2600 CE - Handheld Atari VCS Home

What is the 2600 CE Project?
The making of the case.
The making of the guts.
The making of the guts.
Current status of the project.
Game of the Week.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Files of interest.
Links to other sites of interest.
About me.

The Guts - Page 1

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The Process:

As I stated before, I'm starting with a 2600 Junior system. After opening the beast up and removing the board, the experimenting can begin.

First, I needed to get comfortable soldering and removing components from the Atari while keeping it operational. I started with the obvious, the 2600 video/ audio out modification.

With that complete and working very nicely, I removed the cartridge connector from the board and re-connected it via a ribbon cable.

The player 1 joystick port was next, followed by the power supply. Now I was comfortable playing with the board and maintaining operation.

After obtaining the schematics of the 6 / 4 switch Atari units, I need to design a new PCB that will be very small and lose any extra components.

After the PCB is designed, I need to etch it and populate it with new components. This will validate that my design works, and that the component values that I've been working with are accurate.

Once I have a working PCB prototype, I can make many boards simoultaneously, and at a pretty low cost (assuming 25 or more units at a time - I'll be able to save a lot of money in bulk).

I'll be using new components wherever I can, to extend the stability and life of the CE.

The plan has evolved, because I intend to make the most stable and professional unit that I can.

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Comments? Questions? Answers? Email me!