Arcade Fighting Sticks (Build your own)

[frozengfx1]

Ok so I finally cracked up my new controller and much to my surprise its actually a 2009 version of a Madcatz controller. I would like to learn all i can about the board before i start working with it, however like I said before there isn't a lot of information that I've found related to this board.

If anyone has used this board please let me know.

back of controller

Front Inside

Back Inside

( I was able to keep the button pots on this time around maybe it will make things easier).

[Dead_Monkey]

Front Inside

Well, it's simple enough. Basically you can see in this image the conductors that are connected to complete the circuits when the button is depressed.

The rear side of each button consists of a rubbery bit and a conducting bit. When the rubbery bit is compressed, the conductor presses down onto the PCB and connects the conductors that are located underneath the button.

So for the face buttons and D-pad, it's as simple as connecting the left and right sides of the conductors for each button to the leads on your arcade pad buttons and stick. It looks like all of the buttons at least on the D-pad have a common ground (if you look in at the D-pad you'll see that they have a single conductor that connects to the bottom pad on "left" the top on "right" and the right sides of "up" and "down." The face buttons also seem to have at least some common grounds (X and B look to be connected but you'll have to verify that yourself with a meter).

Since they have a common ground, you can just daisy chain the grounds together instead of soldering on one wire to each ground point. So you'll wire left ground to the pad, then you'll wire left ground to up ground, up ground to right ground, and right ground to down ground, which is easier than soldering to the pad.

I can't tell for sure, but it looks like the pads don't have any particular coating on them. You can sort of rough them up with some sandpaper just in case, then solder your leads directly to the pads, or you can make use of the points at which the leads pass through to the underside of the board (the little holes). Lots of people like those.

The LB and RB should be just clicky switches, I don't think there's anything particularly special about them, you should be able to solder directly to their legs, or you can remove them and solder to those points. The start pad is nice and big.

If you have sticks and buttons with quick-connects, you will probably want to solder your leads to the board, then use your own quick connectors to connect to the buttons.

The D-pad is also on a bit of a riser there. You could alternately remove the D-pad riser, and solder to the five conductor cable there (one is ground, the others correspond to each direction, just make sure you check which is which first).

[frozengfx1]

Well, it's simple enough. Basically you can see in this image the conductors that are connected to complete the circuits when the button is depressed.

The rear side of each button consists of a rubbery bit and a conducting bit. When the rubbery bit is compressed, the conductor presses down onto the PCB and connects the conductors that are located underneath the button.

So for the face buttons and D-pad, it's as simple as connecting the left and right sides of the conductors for each button to the leads on your arcade pad buttons and stick. It looks like all of the buttons at least on the D-pad have a common ground (if you look in at the D-pad you'll see that they have a single conductor that connects to the bottom pad on "left" the top on "right" and the right sides of "up" and "down." The face buttons also seem to have at least some common grounds (X and B look to be connected but you'll have to verify that yourself with a meter).

Since they have a common ground, you can just daisy chain the grounds together instead of soldering on one wire to each ground point. So you'll wire left ground to the pad, then you'll wire left ground to up ground, up ground to right ground, and right ground to down ground, which is easier than soldering to the pad.

I can't tell for sure, but it looks like the pads don't have any particular coating on them. You can sort of rough them up with some sandpaper just in case, then solder your leads directly to the pads, or you can make use of the points at which the leads pass through to the underside of the board (the little holes). Lots of people like those.

The LB and RB should be just clicky switches, I don't think there's anything particularly special about them, you should be able to solder directly to their legs, or you can remove them and solder to those points. The start pad is nice and big.

If you have sticks and buttons with quick-connects, you will probably want to solder your leads to the board, then use your own quick connectors to connect to the buttons.

The D-pad is also on a bit of a riser there. You could alternately remove the D-pad riser, and solder to the five conductor cable there (one is ground, the others correspond to each direction, just make sure you check which is which first).

Dead_Monkey you are the man thanks for detailed info. The pad doesn't have any coating on them just nice and shiny gold contacts. I didn't even think of soldering the wires for the D-Pad on its harness thanks for that idea.

I just realized that I won't have my gear from Lizard Lick for maybe another 2 weeks. So that gives me lots of time to research and come up with the best solution.

[Darrian]

Sigh. Another setback today (well, kind of; since I don't have my parts yet I can't begin, but I doubt I'll have this resolved before they arrive, as money is tight right now). I went to remove the cover on my controller and discovered that it doesn't use regular screws; instead I need a special tool to open it. Of course, it's only like $3... plus $6 in shipping.

[frozengfx1]

Sigh. Another setback today (well, kind of; since I don't have my parts yet I can't begin, but I doubt I'll have this resolved before they arrive, as money is tight right now). I went to remove the cover on my controller and discovered that it doesn't use regular screws; instead I need a special tool to open it. Of course, it's only like $3... plus $6 in shipping.

What type of tool does it need?

[Darrian]

A Torx T8 security driver.

[frozengfx1]

A Torx T8 security driver.

ah well if you live in the states you can find those at a Sears or Radio Shack, I bought mine for $1.50 at Sears.

[Darrian]

I live in the middle of nowhere. The cost of gas to go to the nearest Sears or Radio shack is probably more than it'd cost just to have it shipped to my door.

[frozengfx1]

Is this thread still alive? Anyone out there actually building a stick? Darrian how's the items coming along?

[d10p]

I`ve read this thread a few times and it has inspired me to build a stick. I`ve been looking for a fun summer project and this looked like a good one! Thanks for all the info given by all throughout the thread... I guess I`ll keep everyone updated on my progress since others have been doing so in this thread as well... gotta get prepare first.

[frozengfx1]

I`ve read this thread a few times and it has inspired me to build a stick. I`ve been looking for a fun summer project and this looked like a good one! Thanks for all the info given by all throughout the thread... I guess I`ll keep everyone updated on my progress since others have been doing so in this thread as well... gotta get prepare first.

That great to hear, glad this thread inspired you just like it did me. I'm still waiting for my parts looks like Lizard Lick won't start packing my stuff till next week if I'm lucky. Can't wait though I'm all set just need to start assembling.

[Darrian]

Lizard Lick is packing orders from the 12th now. My order was placed on the 19th, so I still have a bit of a wait. Once I get the goods I will have to buy that Torx T8, a drill, 3 different diameter hole saws, wire, a crimping tool, and 2 nuts and bolts to secure the joystick (and possibly some resistors, too). Since money is really tight right now I'd say that even if I had the parts today I still won't be able to get everything together into something usable until August. That's just using a plastic storage container for the box. I plan on ordering a wooden box from these guys http://www.woodboxsupply.com at some point, too (I saw in another forum somebody used a fold-able chess board, so these should work just fine). Sometime much later in the future, maybe next year, I'll consider building a case from scratch.

Also, once I get it working, the joystick comes with a ball top. I don't like ball tops, but those bubble tops look fantastic, so I'm going to use it for a while as-is and see how well I can adjust. If I find it usable then I'll order a bubble top, otherwise I'll replace it with a bat top.

[frozengfx1]

Wow this thread got buried didn't it? Well I just wanted to up you all that I finally receive an email from Lizard Lick telling me that they shipped my items so hopefully they will be in this week. I'll post back once I get them and try to document everything I do.

[Darrian]

I got my parts yesterday. Tomorrow I'm off to Radio Shack for the T8, wire and resistors (after reading more it's probably better to get them than not have them and be disappointed when it doesn't work). Hopefully I can also find a hardware shop that has 28mm and 30mm hole saws. Since I'm using a cheap plastic case to start I can probably get away with cutting crude holes with a razor knife if I can't (the lid is pretty thin, I expect it's not going to be very sturdy at all, but at least it'll be better than using a pad). After observing how short the battery life really is on the 360 controllers with heavy use I will probably go back to my original plan of using the Cthulu board once I get my proper case built. With any luck I'll have pictures up of my interim ghetto stick tomorrow. The anticipation is killing me, but I have to wait till I get my paycheck tonight.

[TheTempestSonata]

If anybody needs any advice, let me know.

I'm pretty good at building sticks (3 now).

Japanese or American parts

one was a mod for xbox 360

one was an american stick for psx, ps2, dreamcast

the one i own currently is a psx, ps2, ps3, xbox, dreamcast, pc/mac, sega saturn.

anybody needs any help at all, just ask, but it's pretty straightforward.

[Dead_Monkey]

After observing how short the battery life really is on the 360 controllers with heavy use I will probably go back to my original plan of using the Cthulu board once I get my proper case built.

Be aware that the Cthulhu board only works on PS3 and PC, and is a "wired" device. You still need to use that board in conjunction with a wired 360 controller PCB to make a cross-functional stick.

[Darrian]

The only device I intend to use this with is my PC. I desire a wired device, since it won't use batteries. Wireless would have been nice, but I don't think it's worth the hassle. Maybe in the future if I buy a PS3 it would be nice to be able to use it there, too (especially with SF2 Turbo HD Remix). I will never, ever own a 360, even if you paid me.

Setback: Of course! Why would I think that Radio Shack would have the Torx T8? I think I'm going to use an old PS One controller instead and use my PS to USB adapter for now. It'd probably be much easier to wire, anyway.

Edited July 24, 2009 by Darrian

[TheTempestSonata]

Wireless sticks also have a tendency to lag slightly when playing. I made a wireless mod for a stick that I made, and I thought I miswired something because combos weren't working. Then I did a test by connecting one button to a wired stick and the wireless stick, and there's was a lag on it.

This was for xbox.

[Darrian]

Back to waiting some more. I can't seem to get my soldering iron to solder anything (that's what I get for buying a cheap one) and my cold solder iron is just way too big for this kind of work, so I'm going to wait until next week I can afford the hole saws and the Cthulu board and order them online. Then I get to wait in queue at Lizard Lick for another month. No more progress today. I'm crimping the QDCs to my wires right now and when I'm done with that that'll be all for a while.

[Darrian]

I found another site that sells the Cthulhu board http://gamingnow.net/DIY.html. They also sell pre-cut and drilled top panels, but it looks like they only do that one layout and don't do holes for start/select. Does anybody know any other site that does this with perhaps some more custom options?

[TheTempestSonata]

Why don't you just email toodles?

[email protected], i think

he also uses that for MSN.

[Darrian]

'Cos Toodles isn't the one selling the precut panels.

[TheTempestSonata]

Sorry. Didn't read passed "Cthulu"

[Trompele]

This is my contraption :D

Spent more than expected due to woodwork tools i had to buy to build it. Whole Saturday gone but it was worth it. Sanwa components and Cthulhu controller. Works flawlessly. Thanks for inspiration.

[Darrian]

Nice. I don't think I have the energy or patience to build my own, so I think I'm going to pay way more than I should and buy a prefab box from gamingnow.net since they're selling those now instead of just the top panel and if I went and bought all the tools and materials I'd need it probably wouldn't be much cheaper. I probably won't have the money for it till late September at this point, sigh.