Padhacking problem

Tech Talk
1

First of all, im a new member to this community,

This is my first time trying to build an arcade stick and the first time ive even souldred and have no experiences from reparing electronics. I have a 3rd-part Xbox 360 controller, I ran 2 wires from everybutton, 1 ground and one signal and all the buttons work (Edit: I am not using/connected RT and LT). I did the same for the D-pad, tho I cant get the joystick to work, kind of. In the xbox home/xbox start up menu the joystick works, tho starting SSF4 the “down” input is on all the time.

I use a Sanwa JLF-TP-8 joystick:

http://pineconeattack.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/23.jpg

I have ONLY cut the ground tracks, not the signaltrack as in this picture.
I then draged one ground and one signal to each micro swith, for example:

  • Up signal and Up ground to the Up microswitch
    Anyone have an idea of what ive done wrong?

This is the controller im using:
[LEFT]http://teknikmagasinet.se/db.pl?tf=product.html&artnr=460632[/LEFT]

Except the d-pad issue (which probably can be solved) I really recommend this controller, no black stuff the you need to scrape of on the button or d-pad. I can upload a photo of what is inside if anyone’s intrested.

Edit: Pic of controller PCB (untouched)
http://i43.tinypic.com/2q1uc5f.jpg

All help is worth gold! Thanks

2

Pics of the controllers PCB.

3

Maybe you connected the Down wires to NC and COM on the Down Microswitch?
That would mean the circuit is Normally Closed.
And Down will stop pressing if you move down.

I do not know your problem without pictures.

4

Is there even an NC on the JLF-TP-8 joystick? I see that they have labeled NC and NO on the microswitches but there is nothing to soulder on for the NC? I think ive conncted the NO and COM, thanks for the quick reply!

5

Oh, since you did two wires per input, I thought you had different Joystick.
Like one with Microswitches with NO and NC and COM Terminals.

You probably have solder touching both Ground and Signal for Down on the PCB then.

I do not know your problem without pictures.

6

I know that the souldering is good enough so that they are not touching, ive tried them out before connecting them to the joystick, i did so by connecting the controller to the xbox and hold together the signal and ground = reacted as supposed to. I checked all of them, its when connecting to the joystick everything freaks out

7

If you have a multimeter, check the soldering points on the Down connection, place the leads on the soldered areas (one on ground, one on not ground) and see if it makes a signal.

8

I dont have a multimeter, i have tried them out, is that “check” good enough? Edited my last post.
:confused:

Edit: I’m thinking about cutting the signal tracks aswell on the joystick, that should make every microswitch act like the a button.

9

Can you show the other areas where you cut the grounds?

10

As in this picture (not mine tho), but ive cut the GND tracks on the same locations

11

If the down keeps acting as though its active, to my knowledge, one of the following is true.

The ground and signal from the PCB is crossing
The ground on the PCB is not cut properly on both ends

If you push the guide button when on the xbox home, does the menu continuously act as though down is active? I know you mentioned when you do SSF4, but what about anything NOT SSF4

12

It does not act like that in the start menu (when you turn on your xbox)… but when starting SSF4, shit goes kamikaze :confused:

  1. I dont think they are crossing, cause i checked by letting the wires touch and it acted normally.
  2. “The ground on the PCB is not cut properly on both ends” Do you mean on the joystick?
13

That sounds really strange.

I mean on the joystick PCB itself. I’m slightly might boggled with the whole nothing on the dashboard but haywire in SSF4.

14

Damn I found out that its not the D-pad inputting “Down”, it’s the left analog stick. How stupid of me! Why didnt I think of this earlier?! The thing is in the startup menu inputs from the left analog stick does not work/dosnt do anything and i only tested the buttons on the startup menu on xbox, but when starting the game (which i did after plugin the d pad to the joystick) I thought that they were inputs from the dpad. Its hard to explain but do you understand what i mean?

The problem might be that I removed the left analog (in yellow) on the pcb cause i need some more room in the case, now looks like this:

any ideas?

15

Yes, that is the problem.
Any time you remove Potentiometers, you have to replace them with Resistors.

Find out the Ohm of the Potentiometer.
Divide that number by two to doing.
This is value you will need.

Solder Resistor High and Wiper.
Solder Resistor to Wiper and Low.

Each Analog Stick has will need for Resistors.

16

Thanks a lot for taking your time to help me out! I guess that no resistors are needed if dont remove the two trigger potentiometers and the ones for the R and L analog sticks, am I right ? :slight_smile:

17

Yes.

18

Once again, Thank you!

19

My other Post did not come out right.
I meant that each Analog Stick will need four Resistors.
That is saying every Potentiometer will need two Resistors to neutralize.

20

No problem, the controller PCB is kind of destroyed now, planning to buy a new one tomorrow, the plan is to do the same without removing any potentiometers just to keep it as simple as possible. I’ll post my progress tomorrow.