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• website for 3D models

  Maave • 03/05/2025 at 18:10 • 0 comments

  Cuttlephone website

  I've made a website for the project: https://cuttlephone.com/

  It's hosted on GitHub and includes some guides for using the phone case customizer and 3D printing. It also has premade 3D models to print. 

  I want to expand the "premade models" section later. Comment if you have any ideas for handling the dozens of files this program can make. I might move the website to a different repo so that STL files aren't cluttering the generator codebase. Then I could use Github release artifacts for big bundles of STLs while also providing links or duplicates on the website.

  Website is made with Jekyll to generate HTML and Just-the-Docs for theming/formatting.

  New phone, new phone case

  In other news, my old phone was killed via update. RIP Pixel 4a. In its stead I got an Xperia 1 V. This fills the gaming/media niche nicely with stereo front-facing speakers and a microSD slot.

  The clear TPU gets gross after a couple years of use. I should print it in black to hide the dirt but it looks too cool.

  Overall I'm very pleased with the phone case and it will be posted on the website soon. I made a few iterations like a plain phone case at 1.2mm thick and a Junglecat case at 1.0mm thick. I have several commercial phone case to compare and compete against. The commercial cases are slim at about 0.8-1.0mm thick but they use much stiffer material. I'm using Overture High-Speed TPU which is fairly stiff, around 95A. A regular phone case at 1.2mm is good, regular phone case @1.0mm is too flimsy, but Junglecat @1.0mm is OK. I'm going to try more TPU blends soon that are even stiffer, going past Shore-A into the Shore-D range.

  this case has a couple of challenges when printing. On the right side there's a cutout for the fingerprint reader. It needed significant bevel cuts so my finger can reach the button. Printing the overhangs on this cutout is difficult so I wonder if I can improve the manual supports. This is the thinnest weakest area on the case - stiffer TPU would improve it.

   the second trouble spot is the microphone hole next to the USB port. These features are too close - the thin tower separating them doesn't print nicely.

  the last printing problem I'm getting is burnt boogers. You can see a brown spot just above the USB port. TPU is sticking to the printer nozzle, burning, then depositing later in the print. It's especially noticeable because of the filament color. I'm considering a wipe mechanism for my printer, something that could activate every layer or every couple layers.

  getting help with PCB

  As a final note, I'm getting help with the PCB. My friend ldrrp remade the PCB using EasyEda. It's not as open-source as KiCad but it's significantly easier to manage the BOM, parts inventory, and ordering. This will help us manufacture faster and get out of the prototype phase. We're making some design changes like switching from Atmega32u4 to STM32 chips, using a smaller STM32 for the left side inputs, and ferrying data using i2c.

• coloring recessed text

  Maave • 07/31/2024 at 23:31 • 0 comments

  Lazy update b/c I've barely worked on the OpenSCAD design lately. Have some 3d printing instead.

  This is best way I've found to color the recessed text: thinned paint in a syringe. Here are my components:

  • 1ml Oral Syringe, Luer Slip Tip
  • Dental Pre Bent Needle Tips, 25 Ga
  • nail polish or acrylic paint
  • thinner for your paint: mineral spirits, acetone

  Beautiful!

  Nail polish is hideously expensive compared to paint. Next time I'll use high-pigment acrylic paint. Also acrylics can be thinned with water rather than smelly solvents. This nail lacquer was noxious.

  Crayon was a half success. It gets caught easily in the extrusion lines. "Ironing" in the 3d printer slicer was mediocre and made the rest of the print look bad.

• flexible cases and a website

  Maave • 04/29/2022 at 20:27 • 0 comments

  I have lots of progress on the phone case generator!

  The best part is support for flexible filaments. This case better protects the screen and edges while also providing more grip.

  Buttons are textured. The area is thin to make the buttons easy to press.
  

  There's a thin section for supporting the overhangs. Remove this with a blade.

  Junglecat rails work decently with TPU. It grips the controller well although the controller can be yanked off. I need to make a hard-plastic cutting guide for the rails

  Galaxy S9+ support is here. The inside curves were a pain in the butt and now they're finished. Later I'll tweak the outside edges to improve the feel in hand.

  I've made a simple github website for the project. 3D model files are posted here for all the possible case variations. Later I'll write a guide for 3d printing.
  

  https://silocitylabs.github.io/Cuttlephone/
  

  The build script helps here. It generates .3MF files for all configs and copies them to the github site. I want to automatically upload models on Printables and Thingiverse. 

• Razer Junglecat support

  Maave • 12/16/2020 at 03:14 • 0 comments

  Long time no update. Life has been up and down and I haven't focused on this project lately.

  
  

  Fortunately Junglecat support was kinda easy since I had Joycon rails already. Only took 3 tries. I sliced the model so that the rail tests could print quickly.
  

  Done:
  

  I also changed the version info font to an open-source font. It's much easier to read.

  I may remove Joycon support. They're big, make the phone case absurdly thick, turn on by accident, and have poor emulator support. Junglecats have a slimmer rail that makes a much better daily driver phone case and they work as a single device in RetroArch.
  

• Project name Cuttlephone; Daily-driving and iterating

  Maave • 05/03/2020 at 03:40 • 0 comments

  I've officially named the project Cuttlephone, after the shapeshifting Cuttlefish.
  
  I've been putting decent work into the OpenSCAD case lately. A friend and I both use it as our regular phone cases. I have Pixel 3, he has a Pixel 3a.
  

  Here's an early version of my case and a mockup Galaxy S9 used for testing. Text is embossed including phone model, case version, and git commit hash (sometimes debug cases don't have git commit). I've been printing in white because it's easier to see details. I love the Splatoon font - unfortunately it can't be used for commercial purposes so it will eventually go away.
  
  Here's my friend's case after a month of beating on it. He used duct tape to patch the corner and improve for visibility. We'll be trying different colors later.
  
  A number of details were improved such as thickness, lip to protect the screen, phone insertion/removal, reduced snagging on clothing, more finger space near buttons, etc.
  

  It looks similar but performs much better.
  
  

  You can see the anti-snag bevel here. Fillets in OpenSCAD are difficult so this is a simple 45-degree cut. Filing is recommended. This pic also shows a known flaw - thin corners that eventually chip. This geometry needs to be improved.

  I also have a working build script. It will generate 3d models (3mf or STL) for all the configs available. I'll be using this later to release pre-rendered models for all phone models and all case types.
  

  
  Galaxy S9+ case is in the works and will be tested and tweaked by ldrrp.
  
  My end goal is that somebody could take their phone, measure it with calipers, make a config, and have a functioning case in 1 or 2 prints. Phone support would be driven by the community.
  

• Added multiplexer

  Luis Rodriguez • 04/12/2020 at 04:19 • 0 comments

  Added i2c pcf8574 to the mix. I did not want to run 12 connectors over but i also wanted to keep the software simple so we added one for each side. Unfortunatelty i cant find an affordable ic with both analog and digital multiplexer so the joycon still has to be run accross. 6 total accross the phone still beats the old design running 8. Each multiplexer will have 3*3 matrix buttons, L3/R3 and and led indicator for a total of 8 pins. [maave] is adding my s9+ to the case designs while help out with the schematics.

• Switched over to Matrix

  Luis Rodriguez • 04/10/2020 at 20:51 • 0 comments

  Added firmware to repository to start testing new breadboard version.

  Switched schematic to use a matrix button layout, also cleaned things up a bit. Added diodes to prevent ghosting. Unfortunately had to add more pins to connector going across. I think i might just use i2c over to the other side for only 4 pins over to each side. I just wanted to avoid adding more complexity.

• OpenSCAD is rad, new 3d printer

  Maave • 01/30/2020 at 21:24 • 0 comments

  We're pulling the plug on our old 3d printer, the CEL Robox. It has died too many times. We're not repairing it again. [ldrrp] got an Ender 3 and I got an Ender 3 Pro (nearly the same but with a magnetic bed). Both are awesome and we've been cranking out prints.
  

  I've been working on the case a lot recently. No more Fusion 360. OpenSCAD is proving to be much more flexible. It's also rather easy for me to understand as a programmer. User customization and conditionals will make this shell truly configurable for multiple phones. In the future expect to see automated STL builds using config files for more phone support.
  

  Gamepad progress:

  - body complete
  - gamepad faceplates are mostly implemented. Button size/location subject to change
  - triggers need a lot of work
  - Joy-Con rails work
  - Junglecat rails are placeholders

  Old gamepad PCB sitting in the last print the CEL Robox was able to achieve. This version had several overhang issues in the 3d model that I've fixed. Phone fit was also whack.
  

  Peep these customizer options. I can use conditionals to add or remove large chunks of the case.
  Phone case simply has no gamepad features.
  
  

  Joy-Cons are ready and Junglecat support should be easy when I have dimensions. This will be cool when more phone configs are added. The Razer Junglecat only has cases for 4 (four!) phones right now. Maybe I can convince Razer to send me a Razer Junglecat. I'm not spending $100 on those right now. If anybody has a set and some calipers, contact me.
  
  Here's the side of the Joy-Con version so you can see the railsThe case works. Unfortunately many emulators (RetroArch, PPSSPP) don't support input from 2 devices at once. Dolphin emulator handles it though. On top of that, my phone gets the infamous Joy-Con lag which makes these unusable until I can find a patch.
  

  
  Check out this ugly bottom infill pattern. I've since changed the slicer settings.
  

  
  v0.2 PCB will be delayed a bit. I've decided that I need analog support ASAP. I see a lot of comments on other devices, such as the Game Kiddy 350H, decrying the lack of dual analog which is needed for some PS1 titles. Since phone emulators are starting to enter the PS2/Gamecube era I definitely need this support. I'll try to support 1 full joystick with L3/R3 (probably Switch joysticks) and 1 slider (either PSP3000 or 3DS) so the builders can pick high profile or low profile analog.
  

• v0.1 hurdles, v0.2 in the works

  Maave • 10/01/2019 at 16:09 • 0 comments

  I received my PCBs and components. I tried to assemble. I failed. The flex PCB and QFN parts were more challenging than I expected and I botched soldering the atmega and FFC connector. Rather than sink more time into an early design, I've decided to cut my losses and continue to v0.2. I could complete v0.1 with the help of a friend however v0.2 has so many changes and v0.1 has several flaws (not dealbreakers but annoyances) that I think my time is better spent moving on.
  

  Fresh PCBs

  The craft table. This LED light is the best thing ever. Light is so important for seeing small details. The next upgrade will include magnification.

  An example of flex being a pain in my butt. The board is flexed and creates too much gap to solder properly.

  Here are 2 boards connected and mocked up on a phone.

  The FFC is very flexible. It can handle one-time bends too. This gives me more options.

  Lessons from v0.1: 
  

  - review instructions before attempting new soldering techniques

  - use the right tip (mine was too fine and I couldn't find the spare)

  - tape down flex boards

  - the flex trigger works well

  - you can't hold flex PCB in alligator clips. It bends the PCB which misaligns pins/pads. Taping it to a hard surface works.

  - attaching the USB-C connector (meant for 0.8mm FR4) to the thin flex was a bad idea (I knew this but wanted to try anyway)

  - read the datasheets, I wired a 4-pin crystal wrong (could be kludged)

  - the USB-C connector sticks out more than expected

  - the FFC cables are very flexible and easy for a user to install

  - reusing the same board for both sides of the phone complicates the routing

  - reusing the same board increases the board size, negating some of the benefit
  

  - the yellow flex PCB is kinda ugly and would limit art

  - components on both sides are annoying to solder (I knew this but wanted to try anyway)

  - why didn't I put debug pads on this?

  - my "space saving" reset button is difficult to use in practice

  Let's take a look at v0.2 (not final).

  Changes for v0.2

  - flex features have been removed

  - moved all components to one side

  - the trigger will hinge, similar to the Switch trigger. This simplifies the PCB but complicates the case

  - the double sided feature (reusing the same board for both sides) is gone

  - a few 0.1" standard headers are added, connected to some digital and some analog pins

  - USB-C connector has been recessed so the PCB sits closer to the phone

  - the face pads have be reshaped to accommodate silicone buttons from multiple controllers 

  - plans to use Switch Lite silicone and buttons as soon as they're available aftermarket

  - added simple PCB art

  - crystal wiring has been fixed

  - FFC location has been fixed so I can use straight-through FFC

  My roommate got a Switch Lite and the buttons are excellent. They're firmer than the DS or PSP face buttons, the buttons sit a little higher, and I can feel the rubber dome collapsing (unlike the PSP face buttons which are mushy, there's not much tactile response). These are the best handheld console buttons I've felt yet and they'll work perfectly in the controller once more aftermarket parts are available.

  The headers are intended for debugging, programming, and testing future features like analog joysticks and audio output. However I realized that they could be an attractive feature. This is the first atmega32u4 breakout I've seen with a male USB-C connector (the Elite-C and Goldfish have female USB-C). This could open the door to other DIY phone accessories.

  v0.2 is almost ready and the PCB will be ordered soon. I've recruited the help of my friend [ldrrp] to ensure 0.2 works the first time.

• Waiting ...

  Maave • 08/13/2019 at 18:54 • 0 comments

  This is taking longer than expected unfortunately. I got my Digikey parts in like 2 days though. I'll see what I can work on in the meantime (firmware or other projects)

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