Building an arcade stick: And So Can You!

Houn

No, it's on constantly, even with the button disconnected. It's something in the way I wired it up.

Daedalus

Hey, so I want to make a custom twin sticks controller for Virtual On, now that it hit the 360. Problem is that the only suitable joystick I found was this one: http://happcontrols.com/joysticks/50997000.htm

It costs $126, and I'd need two. So that's clearly not happening.

Does anyone know of any other eight-way two-button joystick that doesn't cost $TEXAS?

whitey9

Houn wrote: »

No, it's on constantly, even with the button disconnected. It's something in the way I wired it up.

One of my buttons was registered as "on" because I had a microscopic bead of solder shorting the button out. I unsoldered it and then put it back on and it was fixed.

What method did you use to make the triggers work. It looks like you used the same PCB as mine (2007 Madcatz) and I got mine to work with no extra parts. Did you use the resistor method?

Houn

Yeah, the problem was I was using a board that needed something more complicated than the single resistor method. I ended up using the Transistor Method from Shoryuken:

Spoiler:

Trigger one with labels:


Triger Two:

And, of course, my daughter testing it out:

darkgrue

I didn't build an arcade stick, I built a supergun, but I thought I'd share it here:

Used a 130W Happ power supply, JRok v4.1 RGB encoder, a 2-channel high-to-low converter (to bring the amplified speaker levels down to line level). It's set up as a full JAMMA+ harness.

The joysticks (which are out of frame) I'm using are from a MAS Supernova. I haven't yet set up the kick harness cables - I'm going to be adding an 8-pin DIN socket next to the JAMMA cable and set up different cables for different kick harnesses.

Mandres

Is there not a commercially made encoder that works with the X360? For the PC/Mame there are several different options like the I-pac and the Keywiz (http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/reviews/keywiz.html). Hacking up a controller seems like such a hassle when you can just buy an encoder and wire it up with crimp-on connectors.

Houn

Nope. MS keeps their stuff locked down and secret. To my knowledge, no one has been able to hack their peripheral security, thus, padhacking it is.

Daedalus

Mandres wrote: »

Is there not a commercially made encoder that works with the X360? For the PC/Mame there are several different options like the I-pac and the Keywiz (http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/reviews/keywiz.html). Hacking up a controller seems like such a hassle when you can just buy an encoder and wire it up with crimp-on connectors.

Xbox 360 controllers all have a special authorization chip on them. Controllers will not work without this chip, so unlicensed controllers do not exist.

There are encoding-type devices for every other console, though. I discussed this earlier, I think.

Mandres

Ahh, I see. Well that certainly blows

Houn

Mandres wrote: »

Ahh, I see. Well that certainly blows

It's not so bad. Hacking apart the MadCatz was actually pretty fun.

Shadowrunner

I was on the fence about making my own stick, but the idea of putting it in a shoebox has completely sold me on the idea.

joshgotro

I want to do this.

Problem #1. Never touched an iron for soldering.

Houn

joshgotro wrote: »

I want to do this.

Problem #1. Never touched an iron for soldering.

http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring.html#SOLDERING

The most important part is to remember that the fucker is hot as fuck, and will burn the shit out of you.

I got my first soldering iron when I was 15 or so, and one of the first few times I'd used it, I unplugged it, forgot it was still hot, and promptly picked it up by the metal.

It still has my fingerprints burned onto the side of it to this day.

shadydentist

Shadowrunner wrote: »

I was on the fence about making my own stick, but the idea of putting it in a shoebox has completely sold me on the idea.

Putting it in a shoebox works somewhat, but is not a good long-term solution as the shoebox slowly breaks down.

If you really want to go low-budget, use a tupperware container.

Doc

Houn wrote: »

joshgotro wrote: »

I want to do this.

Problem #1. Never touched an iron for soldering.

http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring.html#SOLDERING

The most important part is to remember that the fucker is hot as fuck, and will burn the shit out of you.

I got my first soldering iron when I was 15 or so, and one of the first few times I'd used it, I unplugged it, forgot it was still hot, and promptly picked it up by the metal.

It still has my fingerprints burned onto the side of it to this day.

Also, less is more. Get a really narrow gauge solder. Tin your wires (put a fine coat of solder on them) before you try to connect them to the board. This is a great project to learn soldering on. If you are worried, do all the arcade buttons first. The penalty for failure there is really low.

Daedalus

joshgotro wrote: »

I want to do this.

Problem #1. Never touched an iron for soldering.

The soldering is truly the easiest part.

shadydentist

And the box is truly the most aggravating part.

Improvolone

I will build so many awesome boxes, plexi, metal, wood, whatever, for anyone whose gonna wire it for me.

Doc

Improvolone wrote: »

I will build so many awesome boxes, plexi, metal, wood, whatever, for anyone whose gonna wire it for me.

This would be a pretty good racket, if shipping were less of an issue. You both split costs on materials and components, you each get a box, and both people just do what they are good at.

Improvolone

Media mail... a box is media, right?

LoveIsUnity

It is if you print out a one page short story for the box to protect. Right?

This is a project I'm going to work on this summer, particularly since everything fell in to place. I have a friend who is really big on building arcade cabinets, and he basically could provide joystick parts for the entire forum for a long time to come. He gave me an 8 way joystick and enough buttons to make a 360 stick.

I have a couple of questions for you fine people --

1) Is there anyway to tell what types of parts I have? I think I have Haap products based on an online search of joystick buttons, but I'm not sure. Is there a model number somewhere on the joystick and buttons that I could look up? I looked earlier, but I didn't see anything.

2) Does it even matter that I don't know what type of parts I have?

Airan

WISE FROM YOUR GWAVE

Exams are nearly over, so I've been shifting gears upwards to building a custom joystick. Great journal Daedalus, you've proved that it can be done even without all of the ideal tools and materials

I've a pressing question though - the Mad Catz pad, there is marked a +5v pin. What am I supposed to wire that to?

[edit] Just found out my uncles' soldering iron requires a fucking car battery to run. God.

Daedalus

Airan wrote: »

WISE FROM YOUR GWAVE

Exams are nearly over, so I've been shifting gears upwards to building a custom joystick. Great journal Daedalus, you've proved that it can be done even without all of the ideal tools and materials

I've a pressing question though - the Mad Catz pad, there is marked a +5v pin. What am I supposed to wire that to?

[edit] Just found out my uncles' soldering iron requires a fucking car battery to run. God.

You probably don't need to wire that to anything. If you have a stick that needs power input (like the Happ Perfect360), you connect it to that. If you have some LEDs you want to use, connect it to them (after making sure to get the resistance right, otherwise they won't L anymore).

joshgotro

Doc wrote: »

Improvolone wrote: »

I will build so many awesome boxes, plexi, metal, wood, whatever, for anyone whose gonna wire it for me.

This would be a pretty good racket, if shipping were less of an issue. You both split costs on materials and components, you each get a box, and both people just do what they are good at.

Guys. I have these bags of money. Who wants to build me one?

Folken Fanel

joshgotro wrote: »

Doc wrote: »

Improvolone wrote: »

I will build so many awesome boxes, plexi, metal, wood, whatever, for anyone whose gonna wire it for me.

This would be a pretty good racket, if shipping were less of an issue. You both split costs on materials and components, you each get a box, and both people just do what they are good at.

Guys. I have these bags of money. Who wants to build me one?

pff.. I do too. My bags have dollar signs on them. I'm also willing to pay for someone to build me a custom stick for me.

joshgotro

My bags says Brinks.

Folken Fanel

joshgotro wrote: »

My bags says Brinks.

Bags are cool and everything, but I like to go swimming.

Spoiler:

Also: I make it rain bitch.

Spoiler:

joshgotro

win win win win win win win

Improvolone

joshgotro wrote: »

Doc wrote: »

Improvolone wrote: »

I will build so many awesome boxes, plexi, metal, wood, whatever, for anyone whose gonna wire it for me.

This would be a pretty good racket, if shipping were less of an issue. You both split costs on materials and components, you each get a box, and both people just do what they are good at.

Guys. I have these bags of money. Who wants to build me one?

Give me some design ideas, I'll let you know what I can do.

Folken Fanel

Is it possible to build a stick that can work on both the 360 and ps3?

EDIT: Also, if I want a certain design do I need it to be a certain resolution? (i.e. would the following be too small?)

Spoiler:

Airan

Folken Fanel wrote: »

Is it possible to build a stick that can work on both the 360 and ps3?

EDIT: Also, if I want a certain design do I need it to be a certain resolution? (i.e. would the following be too small?)

Spoiler:

Sure can, but you need to find out what circuit you need to build to allow the PCBs for the 360 and PS3 to be switchable. I'm not even sure if I'm using the right terminology here.

And that is waaaaay too low resolution to be usable in print. Need something much bigger.

Folken Fanel

Airan wrote: »

Folken Fanel wrote: »

Is it possible to build a stick that can work on both the 360 and ps3?

EDIT: Also, if I want a certain design do I need it to be a certain resolution? (i.e. would the following be too small?)

Spoiler:

Sure can, but you need to find out what circuit you need to build to allow the PCBs for the 360 and PS3 to be switchable. I'm not even sure if I'm using the right terminology here.

Yeah... not sure what any of that means. I'm more interested in paying one of you fine chaps to do it for me rather than doing one myself.

Airan wrote:

And that is waaaaay too low resolution to be usable in print. Need something much bigger.

Hm... how about something like this then?

Spoiler:

Airan

If I remember correctly, I think it depends on how many Dots Per Inch (DPI) your printer can print, if you can print at 300DPI, then as A4 is approximately 8 x 11 inches you need at the minimum (8x300)Height + (11x300)Width pixels. Or 2400x3300 if you can't be bothered to do the math

As for the circuitry, you essentially need a switch which can divert the electrical signals coming from your buttons/joysticks to either one of the 360 or PS3 circuitboards. I'd love to go further, but I need to do some research myself first. Some hardcore chaps at Shoryuken.com have modded their PS3 Virtua Fighter High Grade sticks to have PS3/360 switches <3

LoveIsUnity

Quick question for the awesome people who have already made 360 joysticks. Instead of fooling around with the triggers and the analog sticks, can I just leave them as they are? I can always remap LB and RB to strong punch and kick, since I'll only need 6 buttons for the games I'm going to play. I'm already intimidated by the prospect of soldering at all, so the fewer chances I have to really mess shit up, the happier I'll be. It would also, as I see it, have the added benefit of not allowing me to hit any miscellaneous buttons if I went with two rows of three buttons instead of two rows of four buttons.

Houn

If you're going to leave them alone, the safest policy is to either leave the triggers completely intact, or leave the potentiometers on after pulling the triggers, make sure they're set to neutral, and hot glue them down. There's some examples on the Shoryuken forums.

LoveIsUnity

Thanks for the advice. I was going to just completely leave them alone.

Also, are there any fighting games that don't allow for customizable buttons, because I may as well go to the trouble if it's going to make some games completely unplayable. I'm probably going to pick up SF2:HD, SF4, Blazblue, and MvC2.

LoveIsUnity

Double post. Sorry.

Daedalus

It's easier to leave the sticks on than the triggers. If you're using the MadCatz pad, the triggers will probably break off all by themselves. I can't imagine how quickly that thing would break if you were trying to use it as a regular gamepad.

Bartholamue

Is this a good place to post stick mods?

area

So I'm starting to price up everything I'd need to make my own padhacked 360 arcade stick, and I'd quite like to do a breakaway project box as the OP has done here.

Where the hell can I buy a DA-15 cable in this country?

I'm in the UK, and Rapid Electronics, Maplin and Farnell are all turning up blanks (or I'm being a muppet, which is probably more likely). I'm at a loss as to where to go after those three, which have always delivered the goods for me in the past.

I could easily use a DB-25 cable with appropriate connectors instead, but it seems like a bit of a waste having all those extra pins for no reason.