First PCB Mod

Hey guys, I’ve been messing with customizing sticks and artwork for some years now but have never done any work with PCBs before.

I have a Madcatz TE S+ with a bad pcb. I’m also getting another fight stick that currently has a Brooks Ps3/ps4, the ist version with the breakout board.

What I want to do is take that Brooks PCB and install it in the broken Madcatz.

I know basically what needs done, but I have a few questions:

  1. the Brooks will allow for complete functionality including the touch pad correct? Touch pad working is important to me

  2. will doing the touchpad part require soldering?

  3. what I plan to do will work out just fine correct? As essentially simple as disconnecting everything from old pcb, removing, new pcb in, reconnect?

I dont think brook ever implemented touchpad on the ps3/4 board. It does have touchpad button though.

There actually is a touchpad for the brooks ps3/ps4 fightboard, I currently have one in my possession.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Brook-Touch-Pad-Board-for-to-PS4-PS3-PC-Fight-Board-Fighting-/162070564915?hash=item25bc289033%3Ag%3Ab7kAAOSw-KFXd8xz&_trkparms=pageci%3Af8c5617e-69bd-11e7-a6f3-74dbd180eeed%7Cparentrq%3A48cdc0ea15d0aa11e20be222ffe49cda%7Ciid%3A2

There not very big though I don’t know if u would be able to swap it in your madcatz TE S+. Your better off going with a touch key button. U still will have touchpad support through the touch key and joystick.

Ah i didnt know that. Does it work exactly like a ds4 touchpad?

Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t hooked it up yet. Compared to a ds4 controller no because there is no spst switches under the touch pad. I believe u still have to hook up a dedicated touch key button then u hit the corisponding direction on the touchpad. Seems pointless as u can just use your joystick to get your desired touch pad direction. If u wanted it to be like a ds4 controller u would have to do some intermedate level modding using some monetary spst 6×6×7mm tac switches wiring them to the touch key on tje ps3/ps4 board then u would jave to solder and wire the rest of the coresponding inputs on the touchpad to the ps3/ps4 board and make a custom housing for the touchpad to rest on tip of the tac switches so when u press your touch pad u will get the depressed touch key followed by the input of the direction of the touchpad.

Could I wire the existing little touch pad to register as the touch pad button at least?

If I can’t have the functioning touchpad, I’m just sticking with my original plan of selling the TES+.

What are the chances I could fix whatever’s wrong with the current pcb making it hold in right?

Only the brooks touchpad works with the ps3/ps4 board. Honestly I feel the touch key and joystick isn’t that bad at all. U just press the touch key button then move your joystick in the direction you want the touch pad to register. I can’t help you and tell you what’s wrong with your current pcb setup. It could be real simple or all out of wack. U might want to talk to some modders for hires and start a thread stating the problems your having with detailed pictures so you can better portray what the issues are with your fightstick or u can do your plan b and just try to sell it.

Well I am getting the Brooks Ps3/PS4 board, the one with attached breakout board. In another stick I bought, that I bought for the parts more than anything.

But what I’m saying could I hack it together so that the existing touchpad at least worked as the touch KEY? So it was at least somewhat functional? If I’m not able to actually wire the Madcatz touchpad and have it work as a pad can I have it work as a button press or is that more complicated than it sounds?

The thing is, the only reason I wanted the TES+ is because of the touchpad and it’s a Madcatz stick. I can wire a touch button key to a round 1 TE or a custom built fightstick (which I’m planning to buy a case from devastator anyway), so my purpose for having the TES+ is obsolete and I’ll just ditch it to someone that can work on it better than I.