Pressing Charges

Objectives For This Project:

Correctly identify electronic components and understand their purpose in an electronic circuit
Correctly apply solder to electronic components (such as resistors, capacitors, and LEDs) and apply the correct amount of solder to each component to ensure a secure and functional connection
Assemble a complex electronic circuit by placing components in the correct locations on a printed circuit board (PCB)
Troubleshoot simple problems in electronic circuits such as cold solder joints or incorrectly placed components
Properly solder an integrated circuit (IC) chip onto a printed circuit board (PCB) using appropriate techniques (such as tacking and drag soldering, to ensure a secure and functional connection)

This project was a review of soldering components and polarity. We were given a kit with electronic components and a PCB, where we had to solder the components on to construct a Game Boy. Pieces like the LED dot matrix, Chip holder 40p, and LED display needed to be oriented in a specific direction (where the number faces the bottom of the board) in order to function properly. Following directions has been a skill worked on all year, and for the latter half of constructing the casing we needed to follow the directions as stated in the instructions manual.

↪ Slide 3: Photo of all electronic materials

↪ Slide 4: Photos of more unpackaged electronic materials

↪ Front of right-side caption

↪ Final photo of the front of the board

↪ Back of right-side caption

↪ Final photo of the back of the board

↪ 6. Photos of the front (left) and back (right) of the E-cap 10uF, Ceramic-cap 104, Switch, Buzzer-5v, Triode 8550, and Resistor 1kΩ as soldered onto the board

↪ 7. Photos of the front (left) and back (right) of the five Buttons as soldered onto the board

↪ 8. Photos of the front (left) and back (right) of the LED display and USB port as soldered onto the board

↪ 9. Photos of the front (left) and back (right) of the Chip Holder 40p as soldered onto the board

↪ 10. Photos of the front (left) and back (right) of the LED dot matrix as soldered onto the board

↪ 11. Final photos

↪ 12. Fully assembled game

IMG_0786.mov

↪ Video of the game functioning

Problems Encountered:

One of the problems I encountered was when attaching the Chip Holder 40p. I originally tried to brute force it into the Chip STC15, but it slid and most of the legs went awry. To fix this I had to bend the bent ones back into their original shape. On my second try, I first made sure all the Chip legs fit into their respective chip holder holes and then push them in gently.

After putting in the batteries, the Game Boy did not light up and I attributed it to being the wires having been soldered wrongly. However, by reversing the sides of the battery and those which it touch, it proved to be effective in powering the Game Boy.

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