USB Sidewinder hack Help please!

[viewqs]

I got 2 USB sidewinder gamepads today and took them apart, I want to use them for the input. Has anyone else used them and figured out where all the solder points are? I tried using a wire and grounding different places, but only buttons 3, 7 and 8 worked (from the config screen from teh control panel) - any help?

[Lilwolf]

I don't have a sidewinder, or did I hack one...

but I kinda remember others saying that the ground banks need to be different (ie, you need need to run a seperate ground for each group of buttons).

this is probably the problems (at least sounds that way)

[OSCAR]

Here's some pics of a USB sidewinder hack I did quite some time ago:

http://www.oscarcontrols.com/files/sidewinder/

Unfortunately, I don't have it any more, so the pics are the only help I can offer you, and even some of the pics aren't very good.  I do remember that 2 or 3 of the buttons shared grounds, but the rest had dedicated grounds.  Maybe if you can compare your sidewinder to my pics, you can figure it out.

On the old message board, I went through and documented every point and where it went, but I did a quick search and didn't come up with that old post.

[viewqs]

thank you for trying to help - unfortunatly this looks like a different sidewinder than mine.

here is the one i have:


has anyone hacked this one? sorry i'm new to all this and just need some help.

[JustMichael]

I don't mean to be rude but a picture of the box doesn't mean squat.  Companies will often produce more than one version of a product.  They do things like switch to cheaper components, improve the design to lower part counts, fix potential problems with the current design.  These changes will often result in a change in the circuit board layout.  What this means in simple terms is that you could probably buy 2 "identical" Sidewinder gamepads.  Open them up and find 2 different boards inside.

[viewqs]

sorry i'm new to this, i thought that pic would help.

anyways i decided to just scrape off the parts where the buttons would hit and i can short them and they work fine. i've been reading older messages and i'm guessing the best way to do this would be to drill a small hole and stick the wire through then solder? is this correct?

I don't mean to be rude but a picture of the box doesn't mean squat.  Companies will often produce more than one version of a product.  They do things like switch to cheaper components, improve the design to lower part counts, fix potential problems with the current design.  These changes will often result in a change in the circuit board layout.  What this means in simple terms is that you could probably buy 2 "identical" Sidewinder gamepads.  Open them up and find 2 different boards inside.

[viewqs]

oh and by the way... the sidewinder says on the box "8 way dpad" but its only 4 places inside (up,left,right,down) - so should i order 4 or 8 way joysticks? i want it to be like street fighter controls.

[rampy]

Street Fighter II used 8 Way joysticks...   but be aware that even 8 way joysticks only have 4 switches just like 4 ways... what makes it an 8 way joystick (or dpad) is that it registers a "Diagonal" when two switches are pushed in concert... i.e. up and right at the same time...

rampy

[viewqs]

i'm using some cat 5 cable that is cut up for connecting to the sidewinders. i drilled holes in all the contact points with a small 1/16'' bit and sticking the wires through the bottom and soldering them. the points on teh directional pad go really easy and stick really well... but when it comes to the buttons, i'm having a hard time. i keep ending up with some solder on teh end of the wire and i think its gonna stick but then i give it a little push and it comes right off the board.i tried applying some rosin flux to help make it stick, but that is of little help. any advice?

[hyiu]

I had a similar problem when I was hacking a original psx pad...

I scratched the brown color covering contacts so that I can see the metal contact... and there is only a very small contact for me to solder....

I solder all the wires... it'll stay on... but if I yank it with some strength, it'll come right back off..... (well... when I mount the hacked circuit board, it's hard to avoid some yanking... which means it'll come off.....

so... what I did is... I soldered the best I could... and then carefully test all connections.... by connecting it to the psx and try touch the wires with the ground and see if the button is hit.... (after verifying all soldering points are good.... and unplugged the circuit board from psx... of course...)

I put elmer's glue on top of the circuit board all over the place...
the elmer's glue are those general purpose white glue I buy from home depot....  DO NOT... I repeat... DO NOT plug it to the psx before the glue is dry !!!!!..... cos when the glue is not dried, its wet and will short all your circuits.....

after its dried... the glue will help holding the wires on the circuit board..... (the glue will turn transparent after its dried... I left it alone for 2 days to be sure....)

try this link to see a pic.....
http://www.geocities.com/hyiu/Arcade/pics
and click on
psx_circuit_board.jpg

you should see how the glue is holding the wire as well as the connection.... (well... those elmer's glue is not ultra strong, so, I still try not to give those wires any tension.... but so far so good.....)
 

hope it helps....

[viewqs]

hyiu thanks for the tip - what do you think about maybe using super glue? (i just don't want it to come undone later on and have problems)

[hyiu]

well.... I think other glues will work....

just make sure the glue are not those types that will melt the surface for bonding.... (I think what I want to say is the glue will not ruin the circuit board....)

well.... I never really know exactly how different glues work...
 

also... I think glues that are thicker will be better.... kind of like form a layer bonding the wire to the circuit board... not just glueing the soldering point..... again... if you look at my pic, you'll see I'm actually trying to make sure there is a piece of wire in the glue... not just the solder point... then it should be stronger...

also make sure after it is dried, the glue does not conduct electricity.... (I think most will not....)

hope it helps...