I bought a mad catz controller to use as my PCB for my joystick. Well I read that madcatz had plenty of copper to solder to. Well take a look at these pictures and read the notes.
Close up of the possible solder point that I need confirmed
Looking at these pictures can I solder on that point or not? Or am I stuck soldering the point where the buttons hit?
Complete layout of non-directional input buttons, aka Square, X, Circle, Triangle
This is just a birds eye view. Can someone tell me if there are grounds on those buttons. Or are they on directional buttons only? I just need to know if I am able to solder those points I pointed out in the first picture
I never have used that pcb, but I’ll tell you right now that if you look at the bottm right or bottom left of the pcb, you will see a row of 3 solder points where the L1 L2 and R1 R2 triggers used to be connected.
The middle solder is normally a ground, inside L1 or R1 outside L2 or R2.
Once you have a ground wired to 1 button you should be able to simply hold the other wire of the loose button to all those exposed copper circle and click the button and just simply SEE what each one does.
Nasci is right, the through holes usually used for connecting the triggers is the most secure place to solder the ground, since you get to use a through-hole. But, to answer the questions directly:
- The first picture shows was ‘test point’ or ‘test pad’. Yes, these are perfect places to solder on, and in your case, means you don’t have to worry about scraping that black stuff off. Shining the test pad up with something like a little sandpaper or steel wool is recommended (it helps make sure any oxidization or other crap is gone, and you’re soldering straight to the metal for a better hold), but most people dont bother and solder straight onto those points.
Here’s the other pic, with circles.
http://www.marcuspost.com/images/Full-Circut-Layout.jpg
Purples mark the test points you’ll solder to for your signal lines for the four buttons. The yellow circles are all places you can solder to for ground. I am SURE there are other places on the board, maybe even easier places, that will work, but I wouldn’t want to say without being certain, and can’t do that without the board in my hand.
multi-meter help?
Yeah I thought I knew how to read a multi-meter but I think there is something I am doing wrong. Does ne1 have a tutorial for me or something.
The output-dial for my multi-meter
Whenever I try and make sure my ground wire and my buttons are not crossed I get a read. The thing is, it doesnt peg out. When I am trying to make sure my ground is not getting ne juice from my other wires. I get a reading it does peg out but it gets a reading. But when I hit say the surface where I soldered on my wire and the end of my wire I get a full peg out. Some one plz tell me what is going on, Im not suppose to get a reading for nething when I test to make sure the ground is not connected to my buttons and what not the dial is just suppose to sit there right?
The input dial of my mulit-meter
I turn it on OHM x1k
Im trying to find a ground on my controller using the pictures I posted in my first post and last post, can I get some help?
All of the points circled in Yellow in the pic I posted are valid grounds. You can also find the where the black wire from the cable connects to the pcb, put one of the multimeter probes there, and any point on the pcb that says 0 ohm when the other probe is placed there is a ground point.
Um… do you mean you want something like this?
http://www.quartercircleforward.com/images/here.jpg
1 of those 2 places where I circled should be a ground. Same thing on the left side as well.
Again, I don’t use that pcb… but 1 of those 2 should be ground.
Probably the right one… if I were to guess.
I bet Toodles knows for sure:)
Bad Wording
Yeah that is my fault, shouldve been more clear and a better post. D - - for me.
The question I meant to convey is how can I find a ground for my R1, R2, L1, L2.
I checked the board and it said and it says R1, ADC, and R2.
Here is a picture
Is ADC my ground if so what does ADC stand for, thx for ur input
Here is the L1 side
Just need to know the ground on each one of thes and which are the input buttons thx in advance
Well, assuming R1 carries signal for the R1 button and R2 for the R2 button, ADC would have to be ground. Nope, don’t know what it stands for.
Thx for the input, but I want to make sure that it is a ground b4 I start soldering and what not, better safe then sorry.
Well with all tech gizmos aside, when I come across a pcb I don’t know the best thing I can do is take 1 loose happ or sanwa button and solder a wire to it’s action and a wire to it’s ground and then simply have stick plugged into the ps2 in the training menu of a game… and simply touch the wires to the place that you think may be ground or action… and press the button. if the character then jumps or punches or whatever… you know you got it right. make notes on what happened where, and then do your soldering knowing that it will be right.
Hot Glue
I dont know where I saw it but I couldve swore that someone said that hot gluing ur joints that us soldered will help keep them strong.
Any truth to this? I couldnt see how it could hurt, but Id rather make sure b4 doing it. If yall could give me a speedy answer that would be great cause all I have to do is mount it in the box and bam, I got the joystick. :hitit:
