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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Trebeck on September 23, 2010, 11:42:50 am

Title: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: Trebeck on September 23, 2010, 11:42:50 am

I have come up with an idea...  ::)

I'm going to build myself a display case to hang next to my cab and I wanted to have a Gameboy in there that would be powered by either my pc or an LEDWiz.  Is this possible?  I'm not really a genius with the power side of electronics.  One other possibility is to hook it up to a power adaptor (wall wort) and have that connected to my smart power bar so when I start the PC, it will start/shutdown as well.
I imagine I will have to bypass the Gameboy's power switch...

Any advice?   :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: bkenobi on September 23, 2010, 11:49:11 am

You need to determine how much current the GB draws.  The best way to determine that is to just check what the wall wart that came with the GB was rated at.  As long as you provide that much current in whatever solution you choose, you should be fine.

Without checking, you will likely burn up the LEDWiz if you try to run the GB from it's power out.  You should be ok with a PC power supply, but you really should check the requirements.

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: Smeghead on September 23, 2010, 11:54:25 am

Could you disable the battery somehow so that it only works from AC power?
Then the smartstrip would control whether its on or off or not

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: Trebeck on September 23, 2010, 12:07:02 pm

Yah I'm thinking bypassing the batteries should be easy enough but I'm wondering about power.
I'm going to go hit the flea market to dive through the boxes of power supplies there but I'm not sure about my numbers. 
Can anyone tell me what volts/amps/energon I will need so I don't melt it?

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: bkenobi on September 23, 2010, 01:18:29 pm

Like I said, it depends on the device.  Wikipedia says it needs 6v with a minimum of 250mA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy)

BUT, it depends on what version you are asking about.  Google could have helped you answer this question pretty quickly since you are the only one who knows what you have.

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: Trebeck on September 23, 2010, 01:35:04 pm

Sorry kenobi I totally missed your first post.
I don't have the Gameboy just yet (flea market) but I did find this little tidbit:

Gameboy Reparieren (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsJMl315mmg#ws)

too bad I don't read German.

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: Trebeck on September 29, 2010, 12:55:01 pm

Well looks like I was completely over thinking things once again.
Went to the flea market and grabbed a Gameboy that was in amazing shape, looked at the side and found a power connection.  Went a few tables over and asked the "electronics dude" if he had a power adaptor that would fit it.  He came back with a nice little one and it works great!  No need to hack anything.  I brought it home and took it appart, cleaned the hell out of it and besides a few little scratches on the bezel, this thing looks brand new.  Couldn't be happier!

Title: Re: powering a Gameboy with a pc?
Post by: severdhed on September 29, 2010, 01:05:24 pm

cool..i'm curious to see what you are trying to accomplish here.