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The best Arduboy DIY route depends on what you already have. Choose the official Arduboy Kit if you want a documented soldering project, install the official FX mod-chip if you already own an original Arduboy, or build a homemade clone only if you are comfortable matching its wiring, display, bootloader, and external flash to the software. If you mainly want to play games, the finished FX-C is the simpler choice.
“Arduboy DIY with FX” is not one universal product. It describes three related projects that add or use external flash storage for an Arduboy-compatible handheld.
What FX adds to an Arduboy
A standard Arduboy runs a game primarily from the ATmega32U4’s internal memory: 32 KB of program flash, 2.5 KB of RAM, and 1 KB of EEPROM. Arduboy FX adds external SPI flash so a device can hold a game collection and display a bootloader menu for selecting titles. The official FX-C specifications list 16 MB of external flash.
External flash does not increase the ATmega32U4’s RAM or internal program space. A conventional game can run from internal program flash while the external chip stores a collection. FX-aware games can also use the external memory for larger graphics, maps, music, or other assets, provided they are compiled for the appropriate target and library configuration.
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EEPROM remains separate and is used for small persistent data such as settings or saves. When developing with Arduboy2, use the library-defined EEPROM starting address rather than overwriting its reserved area.
Choose the right DIY route
| Route | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Official Arduboy Kit | Learning soldering on a documented, purpose-built board | Still requires careful assembly, especially around the flash chip |
| FX mod-chip upgrade | Owners of an original Arduboy who want official-style FX functionality | Fine soldering, battery handling, and bootloader risk |
| Homemade clone | Experienced makers designing custom cases, boards, or controls | Pin mapping, display compatibility, firmware, power, and enclosure work |
| Finished FX-C | Players who want a working handheld with minimal troubleshooting | Less educational and less customizable than DIY |
Official Arduboy Kit
The kit is an educational hand-assembly project, not a plug-and-play console. Its documented parts include a PCB, Pro Micro, 128×64 OLED, buttons, speaker, headphone jack, reset button, external flash chip, tweezers, practice PCB, and USB cable. The official instructions describe it as an intermediate soldering project, although a beginner can attempt it with patience and magnification.
It is the most predictable DIY option because the PCB and expected wiring are documented. The kit’s external flash chip is also the component most likely to challenge a new surface-mount solderer.
Upgrade an original Arduboy
The official FX upgrade is suitable when preserving the original enclosure and display matters. The installation involves opening the case, managing the battery and speaker wiring, aligning the mod-chip with PCB pads, soldering it, and updating the relevant bootloader or FX firmware. The official installation guide describes the physical installation as taking less than ten minutes, but beginners should allow additional time for verification and recovery.
Do not continue to burn the bootloader if flash verification fails. The official guide warns that doing so can brick the device and may require external programming hardware.
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Build a homemade clone
A practical clone needs an ATmega32U4-based board, a compatible 128×64 monochrome OLED, six momentary buttons, a piezo speaker, reset circuitry, USB, and an external SPI flash chip. Portable versions additionally need a battery, safe charging and protection circuitry, a power switch, and an enclosure.
A Pro Micro is a common starting point, but “any Pro Micro” is not a safe compatibility assumption. Bootloader, voltage, clone quality, pin mapping, and USB behavior vary. The same applies to OLEDs: matching resolution is not enough. Verify the controller, voltage, interface mode, pin order, reset line, chip-select behavior, and library support.
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Core electronics
- ATmega32U4 board or a verified custom PCB
- 128×64 monochrome OLED with a known-compatible controller and interface
- Six momentary buttons
- Piezo speaker
- Reset button
- USB data connection
- External SPI flash chip
- Wiring or PCB, enclosure, and power switch
- Battery and a properly designed charging/protection circuit for portable use
Workshop equipment
- Temperature-controlled soldering iron, solder, and flux
- Tweezers, side cutters, and solder braid
- Magnification and good lighting
- Multimeter
- Known-good USB data cable
Work with ventilation and eye protection. Disconnect power before soldering. Never short, puncture, bend, or put pressure on a lithium-polymer battery or its tabs. USB-C provides no automatic guarantee of safe battery charging: a homemade device must have an appropriate charging and power design.
Assembling the official kit
Use the supplied instructions as the authority for component orientation and exact assembly. A sensible overall sequence is:
- Inspect the PCB and identify each footprint.
- Practice on the included practice PCB.
- Install low-profile components first.
- Add buttons, reset switch, speaker, connectors, and other larger parts.
- Fit the Pro Micro.
- Install the OLED and headers.
- Solder the external flash chip carefully, using flux and minimal solder.
- Inspect every joint under magnification for bridges, lifted pins, and cold joints.
- Check continuity and power rails with a multimeter before applying power.
- Connect USB and test with known-good firmware before installing the board in its enclosure.
Preheating the pad and component, applying flux, and using less solder are generally safer than trying to correct a large blob afterward. Do not install the battery until the unpowered checks and USB test are satisfactory.
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Designing a compatible homemade board
Compatibility is a systems problem, not a parts-list problem. Document the ATmega32U4 pin assigned to every button, display signal, speaker channel, reset connection, and SPI flash line. Confirm the flash chip’s supply voltage and the firmware’s expected memory layout.
The original Arduboy pin arrangement is not optional if you want to use unmodified software. Different wiring may require board definitions, compile-time pin changes, a different Arduboy core, or patched builds. The official Kit flasher specifically warns that games for the kit must be compiled for its alternative wiring.
A display can remain blank even when it has the right resolution if its controller, interface mode, pin order, reset behavior, or initialization sequence differs. Likewise, a larger flash chip is not automatically usable: the wiring, voltage, firmware, and cartridge tools must all support it.
Set up Arduino development
The standard development path is Arduino IDE with the Arduboy libraries. The official quick-start guide lists libraries including Arduboy, Arduboy2, ArduboyTones, ArduboyPlaytune, ArdBitmap, ArdVoice, ATMlib, and Arduboy-TinyFont. Arduboy2 is the primary community development library described there; the original Arduboy library has been superseded for much community development.
- Install Arduino IDE.
- Open Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries… and install the library required by the project.
- Open File → Examples → Arduboy2 → Hello World.
- For a standard Arduboy-style target, select Tools → Board → Arduino Leonardo.
- Select the serial port under Tools → Port.
- Compile and upload the example.
A homemade board may need a custom board package or a target-specific core. The official guide notes that a homemade-board package can include Arduboy2 and conflict with a separately installed copy. Treat this as a version-sensitive setup issue: check the package documentation and remove duplicate or incompatible library installations when compilation reports ambiguous or duplicate definitions.
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Uploading ordinary games and FX collections
There are two different workflows:
- Single internal game: upload a normal compiled game, commonly as a
.hex, to replace the currently running internal program. - FX game collection: build and flash a cartridge image containing the menu, game metadata, game files, and any required external assets.
FX is not a USB drive, and a game is not normally added to the menu by copying one file into the external chip. The collection commonly has to be rebuilt and uploaded as a complete compatible image. Preserve the original cartridge image before experimenting.
The Arduboy Web Flasher states that an FX device must be in its bootloader menu before upload. It also explains that .arduboy files can contain the .hex and .bin components needed to publish an FX game. File support varies by target and tool, so do not assume that every uploader handles every package identically.
On an FX device, hold Up and Down together for about three seconds while in a game to enter the menu. Left and right select categories; Up and Down scroll through titles. Use a genuine USB data cable. A charge-only cable can make a perfectly working board appear to have no serial port.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Build a custom game collection
- Use game files you are legally allowed to distribute.
- Identify whether each game is a standard Arduboy title or FX-aware.
- Select the exact hardware target, including kit or clone wiring.
- Build or edit a compatible cartridge image and metadata.
- Back up the existing image.
- Flash the complete resulting image.
- Test both ordinary titles and games that require external assets.
Arduboy Cloud provides browser-based development, emulation, creative tools, .arduboy package handling, cartridge import/export, downloadable bundles, and Web Serial communication. It is convenient, but browser support, permissions, operating-system behavior, and device-target support can vary. For a homemade board, verify that the selected target matches your wiring before relying on direct hardware upload.
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No USB serial port
- Replace the cable with a known-good data cable.
- Check the power switch and USB connector solder joints.
- Enter bootloader mode and look for the temporary port.
- Recheck the board and port selections.
- On a homemade board, test USB and the ATmega32U4 bootloader before adding battery or flash complexity.
Upload times out or fails verification
Check the board target, serial port, bootloader timing, browser permission, USB stability, and power. The Web Flasher specifically requires the FX device to be in its bootloader menu. An incompatible file type or cartridge image can also fail even when the USB connection is healthy.
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The game uploads but is absent from the FX menu
Likely causes include uploading only a normal .hex, failing to rebuild the cartridge image, compiling for another target, omitting the game from the image, malformed metadata, or using an incompatible FX format.
The screen is blank
Check power, ground, interface mode, pin order, reset, chip-select, data/command lines, controller type, library configuration, and solder bridges. A 128×64 label alone does not establish compatibility.
External flash verification fails
Stop before updating or burning the bootloader. Inspect chip orientation, bridges, lifted pins, ground, SPI wiring, supply voltage, and mod-chip contact. The official FX guide warns that proceeding after failed verification can brick the device.
The reset button does not work
The official guide warns that the button is fragile and should be pressed centrally without excessive force. Use the USB bootloader procedure when available rather than repeatedly forcing the switch.
The device is bricked
Recovery may require an ISP programmer, access to the ATmega32U4 programming pins, a known-good bootloader image, correct fuse settings, and careful verification. Do not apply a generic recovery procedure without knowing the exact board, bootloader, programmer, and firmware files.
DIY or FX-C?
The official FX-C product page currently lists a Standard edition from $79 and a Founders Limited Edition at $89, but price and availability are volatile. It lists USB-C, 16 MB external flash, an 180 mAh battery, and more than 300 games, while other official pages describe the menu as containing more than 200 games. Treat the count as edition- and catalog-dependent. The manufacturer also claims more than eight hours of battery life; that is not an independent measurement.
Buy the FX-C if your priority is playing quickly, a finished enclosure, and less troubleshooting. Choose the kit if the build itself is the point. Choose the mod-chip if you already own an original Arduboy and accept fine soldering and recovery risks. Choose a clone if custom hardware is more important than predictable compatibility.
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DIY is not automatically cheaper. Tools, failed parts, PCB fabrication, batteries, enclosure work, and your time can erase any parts savings. It is worthwhile when the educational and customization value matters.
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