P360 w/ X-Arcade PCB

[Vol]

So after hacking my first gamepad (a Belkin Nostromo ten button), and using a Happ's Super Joystick and some Happ's Ultimate pushbuttons... I'm hooked.

I wanted to use my controller (or controller's top panel anyway - the rest of the controller enclosure hasn't been completed) for my console game systems.  So I bought an X-Arcade PCB and the every adapter package for it (DC, PS, XBox, GC).  Then the Perfect 360 joysticks went on sale so I picked up two of those and a slew of buttons.  After I tried the Perfect 360s with the hacked gamepad I'm in heaven.  These things are incredibly accurate (unlike the super's whose 8 way mode makes the diagonals too sensitive, and 4 way mode which makes then very difficult to hit).  However, I cannot get them to work with the X-Arcade PCB.  The problem is NOT +5V.  I picked up a 5V 1500mA cell phone charger adapter which provides the +5V DC just fine (that's where I got the 5V when I used the gamepad hack).  The problem is that the X-Arcade PCB does not recognize the signals from the Perfect 360.  I'm beginning the process of trying to determine what voltage goes through the X-Arcade switches for the joystick circuits but I've yet to begin yet.

I'm making this thread in hopes that perhaps someone else has already been through this process and has a solution or can at least tell me to stop now if this is impossible.  Also, I will document my progress in this thread so that if I am able to make this work, the information will be here for others attempting the same thing.

Please don't tell me to hack a PSX pad and use adapters.  I've already invested a good deal of money into the X-Arcade PCB and its adapters.

Also, I'm about as far from an electronics/circuitry expert as you can get.  I understand the simple stuff but I may (and probably will) be popping back in here for some help.

Thanks guys, and wish me luck!

[Vol]

http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/pc_arc5.html

This is a possibility.

[Snakebyte]

Ahhh I was wondering if someone else had the same idea as me.  Hope to see some progress soon!

[Vol]

I've ordered a few 74HC4066N Quad Bilateral Switches from Arrow Electronics http://www.arrow.com - You won't find these things at Radio Shack.

I'll be putting a very simple circuit together and will post the results.  I'll draw up the circuit and post it later today.

[Vol]

Ok, rough wiring diagram of what I'm going to try when I receive my chips.

Wiring:


Pin-out of the 4066:


I'll post again when I've had a chance to put this together and test it.

[rampy]

Hey Vol,

Good luck with that circuit, I hope it does the trick for you...

I am confused as to why it's needed, but I'm not familiar enough with the x-arcade pcb to know why it doesn't function like an ipac or keywiz would *shrug* Of course, I woulda though just getting 5v to the p360 and hooking up the up/down/left/right to the x-arcade would be sufficent, but I'm clearly confused =P

keep us posted.

rampy

[Vol]

The X-arcade doesn't use an internal 5V current (at least not for the directions).  I was also unable to accurately measure the current going from the UP pin and the Common Ground pin (for the directionals) on the X-Arcade.

So, this circuit should use the 5V from the P360 to activate a switch to connect the two X-Arcade pins.

[rampy]

Again noting that I have neither x-arcade nor p360's:

That just doesn't sound right.  For the sake of argument have you (can you) try you x-arcade pc straight up with a "normal" stick?  You could even temporarily hook up a regular push button to "up" on the x-arcade and ground on the x-arcade (just to verify that you x-arcade board works before building circuits/pulling hair out - you already konw the p360's worked with your gamepad hack).

I dunno: how do other people hook up their p360's when using an external +5v to the p360 when hooking it up to their ipacs, etc (just for comparisons sake).

I've scoured some threads but still dont' get it, it just seems "off" to me... *shrug* (but don't let me confuse you - I'm just hopeing someone else steps in and explains it to me/us)

rampy

[Vol]

Oh yea, my X-Arcade works fine with an 8-way Super!

I believe the problem is either:

1. the x-arcade "common ground" is actually not the ground but is high, and the individual leads are low.

2. the x-arcade's direction voltage is not 5V (not very likely, but possible)

I'll verify at home tonight.  But having just one of the above would create problems for the P360.

The X-Arcade works flawlessly with my Super joystick in it, it just doesn't like the P360.

And the P360 works flawlessly with my hacked gamepad.

So, it's not the joystick and not the x-arcade, it's the combination.

[Vol]

Check this thread:  http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=2319;start=0

The last 4 replies are interesting.

[rampy]

Oh yea, my X-Arcade works fine with an 8-way Super!

I believe the problem is either:

1. the x-arcade "common ground" is actually not the ground but is high, and the individual leads are low.

2. the x-arcade's direction voltage is not 5V (not very likely, but possible)

Ah... #1 makes sense (btw have you contacted x-arcade for some insight from them/suggestions on the p360?)
#2 confuses me, as it shouldn't matter what x-arcade's voltage is as long as you are supplying a solid 5V to power the p360's...

I'll go read that thread you linked to now...

Rampy
EDIT:
NEVER mind.. .disregard all my messages in this thread... That thread u linked to (which I did read ages ago) clears it up.  I was wrong and sounds like you are defintely on the right track.

doh!

[phantompower]

Before, when I was going to try to connect the Perfect 360 to the X-Arcade PCB, I had asked them for support and received official word from them that their techs (located in Japan) had tried to do that in the past and concluded that there was no way to connect the Perfect 360s to the X-Arcade PCB and that a new PCB design would be necessary.

I didn't get much more definition than that, and because I wanted to use the Perfect 360s, I returned the PCB and picked up a 3rd party Dual Shock to hack.

Very happy with the end result.  My best console controller so far.

Chuck

[Vol]

Yea, it's a lot of work to make this work, but I'm having fun.  It's like solving a puzzle.

Besides my wife would kill me if she saw me break open another controller to hack.  She's seen how much I've spent so far and even if I returned the x-arcade stuff, she'd give me *that* look.

But I could be up and running for less than $50 if I went hacked pads with adapters...

If this doesn't work, maybe I'll do that.

[BombProofPlane]

hey how do i hook up my p360 to a gamepad how do i find a 5v lead

[rampy]

hey how do i hook up my p360 to a gamepad how do i find a 5v lead

A multimeter is your friend...  you can also get 5v from a variety of other sources.   There's some other threads on this board (do a search for p360) where people have done just that and helped identify the 5v leads n' stuff...

good luck!

rampy