Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Consoles => Topic started by: Gatsu on February 24, 2007, 12:57:49 pm

Title: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: Gatsu on February 24, 2007, 12:57:49 pm
Picked up 6 PSOne Piranha pads to hack and covert for mame use.

Here's the PCB layout:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Darthwesker/PCB2.jpg (http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Darthwesker/PCB2.jpg)

I can see what section of the contact points are the ground and what sections are not.

For wiring the ground, do I just need to wire it to one contact point? Or do I need a to solder a ground to each individual button?

And do I need to solder directly onto the button/contact point itself?

thanks.
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: SNAAKE on February 24, 2007, 01:35:31 pm
you just need 1 ground and solder directly on the contact. put some masking tape where you dont want the solder so you wont bridge any connection. thats if you are really new to this. good luck 8)
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: Gatsu on February 24, 2007, 01:54:48 pm
awsome. thanks very much.

I can solder with ease of mind now. lol.
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: pmc on February 27, 2007, 01:41:02 pm
Here's one technique I've used with success on those contacts that have a sine-wave gap to separate the signal and ground sides (like the start and select buttons in your photo):

Use a dremel cut-off wheel and cut a shallow line dividing the copper pad in two (so it looks like the d-pad connections in your photo). Then you can solder like a drunken sailor on one side or the other and not have to worry about a short-circuit.

-pmc
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: ChadTower on February 27, 2007, 01:48:57 pm

I'd probably scrape a little mask off just before the sine wave pad and solder there instead.
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: KenToad on February 27, 2007, 11:01:06 pm
You can also get a tiny drill bit and drill very slowly through the pcb at the corner of each of the contact points.  Then, you can push your pre-tinned wires through the back and after soldering them tight there will be a lot less chance of accidentally pulling the thin conductive metal of the contact points right off the board.  Also, that way, they stay put while you're soldering.

That's assuming that there's nothing you might be drilling through on the back.

Good luck.
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: ChadTower on February 28, 2007, 09:03:40 am

On the back or inside if it may be a multilayer PCB.  This one is probably not.
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: Gatsu on March 01, 2007, 05:53:27 pm
You can also get a tiny drill bit and drill very slowly through the pcb at the corner of each of the contact points.  Then, you can push your pre-tinned wires through the back and after soldering them tight there will be a lot less chance of accidentally pulling the thin conductive metal of the contact points right off the board.  Also, that way, they stay put while you're soldering.

That's assuming that there's nothing you might be drilling through on the back.

Good luck.

Not too comfortable with drilling it. I'll probably just scrape some of the mask off like Chad suggested and solder there instead and maybe tape them down or something after I solder each point. Or would that mess up the board?
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: KenToad on March 01, 2007, 07:58:23 pm
You can also get a tiny drill bit and drill very slowly through the pcb at the corner of each of the contact points.  Then, you can push your pre-tinned wires through the back and after soldering them tight there will be a lot less chance of accidentally pulling the thin conductive metal of the contact points right off the board.  Also, that way, they stay put while you're soldering.

That's assuming that there's nothing you might be drilling through on the back.

Good luck.

Not too comfortable with drilling it. I'll probably just scrape some of the mask off like Chad suggested and solder there instead and maybe tape them down or something after I solder each point. Or would that mess up the board?

Haruman suggested hot glue to me as far as securing the soldered wires.  Just make sure your soldering job is good and then cover it all with glue.
Title: Re: hacking a PSOne controller
Post by: ChadTower on March 02, 2007, 09:34:50 am

Hot glue definitely works if you are confident you'll get the soldering right and not have to tweak it later.  Glue is hard to get off once it's there but is a great solution once you're good at it.