36X Controller PCB, Blank slate for the 360 controller Options

[RDC]

This isn't technically a 360 type of hack, it's more like a starting point for other controllers that want to use the 360 controller shell.

I've made a couple of different controllers that use the 360 controller board as the base, the PS360 (PS3 controller in the 360 shell) and PS2x30 (PS2 + PS3 adapter in the 360 shell), and that has always required stripping down all of the components from a stock 360 controller board, and then rewiring it to conform to the new controller's layout.

After toying around with this idea for awhile now, I finally decided I've had enough of that whole process, and if I'm going to make any more of those type of controllers up I wanted a little easier base PCB to work with. Granted designing it up isn't easy, but after it's done, then it's done, and doesn't have to be messed with every time some other controller is made.

I also wanted it to be a bit more versatile than what a stock 360 controller board offers, so that other projects could be done with it as well. For example the PS360 and PS2x30 controllers have different button layouts, as well the PS2x30 sticks power and ground are reversed from the 360 board layout. To that end, all of the buttons, Triggers and such have all been broken out to TP spots, so that it can be wired up for any button configuration much more easily. If I wanted to put a PS3 controller in the 360 shell, it can be wired for that controllers 3 COM line layout, likewise the same board can be used for making up a PS1 controller and using it's common ground button layout, but without having to hack all kinds of different traces up on each one and rewiring it for the controller to be used.

These are some renders of the board as it has progressed..















..and this was a prototype run made at BatchPCB, to see what all still needs changing around and adjusted and such..






I still have a little ways to go on this, but as that version board stands it could be used as everything lines up close enough. That's not good enough for me though, so I'll have to run it thru a few more revision changes before I'm content to use it in anything. I'm also still undecided on the D-pad contacts, but they both work the same and it's short comings are the mechanical side of it, so neither one is any better there than the other there.

This post has been edited by RDC: May 23 2012, 09:24 AM

[DragonSlayer1987]

Holy hand grenade your good. Looking forward to seeing the final product, what program did you use for the design?

[whitey86]

AMAZING!! Would it be possible to put one of your boards into a snes/nes controller? Good luck n keep up the hard work

[RDC]

@ DragonSlayer1987 - I use DipTrace for my schematic and PCB designs. http://www.diptrace.com/

A lot of people use Eagle also, and there are others out there as well that range in price from free to thousands of dollars. DipTrace is just one that I started using after using PCB123 on the CGnome Project. PCB123 was easy to get the hang of, but they lock you into using their PCB fabrication house unless you pay for the Gerber files, which are what every other app generates to make the PCBs. DT is also very easy to get the hang of and IMHO is a far better application.

This board here was made using BatchPCB, and since DT can export the actual Gerber files almost any PCB fabrication house can be used, but unless I go with another PCB fab house that does gold plating or such (still kicking those options around) the last render there is pretty close to what the final will actually look like.



@ whitey86 - This board here is designed to fit in the 360 controller shell, wired or wireless, and is just a 'blank slate' really. You could wire up an SNES/NES controller to it and have a 360 controller that worked on the S/NES.

Now, if you're wanting to put a 360 controller into an S/NES shell, then the 360minCL is more what you'd want to look at, and yes it would fit. I'd even stick some cell phone vibration motors in there if I were going to make that.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/RDC...iCLProtoNES.jpg

The NES board sits on top of that with no issues, at least on this version of NES controller anyway, but most others would be similar. The 360minCL was made as small as possible for this type of thing.

You could even go so far as to make up your own blank S/NES board(s) like I've done here with the 36X and wire up whatever you wanted in there, but as simple as those boards are it's easier to just strip them down and use them as the base board instead of going the route of making up a new one. For example, the NES controller has 1 IC and maybe a few Resistors depending, just remove all of that mess from the board, wire it up to the 360minCL or whatever and that's about it. You just have to pay attention to the button common lines and such. The NES controller uses Common Ground, but it's not going to be ground after you have the board all stripped down and then that can be wired to the CL controller's Common Line connection, then all of the buttons wired up to their corresponding spots. That way the NES board button contacts just become duplicate buttons for the CL board, or in the case of the miniCL the actual buttons for it.

This post has been edited by RDC: May 25 2012, 03:08 AM

[boflc]

have you been able to scrape together some more free time to further this initiative?

[RDC]

It's more on the other side of the 'project see-saw' now instead of time, which is funding. Seems there's never a perfect amount of both in most cases.

I'm hoping that after I get this latest revision made up and checked out then it'll be pretty much done and I can work on another X board I have in mind.





This post has been edited by RDC: Jun 7 2012, 08:58 AM

[ozzylow]

If its funding you needed maybe you could possibly get funding from Kickstarter, im sure they are a heap of people that would back your projects.

Kickstarter

[RDC]

Interesting site, and I may have to keep it in mind for another much larger project that's on the drawing board, but of the 3 main sites that have sections for controller hacking and such that I've posted this on, I've only had 2 people show any real serious interest in this. Granted more people might see it there, but if they were really looking for something like this, they would be looking in other places first.

This board version is also off to be made up for testing now, so when it gets here in another month or so I'll let everyone know how it turned out and if anything else would need to be done before I call it a 'finished' board.

[RDC]

Had some test boards made up at another place to see how they would turn out, and they turned out pretty good. These I consider the Pre-Finals, since all that's left is to add in the spots for the AA posts and then change the D-pad contacts all to the newer style, which honestly makes no difference as the D-pad has other issues that no contact on the board will ever resolve.

TOP


BOTTOM



One of them I'm using right now as a test holder for the Analog Sticks and Triggers while I work out the rest of the issues on my N128 controller project.

[Mholt215]

I havent been on here in a few months, but Im glad to see your still around RDC. Ive seen pretty much all of your work you've done over the years, and Ive even had you do some work on boards for me.. everything you touch seems to scream excellence.


While I have your attention.. have you ever messed with the inside of a car audio amplifier? Reason being, thats my new hobby.. car audio, and there are lots of broken amps going around. Most of them are fixable. Especially if someone is looking at it who understands what is going on. There are "amp experts" who look at this stuff, but Im fairly sure you could figure it out as well. If I got my hands on one of these broken amps, think you could take a look at it and try to fix it?

[RDC]

Thanks.

Not much to most amps but some PWM going on for the power supply and then a pile of huge FETs for amplifying what ya put in there. Naturally it's a little more complex than that when you get into to it, but there aren't many car amps that can't be fixed by replacing, in most cases, some FETs in the PSU or the outputs and some fried Resistors.

You can PM me about it if you like.

[greenmodder]

very interesting. i like the work! old thread but is there any updates?

i am following to learn about controllers and modding them as some games now change button layouts between sequels with no option of selecting old layout in the menu, frustrating.

i have also been tossing around a joystick idea that would likely require splitting the board...trying to see if thats possible...

hoping for an update keep it up RDC, great work, its appreciated

[RDC]

I have the final versions being finished up now, which really aren't too much different from the last ones there, they just have all of the same type of D-pad contacts, then the spots for the AA posts. hopefully be another week or two and then I'll have them here and pics will be up.

Button remapping a friend and I did awhile back on the wireless 360 controller, the CGnome Project. I don't recommend getting that much into it, unless you like going slowly insane. http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=691809

This is more of a blanks slate for doing other controller hacks, but inside of the 360 shell and using it's layout. It's of pretty much no real use at all as far as straight 360 controller hacking goes, but it has it's uses for that as well. You should look in the Tutorials section on the 6 controller board versions, the kind of info you're more than likely needing should be in there.

I personally wouldn't try splitting any of the 360 controller boards in half, even though I have with the Wired Matrix, so I guess it would be more accurate to say I wouldn't try it again. There are just too many traces that need redone and it makes a mess all around. The Wired CL would be the only one that I'd consider a candidate for it, and even then the Headset would be a mess. The wireless versions, not a one of those could be split without just going insane wiring it all back together.

Most joysticks are huge, so you should have a ton of room to work with. I can't see a need to split the board there, but if you're needing a 360 controller that's a bit smaller than the stock board you should look at the 3PS60 controller I did awhile back. The wired CL version board can be cut down to a pretty small size with very little rebuilding of traces, but then you have to solder to a lot of them also, so it's not really a worthwhile endeavor unless it fits the need. http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=652308

It's also part of the reason why I made the miniCL board, which is much smaller still and has TP spots for everything. http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=742619

It really depends on what kind of space you're looking to save and if you're wanting wired or wireless as to what version controller would work best, but there's always more than one way to go about it.