How To Install an Gamecube cable onto a Multi-Console Cthulhu

This Instructable will guide you through installing a Gamecube style controller cable onto a multi-console 'MC' Cthulhu.

All of the information about the Cthulhu project is available online in the Shoryuken.com forums:
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=162026

Please be quite aware that this Instructable applies only to the MC Cthulhu; if your Cthulhu was purchased advertised only for PS3/PC use, then you cannot add a Gamecube cable and expect it to work. Upgrade chips are available if you would like to turn your PS3 Only Cthulhu into an MC Cthulhu. If you are unsure which one you have, plug your arcade stick into your computer with the Start and Select buttons held down. if you see a new device called 'Cthulhu Bootloader' get installed, you have an MC Cthulhu. If you only see your arcade stick show up as normal, then it is not an MC Cthulhu.

Step 1 Get to know your cables

Before heating up the iron and jumping in without a plan, it is very important you take a moment to get to know what to expect. Let's start by getting to know your Gamecube cable.

You can use any kind of cable that has a male Gamecube end, like the one pictured. You can scavenge these from dead controllers easily, or purchase a Gamecube extension cord like I've done here. If you have an extension cord, cut the female end off as close to the end as you can, so you are left only with the male end and as much cord as possible.

Remove about 1 1/4" inches (3-4 cm) of insulation off of the end, exposing the insulated wires from the cable. If there is any sort of uninsulated wire or metallic shielding, go ahead and trim it off next to the end of the main cable insulation. If you have any heat shrink tubing of the right thickness to barely go over the main cable insulation, go ahead and slide it on now so you won't forget it later. The heat shrink tubing is optional, but definitely makes for a professional looking installation.

Strip about 1-2 mm of insulation off of the end of each of the smaller wires, exposing the copper. Get your multimeter ready to check for continuity, and a small piece of paper and pencil to jot down what you find.

The first picture below shows the pin number for each of the wires in the Gamecube cable.
Our job now is to identify which of the colored wires in the Gamecube cable go to which of the pins on the end. I will give a listing of which color goes to which pin on the extension cables I have used; feel free to use this as an initial guide for your testing, but you MUST check each pin of the cable. Use this to try and get your pinout done quickly, but it is NOT a substitute for testing yourself. (The Cthulhu Column entry should be ignored for now. Get the pinout done before ever heating up your soldering iron.)

For the PURPLE extension cable shown in the picture:
Color Purpose Pin # Cthulhu Column
Blue - VCC - 1 - V
Red - DATA - 2 - F
Yellow - GND - 3 - G

For the BLACK extension cable I currently sell.
Color Purpose Pin # Cthulhu Column
Black - VCC - 1 - V
Yellow - DATA - 2 - F
Brown - GND - 3 - G


The three wires listed above are the only three we need to care about. Locate all of the rest of the wires that don't go to pins 1-3, and trim them short around the end of the insulation. They aren't needed.

Comments

[Vertigo666]

Nice reference to Cthulhu. Ever read Cracked? they make references to it every other day lol