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Bill of Materials

The firmware supports three boards. Two of them you can build yourself and this document lists what to buy; the third is the designed carrier, described here so you can understand how it works and what it changes.

Board Build it yourself? Section
XIAO Yes — the primary DIY build XIAO Build
DK Yes — bench/development only DK Build
Pulsar v1 No — the designed carrier Pulsar v1

XIAO Build (Primary)

Component Quantity Notes Link
Seeed XIAO nRF52840 1 Non-Sense version works Seeed Studio
Dreamcast controller 1 Only tested with OEM controller
Pololu U1V11F5 5V boost 1 Has SHDN pin for power gating Pololu
1N5817 Schottky diodes 2 USB/boost OR circuit for 5V rail DigiKey
10kΩ resistors 2 Pull-ups for SDCKA and SDCKB (4.7kΩ also works)
LiPo battery (1000mAh) 1 3.7V, JST PH 2.0mm, ~8 hr runtime DigiKey
Perfboard 1 Used: Adafruit Perma-Proto quarter-size Adafruit
Wire — 30 AWG or similar
Dreamcast controller cable 1 For tapping Maple Bus lines

Programming / Debug (Optional)

The XIAO can be flashed via USB using the built-in UF2 bootloader — no debug probe needed. See flash commands for the UF2 workflow.

The hardware below is only needed for RTT debug logging or if you need to restore the bootloader:

Component Quantity Notes Link
nRF52840 DK 1 Used as J-Link programmer Nordic
SWD breakout board 1 2x5 1.27mm to breadboard-friendly pins Adafruit
SWD cable (10-pin 1.27mm) 1 150mm, connects DK to breakout Adafruit

DK Build (Development)

Component Quantity Notes Link
nRF52840 DK 1 Built-in J-Link, no extra programmer needed Nordic
Dreamcast controller 1
10kΩ resistors 2 Pull-ups for SDCKA and SDCKB (4.7kΩ also works)
Jumper wires 4+ 5V, GND, SDCKA, SDCKB
5V power supply 1 For controller (DK only outputs 3.3V)

Pulsar v1 (Designed Carrier)

Pulsar v1 is a purpose-built carrier PCB with a Seeed XIAO nRF52840 mounted on it — the same module as the DIY build, so both run identical silicon. The carrier replaces the hand-wired power section with integrated parts and adds two things the DIY build has no room for. It is described here to explain the design; the fabrication package is not published, so this is a reference rather than a shopping list.

Function Part What it replaces / adds vs. the DIY build
MCU Seeed XIAO nRF52840 Same module, socketed onto the carrier instead of perfboard
Charge, boost, gauge IP5306 PMIC Replaces the Pololu boost + BQ25101 charger + ADC divider with one part. Provides the 5 V controller rail and a four-level fuel gauge over I²C
Status and battery 5× WS2812 chain Replaces the single onboard RGB. LED 0 is status, LEDs 1–4 are the battery gauge
Haptics ERM motor via transistor New — the DIY build has no rumble
Controller JST PH 2.0 mm, 5-pin Maple cable: SDCKA, SDCKB, 5 V, ground
Battery JST PH 2.0 mm, 2-pin LiPo cell. PH rather than a smaller series because charge and boost currents exceed the 1 A rating of the finer pitches
Rumble motor JST PH 2.0 mm, 2-pin Motor lead, with a flyback diode

What this changes in practice, versus the XIAO build: a four-level gauge instead of a continuous voltage estimate, a battery bar instead of a status-only LED, working rumble, and wireless firmware updates instead of USB drag-and-drop. Everything about how it plays is the same. Pin assignments for all three boards are in pin mapping.

Tools & Supplies

Item Notes
Soldering iron + solder For perfboard assembly and wire connections
Wire strippers For 30 AWG wire
Hi-temp masking tape (Kapton) Useful for insulating connections and holding parts during assembly
Multimeter For verifying connections and checking voltages
Heat shrink tubing For insulating solder joints on the controller cable

Optional

Component Notes Link
VMU enclosure (3D printed) See print tips in 3d_files/ 3d_files/README.md