NES + Pi: Making room!

The main aim of my project is to replace the internal components of the original NES with a raspberry pi running RetroPie.  So, lets get to it.

Making room!

I knew I'd feel bad destroying a working 30 year old console, so I deliberately bought a faulty box.  Even so, the act of removing the original PCBs from the box still had me feeling a little guilty!  On the otherhand, it was nice making a start on the build, and explaining to my son how this particular console was assembled when I was around his age (he questioned the date on the board).

Taking the top of the case off you're presented with some plates / supports around the cartridge loader and PCB

Once the plating is removed you can get to the main screws that hold the loader and a PCB beneath it - I didn't get a picture of it but that PCB is slotted into place.

 

And we're emptied!! You can see I've kept the wires from the controller ports and power/reset board.  Next step I'll be using a dremel to remove most of the supports in the case and create more space.

 

With the old guts removed, I added back in the loader to check how much room is available if I keep it.  I think there's enough - you can't really tell from the image but there's quite a bit of room beneath the loader too.   

External Ports

One thing I've not covered so far are any external ports - obviously now we've taken everything out we'll need to add some power and video ports.

HDMI is the port of choice for video, and it makes sense to use a standard USB port for power.  I'm considering adding 2 extra USB ports at the side for additional control pads and/or keyboard.  I'll make that decision at a later date I think.