GBA/GBC Cartridge Reader PCB Design
Budget: $30 – $250 AUD
I have a half-finished KiCad project for a very small board that will plug a Game Boy Color / Game Boy Advance 32-pin cartridge into a Raspberry Pi (or similar SBC). The goal is simple but strict:
• When a cartridge is inserted the board must read it, save the full ROM image to the Pi, and automatically wipe that image the moment the cartridge is ejected.
• Physical interfaces must include a GBC/GBA 32-pin slot, a USB port for optional standalone dumping, and a pin header that mates cleanly with the Pi’s 40-pin GPIO.
• Everything needs to fit a compact enclosure, roughly “pocket cartridge dumper” size.
What I already have
– A starter KiCad project. I believe I have the pins all correctly mapped it just needs checking and footprint editing.
What I need from you
1. Review / correct the current schematic and finish the full PCB layout, obeying the compact footprint.
2. Choose appropriate components, level shifters, power regulation, and a microcontroller (if required for USB) and supply a complete, production-ready BOM.
3. Provide clean Gerber, drill, and pick-and-place files so I can send the board straight to fabrication.
4. Clear build notes: board dimensions, mounting hole locations, and any special assembly tips.
I’ll consider the project successful once I can:
– Insert a cartridge, see a valid ROM file appear, emulate the rom, then watch it disappear automatically after I pull the cart.
– Upload the Gerbers to JLCPCB without errors and order the board.
If you’re comfortable juggling KiCad, low-voltage level shifting, and Pi GPIO, this should be a fun little hardware-meets-retro-gaming sprint. Let me see examples of similar boards or dumps you’ve done, and tell me how soon you can turn the first revision around.
• When a cartridge is inserted the board must read it, save the full ROM image to the Pi, and automatically wipe that image the moment the cartridge is ejected.
• Physical interfaces must include a GBC/GBA 32-pin slot, a USB port for optional standalone dumping, and a pin header that mates cleanly with the Pi’s 40-pin GPIO.
• Everything needs to fit a compact enclosure, roughly “pocket cartridge dumper” size.
What I already have
– A starter KiCad project. I believe I have the pins all correctly mapped it just needs checking and footprint editing.
What I need from you
1. Review / correct the current schematic and finish the full PCB layout, obeying the compact footprint.
2. Choose appropriate components, level shifters, power regulation, and a microcontroller (if required for USB) and supply a complete, production-ready BOM.
3. Provide clean Gerber, drill, and pick-and-place files so I can send the board straight to fabrication.
4. Clear build notes: board dimensions, mounting hole locations, and any special assembly tips.
I’ll consider the project successful once I can:
– Insert a cartridge, see a valid ROM file appear, emulate the rom, then watch it disappear automatically after I pull the cart.
– Upload the Gerbers to JLCPCB without errors and order the board.
If you’re comfortable juggling KiCad, low-voltage level shifting, and Pi GPIO, this should be a fun little hardware-meets-retro-gaming sprint. Let me see examples of similar boards or dumps you’ve done, and tell me how soon you can turn the first revision around.