Xbox 360 wired controller (late) PCB into Arcade Stick

Tech Talk
1

Aloha.

Sorry if there is already an thread like this one, but i just havent found one, which answers all of my questions.

Like I wrote in the titel, I will build my own Arcade Stick. I have an original Xbox 360 wired controller ( It is the new version ! ).

Now my questions:

  1. How can I get the trigger-buttons on the back of my pcb off, without damaging the pcb itself. Any suggestions ?

  2. The late version of the controller has CG ( Common Ground ). What exactly means common ground ? At the early version of the controller every 2 buttons needed to be “grounded”, i know that. How many ground-wires do i need with the late version, is it just 1 ground wire for all of the buttons ?

  3. Where do I need to solder my common ground ? When i look at the picture ( http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/360_diagram1.jpg ) i can see only 1 red ring around the ground of the back-button. Is that the common ground for the whole controller ?

  4. I cant really tell what they ripped off of the trigger-buttons on the picture ( http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/360_diagram1.jpg ), thats why, i cant really tell, what the right signals for LB & RB are. Are they under the trigger buttons, so i cant see them ? So i need to take them off, right ? To get back to number 1, how can I get those off ?

I know i have a lot of questions.

I hope someone can help me, my Buttons and the Stick will arrive in a few days and i want to know all I have to till then.

thanks & greetings, korosuuu.

2

  1. There are two common ground pads on the front of that PCB. Theres one above the A and one to the right of the back button. Either of these can be used. You do not need to use both, but aslong as your buttons have access to one they should work. All buttons can be linked up to a signal CG or you could split them between, it really doesnt matter.

  2. I never removed my triggers, I just used a bit of force to push them away from the board and knocked them a bit to the right. You have two points where the bumpers are soldered, you just need to refer to the picture and solder to the correct one. Its really that simple, nothing actually needs removed.

3

There are not just two Ground points on the PCB.
Since you have a Common Ground PCB, there are at least ten alone on the front you can use.
Even more, but at least ten easy ones.

You can use any of them.
Only need one for your Buttons and Directional.

4

That really helped me.

Thanks alot to both of you.

:slight_smile:

5

Does that mean, i only need my button signals + 1 common ground wire ?

I have 10 buttons + the 4 digital pad directions + 1 common ground = 15 wires total ?

6

That is right.
Triggers will get confusing for Ground if you use though.

Microsoft is Common Line between all but Triggers.
But most people do not do Triggers, so simplify by thinking Common Ground.

Mad Catz Common Ground is true.

7

IIRC, the MS Xbox 360 pads are NOT common ground. They are common line, but stuff gets screwed up when you throw triggers into the mix. You need to give each trigger button its own ground.
Use a madcatz pad instead.

I’m in the process of making a tutorial for this exact topic using a new Madcatz 4716 2008/2009 version wired pad, because it gets asked so much.
If you can hold off until this evening, I’ll have a idiot-proof tutorial posted :smiley: