Installing a VMU *inside the console, possible?

[HornHeaDD]

Ive modified one of my Dreamcasts to have a DreamPSU, GDEmu, Noctua fan and upgraded controller board, as well as internalizing a BlueRetro solution thanks to the awesome work by DarthCloud. Only caveat right now with BlueRetro is that it does not currently support/provide a VMU solution. The dev did mention that is something he'd like to look into but it's basically on the backburner at the moment.

After replacing the PSU and the GD assembly, there is quite a bit of room in console. The ESP32 board for BlueRetro fits nicely in there, and it looks like there's probably plenty of room for a standard sized VMU in there as well.

My thought is there must be a way to basically hardwire a VMU onto the controller board, or maybe straight to the motherboard. But I'm not certain if that's possible. Searching the net for 'hardwired vmu' brings up one reddit thread that basically asks the same thing I do, and hasn't been updated in about a year. Has anyone thought about doing this, (or actually done it)?

[deluxux]

I would use the Brook Wingman SD internally, this would give you a VMU and a bluetooth connection all in one and you could do it X4

[HornHeaDD]

That would still require the Brook wingman SD to be connected via the controller port, wouldn't it? And Im not certain the main dongle itself would fit inside.

I am looking for a way to hardwire the VMU (and where to do it) to the controller board or the internal of the controller port.

[deluxux]

You could attach it inside with some soldering yea

[HornHeaDD]

What about something like this, I have a Dreamcast MGCD for one of my Arcade cabs.

(If you know what it is just skip the next sentence): Its a device that can connect a Dreamcast to a JAMMA cab without having to worry about padhacks or anything like that.

Now in that MGCD is a cable for the VMU that connects to a small molex connector to allow the Dreamcast to save without having to connect a separate controller to do so:



Theoretically I should be able to solder the leads from here to somewhere on the Dreamcast controller board (or mother board, I assume?) I just don't know exactly where it would go.

There is also something out there called MaplePad which uses a Raspberry Pico, but looking through that Git, it seems to be a little confusing. I'm not the most adept at soldering, or wiring diagrams and all :/ It's full blown amateur hour over here.