Spectrum Next Mini – SD card

The Xberry pi’s SD card slot location isn’t ideal when putting inside a Scale Next Mini.

With the HDMI, EAR and power sockets all aligned to the back of the case, the micro SD slot sits about 13mm too close to the rear from where the ideal location would be on the side of the Next. – As can be seen below

It also sits about 30-35mm too far from the side of the case. So, an adaptor is needed. You can buy these ‘micro Sd / TF extenders’ – But, none in just the right length (they’re close), nor in a slight offsetty-typey thingy.

‘off the shelf’ Micro SD extenders

So, i’ve had to knock up yet another PCB!

Presenting the SD card offsetor thingymajig.

Turns out there’s a few projects online that use 0.6mm thick or 0.8mm thick PCB’s to plug into a standard slot and extend out TF / Micro Sd cards. Micro Sd cards are 0.7mm thick though, and few ‘cheap’ PCB places seem to do that thickness…

I’m going to try both and see what happens. Seems most have success with 0.8mm.

And, here’s the board sitting inside the Next Mini!

I suspect this board may change in size a little as it’s probably going to be easy to re-purpose it also for the 3 side buttons.

And, before you ask, Yep, all this is so that the Next Mini looks very close to the original, I think I’m close!

The reason my one looks ‘stumpy’ is that it’s exactly 50% of the length and width of the Next, but is exactly the same height!

New PCB – Next Mini DB9 Thingy

Had some issues fitting everything inside the Next Mini case…I’ve almost wanted to dump the exactly 50% scale idea…

The Problem – Commercial DB9 connectors are cheap and plentiful

They’re just simple joystick connectors after all..many 80’s and 90’s consoles / computers used them.

Here’s a quick preview of one of my browser windows after spending a good 4 hours hunting for ones I specifically need

The Xberry Pi just doesn’t fit very easily into a 50% Scale Next mini case without some jiggery pokery. I want the case to be easy to remove from the Xberry so this means no mods. It was practically impossible to find suitable connectors to mount on my interposer PCB. I needed slim, not sticking out too far and right angled PCB mount.

I found a few , but even their footprints clashed a little and it left the joystick connector just a bit too close to the coloured strips edge of the case…….

BUT, a quick brainwave – Do as i did with the C64-Mini!, mount solder bucket joystick ports on the edge of the PCB……

Voila

And, here’s where it sits in the grand scheme of things!

Here’s a render of the rear of the case

I’ve spotted that some Design For Manufacture will be needed on the rear of the case as the thickness below the DB9 is just over 1mm. The PS/2 port isn’t much more, so i’ll probably need to cut out the bottom of the cutout and put it on the bottom of the case. might leave an ugly seam if I get it wrong, but we’ll see.

Now, to tackle the PS/2 Connector and power LED. The Keyboard connector is proving problematic also due to lack of space, may have to get creative with yet another custom PCB!

Spectrum next Mini – updates – almost there!

Have done a good amount this past week – Finally received the 2mm pitch ribbon cables so decided to test the boards……

…Aaand, something wasn’t correct – lots of keys jumbled up.

So, had to spend an hour or two diagnosing!…and to do that I knocked up a quick spreadsheet to cross reference. I had a similar problem with my C64 Mini, so suspected it was simple ‘swapped pins’ – But was worried as to how I goofed it up….

More Xberry Pi / Spectrum Next Mini!

Picture heavy this post!

The Keyboards (Spectrum Next Mini, The A500 Mini and TheC64 Mini) are actually being made right now at JLCPCB – The Keyswitches arrived, were checked and manufacturing is go!

So, in the meanwhile, I’ve been playing around with the Next mini case – My original design was a proper , almost exact 50% scale. That means you place 4 of them in a square next to each other 2×2. Then Stack another 4 on top.

So That’s EIGHT spectrum Next mini’s, stacked in a ‘cube’ of 2x2x2…

Recently, Some clever guy Released the Xberry Pi, A ‘credit card’ sized Spectrum Next that can fit in a Raspberry Pi case…

Of course, it wouldn’t fit inside my Next Mini! There’s just not enough space inside to fit a keyboard and this….Infact, this thing needs exactly the same amount of height as a full sized Spectrum Next!

So, after some re-jigging, I’ve now made the Next Chibi (name, work in progress)

This version keeps the impractical 50% scale keyboard…BUT

It’s a 100% height Next!

(So you can only fit four in the space of a full sized next)

Inside’s not quite finished

Decided that VGA will have to go – for now