mulcmu

I had posted a guide in the user thread:

The BlueRetro project has the functionality for the other Bluetooth gamepads and HID devices. I did not see where it could support the analog paddle controls but could have missed that. Forking that code, and remapping the outputs to the right place on the i2c bus is one path forward.

In an effort to increase the distance of busy little hands from vintage hardware, I created an adapter that lets a WiiMote be used as a wireless controller. The current hardware supports two joysticks (directions, trigger, and both potentiometer signals) and uses an ESP32 for the bluetooth connection to WiiMote. Proof of concept Arduino code is working with one WiiMote that outputs to both joystick connectors. More details on hardware and design here: https://hackaday.io/project/179786-modernish-wireless-retro-joystick https://github.com/mulcmu/Modernish-Wireless-Retro-Joystick https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4899985 I am looking for some community support to help with the ESP32 code development. I have been unable to get multiple WiiMotes working with any of the existing Arduino libraries. Send me a PM if you are interested in contributing.

Here was a guide for flashing new firmware: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/249491-ultimate-cart-users-thread/?view=findpost&p=3459873

There is a another pre-order active on this thread: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/262337-ultimate-atari-cart-electrotrains-pre-order-by-18-apr-17/

Firmware upgrade guide for the Ultimate Cart covers quirks I experienced getting USB Blasters to work. I had success with Win10. Never got it working under Linux (Ubuntu). http://atariage.com/forums/topic/249491-ultimate-cart-users-thread/?view=findpost&p=3459873

I cut out 1st one by hand using a Rockwell Blade Runner with a Bosch Plexiglass saw blade. The pattern to cut out was printed on laser printer and then transferred to the the acrylic using a 50/50 mix of acetone and denatured alcohol. (Cold toner transfer) This was quite tedious. If you go this route I'd leave extra stock on the outside until it is all glued up. Then file and sand sides down to final size. 2nd and 3rd I ordered laser cut parts. I ordered from Pololu.com. I think this ended up about $25 for the parts to make one shell. I'd order an opaque color instead of the clear acrylic if I were to build any more. The parts are solvent welded together. I ended up with a lot of air bubbles in the joints, wouldn't be noticeable with opaque material.

Acrylic was 3mm thick. Seems like most sheets are ±10% thickness tolerance. Some filing or shimming the PCB mount might be necessary if the fit is too tight in the cartridge slot. I was unable to get the PCBs to fit without removing (or shortening) the programming header. Adding a chamfer to level 2 where where the SD card connector is needed for a bit of extra clearance.

What are you using for external power? Did you see this post? http://atariage.com/forums/topic/249491-ultimate-cart-users-thread/?p=3459873 Any errors reported on the PC?

I ordered one of these right away too... Looks like it would work well for the intended purpose. Enough sticks out to remove it easily on the bare PCB. With the PCB in a shell, end of the adapter should be pretty much even with top of the shell.

A laser cut prototype has been completed for the layered acrylic shell. There is not enough internal clearance so the button and connectors on the back have been filed shorter. The corners on the left and right side will need a chamfer or rounded, to fit in XEGS. Fits in 800XL fine as pictured. Not sure on other systems. Due to variations in the plastic thickens (±10%) some shimming or filing of mounting surface is needed to center the PCB. The hole for the push button is drilled after assembly. The stock button doesn't extend out far enough but can be pushed with a toothpick or similar. The four screws are plastic screws with #2-28 thread (Amazon) about 6mm long. They may need to be filed shorter as well too. PDF of the design attached if anyone wants to build their own. I think there is enough thickness on the back to remove material for more internal clearance to fit an unmodified PCB. Ultimate Cart Shell v2.pdf

https://hackaday.io/project/7944-at26-chuck This was for wii nunchuck controller to atari joystick but classic controller uses same connector and i2c bus. Code for the microcontroller would need to be revised. Looks like there are some arduino libraries that exist for reading the classic i2c commands.

I took the plunge and attempted to build some myself. This was my first attempt at SMD soldering using solder paste. It went much better than I had expected. I highly recommend using the stencil and solder paste method. The stencil adds some extra cost, but is well worth the investment. Electrotrain’s assembly notes on the github page give a good overview. The stencil is only needed for the side with the FPGA. For the other side applying the solder paste from the syringe or using a toothpick by hand will work well. I would recommend having a solder wick/braid on hand (with a very fine braid) even if using the stencil as 2 of my 3 boards had bridged pins on the FPGA. I found having a magnifying glass and eye loupe necessary to inspect the solder paste and finished solder joints. I would also spend some time watching the eevblog youtube videos on smd/smt reflow soldering before getting started. I found that using the stencil was pretty forgiving. If you mess up applying the solder paste you can wipe it off and start over. When placing the parts on the solder paste some fine adjustment could be done to get it aligned correctly before pressing it down into the paste to hold it in place. The PCBs, stencil, and parts to build 3 boards cost about 200 USD. All of the parts were available from Mouser.com (quick and reasonable shipping in the US at least). The PCB was easily ordered from Oshpark with the eagle .brd file. I ordered a mylar stencil from Oshstencil, again all that was needed was the eagle .brd file. I tested operation of the oven several times with junk boards and some ebay smd breakout boards to get a feel for the operation. For the cost of a new toaster oven and the solder paste you might be able to join a local hackerspace/makerspace for access to a proper reflow oven. If they have a laser cutter you could even make the stencil there instead of ordering. PCB in jig to hold in place Stencil aligned over pcb and taped in place FPGA side with paste Close up of FPGA with paste Bridged pins after reflow, used the cut end of solder braid to wick out the excess with soldering iron. Closeup of FPGA and clock oscillator. Clock does not have exposed pins so need to use oven or hot air. Front with paste applied by hand Front with paste and parts Front reflowed with hot air gun. (I modified the PCB eagle file to add the pull up resistor on the SD card. In the process I deleted the power trace to the SD card. Fixed with the black jumper wire.)

I just finished building a prototype for an acrylic case. It is 7 layers of 3mm acrylic "glued" together. The front is fixed. The back is held in place with clips at the top and screws toward the bottom. It is a bit rough around the edges as everything was hand cut and filed. The logo was transferred to the acrylic with the cutting template but got a bit damaged during assembly. It is a few mm longer than a stock shell, thicker at the top. The fit in an 800xl was a bit more snug than factory shells but not excessively tight. Seemed to be shifted a bit toward the front. I've got a few design changes to make. The back will need some more clearance for the pin headers to remain installed and I clipped off some of the SD card plastic that extended past the top of the PCB. So far looks like a viable option for a DIY shell. Getting the parts laser cut and engraved should be comparable in price to a 3d printed shell. The laser cut acrylic build would still require some pretty tedious assembly. The internal layout could be changed to support other PCB designs as well for other projects.

I created a guide covering my experience upgrading the firmware. Should give a good overview of what to expect if you were debating upgrading it yourself. Ultimate Cart Firmware Upgrade Guide.pdf