Hacking the Xbox CONTROLLER

Step 13 Give it some juice

The Atmel "brain" runs on 5V, as is common with many other microcontrollers, including our PIC, so we just have to find a good place to commandeer. I chose to take power and ground from the peripheral port. Why don't I use that closer ground point I highlighted earlier? Well, both points are in continuity, but that's not the whole story. Capacitance at each point may be different, and I don't want to take any other components on the board out of their specified operating parameter in this regard, especially the precision pots nearby that provide the R thumstick inputs.

So first, apply a dab of solder to the ground lead, highlighted here.