I’d like to personally apologize to anyone I may have recommended a Sparkfun Vpack for DC-DC conversion. I just tested one and it is in my humble opinion a complete piece of shit.
Now to check the other DC-DC’s I have on hand to see what might be suitable.
I tested three different DC-DC converters offered by sparkfun:
The VPack board didnt work at all; complete shit, avoid.
The smallest one, (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8999), worked, but at only a 50% efficiency. Way, WAYYYY too much current being needless drawn.
The last, the LiPower, (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10255), worked well. Actual efficiency with a 3.3v input was 81%, which is where it should be. It gets hard and expensive to go much higher. Efficiency was also good when a 5v source was used.
Admittedly, I have not tested it out in action with a Spark on a PS2. I simply can’t at the moment with most of my stuff packed away in boxes for a move here soon. But considering PS2’s should be using a 0.7Amp fuse on the controller ports, if any DC-DC converter at all will work, then this one will too. I will say that the current used from a 3.3v source would be about 131 mA; behavior when used with a Wii-mote based controller will likely not be good. It’ll drain the batteries in less than 20 hours, if the batteries can even keep up with the draw. As always, Sparks may not be a good fit for wireless use.
So, if you need a DC-DC converter to get your PS2 gaming on, get this one:
Connect the through hole marked ‘+’ to your power source (VCC screw terminal on MC Cthulhu, and the hole marked ‘-’ to the power ground (GND screw terminal). Solder the power wire that came with your spark to the hole marked ‘VCC’ on the LiPower board, and you’re done. You can leave the ‘GND’ hole on the LiPower empty. The Spark will use the ground on the five pin connector.
Great info, thanks. 
thanks for that knowledge. will be getting one for my birthday in a few weeks. you rock toddles !!
Got my Sparks today. Fast shipping and put it straight into my JLF and screwed in the VCC and it works like a charm. Toodles is a genius. Thanks alot. Will buy more in the future.
Just got paid and now I need to send you a pm for my order. xD
The FLASH1 used a different spring with heavier tension. Use an LS-55 spring to get closets to it.
hey toodles, i’ve recieved my 3 sparks.
one of them is working fine but i’m having problem with the other 2.
the problem is that when i hit down, it keeps registering as down even if i let go of the stick. i have a similar problem with the up direction on the other spark. also, the up wont register at times.
is there anything i can do to fix the problem?
EDIT: forgot to mention this was on the ps360 board, both ps3 and xbox 360 mode
Can you tell me what they’re being used with? (Describe the innards of your stick please). I’ll type up a quick adjustment explanation to see if it helps, but if 2 out of 3 are giving you problems, I’d be worried either about what it’s hooked up to, or if you took it apart and bent one/some of the LEDs. I sincerely hope the latter, because it’s pretty easy to fix.
its used with the ascii stick base along with its white actuator, sanwa octagon gate, inside a hori vlx. ps360 board. i also tried it with a spare jlf sitting around with all jlf parts, octagon gate and same problem.
however, i just tried it out on my friends hori real arcade pro 3 and both of the sparks works fine though.
In Xbox mode? Did you test it in PS3 mode at all, on a PC or PS3? Xbox mode has some problems that can worked around without too much difficulty; it doesn’t like joysticks that use 5v logic.
Also, please stick with JLF parts until this is resolved and we know 100% they work properly with the JLF hardware it’s made for. Im really concerned about a white actuator, which would reflect or even glow with IR light. The JLF black actuator is what it was made for. After we get it working, go to town modding the crap out of it, but while the functionality is in question, I’d really prefer sticking with JLF parts.
ok, i just tried it on the sanwa jlf and everything works fine.
i’m surprised how well this thing works. however the default spring is too light. with the ls-55 spring, the stick is perfect.
Quick question, will the spark work with buttons LED mods even when the lights are illuminating through a Chun Li TE stick? Will the lights from the LEDs interrupt with the spark infrared LEDs activation? I’m thinking it looks like a whole lot of bad news with all that lights bouncing in a enclose space. Let me know what you think and if it will work.
Thanks
The plastic housing is there to block all of that. There should be no problems using a Spark in an LED modded stick.
october 7 is such a long way to go.
i have 2 friends, potentially 3 that wants to buy some at the moment.
Toodles, do you have anymore ‘The Spark’ for sale? I need 3 total.
It’ll be at least a week until I’m restocked. I have all of the parts, but I need to rework some more boards and get them tested. I hope to get a bunch together to take to Devastastion, but with me being in the middle of a move, I wont have any ready until just before; so middle of next week most likely.
Make that total of 4 please.
Thanks.
Movers come on Tuesday. I’ll do my best and post up when I’ve got them ready to go.
bump cuz its about that time.