Summary of BRINGING A BAOFENG INTO THE CYBERPUNK 2077 UNIVERSE
Summary: Taylor transplanted a Baofeng UV-5R transceiver into a 3D-printed, game-accurate Nokota Manufacturing radio from Cyberpunk 2077. The project replaces original controls with an interface using 7400-series bilateral analog switches and a Mini MEGA 2560 microcontroller to emulate keypad presses and send macros, with output shown on a yellow OLED matching the in-game display. The build is a work in progress with early testing demonstrating functionality.
Parts used in the Nokota Manufacturing Radio Project:
- Baofeng UV-5R transceiver (PCB removed from original case)
- 3D-printed Nokota Manufacturing radio case
- Mini MEGA 2560 microcontroller
- 7400-series bilateral analog switches
- Yellow OLED display
- Wiring and connectors to interface keypad contacts
- Power supply components (as used with Baofeng and microcontroller)
- Mounting hardware for PCB and display
You’ve got to love the aesthetics of dystopian cyberpunk video games, where all the technology looks like it’s cobbled together from cast-off bits of the old world’s remains. Kudos go to those who attempt to recreate these virtual props and bring them into the real world, but our highest praise goes to those who not only make a game-realistic version of a prop, but make it actually work.
Take the Nokota Manufacturing radio from Cyberpunk 2077, for instance. [Taylor] took one look at that and knew it would be the perfect vessel for a Baofeng UV-5R, the dual-band transceiver that amateur radio operators love to hate. The idea is to strip the PCB out of a Baofeng — no worries, the things cost like $25 — and install it in a game-accurate 3D printed case. But this is far from just a case mod, since [Taylor]’s goal is to replace the radio’s original controls with something closer to what’s in the game.
To that end, [Taylor] is spinning up an interface to the stock radio’s keypad using some 7400-series bilateral analog switches. Hooked to the keypad contacts and controlled by a Mini MEGA 2560 microcontroller, the interface is able to send macros that imitate the keypresses necessary to change frequencies and control the radio’s settings, plus display the results on the yellow OLED screen that seems a dead-ringer for the in-game display. The video below shows some early testing of the interface.
While very much still a work in progress, we’ve been following [Taylor]’s project for a week or so and he’s really gaining some ground. We’ve encouraged him to enter this one in the Cyberdeck Challenge we’ve got going on now; it might not have much “deck” going for it, but it sure does have a lot of “cyber.”
Source: BRINGING A BAOFENG INTO THE CYBERPUNK 2077 UNIVERSE
- Can a Baofeng UV-5R PCB be installed into a 3D-printed Cyberpunk 2077 radio case?
Yes, the project involves stripping the Baofeng PCB and installing it into a game-accurate 3D-printed Nokota Manufacturing radio case. - How are the original Baofeng controls replaced in this build?
The original controls are replaced by an interface using 7400-series bilateral analog switches controlled by a Mini MEGA 2560 to emulate keypad presses. - What microcontroller is used to control the keypad interface?
The Mini MEGA 2560 microcontroller is used to control the keypad interface and send macros. - How does the project emulate keypad presses?
Bilateral analog switches from the 7400 series are hooked to the keypad contacts and switched by the microcontroller to emulate keypresses. - Is there a display to match the in-game radio?
Yes, a yellow OLED display is used to show results and resembles the in-game display. - Can the interface change frequencies and settings?
Yes, the interface can send macros that imitate the keypresses needed to change frequencies and control the radio's settings. - Is the project completed?
No, the article states the build is very much still a work in progress with early testing underway. - Was this project encouraged for any challenge?
Yes, the builder was encouraged to enter the Cyberdeck Challenge despite the project being more cyber than deck.
