We at Tindie are makers at heart and like to work on our own personal projects. What better place to buy parts and equipment than from our own Tindarians in the Tindie Marketplace!
For example, my husband and I are avid gamers on both PC and console. Some of my favorite games are: “Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,” the “Halo” series, “Earthbound,” the “Fallout” series, and “Command and Conquer: Renegade.” (If you’re a gamer, tell me what your favorite system and/or games are in the comments!) We also collect retro consoles – we have over 25 unique video game systems and are always on the lookout for more! While I’ve really been enjoying our new Xbox One, my favorite system of all time is the Super Nintendo.
Anyway, when I saw the ControlBlock on Tindie, I thought it was great, especially since we’re planning to build a small arcade machine at home. The ControlBlock is an extension for the Raspberry Pi that supports connecting one or two arcade or console controllers. The other function that really interested me was that you can add a power switch that will allow you to safely turn on and off power to the Raspberry Pi, and an optional LED that will indicate if it’s on or off. Here are some photos of my unboxing!
Here is what came in the box. The box isn’t pictured because I got way too excited about my first Tindie order and threw it out before I got the idea to make this “unboxing” of sorts post. Everything is packaged in this plastic bag and it was securely taped in the box to keep it from moving around.
Here are all of the contents, neatly laid out. Everything came safely to the US all the way from Germany!
Front of the PCB with clear, silkscreened pin layouts and USB mini connector
Back of the PCB
Four 8-pin female terminal blocks
A 2-pin female terminal block, a 2-pin male header, and a 2×6-pin female connector
