GBA Mod: Road to RGB Lighting

Are you a RGB lover like me? Are you someone who thinks there's no limit to how much RGB you can have?

I'll be showing you in this Instructable how to add RGB lighting to your Gameboy Advance for extra FPS in game!

(I will not be showing how to install the backlit screen, there are plenty of tutorials for that on the internet )

Here's what you'll need:

WS2812B RGB Strip, 60led/m, total 6 leds: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2036819167.html?sp...

GBA clear frame: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32727101340.html?s...

DC/DC Step Up Converter 5V: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000805939587.html...

Arduino Nano: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32341832857.html?s...

Switch: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32998603904.html?s...

Cutting pliers (for modding the case): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001463343919.h...

Soldering Iron

Sanding paper (optional)

Electrical tape

Triwing screwdriver: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32901781025.html?s...

First step in this tutorial: modding your case for the extra components and the wiring.

(I don't have any photos of these steps, you can check ifixit for a more detailled explaination)

1. Start by disassembling your GBA, there are 6 triwing screws to remove, and a phillips screw inside the battery zone.

2.Gently disconnect the screen ribbon cable from the motherboard by first pulling the 2 grey tabs. Remove the 3 phillips screws holding the motherboard to the front shell.

If you're not planning on modding your screen or changing the outer shell, you don't need to remove it. Just be careful so you don't damage the ribbon.

3. Use the pliers to remove the plastic tabs on the shell indicated by a red circle. For the power switch hole, i'd recommend using a drill first, the using a sharp blade to give a nice finish

4. (optional) Use a bit on sandpaper on the clear sides of the GBA case to get a better lighting diffusion.

Once you're done, you can put back the motherboard, connect the ribbon and screw it to the front shell again.

For this part, you don't need to know how to code. I don't.

Start by downloading the Arduino IDE and install it: https://www.arduino.cc/en/software

Then, download the Adafruit Neopixel library: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberg...

Open the Arduino IDE. We'll be loading the code from the Adafruit Library. In order to do that go to

File > Examples > Adafruit Neopixel > strandtest.

Edit the following lines:

#define LED_PIN 6

#define LED_COUNT 6

That's it for the code! You'll get multiple light effects from this code that will cycle automatically!

Now we'll upload the code to the arduino. Before connecting the Arduino to your PC, on the Arduino IDE go to Tools > Port and check what COM ports are available. Now connect your arduino nano, go to Tools > Board, select Arduino Nano, once again to Tools > Port, and you should see a new COM port. That's your Arduino. Select it.

Now you just need to upload your code to the Nano. press the 2nd button (under Edit) to upload your code.

If you get an error, under Tools > Processor change it to the ATmege328P (old bootloader) and upload it once again.

In order to be able to close the console at the end of this tutorial, try not to use excessive amounts of wire. For that, place the 2 halves of the shell against each other (check the pictures).

On the right-hand side of the back shell, place the arduino nano. You can use a bit of hot glue to secure it in place if you wish, but i don't recommend it (if it's not placed correctly, you wont be able to close later on).

On the left-hand side of the back shell, between the top screw mount and the cartridge slot (see photo), we'll be placing the dc-dc step-up converter. But first we'll solder some wires to it.

• We need 3 wires on the ground terminal, 1 on the Voltage Input and 2 on the Voltage output. Make sure they're long enough to go to each component. Once they're soldered, add some electrical tape around the converter for protection and place it on the corner like in the photo.
• We'll now connect the converter to the arduino. Route one on the ground wires and one of the Voltage Output wires over the metal plate to the right side of the shell where the arduino is. Cut to length and solder the wire from the ground terminal (black wire) to the ground pin, and the wire from the Voltage Output(red wire) to the 5V pin.
• Solder a new cable to the D6 pin, route it over the metal plate like the others and solder the other end to the RGB strip. This time, add some electrical tape over the arduino.
• Solder the 2nd ground wire to the ground pin on the RGB strip and the 2nd voltage output wire to the 5V pin on the RGB strip
  • As you can see in the pictures, you'll need to cut the RGB strips into 2*3leds strips. Solder both parts together with some wires and route them as in the schematic. Each bit of the RGB strip goes on the side of the motherboard.
• Solder the last ground wire to the negative terminal on the motherboard.
• Solder the voltage input wire to one of the side pins of the switch (short wire). Then solder a longer red wire to the middle pin on the switch, glue the switch to the case (careful not to put glue inside the switch!!) and solder the other end of the wire to the positive terminal on the motherboard.

That's it for the soldering! If anything isn't clear enough, you'll find a schematic on the photos.

Now that everything is soldered, that's pretty much it, you're done. Time to close the console.

Make sure that no wire gets stuck when closing the shell or it could break. Bring the 2 halves slowly together and check that no obstacles are present that might break your motherboard (it happens! 😭😭)

If you feel some resistance when snapping them together, check that the arduino is not against the volume wheel or that the cables are not in the way. Check that the shoulder buttons are able to move freely. The left shoulder shouldn't have any trouble but the wires might get in the way of the right shoulder.

One everything snaps together, test that the console still works, and that the RGB is working too.

Screw everything, put back the batteries and enjoy!

You might have noticed that my GBA is equiped with a rechargeable battery. This mod is very simple.

For the battery, I'm using this XBOX One Controller battery . As you can see in the picture, you will need to remove the positive pad from its lodging in order to make contact with the positive pad on the GBA. You need to remove some plastic on the shell too.

Now you need to cut a slot on the battery cover in order to close it and voilà! A rechargeable GBA

Hope you enjoyed this build! This was my first Instructables ever! I hope everything is clear (English isn't my native language so there might be some strange sentences 😅). After looking for a tutorial on the internet for so long, I wasn't able to find one, so I decided to share this with you 😁

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!