Parts you will need:

• Your Gameboy Advance
• One twelve inch length of ribbon cable, or any 2 strand small gauge wire
• One housing plug - Molex part number 22-01-3027 found at Mouser.com
• Two male pins - Molex part number 08-50-0114 found at Mouser.com
• Solder

Tools you will need:

• Soldering iron
• Box cutter or Utility knife
• Wire stripper
• Crimper, or pliers
• Dental tool or toothpick (optional)
• Clamp or Helping hands (optional)
• Multimeter (optional)

It is a good idea to purchase a few extra pieces just incase you need to redo something.

Alternatives: A great way to get a length of ribbon cable is to go to a computer store, and purchase an IDE cable, or see if you can have some old computer ribbon cables. If no ribbon cable is available, any twelve inch piece of two conductor wire, gauge between 22 and 30 AWG will work. You can use a pair of pliers instead of a crimper just make sure that you are getting a good connection. If you do not have a ribbon cable with a colored strand, you will probably want a permanent marker (color does not matter). You can also find pins that require soldering instead of crimping. Your local hobby and electronics stores are good places to look for crimp-free alternatives.

Step two: Slit Between Strands

Use your utility knife to cut a small slit between the strands, making sure to have two strands in your wire. We suggest cutting between the second and third strand on the side with the red wire, this will make it easier of later. If you do not have a colored wire be sure to mark one strand on each end with a permanent marker.

Step three: Time to Split

Separate the two strands from the rest of the ribbon cable. This two strand wire is what you will be using through the rest of this tutorial. You can set aside the rest, or use it to modify another GBA.

Step four: Strip Wire

You want to remove about one eighth of and inch of plastic from each end. Use the box cutter to carefully separate the strands of wire on each end about one half inch. Next spread the strands apart so they are easy to work with. If you are using scrap wire it is a good idea to test the wire with a multimeter to make sure it doesn’t have a short.

Step five: Tin Wire

Turn on that soldering iron, and get out some solder! Be sure to do this in a well ventilated area. A flux core solder will be the easiest to work with. A clamp may be used to hold the wire so that it will not move while you tin it. If you position the wires pointing slightly downward it will be easier to keep the solder from clumping on the ends of the wire. Let the iron heat up. Once the soldering iron is good and hot, use it heat up the wire and simultaneously touch the wire with the solder. Be careful that you not get the strands too hot because it is easy to melt the plastic coating around the wire strands. A little melting is alright. Be sure to get an even coating of solder. The wire should look shiny and you should not be able to see any individual strands when you have it coated well. Try to avoid having big globs of solder on the ends of the wire.

Step six: Reposition GBA

Remove the battery box lid and batteries from the GBA. Prop the GBA on end as in the picture. This will make it easier to work with.

Step seven: Tin the two contacts for the batteries.

Hold the soldering iron to the positive terminal (metal ‘bump’), and simultaneously apply a little solder. It will take a little while to heat up the metal enough to melt the solder on it, so be patient. When the solder seems to flow on to the terminal you are done. Repeat the process with the negative terminal. You can solder to any part of the negative terminal but the flat metal area beneath the spring will provide you with the best connection.

Step eight: Attach Wire

With the wires and terminals “tinned” it should be easy to attach the wires. Reheat the solder on the positive terminal of the GBA, adding a little extra solder as you do so. Once the solder is melted place the “tinned” end of the marked strand of wire into the solder and remove the iron holding the wire in place. Repeat this with the negative terminal and the other strand of wire.

Step nine: Crimp on Male Crimp Connectors

 

Lay out the crimps and housing as in the pictures. Crimp or otherwise attach one crimp pin to the marked stand so that is aligned as in the picture. A great way to attach the pins if you don’t have a crimper is to solder them in place as done previously, then use a pliers to wrap the crimp edges around the wire. Make sure there is a good connection between the wire and the male pin. Repeat with the other strand.

Step ten: We’ve bought some land; now what?

Push the male pins into the housing. You may want to use something pointy like a dental tool or a tooth pick to get the pins to go in all the way. They will click once they are in. Make sure the strands go into the housing as shown.

Step eleven: Doodle

Make a loop inside the battery box with the wire. Make sure the end of wire comes out between the two battery contacts where there is a groove. Hold the battery lid over the wire and mark where you want to cut a hole for the wire.

Step twelve: Kick it up a Notch

Use the utility knife to carefully cut a small notch where you just marked. You don’t want the notch to be much larger than the wire.

Step thirteen: The Bunny Comes Out of the Hole

Now tie a knot in the cord about 5.5″ from the end of the plug. Place the lid on the battery box, allowing the cord to come out through the hole. If the lid does not stay on by itself, you can tape it on using electrical tape.

Step fourteen: IS THE JUMPER SET CORRECTLY?

Put the GBA on the board and plug in the cord. MAKE SURE THE JUMPER IS CORRECT! The jumper next to the GBA power cord must be set as close to the GBA as it can be. Turn it on! If it works you’ve done it correctly. If it doesn’t work make sure your jumper is in the right place and that your GBA and XBC are turned on and that your XBC is charged. Check the connection between the cartridge port on the GBA and the XBC by making sure the GBA is on tight. If it still doesn’t work unsolder the wire and start over making a new wire.

There are three handheld Nintendo gaming systems that fit into this modification category: The Nintendo DS, the Gameboy Advance SP, and the Gameboy Micro. The same technique may be used for all of them. This mod is shown with a Gameboy Advance SP, and a regular wall power cord.

Step one: Gather supplies

Parts needed:

• One GBA SP with an AC Power cord
• Two male crimp SL connector - Molex part number 16-02-0108 found at Mouser.com
• Two female crimp SL connector - Molex part number 16-02-1116 found at Mouser.com
• One male housing - Molex part number 70107-0001 found at Mouser.com
• One female housing - Molex part number 50-57-9402 found at Mouser.com
• One 3:1 ratio adhesive lined 1/4 inch heat shrink tubing in 5/8ths inch length - 3M part number EPS- 300 1/4″ found at Mouser.com (sold in 4 foot sections)

Tools needed:

• Wire cutter
• Wire stripper
• Crimper or pliers
• Heat gun or blow dryer
• Utility knife or box knife
• Dental tool or toothpick
• Tape measure or ruler

Alternatives: A pair of pliers may be substituted for a crimper, but you will have to be sure that there is a good connection between the crimp connectors and the wires. You can also find pins that require soldering instead of crimping. Your local hobby and electronics stores are good places to look for crimp-free alternatives. If you choose to use a hair dryer be patient because it will take longer.

Step two: Measure Twice Cut Once

Measure about 12.25 inches of the AC power cord from the GBA plug end, and cut using the wire cutter.

Step three: Strip Cord

Strip approximately one half inch of the outer casing of the cord off of both cut ends.

Step four: Separate Wires

On the cord with the GBA plug on it, separate the copper wires from the plastic coated wire (the coating may be green, red, or white). Twist the copper wires together to make the easier to work with.

Step five: Strip Coated Wire

Strip about one eighth of an inch off the end of the coated wire.

Step six: Crimp Female Pins

Use the crimper to crimp the female pins on the ends of the wire.

Step seven: Add Heat Shrink

Slide the shorter length of heat shrink over the wire.

Step eight: Sorority

Slide the housing on the female pins. Be sure to have the coatedwire on top (when looking at the clip side). You may have to use a dental tool or toothpick to get the female pins to go in all the way. There is a side of the pin that will click in to place while the others will not.

Step nine: Position Heat Shrink

Slide the heat shrink up underneath the clip so it looks like the picture.

Step ten: Shrink that Thing!

Hold the wire about five inches away, from the heat gun, and turn it on low. Continue to turn the wire so you don’t melt the coating or the housing. The heat shrink will be very hot and still slightly soft. As the heat shrink cools down it will harden.

Step eleven: Plug Away on the AC Plug

Now take the other half of cord (with the wall plug) and repeat steps three through five on the cut end.

Step twelve: Crimp Male Pins

Use the crimper to crimp the male pins on the end of the wire.

Step thirteen: Add Heat Shrink

Slide the remaining length of heat shrink (this should be the longer one) over the wire.

Step fourteen: Fraternity

Slide the housing over the male pins. Be sure to have the coated wire on the side with the letters (as shown in the picture) and the copper wire on the side with the arrow. You may need to use a dental tool or toothpick to get the pins in all the way. There is one side that will click into place.

Step fifteen: Position the Heat Shrink

Slide the heat shrink up just past the ‘X’ printed on the housing.

Step sixteen: Heat the Shrink

Repeat step ten. Be sure not to burn the wire or housing. The heat shrink will be tight around the wire and housing.

Step seventeen: Does it Fit?

The two cords should now plug into each other with the coated side going to the coated side, and the copper side going into the copper side. They will click together, and you must push in the clip (on the GBA side) to get them to come apart.

Step eighteen: Feeling Groovy (or Not)

Use your wire cutter to cut off the tab extending out from the back (the side opposite the clip) of the female housing. It is not necessary to cut off the entire tab, but removing some or most of the tab will allow the cord to plug into the XBC more easily.

Step nineteen: Plug the Thing

Plug the GBA plug into the GBA SP.

Step twenty: How does it Look? / More POWER!!!

Put the GBA SP on the XBC, and plug the other end of the power cord into the GBA power terminal on the XBC. The GBA power is located on the top left corner of the bottom board when you are looking down at it with the camera facing away from you. (You want the side of the plug with the tab cut off to face toward the GBA SP when plugging it into the XBC.)

Step twenty one: I Wish You Would Step Back from that Ledge

CHANGE THE JUMPER SETTING! This is important. The XBC will not power the GBA SP with the jumper in the wrong setting. The jumper right next to the GBA power must be changed so that it is on the top two pins (once again when looking at the XBC from above with the GBA SP pointed away from your chest).

Step twenty two: Does it Work?

Power up the XBC, then switch on the GBA SP. The Gameboy should now work off of the XBC battery charge. If your SP does not turn on, make sure the XBC has power. If the XBC has power, and both the XBC and GBA are turned on you have probably crossed the wires in the housing (you will know this is the case if the “BAT” LED on the XBC is emitting a bright red light). You can unplug the GBA and cord, and cut off the end, and try again (or you can use a tooth pick to depress the tabs on the crimp connectors and slide them out and switch them).