to a controller and still use it for the NES?

[ryan97128]

I would think so. You would have to carefully meter the circuit board with power applied to discover suitable power. Good luck!