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Tiny Arcade Assembly Instructions (Rev 5 Boards)


Overview

The Tiny Arcade has come a long way since the Kickstarter campaign back in 2015, and with your feedback, we've made some upgrades and added new features to our popular Tiny Arcade Kit!

The most noticeable feature of the new Tiny Arcade is the design of the Acrylic components. The pieces come on two sheets and are now easier to break apart, peel, and assemble.

Pictured is the new acryllic with a different electronic component connection.


Materials

Upon opening your new Tiny Arcade, you'll want to make sure that you have the following:

  1. Two (2) Acrylic sheets (with protective paper covering)
  2. A hardware kit (containing two (2) screws, one (1) standoff post, and one (1) foam square)
  3. The Screen
  4. The Processor Board
  5. Speaker
  6. Lithium-Polymer battery

Electronics Setup

The first step will be to assemble the electronic components and give them a quick test. We'll start with the processor board and the screen. Be sure the power switch is in the OFF position, and the sound switch is in the ON position.

First, we will connect the battery to the connector on the processor labeled "BATT". The speaker connector is the same size and shape, so make sure to not mix them up. Next, plug the speaker into the connector on the processor board labeled "SPKR".

Remove the screen protector. Align the screen in the proper orientation (screen facing the joystick and buttons) and insert it into the processor board via the 8-pin connector.

Give the electronics a quick test by switching on the power. You should see the screen light up with the TinyCircuits logo, then move to pre-loaded games menu. Use the joystick to scroll between the games. Tiny Shooter is a great game for quickly testing all of the controls. Use the left push button to select the game, and the right push button to insert a coin and start the game. Push the joystick in each direction and watch the space craft to ensure that the up, down, left, and right controls all function. Push the right push button to fire the lasers, and listen for the sound effects. If you don't hear anything, check that the audio switch is in the ON position and that the speaker connector is fully inserted.

Note: We test each and every Tiny Arcade thoroughly before shipping to ensure all parts are functional. This test is to make sure you have everything connected properly.

Acryllic Preparation

With the electronics functioning properly, we can prepare the acrylic. The first sheet should have both side pieces, and the second sheet should contain seven different pieces that will make up the front, top, and bottom of the cabinet. If it seems like you're missing pieces, check the box, as they may have come detached from the sheet. The next step will be to break the pieces away from each other and remove the thin connecting stubs. Once all of the pieces have been separated, we will peel back the protective paper from both sides. After this step, you may choose to add the included stickers to your acrylic pieces. (This is the most convenient time to add the stickers.)


Assembly

Now that you have the electronics ready, and the acrylic prepared, we will begin assembling. Make sure wipe off the inner side of the acrylic pieces as you proceed to avoid fingerprint marks that will be hard to clean once the cabinet is fully assembled.


Step 1

Start by attaching the screw and standoff post to the right wall of the Tiny Arcade. Lay this flat on your table or work-surface.


Step 2

Place the next piece over the joystick and push buttons on the processor board.


Step 3

Insert the electronics into the side wall, aligning the tabs with their corresponding holes. You may have to hold these in place with a few fingers as you insert the next two acrylic pieces.


Step 4

Place the piece that covers the screen.


Step 5

Place the front piece that covers the bottom half of the Tiny Arcade.


Step 6

We will now attach the left side wall. You'll need to route the battery and speaker wires through the gaps on the circuit board to avoid pinching them between the board and the acrylic. Once these pieces are all in place, fully tighten the screw to hold everything together. Be careful not to over-tighten, as this will separate the acrylic at the top of the cabinet.


Step 7

We'll now place the remaining acrylic pieces. The first one goes on the front of the arcade in front of the joystick and pushbuttons. (If you're having difficulty inserting this piece, you can loosen the left screw about one rotation, being careful not to let the already attached pieces come apart. This can be re-tightened after all pieces have been properly inserted.)


Step 8

Next, insert the piece for the bottom of the cabinet.


Step 9

Insert the cover for the top of the cabinet, then the piece directly in front of that.


Gameplay

In order to play games on your Tiny Arcade, simply flip the switch on the back of the cabinet to the ON position and use the joystick and buttons to select your game. You may also insert a microSD card loaded with Tiny Arcade games into the microSD slot in order to store more and larger games using the expanded memory. Have fun!


Going Further

With your Tiny Arcade assembled, you can enjoy the preloaded games, download our latest game releases for free from our website, or use our online tutorial to learn how to develop your very own game for the Tiny Arcade!


Contact Us

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to email us or make a post on our forum. Show us what you make by tagging @TinyCircuits on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook so we can feature it.

Thanks for making with us!