Is it the wiring or the controller?

[Dead Movie Star]

I am making arcade controls for the Dreamcast and have ran into a little hiccup. It seems that when I push the A button, it registers as multiple buttons at the same time including the joystick. I have fiddled around with the wires, but then different buttons are pushed. I still can't tell if it is the solely wiring or the Dreamcast controller (a Mad Catz Dream Pad).

If it could possibly be the wiring, what can be done about it?

[HaRuMaN]

You've probably created shorts somewhere, most likely on the controller pcb itself.

[Ginsu Victim]

That's wiring. Can you post pics of your wiring?

[Ginsu Victim]

Oh, HarumaN's here to help. You're in good hands.

[HaRuMaN]

That's wiring. Can you post pics of your wiring?

Yeah, pics would be helpful.  A closeup of the PCB would help. 

[HaRuMaN]

Oh, HarumaN's here to help. You're in good hands.

=D

I just did a pair of DC controllers for someone here this past weekend, lol.

[Ginsu Victim]

I figure if nothing else, you'll offer your services, and probably bump your thread in BST.

[Dead Movie Star]

The mess is kinda embarrassing, but I ran out of wire. I'm just hoping it isn't the controller.

[HaRuMaN]

I figure if nothing else, you'll offer your services, and probably bump your thread in BST.

Shhh....  

My wife won't let me get a PS3 unless I pay for it using PayPal...  I've got roughly $70 in there right now, lol.  Still a long way to go.  

[HaRuMaN]

Hmm... your wiring appears to be ok... hard to tell.

However, your soldering on your controller PCB looks a bit messy, excess solder, and bare wires that could possible short circuit your buttons.  Do you get random button presses even if you don't do anything?

Can you get me a close pic of the a,b,x,y button area?

[Dead Movie Star]

Hmm... your wiring appears to be ok... hard to tell.

However, your soldering on your controller PCB looks a bit messy, excess solder, and bare wires that could possible short circuit your buttons.  Do you get random button presses even if you don't do anything?

Can you get me a close pic of the a,b,x,y button area?

No random button presses, just that cheeky A button.



Excess solder is an understatement, by the way.

[Ginsu Victim]

I'd make sure you don't have a splat of solder bridging a connection somewhere.

[HaRuMaN]

From the way that picture looks, I bet when you close the top of your controller the bare portion of your ground wire touches the bare portion of the A wire...  you may be getting more interactions elsewhere when the wires shift as the lid is closed.

Like Ginsu said, make sure you don't have any solder globs bridging contacts elsewhere.

[Dead Movie Star]

From the way that picture looks, I bet when you close the top of your controller the bare portion of your ground wire touches the bare portion of the A wire...  you may be getting more interactions elsewhere when the wires shift as the lid is closed.

Like Ginsu said, make sure you don't have any solder globs bridging contacts elsewhere.

Hmm, I did put electrical tape over it once but it was still registering different buttons... I'll have to take another detailed look, I guess.

Update: I messed around with the wiring a little more and got it to work... under one condition.

This calls for even more electrical tape than before.

Thank god it isn't the controller, eh?

[Ginsu Victim]

so is that just a mock-up before making the real one? If not, are you going to enclose it in any way? I see that thing falling over and your wires yanking loose.

[Dead Movie Star]

so is that just a mock-up before making the real one? If not, are you going to enclose it in any way? I see that thing falling over and your wires yanking loose.

That's why I said "...under one condition." It's gonna be a nice little box that fits in your lap.

[Ginsu Victim]

Yeah, when I read "under one condition" I had no clue what you meant.

[HaRuMaN]

Yeah, when I read "under one condition" I had no clue what you meant.

Same here... 

You may want to consider some hot glue over your solder joints (its how I do it).  It will keep your wires from ripping up the traces on the PCB, and it can help you not get more shorts...

[Jdurg]

I would highly suggest going to Home Depot and buying a bottle of the liquid electrical tape that they have, and covering any exposed wires with the liquid tape to prevent shorting.

[Dead Movie Star]

I made a discovery last night. If I put in a normal controller before plugging in my arcade controls then everything works fine. However, if I turn the console on with the arcade controls plugged in, problems arise.

That's messed up.

[HaRuMaN]

Hmm... yeah, sounds like you have a short somewhere on your pcb.  Be careful with that...  shorts tend to cause the controller resistor in the DC to burn up (requiring replacement).  If all your controller ports end up dead one day, this is what happened. 

[Dead Movie Star]

Hmm... yeah, sounds like you have a short somewhere on your pcb.  Be careful with that...  shorts tend to cause the controller resistor in the DC to burn up (requiring replacement).  If all your controller ports end up dead one day, this is what happened. 

I'm scared, mommy.

Edit: Wait, how can I be careful? Can I do anything instead of getting a new pcb?

[Ginsu Victim]

Stop plugging it in, for one.

[HaRuMaN]

Stop plugging it in, for one.

Haha...

I was going to say a very close visual inspection.  Use a bright light and a magnifying glass.  Clean up any shorts caused by excess solder, etc...

[Dead Movie Star]

Stop plugging it in, for one.

Haha...

I was going to say a very close visual inspection.  Use a bright light and a magnifying glass.  Clean up any shorts caused by excess solder, etc...

This calls for heavy surgery. Might as well replace the wiring while I'm at it.

[HaRuMaN]

Here's a pic of one I did...   

[Dead Movie Star]

Here's a pic of one I did...   

Don't you want to make sure it all works before you hot glue everything?

[HaRuMaN]

Don't you want to make sure it all works before you hot glue everything?

Don't need to.  I'm the Supreme Solder King... 

In all seriousness, I used to check each solder joint before hot glue, but after doing about the 20th or so hack, I just tested after everything was done (including the glue).

[Ginsu Victim]

Thanks for showing that pic. I'll have to keep that hot glue method in mind for my hack, plus other uses.