I think that with the HRAP 2 all things must be more easy, there is “Ps2 to any console” converters, you don’t need add any PCB.
It Worked!!!
It was a runaway success!!! Thank you all for your help.
Toodles: Much respect. :china: :china: :china:
So…
I got a couple of those Madcatz Arcade Sticks to hack. I mapped out the solder points for the buttons/directions (it’s posted in the pad hacking thread, fyi). I’m pretty sure that the large black wire is ground (following it back to the cord reveals that the insulation gives way and it is just raw wire running the rest of the length of the cord) and red is +v. However, I’m really nervous about doing any damage to my new x360.
I figure I need to break down at get a multimeter to test for sure, but then I realized I haven’t used one in over 15 years. I know brief instructions were given in this thread, but I just want to make sure I won’t be doing anything to damage my console by trying to do this.
Basically the red terminal goes to the +v and the black terminal goes to ground, while the console is powered on with the pad plugged in, correct? What if I’m testing on the wrong prongs on the PCB? Could any damage result?
Sorry for the noobie question, but I don’t really want to brick my elite. I’d rather ask a dumb question than damage property.
i’ve hacked around 10 of these pcbs into virtua stick high grades and the red is always power, the green and white are always the data lines, and the 2 black are always ground.
from the top side closest to the turbo on/off switch you will see 5 pads. solder your ground to the far left marked eg and your +5 to the far right pad marked vcc.
there is not much more to it or anything you can really mess up.
Yay! I love fool-proof wiring directions.
Thanks a ton.
hmmm…
to connect the +5 or +3.3v on each controller is it possible to just snip the redwire in each controller, connecting the wires together and then reconnecting them to the controller?
or simply strip part of the wire away and then connect them together by using a wire and some solder?
Anyone know if the Virtua Stick High Grade has a common ground? I know it has it’s own 2 separate PCB’s but I’m knocking around the idea of adding a PSX PCB so it could be used with converters. Anyone done this on the VSHG?
-G
Yes. The VSHG PCB is common ground. Though personally I just put a PSX PCB in and use a converter to play on PS3. Don’t like dangly bits. With a common ground 360 PCB though you can do both PS3/360 through the same cord.
http://virtuafighter.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/175874/fpart/1
Thanks much. I’ve looked through that tread a couple times and completely forgot all that info was there.
-G
I don’t have a multimeter, but I was wondering if you or anyone else could help me out. I hacked an A Series PSX pad, and I’m not sure where the +5v and ground are on this thing. Just based on your diagram, it looks like I may be able to tell because this pad also has a 9-pin layout. Here are some pictures (of an A Series I’m not hacking because part of it broke off):
Does this look similar? Do you think the +5v and ground would be located in the same location in this pad? Also, I already have an A Series hooked up to my stick, grounded and everything, and I’m in the process of attaching a Mad Catz arcade stick pcb to that. If I connect the Mad Catz pcb’s ground to the A Series pcb’s ground, do I still need to put a wire in between one of the button grounds and the rest of the stick as a common ground?
Short answer - no. You’d be surprised how many PCBs pinouts don’t correspond with the order it’s in on the board. Do yourself a favor and pick up a multimeter from radioshack, and use the continuity test function on it.
As for your other question, you have to do 3 things to each PCB you add to your stick:
- Connect the ground pins together
- Connect the +5v pins together
- Connect the buttons to the PCB. You do NOT have to connect the button grounds to the new PCB. Since you bridged the ground on the PCBs, you’re essentially picking up the button common ground from the other PCB. So each button, in your setup, will have 3 wires coming off of it… say, for the X button, assuming PCB1 has already been wired up perfectly:
1 wire going to X on PCB1
1 wire going to X on PCB2
1 wire (on the the other lead on the button) going to the common ground on PCB1
the crappy picture I made that you quoted should illustrate that.
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8366/33016989xd4.th.png
Sorry for this crappy paint pic.
I did this crappy mod cuz I was tired of wasting money on switches. The positives of the 360 microcon and the sfac pcb dindt like to be together.
This helped me and others who have the sfac arcade stick and wanted the 360 to
work too. If i want the 360 to work I connect the male db25.
Oh and the digital pad and the sfac stick positives (down left etc.) can be together.
Again sorry for the crappy pic.
Here’s a quick question on a similar note… if I want to wire a stick to internally have a PS2 PCB and also output to DB15 (NeoGeo that is), do I need to connect the DB15’s +5v to the PCBs to get it to work right?
Just to be safe, yes. If the DB-15 isnt connected to anything, nothing happens and the PSX works peachy. If the DB-15 is connected, the PSX PCB is powered and wont try to leech power from the input pins.
Toodles,
This may sound like a dumb question and totally not needed when wiring 2 pcbs together like you suggested. I was just curious.
What if you install a diode for each of the wires coming out the PCBs? Will that break the large circuit connection from happening?
I know, wiring up 20+ diodes is a dumb idea, I was just curious.
Are you just trying to provide a ‘stick on fire/consoles blown/dog raped’ scenario if someone pulls a stupid? If so, then yes and no. Yes, diodes can do that, and no, you don’t need 20, you just need one for each system.
Have the power line for each system disconnected so it doesn’t go into the PCB. Run it through a diode, and connect all of those diode ends together into a community power source. All of the PCB’s will get their power from that community power source, so run a wire from there to where the power normally entered each PCB.
If you can, especially with PSX pads, find power diodes with a lower voltage drop.
I’d also recommend some kind of fuse, like the self resetting fuses I use on the UPCB. They’re about 50 cents to $1.50 each depending on how many you get at a time. If the current goes over the limit, fuse gets warm, trips, and stays that way until unplugged and allowed to cool.
So, power from each console cable-----diode |>|----PTC fuse------(to power all PCB’s)
At least that’s how I remember Shin Ace describing it like 4 years ago.
toodles,
What type of diode would you use? There’s a few different types out there (fast recovery, switching, signal, rectifier, zener, standard recovery)
They seem to be rated using following -
#Voltage, Vrrm
#Current, If av
#Current, Ifs max
#Voltage, forward at If
Not sure what to look for
I looked at a few last night when trying to answer Ed; I was trying to find one with a low forward voltage drop, and didn’t have too much success; I know they exist, but I couldn’t find a part number for one with a drop low enough to make me happy. But, if you’re looking through datasheets, here’s what I’d look for: (Normal disclaimer; I suck at analog and the information here may be off or even flat out wrong. If it breaks, you keep both pieces.)
#Voltage: Maximum voltage (perhaps maximum reverse voltage before breakdown). EIther way, make sure its a bit above the voltages you’re planning on using. All consoles except for PSX use 5v, Sony PSX and PS2 are 3.3v, so get one with a voltage rating >5. I’d say a minimum of 7v, but it’s pretty hard to find one with a voltage rating less than 10. The sky’s the limit, so one with a 200v rating will work fine, although it will physically be bigger.
#Current, If av
#Current, Ifs max : Current it can handle before blowing. This is rarely a concern for small power devices like this. Figure a very conservative estimate of 100mA per pad (the UPCB runs at about 10-15mA, and I expect most commercial PCBs run at much less than that) and you have a very safe number to work with. If the ‘If av’ (current average) is 200mA, it’ll work quite well for your two pcb setup. Ignore the max one. Since you’ll be well under average, no need to care about the max.
#Voltage, forward at If: This is the one you should be hunting around for. Every diode causes a voltage drop, so the voltage through the diode will be less than the voltage if the diode wasn’t there. You’d really like this to be as low as possible, especially for PSX/PS2 systems, but its difficult to find ones with obscenely low voltage drop. IIRC, Shottky type diodes have the smallest forward voltage drop, so it you’re okay shopping around, start there, find the ones with voltage and current rating that are safe for what you have planned, and pick the one with the lowest voltage drop.
Some of the datasheets show the voltage drop with respect to current; its okay to fudge this one and count up 10mA per pad to get an idea of the current you’ll actually be using.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Toodles,
I would be interesting if someone tries this route. I was more asking for the curiousity in me. I’m really considering taking an electronics course or two at the local Community college :). If I ever find the time.
Good stuff toodles, I’ll grab a few this weekend and try out a few different combinations.