PS3 Controller Versions and TP Spots, DualShock 3 and Six-Axis Options

[RDC]

Hey all, Sony is in full swing with revision after revision change of the Six-Axis and now DualShock 3 controllers, seems like every time I open one up it's different. I'm up to 18 revisions so far, including the DualShock 3 controllers (there are at present 12 versions of them now) and on and on it goes..


MSU PP4.0 5 (Six-Axis, Old 'original version' board with 3 leg POTs, oldest I've seen anyway)
There is also an MSU PP4.0 9 (Six-Axis) BOTTOM - TOP and an MSU PP4.0 11 (Six-Axis) BOTTOM - TOP

BOTTOM


TOP



Now, out with the old...

Here are some of the newer versions boards. The main differences in these newer controllers are the Battery and the Analog Sticks, the boards are completely revamped as well, but you'll notice the Battery and/or POT leads right off, plus the shell of the controller doesn't seem to be the transparent 'smoke' color anymore but a more opaque Black color.

The first version of battery was the LIP1359 (w/sticker) then came the MK11-2902. While the newer MK11 is smaller in size, it's still the same 3.7v 610mAh rating. It also uses a bracket to fit where the slightly larger LIP1359 went. These batteries can be interchanged between the 6A (Six-Axis) and DS3 (DualShock 3) controller versions if need be and I've seen both battery versions in the later versions as well. There is also an MK11-3020 570mAh (Typ610mAh) that turned up later on, and seems to be the same as the other MK11, and now the LIP1359 (w/o sticker) seems to be the more frequently used one in the latest controllers, but again they are all interchangeable and one is really no different than the other, you just need to have the bracket for the MK11 batteries so they fit properly is all, but even that's really optional in a pinch.



The big surprise is the Analog Sticks in these newer versions, 4 legs on the POTs, needless to say that sparked some interest. So I desoldered one, popped it off and looky here...






..gone are the days of the familiar 3 legged POT and in comes these little gems. Magnetic and nothing to get all dirty and scratchy since there's no Wiper anymore, pretty nice idea, though a bit high tech for something that has no user serviceable battery and will in most cases be replaced instead of repaired if it were to die or break, still really kool though. These are Hall Sensors, and there are now 2 versions of these in the DualShock 3 version controllers, though the older style ones aren't used anymore as they seem too have a flaw with them, in that the Rivets that hold the leads onto the small circuit board can cause an intermittent connection over time and this will cause a direction or two to stop working, the newer ones are designed a bit better and I don't see them having this issue. How these things work is they have a Current run thru them and depending on where the Magnet is at (the part on the stick) it changes the flow of the Current in this Sensor. This then goes to an Op-Amp setup as a Current-to-Voltage converter and when all is said and done they basically work exactly the same way as a POT setup as a voltage divider, the MCU in the controller doesn't know the difference. This was done years back in the Saturn 3D controller as well as the Dreamcast controllers.


MSU_V2 2.12 (Six-Axis) There is also an MSU_V2 2.14 (Six-Axis) BOTTOM - TOP

BOTTOM



TOP




MSU_V2.5 1.05 (Six-Axis)

BOTTOM


TOP


This post has been edited by RDC: Oct 24 2012, 06:51 AM

[RDC]

Welcome.

The PS3 controller isn't like other controllers, and it can't be added to some existing arcade stick layout or another controller without doing some more work, so make sure this is going to be a PS3 only stick and that none of the switches in it are already wired together in any way. If you're making one from the ground up then you're good to go. You'll be able to wire up the COM lines with only 1 wire on the board for each one, and then just jumper around to the other buttons you need, instead of 1 COM wire for each button run back to the board (there's no room for that anyway) but they don't all share the same COM line. All of that info is in this thread also.

You can use any value from 2k to 10k really, though I'd just go with 10k as they are easier to get here and there. You will only need 2 of them for this.

On that VX5 there you can install the first Resistor from TP10 to TP17, then the other one from TP10 to TP18, and that will take care of the Pull-Ups that were on the Daughter board, so it can be tossed.

I don't recommend it for additional buttons and such, but since you're building an arcade stick from the controller, the best way to solder up all of the wires to where you need is to use the existing connection where the Daughter board mated up to the controller board, all of those black rectangle looking spots on the top of the board. You'll need to carefully scrape off that carbon coating and expose the copper, then tin it up with some new solder and then you can use those spots to solder up your wires. They're still small, and I'd use a 30awg size wire, but they're far easier to solder to than trying to prep and solder to the Vias on the board.