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How to disassemble N64 power pack

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n64_Ac_AdapterI recently found a Nintendo N64 at a garage sale for $5 with MK4, but no controllers, and the power cord had been chewed off by a dog or something. Knowing it was probably fine, I bought it and went about replacing the cable. Of course the gamebit I had was the 3.8mm variety (for opening games, not consoles), so I had to needle-nose it out. Once that was done, and it was open (there are some clips on the other side of the power supply opposite the screws), I couldn’t get the PCB out. After looking and looking, I just wrestled it out with some force, and found that Nintendo, for some reason, used some double stick foam tape to secure the top of the transformer to the underside of the top of the casing.

So… in short, once you have the screws out and the case apart, you’ll just need to yank the thing out of the casing.

And yes, after replacing the cord, I was able to fire the unit up just fine. Yay for cheap gear!

Repairing SN ProPad

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SN-ProPad-01I recently broke out my Super Nintendo in order to build up the “ultimate” gaming environment, and to my dismay, the “B” button on my trusty, old, SN ProPad would not function. I love this controller, and have had it since the mid-90’s when I the SNES was my console of choice. =)

So, knowing console controllers get dirty, I took it apart, and cleaned the button contacts, and the contacts on the silicone “buttons”. Put it back together, and sadly, it STILL didn’t work. SO, back apart, and I tested the button. It properly shorts when contact is made, so that’s not it. So I went about checking resistors, and re-soldering contacts. Back together, and STILL didn’t work. What, the, hell. I started thinking one of the ICs (there are 3 4000 series logic ICs: two 8-stage shift registers (TC4021BP), and a hex inverter (TC4069UBP)), I pulled it back apart to pull them and test, when I noticed one of the “turbo” selectors had its contacts bent. Hmm… yellow… B button. I went to straighten them, and the contact fell off completely. I hadn’t traced the circuit completely, but it started making sense in my head. Those turbo contacts are part of the circuit for the buttons… damn.

Some superglue later, and I had them back in place, and reinstalled. Back together, and viola, the controller works.

So, while cleaning is still a good first step, check everything out first before you go wasting time re-soldering. I posted this mainly because there was NOTHING I could find online with regards to repairing these wonderful controllers.

10 years of Dvorak

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KB_United_States_Dvorak.svg10 years ago, I posted in my previous blog (migrated here thanks to the waybackmachine and some quick munging) that I had just switched to the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard layout. Since that time, I’ve obviously learned how to type properly with it, and I can honestly say, I’ve never looked back… though, I do still have to switch back and forth between Dvorak and QWERTY since I admin/support several systems that still use QWERTY. I would, admittedly, probably type faster if I didn’t have to change back and forth, but with Dvorak I type about the same, or a bit faster than with QWERTY, and certainly more efficiently (I can actually pay attention to typing, and realize how little I leave the home row).

I will say, my coding slowed down, and never really sped back up. I think this is just due to the layout of certain characters and how they changed position in Dvorak, but I really can’t say specifically. It just seems like I code slower than I used to.

All and all, I’m happy I made the switch. If you’re thinking about doing it yourself, I would highly recommend finding a keyboard to rearrange the keys on, so you can learn that way. You may also want to get a keyboard overlay, or stickers, for your laptop, as most laptop keyboards are a pain to rearrange the keys on. Also, ideally, switch completely. You’ll regret having to flip back and forth. Your coworkers, friend, etc will be annoyed with your new layout, but you’ll be happier that they can’t use your computer. =)