Help required with random hardware....stuff

[psynergy]

Hey there guys and gals,

Apologies if this is the wrong place to be posting, I'm a little new to the board.

I'm stuck on the last few hurdles of a small project I've been working on for the past 5 months. Basically, I saw the R-Kaid-R and immediately wanted one of my own, and having an old netbook handy, I started tinkering.

Everything works, and the control panel is hooked up etc. My main issues are as follows:

• The Battery. Currently, the netbook battery is really long, and makes trying to get a wooden case built quite frustrating. Is there a way I can either resize the battery or, failing that, power the device from an alternate battery?
• The clamshell cabling. The R-Kaid-R has a wire the runs from one half to the other to the display and speaker. I assume the dude has a breadboard or something in the top section (what with the device being built from a Pi). My question is, as I'm using a netbook, what are my options in having the cables for the monitor and speaker pass from one section to the other?
• Power plug. Is there a way to extend or move the power plug that's soldered to the motherboard? I'd prefer to have all the I/O ports on the inside, like the R-Kaid-R, but currently the AC port is on the side of the motherboard
• Internals. More of a theory question, in the R-Kaid-R, everything looks very solid. It's difficult for me to tell from screenshots, but am I correct in thinking there's a panel underneath where the internals can be accessed? I just wonder how the box is built to look so perfect, but also be accessible a part needs to be replaced

Again, if I'm breaking rules or what have you, I apologise. I'd really just like to get this piece finished and working so I can stop cluttering up the dining room table!

[DeLuSioNal29]

Hi Psynergy and welcome to the forums!  Pics would be very helpful, so that we can help see how things are laid out with your build.

For those who don't know what the R-Kaid-R is, here's a link:  http://www.lovehulten.com/rkaidr.html



DeLuSioNaL29

[yotsuya]

Did you contact the actual builder of the R-Kaid? He'd probably be a better resource.

[JDFan]

The Battery. Currently, the netbook battery is really long, and makes trying to get a wooden case built quite frustrating. Is there a way I can either resize the battery or, failing that, power the device from an alternate battery?

Should be able to find a different battery - Just need to ensure it is the proper Amperage and Voltage needed and wire it properly

    The clamshell cabling. The R-Kaid-R has a wire the runs from one half to the other to the display and speaker. I assume the dude has a breadboard or something in the top section (what with the device being built from a Pi). My question is, as I'm using a netbook, what are my options in having the cables for the monitor and speaker pass from one section to the other?

In your case it may actually be easier to keep all the components in the top section and use a USB type button encoder placed in the bottom section to wire the buttons and then run the USB cable from the bottom to the netbook in the top section. (might take a bit of thinking about the layout to get everything wired and placed but should be doable)

    Power plug. Is there a way to extend or move the power plug that's soldered to the motherboard? I'd prefer to have all the I/O ports on the inside, like the R-Kaid-R, but currently the AC port is on the side of the motherboard

Just a matter of rewiring to add a new input location that then runs to the existing one.

    Internals. More of a theory question, in the R-Kaid-R, everything looks very solid. It's difficult for me to tell from screenshots, but am I correct in thinking there's a panel underneath where the internals can be accessed? I just wonder how the box is built to look so perfect, but also be accessible a part needs to be replaced

Can't be sure without being able to open it up and see but getting it that way is just a matter of taking the time to plan the layout to keep things accessible that need to be without having problems with things not fitting where you want them.

Figure the time you take in advance to properly layout everything once you have decided on the parts you want to use will save many headaches later when you run into problems with parts not fitting since you didn't plan it out in advance. To get an end result that looks well put together you have to have a plan of how it will all fit together before you start cutting (and be good at thinking of how to make changes if problems do arise even after planning it out) - Figure that's why the builder of these units took the time to design these before building and is building several of the same design for sale to recoup the time investment rather than just building the one.

[Generic Eric]

R-Kaid-R is a work of art. 
Here is the project thread.  I don't want to pre-suppose his disposition, but you can buy your own for €2,499.00.

Many people have had success with dimensioning things in sketch-up before cutting a piece of wood.  Failing that, Ben Heck has taken apart a lot of things to load them into custom built boxes.

You aren't breaking any rules.  But you are being unnecessarily vague. Which netbook is it?  Why are you using that one in particular?  Is it because its you don't use it anymore?  Do you have all the games that you want to play on it working before you set about trying to tear it apart and cram it in a box? 


First challenge:  Have you opened this netbook yet?  If so have you put it back together to make sure it still works?  I've been told its difficult sometimes to get things working after you have taken them apart.

Follow this topic He is doing the same thing as you, but with a raspi in a bigger box.

If you aren't stuck with that netbook, maybe a more hack able one would be better suited.

Best of luck.  I think the r-kaid-r looks like a great unit. 

[psynergy]

Should be able to find a different battery - Just need to ensure it is the proper Amperage and Voltage needed and wire it properly

My issue is, the netbook battery has one of these http://batteryuniversity.com/_img/content/lap1(2).jpg, and I don't know how to do such a thing. Anywhere you know that does tutorials?

In your case it may actually be easier to keep all the components in the top section and use a USB type button encoder placed in the bottom section to wire the buttons and then run the USB cable from the bottom to the netbook in the top section. (might take a bit of thinking about the layout to get everything wired and placed but should be doable)

I like this idea, but I also like the idea of having the SD card slot, headphone jack etc, in the bottom, away from the display.

Just a matter of rewiring to add a new input location that then runs to the existing one.

Again, no idea how to do this, tutorial?

First challenge:  Have you opened this netbook yet?  If so have you put it back together to make sure it still works?  I've been told its difficult sometimes to get things working after you have taken them apart.

Follow this topic He is doing the same thing as you, but with a raspi in a bigger box.

If you aren't stuck with that netbook, maybe a more hack able one would be better suited.

Best of luck.  I think the r-kaid-r looks like a great unit.

Sorry for my vagueness!

The Netbook is an Asus EeePC 1025c. I chose it because it's more powerful than a raspberry pi, and it was lying around the house gathering dust. I've opened the thing, disassembled, installed Linux, and installed EmulationStation. I've purchased buttons, a joystick, the IPAC, and all work, near enough. There are a few stumbling blocks with Genesis games, but I feel that's down to open source coding rather than the hardware itself, and I'm looking into different emulators to try some different things.

As for pictures, the entire thing is just a mess of wires in a shoe box at the moment, but when I get home from work, I'll post some of the motherboard to show where I'm a little stuck

Thanks so much for the help so far guys, appreciate the interest

[Generic Eric]

You mentioned the battery was big.  Compare the sizes of the box you are using vs the netbook, vs the box in the r-kaid-r

Like I said, I like the r-kaid-r.  Look forward to your pics.