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Nintendo Controller MP3, Version 2.0

Step 13Let there be light!

Let there be light!
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Almost done.
Desolder the small red LED. I haven't been able to extract this LED without melting the leads and ruining the red LED. If you can do it, you are the solder master!

Take a 3" - 4" piece of 2-wire ribbon cable and solder them to the 2 point for the LED.
Before soldering the lights, put a battery in and turn on the MP3 by holding down the PLAY button for a few seconds. With stripped leads on the LED ribbon cable and the black/red wires on the blue light, hold or temporarily solder the wires together to test for polarity. More importantly, just make sure the blue light comes on.

Once you get it worked out, push the blue LEDs into the plastic lens, one at each end. Drop 2 or 3 drops of super glue on the lights right at the top of the arches. You can probably omit the baking soda at this step since the glue wicks into the crevices and makes a good bond. Plus it makes for an easier light change in case you come up with some different colored LEDs you want to install.
Wrap your solder points with tape or heat shrink tubing to make it clean looking.

Here is where took a piece of Tempurpedic Memory Foam (TM) (my wife wrote the company for a free sample - weird stuff!) You could also use a chunk of kitchen sponge. This piece will serve as a battery hold-down to keep the AAA from moving out of the battery compartment.

OPTIONAL - I placed a piece of black electrical tape over the lens. You could omit this step and end up with a blue glow seeping out of the nearby USB jack.

Lastly, make sure you have the clearance. Remove 2 posts opposite the headphone jack and trim down the circuit board line-up pins. For the line-up pins, remove a little less than half from the pins and test fit. If the controller closes, good, if not, trim a little more. Do not remove the line-up pins because these will hold your circuit board in the correct position for the buttons.

I glued down the edges of the button pads just enough to hold them in place while I put it together. A little baking soda helps here.

Start tucking all your wires in and under. The USB wire can fold under the MP3. The button wires can fold down under also. Crease the LED wires in half and tuck them under the MP3 also. The goal is to make sure nothing will interfere with the operation of the buttons.

Close it up. Make sure the circuit board alignment pins are inserting into the circuit board where they are suppose to. If it doesn't come together relatively easily, peek inside while holding the halves close together to see where you are hung up. Put the 6 screws in the back.

Turn the MP3 on by holding down the UP button for a few seconds. The lights should come on. Push it again and it will play a pre-loaded music track. Test your functional buttons for proper operation.

Enjoy the coolest toy on the block.

Lastly:
Run to the bedroom at 3am to wake your wife to show her the cool blue lights.
Show it to your ex-wife's boyfriend so he can start pre-selling them for you to everyone he knows!
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19 comments
Feb 9, 2010. 3:52 AMwillie19a says:
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.
Dec 16, 2009. 6:56 PMskygunner58203 says:
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.
Jun 24, 2009. 12:50 PMAlternateLives says:
Is the comment about waking up your wife at 3 a.m. from personal experience?
Jun 25, 2009. 7:26 AMAlternateLives says:
Go figure. most people are that way at 3 A.M.
Jun 20, 2009. 9:52 PMcrrimson says:
cool project, that wouldn't be nearly as cool without the extra effort you put into it. I really like the letters, I may have to try something like that for the sega genesis ports I added to my computer (my only instructable), I was thinking of doing it, not sure where I'll get a Sega sticker though, I guess I could just make one on transparency and print/cut it out, and stick an LED behind it... Good stuff.
Mar 28, 2009. 1:10 AMtaz9797 says:
have you ever thought of using rechargeable battery and a screen for videos???
Mar 4, 2009. 2:30 PMkristopher.hammar says:
Hey! This look awesome =)!! I tried to do a nes-mp3 myself but it didnt go so well =/.. But Im not giving up!!

My question is, can i use any cable I want to do this? I meen, I got old dvd players, cd players and other stuff that's either broken or no longer in use for me so..

I'de REALLY appriciate answers for this since I dont really have any skills with soldering so.. I wouldnt want to burn the mp3 player or something just because I used wrong cables :S..

Thanks =)
Mar 6, 2009. 7:21 AMdark-shot666 says:
Yep. You can use any wire, but the thinner, the better. 30 AWG Kynar Wire is what I used, and what I use for electronics. Magnet wire could be used, but it is really easy to break.
Mar 5, 2009. 9:26 AMshawncaseyenglish says:
I'm in iraq right now and can not find any blue-ray gift cards on line to buy can anyone help
Jun 3, 2009. 4:08 PMapr1694 says:
use two blue LED
Mar 9, 2009. 5:58 PMkristopher.hammar says:
All right, thanks a lot =). There is a lot of words I don't understand though haha, but I think I got most of it anyway.

Just one question, this blurry giftcard, I don't know what that is at all but I'd like some light in my unit swell.. If I would add wires from plus/minus from the battery to the startbutton and then double wires from there (one is used for starting the player and one leading to a small collared light (blue, red or whatever) to get a light at the "nintendo" text as you got..

Think that would work? It's all planning right know, money is tight so I go around thinking to much some time =)..
Feb 25, 2009. 7:08 PMpenumbra_ says:
Good Lord of the Sith are you ever meticulous! Kudos to your craftsmanship!
Jan 9, 2009. 8:32 AMactswaddell says:
You are so much like your father...I'd like to reach out and smack you...xoxoxo
Jan 9, 2009. 3:16 AMactswaddell says:
Great Job! I'm amazed at your talent and creativity. Love, Mom

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