Well, this is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. I've torn apart a wired 360 controller, put the guts in a pretty box and soldered some arcade buttons and a joystick to it. Thought I'd publish this to give you all an idea of how it can be done and just for general inspiration.
If you're thinking of doing the same thing with a wireless controller, beardawg252002 has done just that over at the Xbox-Scene forums.
The name, Gyokusho is actually stolen from a japanese chess variant called Shogi. The equivalent of the king is called the Gyokusho or "Jade general". The short hand for that is the sign you can see in the middle of the controller (see image below).
Oh, and by the way, it's huge.
If you're thinking of doing the same thing with a wireless controller, beardawg252002 has done just that over at the Xbox-Scene forums.
The name, Gyokusho is actually stolen from a japanese chess variant called Shogi. The equivalent of the king is called the Gyokusho or "Jade general". The short hand for that is the sign you can see in the middle of the controller (see image below).
Oh, and by the way, it's huge.
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Signing UpStep 1: The disassembly
First thing I did was to plug the controller into my PC, check out how the buttons were mapped and then I wrote that down on a piece of paper. Here's how they were mapped for me:
1 = A
2 = B
3 = X
4 = Y
5 = LB
6 = RB
7 = Back
8 = Start
9 = Left analogue stick click
10 = Right analogue stick click
Left analogue stick represents the analogue directions
X/Y axis are controlled by the right analogue stick and finally, the Z-axis is controlled by the left and right trigger. Right trigger increases X whereas the left one decreases it. Nice and simple.
I removed all the screws holding the 360 controller together, unplugged the vibration motors and presto, you've got yourself a nice and tidy circuit board. You don't have to use much force when doing this, if you can't get it open, you've probably overlooked the screw that sits under the sticker.
Removing the triggers takes a bit of effort but it can be done. Just make sure that the lever that's left is tied to the construction holding it (I just used some stripped wires and wound them around the plastic since superglue didn't do the trick). If you don't do this, the levers will move around and you'll probably get unwanted readings.
1 = A
2 = B
3 = X
4 = Y
5 = LB
6 = RB
7 = Back
8 = Start
9 = Left analogue stick click
10 = Right analogue stick click
Left analogue stick represents the analogue directions
X/Y axis are controlled by the right analogue stick and finally, the Z-axis is controlled by the left and right trigger. Right trigger increases X whereas the left one decreases it. Nice and simple.
I removed all the screws holding the 360 controller together, unplugged the vibration motors and presto, you've got yourself a nice and tidy circuit board. You don't have to use much force when doing this, if you can't get it open, you've probably overlooked the screw that sits under the sticker.
Removing the triggers takes a bit of effort but it can be done. Just make sure that the lever that's left is tied to the construction holding it (I just used some stripped wires and wound them around the plastic since superglue didn't do the trick). If you don't do this, the levers will move around and you'll probably get unwanted readings.
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About the wireless, what you'd be doing with this mod doesn't affect the controller itself; it still works the same way, just in a different casing. So, in theory you could use a wireless controller and you'll have a wireless arcade. As long as you don't mess with the wireless circuitry.
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/360_diagram1.jpg
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/360_diagram6.jpg
I opened my 360 pad and the PCB looks exacly like the diagram you gave us:
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/360_diagram6.jpg
but I can't understand this nice coloured circles. BLU is listed as SIGNAL and all the other colors are listed as COMMON. Does the word COMMON means GROUND? If the answer is "yes" I just have to solder the points with the blu circle. Am I right? Where is on the PCB the ground point I should chose?
thanks
@biagio.lembo
You should read through this page by slagcoin. I highly recommend you read through the entire guide if you're thinking of making your own stick though, since it's full of awesome info.
Common means common line. You can't just solder all the commons together and call it a day, since that's not how the electronics work. You're going to need to use either optocouplers or switches to convert the signals. The optocouplers route is easier, but more costly depending on where you source the optocouplers. Here's a link about it.
http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring/extracted_setup.png
I connect together all the common ground terminal for the stick and the buttons and then I connect one of them to one negative terminal of the PCB (LB or RB negative terminal for example).
Is it enough? what this optocouplers stand for? Do I need them?
I'm in quite a pickle... lol.. I want to re-create your project; however, my controller does not match the one you are using, nor can I find any websites that offer the break down of where to solder for each button! Any help? Maybe you know of a site? Here's the link to the pics of my controller.
http://img512.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=dsc00182z.jpg
Thanks brother
Yes!!! I just finalized my project..
"the way I fixed the broken pads, I just traced the pads and they all lead me to their individual whole. so all I had to do was just to get a 30g wire and put it in the trough the whole then glue it with a Heat gun -I have to say though some of the wholes couldn't go trough but I held it down while I was using the glue gun on them"
For the rest of the other non-directional buttons it was pretty ez to actual solder them however I still put hot glue on top of the solder just in case.
I also manage to include the vibrators. everything works like it should.
I have to say THANK YOU for all your support. I actually did this project with the purpose of to challenge myself and also to see how much knowledge I have in electronics as well as carpentry and not mention the creativity "I really learned a lot"...
here some pictures of what it looks like now
http://img27.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=3602arcade.jpg
but I don't know I might make myself another one, since I still have another set of HAPP buttons and now that I have exp I won't be a real pain.
"you were one of my inspirations on this project"
Cheers!! Mate
I finally got the solder to stick "I had to scraped a bit more" , however I was still using the 24g then just when I thought everything was settled I put some of the regular epoxy to keep everything in place... however I guess the gauge was still too thick and the liquid started moving some of the solder bonds that's when I decided to stop. And when I was trying to clean it all up the epoxy from the soldering bonds, some of the pads just came off and left me with this
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9831/frontjvk.jpg
Then I was following those lines(buses) from the soldering pads that I had broken and they took me to the other side of the board to this chipset
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/249/backx.jpg
but one thing I noticed those lines (from the front side) always end up in a tiny whole then to the other side..., should I stick in like a really thin wire (like jumper wire) trough the whole then solder ? (by the way I was looking you had something like that in your gallery procedure looking at the gray wires..
http://www.instructables.com/files/orig/F6Y/ZVE6/PNCEV2Z5OA1/F6YZVE6PNCEV2Z5OA1.jpg
By the way Do I really need to solder every "ground solder point from the controller to the Arcade button"?
'cause I seen some other projects where they just solder the "signal from the controller point" to the arcade and within the arcade butons they just made a "ground daisy chain" for example:
http://s5.tinypic.com/2zsvbeu.jpg
Looking forward for your response
--Ivanx