Build & Code Your Own PCB Arcade Machine - Microcade

Hi there!

My name is Jack Daly and I'm a 20-year-old Maker, Student and creator of Microcade!

Microcade is a 100% circuit board game console which comes in a kit so you can learn how to solder, build and code your very own console. It uses the solder pads to allow you to connect panels together.

Think old radioshack kits combined with vintage arcade machines....but tiny & made from PCBS?!

If you love what you see here and want to grab a kit, check out the playmicrocade.com website and you'll find out how you can make your very own console!

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in contact - I'm here to help!

Best regards,

Jack! 

Before we get started, you need to make sure you have all of the tools needed!

• Soldering iron: To learn to solder on the practice board, then solder the components onto the motherboard, and finally to solder the casing of the console together!
• Solder: Needed to solder, its melted by the soldering iron
• Cutters: To cut the legs off of the components and help snap the PCB panels off the sprues
• File: Smoothen the snap lines on the PCB panels.

You'll also need the motherboard, which has an ATmegau 32u4, EEPROM for storing your games/menu and a battery management board. You can get all the components here

We also have a video guide here

In this step we are going to learn how to solder.

Firstly, grab your soldering iron and let it heat up. Hold it simillar to how you hold a pen.

For every pin you come across, with a pin sticking through a hole, we want to do the below process:

1. Press the tip of the soldering iron on the pin and the pad (metal bit around the hole) for 4 seconds
2. Push solder where the pin and hole meet for 3 seconds to make a volcano like shape.
3. Remove the solder and the soldering iron.

And thats it! Thats how you solder through hole components!

A bridge is when there are two pins next to eachother and they join together (or bridge). This means they short circuit and thats not good!

To fix this, we would usually use desolder wire or a desoldering pump. In this case, we can get away with using our soldering iron tip like a knife! We can slide the tip across the bridge to split the joint, taking some solder with us. We can repeat this, cleaning the tip every time we slide it across aganist a wet sponge or coil of wire, to split up the joints.

If not, you can each out to me at jackdaly@playmicrocade.com and I can take a look!

Lets get started on the console now that we are confident with soldering.

Find the buzzer. You'll notice there is a + icon that shines in the light. We want to match that with the plus icon on the motherboard, pushing it in place on the rear side of the board.

We then want to solder it in place using the 1,2, 3 of soldering:

1. Press the tip of the soldering iron on the pin and the pad (metal bit around the hole) for 4 seconds
2. Push solder where the pin and hole meet for 3 seconds to make a volcano like shape.
3. Remove the solder and the soldering iron.

Repeat for both pins

Grab the switch and push it into the rear of the motherboard at the top pointing outwards.

Then, solder it in place making sure to do the outer pins first, then the 3 inner pins. Remember to be careful as these are small pins! They dont need too much solder

This one is tough, but you got this!

Grab the RGB LED and spread the legs out, pushing the two inner legs towards yourself. This makes putting it into place a little bit easier!

Then, on the same side we put the buzzer and switch, push it into the place that says RGB LED with the longest leg going into the + hole. Check the diagram to locate the other holes!

push the LED in, bending it forwards and backwards slightly as you go to get it deeper into the holes.

Then, flip the motherboard around and spread all of the legs out to secure it in place. We will then solder each pin in place.

Once they are soldered, we will bend them back up and snip the legs at the point where the solder meets the leg (above the solder joint). Do not snip the solder joints!

To solder the screen flat, we need to make a spacer. Grab the elastic band from the USB cable and a headerpin. Place the headerpin under the screen (which is placed on the motherboard) and wrap the elastic band around it.

We then solder the pins on the rear side to secure it in place. Once thats done, take off the elastic band and....look at how flat it is! Parallel to the motherboard!

Make sure to remove the spacer!

The first thing we need to do is snap off the control panel from the motherboard. Dont be afraid, hold both securely and flex them till they break along the breakage points.

We then use our wire cutters to lightly clamp the white leftover parts and snap them off.

We then have to open the ribbon connector on both boards, plug in the connetor on to the motherboard with the blue side faceing up (make sure the motherboard rear is facing up).

Then, flip the control board so the controls are facing down and plug the connector in like so.

Dont forget to push down on the connector tabs to secure them in place

Now we oush the battery connector in. This is a JST connector and its special as it has little notches that makes sure we only push the battery in one way, so if it isnt going in, turn it to make sure the notches line up with the gaps and try again!

Check us out, testing the console already!

Go ahead and turn the switch on, play some games and make sure all of the features work!

You should hear sound, see flashing lights from the RGB LED and view over 30+ preinstalled games!

Not working as it should? Reach out to me at jackdaly@playmicrocade.com and we will get it sorted.

Grab your beautiful panels and, using both your fingers and the cutter, snap off all the panels.

Remeber, the white parts are WASTE. For small pieces, be careful not to snap the part itself.

Each panel will have a little bit of material where we snapped it.

Take each panel, locate where the extra material is and file down the ridges till its smooth. Depending on the type of face (that the ridges are on) you can either put the file on the table and run the edge along the file. Or, for edges that have different angles on it, you can put your finger behind the file and hold the panel with your other hand.

Dont forget to file down the motherboard!

The first sub assembly involves the side, back and bottom panel, to make a corner. We then solder the parts together by placeing the soldering iron on the metallic pads, applying solder and melting it in place. If the panels are misaligned, simply reheat the joint and readjust.

Using the other panel, we temporarily place it on top to solder in the front panel. We then remove this to get a fully soldered corner + front panel assembly!

DO NOT solder in the other side panel! If you do, reheat the joints and pull the panel lightly.

Here we really utilise the benefits of soldering panels together.

Get the two screen panels and place them so the metallic pads are facing eachother. Then, carefully solder one of the pads together, regardless of the angle.

Now, while pinching the two panels put the soldering iron back on the pad you just soldered, readjust the panels to be roughly at 90 degrees, then remove your soldering iron and let it cool into place.

If youve got it, solder in the other pad to lock it in position.

Next we assemble the motherboard panel and slot that into the corner assembly we made earlier, pushing the battery in place.

Next we take the screen panel we made earlier, and place it in front of the screen.

Next we place all of the other panels, starting with the control panel, pushing the ribbon cable behind the motherboard.

We then fit the front logo panel and then the Marque which is backlit by the LED!

Then we put an elastic band around all of it to keep it together

Then we push on the final side panel, take off the elastic band and slot on the control panel - which actually holds it all together!

Place the elastic band back on the console, however, as we need to solder the chassis shut!

Solder the two points under the control panel. If it isnt completely flat, you can push down on the control panel while heating up the joints to adjust it accordingly.

Then solder the 2 joints at the back of the console as well as the rest of the joints on the bottom.

Woah! you've done it. You have built your very own game console. How cool is that! Now take some time to enjoy it and play the 30+ pre installed games, or download more at playmicrocade.com

Ever wanted to learn how to soder Tetris, Space Invaders, Etch-A-Sketch or frogger? Well, we wrote guides for all of them!

Check out playmicrocade.com/learn to start coding your own games!