We’re back with another old-school mod and this time bigger is not always better: To complement our World's Biggest NES Controller, we decided to make the World's Smallest NES Controller. This little project (pun intended) is pretty easy to do; however, it will require a new skill: PCB (Printed Circuit Board) creation. So let’s jump right into it by starting right where we left off on the big controller.

Let’s map out the IC (Integrated Circuit) from the original NES controller one more time. Notice that we have also added the connections from the controller to the console. This is important because you can either cut up the actual controller board or de-solder the chip and solder the wires directly to the correct pins.

This time we are going to take the clean and easy way by cutting the actual controller up. Notice the line to cut alone because you cannot cut too high or you will end up cutting a much need trace. You will need a steady hand with the rotary cutting tool.

Once you have the controller board ready, you can move into the PCB part of the project. First you will need a few specialty items. All of the items can be purchased at a local electronics store or ordered online:

1. Single sided Printed Circuit Board material
2. PCB Etching Solution (Ferric Chloride)
3. www.Jameco.com Part #131676 Drill bit kit
4. Press-n-Peel Blue PCB Transfer Film

Start by printing the circuit graphic from the Photoshop file on the dull side of the transfer paper the design you want to print. Remember to invert the image first so that it will transfer onto the copper board correctly.

Set your iron to 275-325F or the polyester setting. This is very important because if you’re too hot it will melt the transfer paper, and if it is not hot enough then it will not transfer cleanly. Clean you copper board and clean the surface with a steel wool pad while you are waiting for the iron to heat up. Place the transfer paper (print side down) on the copper board and keep the iron moving all the time. It should take between 2 and 10 minutes. You will notice the black side of the print starting to show through when you reach the right point to stop.

Now place you board under cold running water to help free the paper. Then cut the board with a rotary cutting tool to the final size you want. Gently wash the board with a gentle hand soap and paper towel to remove any excess material from the iron-on paper. If there are parts of the board that didn’t receive the transfer paper you can touch it up with a fine-tip marker.

The next step is by far the most dangerous step and I must warn you to not take this lightly. The Ferric Chloride acid will eat through copper, so it will easily eat through anything else including skin, eyeballs, or any small, furry woodland creatures that happen by. So please—if you plan on messing with this stuff, wear latex gloves and use ceramic, glass, or plastic containers. Also do not use paper, metal or Styrofoam bowls as they have a tendency to erode away. I used two old cereal bowls that I found at a yard sale for $1.00 and that I will never eat from. Also, be sure to work in a well-ventilated area.

After you have taken a moment to think about the warning above, place a small amount of the acid into the bowl, it should be enough to cover the board with at least ½ inch of space above it. However, the acid works faster if it is heated, but the whole idea of boiling acid on a stove or sticking it in a microwave scares me and can heat it up too hot to be useful. So I recommend leaving it in direct sunlight for an hour or so just to warm it up. Be sure to cover it loosely so that it stays clean and no animals can get to it. Do not leave the bottle in direct sunlight—just the bowl with the actual acid in it. This works just fine for a small project like this, but if you plan on getting really serious about making your own PCB assemblies then you may want to invest in a PCB Etching Tank or better yet here are some great instructions on how to build your own tank.

Once you place the board in the acid it is important to keep it moving the whole time to keep new acid in contact with the exposed copper. After all of the exposed copper is removed place it into cold water to remove any excess solution still holding on. This can take from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the heat and board size.

Now we will need to remove the etching paper from the board to expose to copper underneath. A lot of the documentation says you should use steel wool for this but I found 600 grit sandpaper works a lot better on really small boards.

Don’t break out your rotary tool or power drill to make the holes, instead use a handheld drill handle and drill the holes to solder your wires through. Take your time and make sure you holes are as close to the center of the trace as you can make them.

Go ahead and solder on your wires to the PCB and run them to the controller board you cut up earlier. Notice that I have soldered a jumper wire from the ground to the brown controller wire. This is because we had to cut the trace earlier in order to make it fit in our little project box.

Moving on to the art class 101 part of the project we will need some supplies photo paper, full sheet label paper, thin flat plastic, modelers glue, double sided tape and copper leafing. First start by creating a backing out of flat plastic strip usually found at most art stores that will cover the back of the board and make a flat surface covering the wires as they lead out of the back. Then print out the spacer graphic on label paper and cut out the holes where the buttons are.

Next print the controller image on photo paper and cut it to only cover just the front of the controller. Put a piece of double sided tape on the back and cover the sticky part with copper leafing. This is what will make contact on the board and create the short needed to activate the button. Use the label paper graphic and stick it onto the controller making sure the holes line up and that you can see both the ground and button traces through the holes. This sticker is used to create a space between the copper back controller cover and the circuit board. Using the tape go ahead and tape down the photo paper controller cover. Print out one more controller image onto the label paper and cut out the whole controller front from the image. Finally using the label you can wrap the whole controller in its case and secure down the controller front.

There you have it, your very own “World’s Smallest NES Controller.” Maybe you can use it with your coffee table sized “World’s Largest NES Controller” and play a great game of Track and Field. Even if you don’t have a use for this controller at the very least you will have a great way to create your very own circuit boards and stop using those pesky breadboards.

Download the Photoshop file for the controller template here.