Yeah, it would definitely put a kink in the assembly line.
On my next batch of these I’m leaving the male end on so I can swap the controller between multiple project boxes. I’ll also be splitting and reattaching the black nub to the controller.
I apologize for not having churned any of these out yet. Today is my 12th consecutive day at work. I’m about go get a long break to counterbalance that but the girl and I are going out of town to relax. I’ll put in an order for parts today and hopefully get some of these made later next week.
Is everyone after a 360 version? I can get PS1 DS controllers cheaper if you want it for PS2.
Edit: I spent the last two hours trying to find some damn 10 ft DB15 M:F cables. MonoPrice only had the 6 ft in stock which don’t reach my couch. The 10 footers were on back order for another 2 weeks.
I ended up ordering from SF Cable who was just a tad more expensive. They had a high reseller rating and should be shipping faster than MP as well. If anyone needs some this should be a good source. I am spending way too much money on this little project.
shave some of the cable off with an exacto knife or the blade and slide it in there if you really want that black thing. the thick cable just means the outer shell is thick, the inside wires are pretty thin. so just shave the surface around the cable off for that black nub look. also, you should have a 12 ft cable if you use the 6 ft cable that came with the controller, and the 6 from the db15 cable. http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6438/saturn09.jpg <------ there goes your 12 ft if you don’t use the full length of the cable on your controller. and yeah this project might look simple, but it can get pretty costly fast.
I’m done fussing with the black nub. I ended up going the Fallback route of slicing it with an Exacto knife and peeling it off. It’s the fastest method that doesn’t piss me off. If I tried shaving the cable I’m certain that I’d end up inadvertently cutting the wires.
Yeah, definitely understood on the cable length. The problem is that I want the project box sitting next to the TV. Otherwise someone around here will manage to step on it or otherwise complain about it. I only spent a few dollars more once I found an alternative to MP.
If all goes as planned I’ll have 3 or 4 of these ready by the 14th. They will sell for $80 for 360 and $70 for the PS2 (assuming I can source PS1 DS pads for $10-15). Prices are firm. If there’s enough demand beyond that I’ll make more depending on the availability of parts.
And if that goes well I’ll look into selling additional project boxes. I also want to make some Nes versions which look very easy. I may look into the Snes, etc. if there’s enough demand.
Here’s the final button mapping. I won’t lose sleep if you have issues with it. The PS2 mapping is also intended for a modded Xbox1 since you have to hit Start+Select+L2+R2 to return to the main menu.
how bout if i send u a ss pad how much of a discount would i get? lol. right now im tight on money but really really really want this. ill even offer some trades.
Okay, I think I’m sold. This is gonna be my next project. I just dug up an old Saturn pad out of my mother’s basement, and I found another Retro Arcade stick at a Gamestop close by, so all I need is the DB15 cable, a project box, and… what’s the easiest way to drill a couple 30mm button holes in one of those cheap Radio Shack boxes? I want to wire the triggers to the L/R buttons and put Guide and Back on the box. I have a buddy with a power drill I can lure over, but is it gonna be difficult to do without a custom bit?
Kyle: Is there a reason you don’t use more of the solder points in the middle of the pad, since you said you were having problems with the buttons feeling mushy? Is it just a matter of needing a finer tip on your soldering iron? I haven’t cracked my Saturn pad open, so it’s hard to get a feel for how fiddly those connections will be to actually solder.
edit: How much luck have you guys had finding DB15 cables at computer stores? There’s a couple local shops near here that might have them, but it’s kinda hard to check at 10 pm on a Sunday. Too bad I’ve gotta work 8-8 tomorrow, too.
If you can send over a Saturn pad and one of these 360 controllers I’ll make you a deal or work up a trade. Note that I can’t work with any random controller. It needs to either be that or a Mad Catz retro joystick. I tried to buy some of these locally today but could only get one. The clerk was nice enough to let me know that they “sucked.” He was a little puzzled when I agreed with him to shut him up. He said they do intend to restock them as best he knew. I can get them online otherwise but get double hit with tax+shipping.
Get one of those circle saw bits mentioned earlier in the thread. In retrospect I’ve used one of those before (not for a joystick) and it was easy enough to use.
It is a pain in the ass to solder to the IC (the middle points). I’ve done it successfully, but it takes considerably longer and tries my patience. Once you see how small those points are you’ll see what I’m talking about. If you route the wires like I’ve shown it is absolutely undetectable (no mushy buttons). I’ve been playing on my pair that I’ve wired up for the past week now without any problems. The other guy who did this on the last page agreed that it feels stock. It was just a matter of sorting out where to put the wires.
Best of luck. No one in my town carried them. I normally order from MonoPrice.com but they’re out of stock. Here’s what I got for the next batch.
I was hoping to keep my costs down and drill the holes with a regular drill bit. How exact do the holes have to be to accommodate Sanwa knockoffs? I was thinking I could just draw a hole to specs and carve out the middle with the drill.
Also, I just ordered a pair of cables from that site–thanks for the tip. I’m gonna do what I’ve seen elsewhere in the thread and leave the male end dangling off the end of the Saturn pad, so I can do other adapters as time goes on.
Yeah, I knew that much, at least. I’m just wondering if I can carve a roughly 30mm hole with a regular power drill head and get the buttons to fit, without having to go buy a precise 30mm drill bit. If I draw the circle and try to trace it with the drill, maybe?
Heh, I’m not gonna cry too many tears if I mess up the hole on a 5 dollar project box. I just wanted to get through this project without doing any more damage to my credit card. And I know if I go to Home Depot to buy a drill bit, I’m gonna end up walking out with a power drill too, and maybe some other knick-knack that looks useful.
Kyle, how on earth did you do soldering that neat on the Saturn pad? I didn’t realize how tiny those wires were, and the ones from that site were stranded, too.
I’m still trying to figure out how much wire to thread through the hole on the Saturn PCB–too much and there’ll be extra wires making the controls mushy, too little and the soldering will be harder than it already is. I’m new to this stuff: do ALL electronics jobs have a bunch of little problems to conquer that weren’t readily apparent in the planning stages?
Aww, don’t be discouraged. I hadn’t done any ‘real’ soldering before I joined this site (last November) and now I consider myself to be a pretty decent padhacker.
I won’t lie. This stuff can be a beating. Yesterday my m:f cables came in and I rewired everything I had to use those. I started around 8 and called it a night at 2 in the morning. I was back up for work at 7 all nice and zombified.
I’ve probably murdered at least 5 or 6 controllers to get to the point where I somewhat enjoy this stuff. Hell, last night I killed 2 NES controllers before I finally got a working method for the 3rd I was happy with. I’m glad I bought 4 and I wish I had more to refine it even further.
Cut 3-4 inches to route through the hole. 3 will do it, but you may want a little extra slack if something doesn’t go right. I also started using tweezers to hold the wire where I wanted it.
I know it sounds silly, but I’ve poured a ton of hours into all of this. I enjoy it more than I do playing most games. I guess it’s something you have to ‘be into.’
Here are some random pictures I posted from last night in the project box thread. I was really stoked to play on a Nes pad.
How necessary are the two extra holes in the PCB for the zip tie? Can I get by with a little hot glue instead? I saved the black rubber nubby from the Saturn cord, so it should be a nice snug fit with the DB-15 cable in the Saturn controller. I managed to lay hands on a friend’s power drill, but he only had a 1/4" bit, and I don’t want to drill three holes that size in the PCB.
I solved the button hole problem by using an old Genesis case as my project box. I’ve been cutting the holes with a knife for the past little while. Two cuts, one scraped knuckle, but I’ve got a Madcatz SE button over Sonic’s finger on the Sonic the Hedgehog case.
not necessary. I never bother drilling the holes. all you need to do is tie a cable tie (smallest you can find) and pull as hard as you can to the wire placing it inside the controller, much like how people put a knot on their pcb when they wire it for their joystick. you just have to know yourself not to pull on the cord with excessive force.
Thanks for all the help, guys! I just closed up the Saturn controller and all the buttons, triggers, and directions are working perfectly on the first try!
Only problem I notice is that the Dpad doesn’t feel as good as it should. I have to reopen the controller and fiddle around with the wires some. Any tips, Kyle? I tried to follow your picture.
Pics to follow once I get the Dpad sorted and warm up the glue gun to make sure everything stays secure in the project box.
edit: Damn, I wish I had a stock Saturn pad to test. Does anyone know if Right on the Dpad feels a little different than the other directions? I can’t tell if it’s different because there’s a wire there or it’s just the curve of the controller making it different.
Right feels differently on a stock controller to me as well. I think it’s because your thumb sits on it naturally while it has to reach for up/down/left. Trying using two different fingers to press left and right one after another. It should feel the same unless there really is excess cable.
Came out really nicely, I think. Z and C are LB and RB, and LT and RT are assigned to the triggers. Guide and Back are on the Sonic case. The case looks very slightly janky, since I didn’t have a proper bit for the holes, but you can’t really tell unless you know what to look for. The Saturn pad either feels perfect, or the Up button is slightly, slightly off–My OCD might eventually drive me to open it up again to fiddle, but it’s not noticeable to anyone else, and again, I think it might just be a trick of the way you hold it.
For a second project, I think I did a fucking amazing job, honestly. This was a lot more work than it seemed at first, and I’m a LOT better at handling that soldering iron than I was before. I’ve had almost no experience whatsoever with electronics work like this, and my only previous project was a somewhat sloppy Agetec 360 mod, without triggers. I don’t think I could have done a much better job without buying a decently-equipped Dremel or power drill. Thanks again for the great tutorial, Kyle.
I’m considering building another adapter for the Wii–does anyone know if Wiimotes are hackable yet? I got a second DB15 cable with that order, since shipping was 8 bucks. It’d be cool to have a custom Classic controller, too.
