Installing a Brook UFB into a Mad Catz TE1

Tech Talk
1

Hey guys.

I know there is a brook thread, but I don’t know how many back and forth messages this may take. So I wanted to keep it in its own thread.

I just got the Brook UFB. After looking inside my TE1, I have seen a bunch of wires that don’t have a place to be connected to the UFB. So her are my questions.

1.) On the TE1 PCB there is an extra cable for the USB called SGND. So it has 5v, D-, D+, GND, SGND. The brook PCB only has the V, D-, D+, GND. So what do I do with the SGND cable for the USB?

2.) I assume the 5v for the USB on the TE1 PCB is the same as the V on the UFB PCB, is that correct?

3.) The TE1 has the START and BACK buttons on the back of the case. The Brook UFB doesn’t have a BACK connection on it, but there is a SELECT available. Am I supposed to connect the BACK button on the TE1 to the SELECT on the Brook UFB?

4.) The wiring diagram for the Brook UFB has the HOME button sharing the ground with the START/SELECT. But on the TE1 the Home button is on the turbo button and LS/DP/RS mini PCB. So it doesn’t share a ground with the START/SELECT button. However on the turbo button and LS/DP/RS mini PCB there is a ground. Can I use that ground and the free ground connection on the Brook UFB when connecting the HOME button?

5.) On the turbo button and LS/DP/RS mini PCB, which connections do I use to connect it to the Brook UFB? There are clear points for the LEFT STICK and RIGHT STICK. But I don’t know which would be the DP connections as the Brook UFB shows it needs to cables for the DP connection.

6.) On the turbo button and LS/DP/RS mini PCB there are also a bunch of connections that have D designated before them. There is one for all the buttons as well as the bumper and trigger buttons. Can you tell me what these are for?

7.) The last question I have for now is if I should possibly just bypass the turbo button and LS/DP/RS mini PCB? I would like to use it, but there are so many connection points that it could get out of hand. There reason I want to use it is because I don’t have extra buttons for the Home button or the LS/DP/RS switch.

Alternatively, Could I just wire up the buttons and the joystick and leave the Home and LS/DP/RS switches disconnected? Or does the Brook UFB need all the buttons connected to work?

Thanks for the help guys. I have checked on Youtube and there are some installations videos but nothing with the Mad Catz TE1, which has a different mini PCB inside that the others don’t have.

Sorry for all the questions and wall of text.

2

You need to specify WHICH TE1 you’re looking at. I’m presuming that, since you refer to the “Back” button, that this is the 360 version.

  1. Do nothing with SGND. SGND = Shield

  2. Yes.

  3. Back = Select

  4. Both PCBs are common ground. Connect any ground from one to any ground of the other.

  5. There’s no solder point for DP. The switch is a SP3T switch, but the middle position is OC (open circuit). The switch works in the sense that “If contact A is connected, LS. If contact B is connected, RS. Otherwise, DP”.

  6. Not sure, I can’t remember exactly the PCB. Post a pic and it might help. I don’t see why it would matter, you’re not connecting the rest of your main buttons to the sub-PCB anyways.

  7. You can bypass it entirely. Or buy a new custom sub-PCB that makes it easy to connect to a UFB. Both @Gummo and @The_Real_Phoenix make them.

3

Assuming you’re on a XBOX360 TE as you were speaking about back and stuff…

  • there’s a 6 pin connector which has USBVCC GND Dn Dn+1 Dn+2 Dn+3… that D’s are player leds.
  • You can get Turbo and Home/Guide from another connector which may have 6 or 7 pin… i can’t remember pinout as of now. To get them working you need to connect VCC (from the USBVCC point), GND (to that GND), the button lines to the correcponding lines in the turbo panel and there you go!

DP/LS/RS are exactly what Freedom Gundam said… just wire up the left-est and the right-est pins of the UFB to corresponding point.

Pics and i’ll help more :slight_smile:

4

Thanks for such a quick reply @FreedomGundam @Torta .

Yes it is the 360 version. I marked off what I think I would need to connect on the attached image. Am I missing anything? Can I just leave the other points disconnected?

I realized right now that I don’t actually want the TURBO button connected. So I will just use the LS/DP/RS switch and the home button. The XGUILD is the HOME connection, right?

Now that I am not using the TURBO button, I have been thinking of maybe making it the TOUCH PAD button. However the TOUCH PAD button connects on the PCB directly. It doesn’t have a screw in terminal. I don’t mind the soldering, I just need to make sure on something. If the ground is all common, on both the TE1 Turbo PCB and the Brook UFB, does that mean I can connect the ground from the TE1 Turbo PCB to the screw in ground terminal on the UFB. And connect the TURBO connection from the TE1 Turbo PCB to the TPKEY point on the Brook UFB. Or will I need to join an extra wire to the GROUND on the TE1 Turbo PCB so I can also join it to the GROUND connection on the Brook UFB where the TPKEY connection point is. I assume I wouldn’t need to since it is grounded elsewhere on the UFB for the HOME button and LS/DP/RS switch?

Of course a TOUCH PAD button may not be necessary. I don’t actually recall using the touch pad before. Unless it is the reset button when in the lab on the PS4. That may be useful.

@FreedomGundam 5) There’s no solder point for DP. The switch is a SP3T switch, but the middle position is OC (open circuit). The switch works in the sense that “If contact A is connected, LS. If contact B is connected, RS. Otherwise, DP”.

So what you are saying is I only connect the L STICK and R STICK from the image attached, to the LS and RS connection point on the Brook UFB? I can the leave the two DP connection points on the UFB empty? With it knowing that if neither are selected it means DP, that is in the actual Brook UFB that will know this? Does that also mean I can not connect a LS/DP/RS switch at all? Since I only play with DP selected, I would have my switch in DP mode all the time, bypassing the L STICK and R STICK connection points. Or does the Brook UFB require something to be soldered on anyway?

  1. Do nothing with SGND. SGND = Shield

So I can just put some insulation glue on the end of the SGND cable and leave it off? It won’t cause any issue later on will it? Or do you think I should rather just get a new USB cable that only has the 4 wires inside. Because I wonder what the SGND cable is doing on the other end that connects to the console. Is it really just doing nothing?

@Torta - You can get Turbo and Home/Guide from another connector which may have 6 or 7 pin… i can’t remember pinout as of now. To get them working you need to connect VCC (from the USBVCC point), GND (to that GND), the button lines to the corresponding lines in the turbo panel and there you go!

In the attached image I marked off the USBVCC point. Must I just connect that to the VCC screw terminal on the Brook UFB? I would also like a little info on what that is. Just for my own knowledge. Is the VCC screw terminal on the Brook UFB sending out power to the TE1 Turbo PC? Or is the USBVCC connection on the TE1 Turbo PCB sending power back to the UFB? I would assume it is the UFB powering the TE1 Turbo PCB. Is it purely for the LEDs? In which case can I leave it disconnected, because I wont be connecting any LEDs.

Thanks again guys for the help. I know it must be frustrating having to answer such stupid questions. I just don’t want to start this without knowing all I need to. Because I can’t just get a new UFB if I screw this one up. It’s taken 2 years to finally get this one to me.

After I have gotten this all working I will be trying to have a custom top panel made for my TE1. Where I will not have the open space for the TE1 Turbo PCB. I will have separate buttons put on for the individual switches. Which will make the whole thing a lot easier to wire up. But unfortunately, until then, I have to use what is inside this case.

You guys really are life savers. If you need photos of anything else, or if I haven’t explained or asked anything clear enough for you, just let me know.

[IMG]http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/CiddBoo/PCB_zps4oooas2r.png[/img]

5

I can’t see the image… please try to upload to imgur.com as it’s more modern and friendly… you can even upload a whole album and just share the link :slight_smile:

6

https://i.imgur.com/IbitIJ9.png

@Torta
Did it load for you this time. I haven’t posted images to any website before. I may just be doing something wrong.

7

Everything is ok! You just need to follow that thing :slight_smile: even though you aren’t using the leds (which are d3,d4,d5,d6) i suggest you wire vcc too.

EDIT: LOL GOOGLE IMAGES http://i.imgur.com/bEVrvmg.jpg

8

@Torta Thanks. I will wire the VCC up then.

Do you have anything to say about leaving the LS/DP/RS switch not connected. If it bypasses the LS and RS option to be in the DP mode setting, is there any reason to solder the connection points on at all? since I only play in DP mode.

And if I use the Turbo button as a Touch Pad button, Do I need to reground the TE1 Turbo PCB where the Touch Pad connection is. Or is the ground connection on the screw in terminals good enough. I did another image for this question but Imgur wont load the picture to my album for some reason. Tried creating a new album and it wouldn’t let me do that either. But if you do need it I will keep trying.

It is of the Brook UFB and the different locations where things need to be attached.

9

Should be exactly like you describe. I don’t have quite the experience with the UFB personally, but based on what I just looked up, you should be good.

SGND = Shield = connected to the wrapping/covering of the 4 USB cables, and I believe it’s generally connected to the rectangular plug housing of the USB plug. Not really needed for data purposes. If you REALLY don’t want to leave it hanging, solder GND and SGND together.

10

You don’t need to wire LS and RS… they are used just for playing GTA type games lol.

The UFB defaults as DP, if you don’t connect anything on LS and RS points on the UFB you’re fine. if LS or RS are shorted to ground they activate the LS/RS Mode.

The UFB also is common ground, which means that any of the ground points you use in the board is the same. You don’t need to connect 2 ground points to the turbo pcb, just 1 is fine. Touchpad (TPKEY) uses the same ground as Home, Select, Up, Down, Square, etc.

Good luck!

11

Thanks gents.

I guess that’s everything then.

12

@FreedomGundam @Torta

The stick is working on both the Xbox One and the PS4, the PC too. Haven’t had a chance to test it on other consoles yet.

However there is a new problem I am having.
When I press a button such as punch, and hold it in, it does one punch. If I then release it and press and hold the same button again, it will repeatedly punch. Sort of like a turbo function. If I release it and press and hold it in again, it will do one single punch. If I release it and press and hold it again, it will continue to do repeating punches. And this pattern just keeps repeating itself. And it is the same with all of the buttons.

It does that on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. So I would assume its either a wiring issue or a firmware problem. I am leaning towards a firmware issue because of how its so consistent. And I haven’t got a turbo button connected. I didn’t use the turbo button for the touch pad button either. Only the stick, attack buttons, start and back and the home button are connected.

Any advice would be really appreciated. I did put this up in the Brook UFB thread. But responses are slow. I hate to nag you guys for help when there is a place to go get it. But I am running out of time. I need to get this sorted ASAP for an event I want to enter.

Thanks.

13

Can you tell me which game/button/system does this happen? Do you have a multimeter at hand? Pictures of the whole wiring please?

14

It happens on all systems. All games. And its the 8 face buttons on the stick. No multi-meter. I will try get pictures. But after I put the first picture on Imgur it stopped letting me add anything new.

15

How embarrassing. I opened it up to take some pics and the SGND cable was sitting neatly on the Turbo button solder point. I must have opened it up a few times double checking the wiring. And it was clean. It must have been sitting perfectly that when I closed it all back up it made connection but when open it would pull itself back. Cut the SGND cable right back and re applied the insulation glue to it. It all seems fine now. So that must have been it.