MiSTer Gaming Meta System

All the files and resources for 3D printing are available on Printables.

MGMS is basically a case that allows a very clean, integrated and elegant consolization of the Mister FPGA. It includes a front power switch and 3 front USB ports, while all the other connections are nicely tucked on the back panel. That's right, no side plugging and no "science project look" anymore, while still giving analog audio and video out and Ethernet connectivity !

It also allows full access to the LEDs and IO Board buttons, a single power barrel jack with an internal splitter. Finally, it supports an internal SATA drive, using a SATA to usb adapter. It is designed to fit on « mini » sized 3D printers such as the Prusa MINI or the Bambu A1 Mini. The absolute minimum plate size is 180x180 mm. Printing instructions and advices are included on the Printables page.

The case is currently based on an official DE10 Nano « sandwich » build, with the USB extension board under and the version 6.2 analog I/O Board on top. For now, the clone boards, both from QMTek and Taki Udon, are untested and probably incompatible without modifications. The clone systems use Digital I/O boards as standard, which have slightly moved the fan, making it incompatible with the current design. Also, they use USB power delivery, when this case is based upon a standard barrel jack connector. I’m planning to grab at least a Taki Udon kit to make the necessary adaptations, but they’re still sold out by the time I’m writing these lines. QMTek also has some interesting clone boards, and I would be interested to look into this one also in the future.

This build is pretty simple once you have sourced every part necessary. However, be warned that you will require a little bit of soldering for the power splitter and the audio jack. Also, you will have to cut and modifiy some of the extensions in order to make them fit into the case. I’ll provide both quick and detailed instructions for the build.

Please go to the Printables project page to get all the files for 3D printing.

Note : There is no direct access to the SD Card once the case is closed. Make sure that your SD Card is at least functional before closing down the case. Network access is the preferred method for storing data after that.

Here are the tools that are required for the build :

1. 2.5 and 4 mm hex driver
2. PH1 size Philips screw driver
3. 5mm hex pipe driver
4. A Soldering iron, some solder and a multimeter
5. A Flush cutter
6. A Craft Knife
7. A crimping tool suited for Dupont connectors (example)

Here’s the list of parts you’ll require (not including the MiSTer itself) I’ll include example links (Non affiliated Amazon.fr links) of the parts i used for my own build :

1. 1 x HDMI FFC extension with downward facing male connector and straight female connector (example)
2. 3 x USB FFC extensions with straight facing connectors (example)
3. 1 x VGA extension. The shorter the better. The male sleeve must be made out of silicon and not plastic since we’ll have to strip it out. (example)
4. 1 x panel screwable Ethernet extension. The shorter the better. The male sleeve must be made out of silicon and not plastic since we’ll have to strip it out. (example)
5. 1 x female 10mm panel mountable barrel jack connector (example)
6. 2 x male barrel jack connector. (example)
7. 1 x female 10mm panel mountable audio jack connector (example)
8. 1 x male audio jack connector (example)
9. 1 x 2 positions Power switch (13 x 19 mm) (example)
10. 4 x M5 (6 mm long) hex cylinder headed screws and nuts
11. 6 x M3 (5 to 8 mm long)hex cylinder headed screws and nuts
12. 1 x M3 (15 to 18 mm long)hex cylinder headed screws and nuts
13. Dupont connectors (example)
14. Electric wire (three different colors ideally)
15. Glue or double sided tape for the badges and logos

The following parts are optional :

1. Flat connector sleeves for the power switch (example)
2. If you plan to use a hard drive : SATA to USB adapter with side cable. The shorter wire the better (example)

This is a reminder of the data already available on the Printables page. All the resources for 3D printing are available there.

General advice :

The print is pretty straightforward, the only finicky part is some of the overhangs that can be a bit steep for uncalibrated printers, esecially on the cover. Although, I tried to mitigate that problem on the design side and if you follow the instructions, It usually requires no supports at all, though. The only critical thing here is to keep your bed as clean and oil free as possible : Some of the parts have very large contact area, especially on smaller printers and warping **can** be an issue. A brim could be helpful, but I almost completely eliminated the problem by simply cleaning the plate with soap and water every so often. Cranking up the bed temperature a notch (like 5°C) can also help with adhesion.

Total print duration is about 9 hours and 15 minutes on a modern machine, like my A1 Mini with a .4 mm nozzle.

The case is designed to print on any 180 * 180 mm print surface. Anything beyond that will work perfectly

I usually like to use a smooth surface for most of the prints, except the cover and the USB plate, that look nice when slightly textured. But it’s down to personal preference, so you do you !

bottom case :

This is the longest part to print, and also the easiest. No support required. Cleaning your bed prior to the print can be a good idea, since the part does cover a large portion of the surface.

Top case :

Place the part on the back side and it should print just fine

Cover :

Place the part facing down. This part can be tricky to print 100% right, but I did my best to mitigate the more complicated lines to print on FDM. No supports should be needed. In my experience, they don’t really help. What does help, though, is cleaning your bed prior to the print. If you experience difficulties with the front lines, maybe try reducing the overhang printing speed, or print outer wall lines first as it seems to help a bit with overhang quality. Orca Slicer has an option for « precise walls » that could also prove helpful

Badges, markings and accessories :

Nothing special here. Refer to the screen capture for placement. Button actuators must be printed 3 times

Light pipes :

The light pipes are optional. They have to be printed in clear material (PETG is usually recommended, but clear PLA also works). Print the part 3 times facing upside down. You can either print them in vase mode, or with 100% infill with higher layer lines (like .4mm height). In that case, If you can, use a bigger nozzle, such as .6 or .8 mm, which should provide better results

The case is designed around a full MiSTer stack with the standard USB Hub board and a Version 6.2 analog I/O board on top. You’ll also need a 40mm fan mounted in order to hold. The case is designed around the fan with the tag facing up, « exhaust style ». The fresh air comes from the bottom and the side vents, goes through the FPGA and is blown through the top vent. I also strongly recommend to use a heatsink on the FPGA.

No holding screws are needed, which means that you will only need the spacers between the boards. For a little extra stability, you can use two screws on the lower side, along the RAM modules. the case is designed in such a way that once closed, the boards are held together and won’t move at all.

All you need is make sure the standoff screws are facing down, in such a way that they will go inside the four holes at the bottom of the case.

The power splitter is the most delicate part of the build for two reasons : It needs a bit of soldering (beginner level) and you must be very careful to polarity. Mixing up poles can have CATASTROPHIC consequences on your MiSTer. I would strongly suggest that you use good quality wires of two different colors, and that you double-check every connection you make before you plug anything in.

Remember : The DE10-Nano uses a center positive barrel jack.

Refer to the added diagram for connection schematic

The process in itself is pretty simple :

1. Solder two wires of different color to the female barrel jack that will be installed on the back panel, taking note of the polarity. Usually, red is for the positive side (center) and black is for the negative (sleeve). The wires should be between 10 to 15 cm long
2. Optionally : Use your crimping tool to secure a female DuPont connector to the wires. You can also connection terminal blocks

1. Solder two wires (about 15 cm long max) to each of the male barrel jacks. Leave the sleeves off, instead, bend the terminals in a way they take as little space as possible. Use heatshrink on each terminal for insulation.
2. Solder the two negative wires together (and crimp a Dupont connector on the two wires together if you're using them)

1. Solder the two positive wires together on one of the two poles of the power switch. For cleaner result, you can alternatively crimp a flat connector sleeve that will then be plugged on the switch
2. Solder another wire (about 10cm) on the other pole of the power switch. Or use a flat connector sleeve
3. Use your crimping tool to install the last male DuPont connector on the other side of the wire

Use a multimeter to check the matching polarities and the continuity or your splitter. Don’t plug anything to mains until you’re ABSOLUTELY SURE that everything checks out !!

We will need a specific panel mountable analog audio expansion, that doesn’t come pre-built, so we’ll have to do it ourselves. Don’t worry, if you’ve already done the power splitter, it’s quite easier

1. Solder three wires (about 15 cm) to the female 3.5 mm audio jack terminals. Use heat shrink sleeves on each wire to insulate your connections. Don’t forget to place another piece of heat shrink on the wires BEFORE you solder the other side.

1. Remove the male audio jack sleeve and solder the other sides of the wires to the corresponding terminals. Make sure you don’t mix up the wires.

1. Check the connections : plug a spare male to male audio jack to the female plug and use a multimeter to check that the tip has continuity with the other tip, the ring with the other ring and same thing for the sleeve. If you notice some discrepancies, check your wiring
2. Use the heat shrink you placed before to insulate your connections and bend the terminals the same way you made with the power splitter. The male plug should use as little space as possible. (See pictures for reference)

Use a craft knife to strip the silicon sleeve of the male side on the VGA expansion and the Ethernet expansion. It’s quite easy, but I suggest that you wear protective gloves. Accidents happen.

Hold your plug facing down and use your knife to delicately slice through the sleeve, top to bottom. Make 4 cuts, one on each face, being careful not to cut through the cables. Take your time and go slow. Once the cuts are done, the sleeves should go away. If they don’t, try going slightly deeper with the blade, it will eventually come off. 

Note : I had to make a cut on the female side of my expansion is damaged, but it's not part of the process.

The FFC expansions usually come unplugged from the retailer. it’s very easy to prepare : raise the latch, insert the cable all the way in, pins facing down (it won’t work otherwise), then close the latch and you’re good to go.

There are 10 nuts you have to insert to their corresponding slots before you start building the case : 

1. 2 M3 nuts go at the back of the bottom case
2. 4 M3 nuts go on the sides of the top case (two on each side)

For those, simply position the nut straight on top of the slot, then with a flat screwdriver, use moderate force to push down the nut inside the slot. The nut thread must be visible through the hole.

1. 1 M3 not on the USB holder

Position the nut on top of the hexagonal slot. Use a short M3 screw from the other side to pull the nut down. The nut should be completely inside the socket.

1. 4 M5 nuts go on the sides of the front cover (2 on each side)

Position the nut in front of the hexagonal socket, make sure they align, then use a 6 mm long M5 screw to gently pull the nut into the slot. Don’t use too much force and be careful not to separate the 3D printed layers.

The nuts are friction held, which means that once in place, they shouldn’t go anywhere unless you push them out.

Now that everything is ready, we can start the building process of the case itself.

1. Use Super Glue to fix the USB front plate to the case
2. Push the power switch in position through the square hole on the left of the case.
3. Insert the three female USB PCBs into the front housing. Push them completely, then use the holder piece to lock them in place. Use a 18mm to 20 long M3 screw to secure the holder in place
4. If you used flat terminals on your power splitter, plug them now.

Now let's take care of the top case and populate the back panel :

1. Power jack : Insert the female power jack into the leftmost round hole of the back panel. Screw the provided nut by hand, then take advantage of the hexagonal trace to secure the nut against the case.
2. Audio jack : Install the female audio jack on the rightmost round hole. Use some fine tipped pliers to tighten the screw against the case
3. Ethernet : With a Philips screwdriver, remove the holding screws from the female side of your extension, then install the expansion on the square hole on the left. The holding tab should be facing inside
4. VGA : With a 5mm hexagonal pipe driver, remove the 2 standoffs of the female plug, then use them to secure the connector on the right side of the panel.

The next step are only necessary if you use the integrated SATA drive

1. Slide the drive against the wall at the top and insert the two bumps into the screw holes of the drive. Then secure the drive with two 3 mm long M3 screws
2. Plug the SATA to USB adapter to the drive

Every part is now ready. Let's put them all together ! First of all, place your populated top case right next to the lower case (see picture for reference)

1. Put the MiSTer inside the lower case, inserting the standoff screws into the four holes at the bottom. Doing so, route one of the USB FFC under the boards and plug it in the side USB port.
2. Put the fan bracket on top of your fan, then insert the button actuators and the light pipes if you have them printed.

1. Insert the female HDMI PCB into the square slot near the back of the case. You can use a pice of double sided tape to hold the board while mounting the case. Once closed, the case will hold it in place.
2. Plug the power jacks from the switch, then the HDMI extension into your MiSTer

Let's plug the thicker wires :

1. Plug the male audio jack to the analog audio out 
2. Plug the male side of the VGA extension to the VGA out and secure it with two 5mm long M3 hex screws
3. Plug the RJ45 extension to the Ethernet port of the MiSTer
4. Plug the two remaining USB cables on the front ports

It's time to close down the back part of the case

1. Carefully bring the top case back on top of the MiSter, being carful not to pinch any cable or wire in the process. It’s usually a good idea to make a little cable management before that step. Once the that parts of the case are firmly in contact, hold them together and use two 8mm M3 screws on the back to hold it in place.
2. Try to push the buttons in order to confirm that they move freely and they don’t get stuck, then use 4 8mm M3 screws on the sides to secure the top case.

1. Connect the power with the Dupont headers. Be VERY CAREFUL not to plug it backwards. I can’t stress it enough : YOU DON’T WANT TO SEND THE WRONG POLARITY TO YOUR MiSTer !!

If you’re sure about your connections, then now could be the time for a first test : Try to plug your power supply, take a deep breath, and push the power switch. If the system comes alive and that you see or smell no « magic smoke », congratulations, you’ve almost completed your build ! You can turn off the system and go ahead with the final steps

We're in the final stretch ! Let's get this thing done !

1. Tuck away the cables as much as you can, especially the bigger ones. You can lock them under the power switch and the USB holder.
2. If you use a SATA drive, connect the adapter to the remaining USB port.
3. Carefully position the cover on top of the case, being careful not to pinch any wire in the process.
4. Use 4 8mm long M5 screws to secure the cover in place. Tighten all of your screws, then proceed to another test in order to confirm everything works as intended.

As a finishing touch, use glue or double sided tape to stick the badges to their dedicated housings, and install 4 rubber feet under the case. Not only they ensure a good grip on the table while using the system, but also they raise the case for a few mm, allowing fresh air to enter the case from under, significantly improving the cooling.

Congratulations, you’ve finished your MGMS build ! Now your MiSTer no longer looks like a science project but as a fully integrated gaming console !

Enjoy !