Problem with custom made Xbox 360 arcade stick - Triggers won't work correctly

scorpion990

Hey everybody.

I've attempted to make my own arcade stick using a Gamestop Xbox 360 controller PCB and some Suzo Happ arcade parts. It works very well, except for one part: the triggers. Each button, by itself, works. But when I press LT + RT together, and for some reason LT + Up together, I get a message saying that "my controller has been disconnected." This only lasts for a split second, and the controller can still be used.

I removed the triggers, but I left the potentiometers on the board. I just soldered a single connection to the middle pins:


I know that there is a lot of information online about getting the triggers to work, but I simply don't understand it. Some people say to remove the potentiometers and solder resistors in place, but I don't understand what difference it would make. I'm a little overwhelmed by this problem, and I would love some help.

Thanks!

scorpion990

Hmm... I don't know the etiquette here. Bump?

Zombiemambo

Do not bump threads an hour after they are made.

Actually, just don't bump threads unless you have something significant to add

xboxxer

Sounds like a short somewhere. I think that the triggers, being actually analog controllers, can't simply be modded like normal buttons. I also think you might be looking in the wrong place, sites like shoryuken seem to have more members dedicated to modding their pads into joysticks, and the like.

http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-padhacking-thread.16993/

Here's a post that might be helpful. The diagram below says to leave the potentiometer on neutral, so you may be in trouble if you just removed it.

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/360_diagram1.jpg

Here's another post for the Madcatz controller, which tells you to buy a hex inverter chip:

http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-padhack-an-08-09-madcatz-4716-common-ground-xbox-360-pad.71804/

Good luck. As a last resort, if you're doing this for SF/MK, you really only need 6 buttons. The 4 face buttons and the shoulders should do nicely

acidlacedpenguin

this should probably be in tech tavern subforum, but honestly you'll get much better info faster from the shoryuken tech talk forums. It sounds like you're shorting something.

drat, beaten.

scorpion990

Thank you for the responses so far!

Unfortuantely, shoryuken is not accepting new members at the moment. It was quite heartbreaking, because I know I'd be able to get help over there.

In any case... I kept the potentiometers on there, and I set them to neutral. Yet, they still malfunction. Turning them all the way off "fixes" the problem, but, of course, makes it so I can't use the buttons. If I turn the potentiometers all the way on, it glitches as soon as I hit any button.

If the only way to fix this is to get a hex converter, then I might toss in the towel and accept defeat. I've already worked hard enough on this, and I don't think there's much more I can do.

EDIT: Can I repost this to the Tech Tavern (in a day or two) if I do not resolve this problem here? Is that frowned upon?

acidlacedpenguin

unfortunately the hex inverter solution is likely to be the solution you're looking for.

scorpion990

Two points:

First, sorry for being snappy in the previous post. I didn't know that a hex inverter is just a NOT gate, so I immediately excused the idea as being too complicated. I will definitely look into that solution.

For my second point... I missed an important part of your post. I'm using this for Mortal Kombat, and I was really bummed because I thought I needed 7 buttons. But I guess I don't really need LT. I can do Xrays with A + B + RT. I can't recall if I can change the button layout in the game, but I sure hope so. I guess this will provide me with enough of a solution.

I'll let you guys know how it worked out. Thank you for the help!

Tommatt

I think you just need some cheap radio shack resistors. When you push on the triggers you adjust the resistance and this is how it knows how hard you push them.

I want to say its 2.7k resistors, but not sure. Fairly easy if you've done all your done so far.

Houn

You don't need a hex inverter. You just need to check the right thread.

Here's my post in the Stickbuilding thread with an image labeled up.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/9977392/#Comment_9977392

Tommatt

Bookmarked. I built one prototype, and have the parts to build 5 more but wasn't using the triggers on mine. Will check out that thread.

scorpion990

Hmm... Well... It worked for a bit, and then I fried my circuit board somehow. It registers the up and down buttons, but for some reason, my character can't crouch or jump. Special attacks dealing with the up/down buttons work (uppercuts, for example), and I can totally navigate screens using up/down. I can even jump forward and up at the same time, but not up only. But, for some reason, I couldn't crouch or jump. I took the wires out, and touched down/up to ground, and it still wasn't crouching/jump.

I just took the controller apart... I may go out and buy another circuit board, but I'm kind of fed up with this project already =/ What circuit board is the easiest to use to make an 8 button joystick with? Thanks.

acidlacedpenguin

it's for 360 right?

you might be better off getting something like a Paewang Revolution PCB. Or one of the elusive PS360+ boards. I've personally worked on a Paewang board and they're super easy, no special tricks needed. They've even got through-board soldering points for all of the face, shoulder, and trigger buttons. It even works on both the 360 and the PS3.

scorpion990

Yes--360.

Thanks for the advice! Are they hard to come by? A quick search of Ebay/Google made it seem like they were pretty difficult to obtain. I was also thinking of using a Madcatz FightPad or BrawlPad. I wouldn't mind using either as long as they're cheap =P

scorpion990

Houn wrote: »

You don't need a hex inverter. You just need to check the right thread.

Here's my post in the Stickbuilding thread with an image labeled up.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/9977392/#Comment_9977392

Hey buddy. This is probably obvious, but I assume you completely removed the potentiometer from the board. Can you confirm/deny this? In addition, can you tell me the resistances of the conncting resistors? Thanks!

Houn

Yes, I completely removed the potentiometer.
They are 1/4w, 10 ohm resistors. NTE part number: QW010.

I take no credit for the circuit design, I got it off Shoryuken a long time ago, somehwere in this thread. My picture, though, was the best diagram of how to BUILD it and used to be the example up over there, which is why I clearly labeled the PCB and the NPN Transistor.

*edit* Doing some reading, it looks like they've all moved to recommending the Inverter Chip method, due to some compatability issues with the NPN Transistor method when trying to chain the 360 into a Cthulhu.