Just wanted to get this out there for people to be aware of. It's a newer version of the CG version controller.

As far as the general workings of it nothing has really changed from the previous CG version with the right off exception of the D-pad contacts, which isn't going to solve the sloppy issues with it at all. The Triggers work the same as the CG, they go Hi to fire

As with the previous controllers I'll get around to tracing this one out sooner or later and digging more into it also.




TOP



BOTTOM


TP1 - N/A
TP2 - Ground
TP3 - B+ (AA Pack)
TP4 - Ground

TP7 - Ground
TP8 - Analog Voltage, 1.5v (Switched)
TP9 - DR
TP10 - Light Rumble
TP11 - Heavy Rumble
TP16 - N/A
TP17 - Ground
TP21 - USB D- (PnC Cable)
TP22 - Ground
TP23 - USB D+ (PnC Cable)
TP400 - Ground
TP407 - Ground

I assume as it's very similar the CG the LED pads will still have the same voltage. Cheers for the headsup

have u a pic of the front?

and would this affect a rapid fire or led instaal (eg the guide light)

I received a replacement controller from Microsoft 4 days ago. How can i see if it's a new one? I'd like to mod it.

yes, would love to see a pic of the front to see what you mean about the d-pad changes.

So far this controller is every bit the same as the CG. For 99.99% of you guys, just treat it as a CG and you'll be fine, it's the .01% of us that do things other than R/F and LED installs that are interested in the more subtle changes and new board layout, and it'll be awhile before I get around to tracing them all out and then stripped down, as it's honestly a bit more work than most would imagine.

Here is a quick shot of the newer D-pad contact layout, but it's not going to make the thing work any better as the shell hasn't been modified in any way at all.

if anything them contacts are worse cos theres about 50% less contact area

i put a flat piece of plastic on mine so it presses evenly u would be suprised how much better it is

lol no, RDC wouldn't be surprised....

i dont know, based of what RDC had in his quick d-pad fix thread, i think it would help reduce mis-fires at least. the way the new carbon is layed out, it seems as though it would be harder for a "up" d-pad press to register as a "left" or "right" press. the new carbon is at least layed out better. not saying it would be a sweet d-pad now, just saying that its a lot closer to the half-moon/perpendicular layout of the S-controller. and, since they are perpendicular, like the S-controller, i just think it would reduce mis-fires. wouldnt help in the diagnonal department though.

here, to illustrate what i mean, i edited the photo. in this edit, i am trying to show how an "up" press on the d-pad with a slight lean to the "right", would not yield an actual "right" signal. again, not saying its the best or anything, just saying it should be better than the old carbon layout.

new d-pad photo by RDC - edited

more likely cheaper to produce rather than improved!

When I first saw this I just thought it was a new version of the D-Pad. Then I thought RDC.

Hopefully he can tell us what the differences are.

Just a little update, here are a few pics of the boards (again) and what they look like thru the battery compartment, so you can easily tell which ya have before cracking it open.







Again, the CG2 isn't that much different than the CG, the buttons are still in a Common Ground setup and the Triggers still go High (voltage) to fire.

I had been using the point near the headset jack for power (the '3.0 volt regulator'). As far as I can tell, there is either no longer a voltage regulator, or it's moved somewhere.

Previously I believe there was a 3.0? volt regulator on pin 97 of the 100-pin Microsoft TQFP. If you compare that area of the CG1 PCB to the CG2 PCB it's very different.

I am thinking I need to write a sleep function into my PIC18's, so the PIC18 doesn't eat up batteries after the 20 minutes or so when the controller is supposed to shut itself off. (Also so my PIC18 doesn't turn on the LED's when the controller itself is off)

Because previously when the controller was powered off, so was this voltage regulator, and thusly so was my PIC18 chip. Now, when the controller powers off, my PIC18 is still chugging away :-)

o00

Does anyone know where to get power without draining your batteries. I can confirm odingalt's last post about the voltage regulator. Any ideas??

Hey RDC I see your picture shows J8 near the battery contact (-) and mine says P10 so I thought it was a CG, but at second glance, it's something different, its like a CG with CG2 dpad contacts.

Check this out, I took these pics after removing LEDs but still this would this be a CG 1.5. I'll see if the power turns on and off from the headset in a few.

I wouldn't call that a 1.5 as nothing major has changed from the CG version. The D-pad contacts are like the CG2, but mechanically and electrically it's the same as the CG version controller. All of the components, Vias and such are still in the same places, so nothing is really different between it and the older CG. Might call it a CG Rev1 or something, but I wouldn't spend the time tracing that entire controller out (again) as it's identical to the CG except for the D-pad contacts. Nice find though, and I'll update the CG thread when I run across one of them.

The X, B, A, and Y are easyer to get to and wire up to use the 555timer mod for all rapid fire buttons. A buddy of mine sent me this controller that he got with his CODMW2 xbox. I popped her open and came straight here lol. Thank for the info RCD! I don't plan on doing the L and R thumb buttons but the look like there in the same spot.

Also Thank you Odingalt for the info on the 3.0 volt regulator. I will have to find an alternate spot as well.

I like how the did the Triggers traces if one was to mess it up some how its an easier fix I see that LED D2 D3 and D4 have a longer trace. Cathode and Anode are the same I am it seems. Dose the VCC on the front of the board stop drawing power once the controller is turn off.

Thanks, it's a nice find I know it's like finding a new kind of pokemon species...in their world of course. This board was in an 09 jasper arcade, but it's as if they really think the new dpad contacts are better... figures. They would make a lot of money if they had different layouts of controllers instead of just the controller boards being different.

I was wondering if anyone had figured out the power yet? i am draining batteries like you wouldn't believe on my CG2 with a stealth kit installed.

Make your own with an OC if you have to have it.

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=703639

Yeah I got a CG2 in the mail today from amazon, everything about it feels lower quality.

The thumbstick grips are terrible on the new CG2 generation ones, or at least on the one I bought. The left stick was acceptable but the right stick felt like a worn out one when it came brand new, that's ridiculous. To make things worse, the rubber formula must have changed because it feels more slippery then grippy, as if it has more plastic in the mix then rubber.

This board is better for adding buttons then the CG that's for sure, at least you don't have to sneak wires under the button mat or cut away from the rubber of the mat like I had to do on the CG. Maybe there was a way around that but either way this one's easier besides the need to make a switched power supply for LEDs and stuff.

Hi

I'm looking to add extra Y and B buttons to the under side of my CG2 wireless controller.

I'm a noob at this and would be grateful for any help

I could not find any diagrams or threads just for adding buttons to the CG2, but going of the matrix extra button thread and the CG thread
I have pointed to the points on the board I think I need to solder a wire to and then to the button and the tp2 or tp22 for the ground.


If I'm completely wrong please educate me

Yes that is correct. You need to solder one lead of the button to one of the B or Y points and then the other lead of the button to ground.

Those points for Y and B are via points so you will need to scrape off the green protective coating to get down to the copper. You will need to be very careful doing that so you don't cut the trace.

Good Luck

Thanks for your reply light-of-jesus
I have opted to go with the 2 vias beside each button,



I have scraped the vias down to the copper

just to clarify when you say one lead of the button I'm assuming you mean one side ? e.g. the 2 right leads of the button go to the B via and the 2 left leads go to the tp22 ground?

and then for the other button I will have the 2 right leads going to the Y via and the 2 left leads to the tp2 ground?

I also ordered this wire online

Is this suitable for the job?

The wire should be spot on for the job, £1.10 for shipping to the UK though?!

Ok. Before soldering to the vias it will help to tin them.

It sounds like you are using 4 pin buttons. You will want to solder one pin to B or Y and the other pin on that same side to ground. Same thing for the other button as well. You can cut off the other side of pins as you only need two pins per button.

As for the wire, that wire will work just fine.

So im looking at the diagram shots, and could you specify which color represents what..

Just finished this mod, left on the back burner for a while.
I just successfully finished my first jtag and decided to do the controller mod to top it of.

I had a small bit of trouble tining the vias, once I had enough copper showing it was a breeze.

just like to thank light-of-jesus for his input,

Regards,

krazzzzy kay

Could you use the vias for X,B,A,Y underneath?

Any Via? top or bottom?

You have to, unless you want to solder to the actual button pad contact or the MCU leads.

Hi y'all!
just came across my first cg2 board. was wondering if any one has come up with a better power source
I'm building a 555 RF. I seen the OptoCoupler post, but less is more...

Your choice to use a 555 and believe less is more is about bass ackwards. A PIC setup might need 1 or 2 support components at most, while a 555 needs more than twice as many, and the modes/options a PIC can do versus what a 555 is capable of is no contest. Plenty of members around here have made open source R/F codes and have everything explained in those threads, but I digress..

The CG2 has no suitable switched power source for a 555, PIC, LEDs etc., so less is less in this case. Using the OC to make one is the best option available on this, or any version of, controller so you end up with a good switched power source.

so i see... By less is more i meant more room but i guess after reading a lill more size aint a big deal ether. Can i adjust the pic mod on the fly with a pot like the 555 or is it all code? (never tried to make one) would the dc-dc
work well with a 555? And is it worth the time and effort learning how to build one?


Thank you for all your hard work by the way with all your pics and trace work have helped me out a lot in the last 3 years!

Welcome.

A PIC and OC would still take up less room than a 555, unless you built it with mostly SMT components.

Making up a DC-DC converter would only be useful if you needed a regulated 3.3v or more. The OC method is the cheapest and easiest way to get you a switched voltage source for powering most things.

Some PIC codes will let you change speeds, just depends on how it was coded, or if you get into the coding side of it you can make it work however you want, more than a few threads on them in the Pinned Topics.

sweet! whell looks like i got a lot of reading to do lol and thinx again!!!!
RDC YOUR THE SHIT!!!

My friends got this exact controller, he brought an XCM controller case with L.E.D kit but i cant find the correct solder points, every PCB i find online is slightly different but this ones the same, could someone help me find the correct solder points? Theres 3 wires a vcc,gnd and a K (does the K mean switched?) I told my mate i'd have it done in no time but have been pulling my hair out! thanks for any help,
Jim

VCC goes to any battery powered spot. TP3 or TP5 will do.

GND is Ground. TP2 or TP22

K is the switched source to turn on/off the LEDs with the controller. That spot is the Analog Voltage line, TP8, or any of the corresponding leads on the POTs of the Triggers.

Hi all.
I need a little help here. i cant seem to find the contacts for RB and LB on the diagram. i am noob and would really appreciate your help.
Also i would like to power my controler using external battery pack(because my old pack shatered ) i have two wires coming out of the battery pack(2xAA) black and red, where would i need to solder that to the board??
Thanks for any help.

LB and RB are Pink and Purple respectively. Not the Pink or Purple with the White dot in the center, those are LSC and RSC.

LB is easy enough to get to right at the solder joint at the LB switch, it sticks out from under the LT assembly and you can solder to it there. RB though, you'll have to either solder to the Via, or desolder the RT assembly so you can solder the wire on there and then cut a little groove in the bottom of the RT assembly so it doesn't pinch the wire.

If you want to wire up an external AA pack, then wire it to the spots that the original AA pack used. J8-1 is + (Red) and J8-2 is - (Black), they are the spots that have the spring connectors on them for the original AA pack. You'd be better off picking up a new AA pack for a few bucks, or a PnC kit for the controller instead fo dealing with that mess, but it'll work.

Thanks RDC!!

The reason why i need the AA pack is because i decided to turn the controller into arcade stick (it was after the original pack broke) but it all works fine now.
However i still got one question, i dont plan on using LT and RT buttons at all and from other sources i know i need to disable them somehow, the problem is i dont know where to solder the resistors and how to make them not act up during the game.
Thanks again.

The easiest thing you can do with LT/RT if you're not going to use them is just leave the Trigger assemblies on the board, don't mess with them at all and you will not have any problems from them or have to do anything special. You can even solder up new LT/RT buttons later on if you wanted and still leave them on there.

If you need the extra room or need to remove them, then they need to be desoldered from the board and a 10k Resistor put in place of each one so it's kept in the 'off' position. How to do that can be found here - http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=581887 which is for the Wireless Matrix version controller, but for the Triggers it's the same deal for any version controller.

Hey Guys, im new to all this but I would like to add abxy buttons to the bottom of my cg2 controller (I also have a cg, if that is better let me know). I plan on using some small tactile buttons. I would also like to use the points on the bottom so that i dont have to cross wire over the top of the board. Can someone please post some pics of were the best placed to solder to? Also, can I connect more that one button gound to one ground point? Thanks for all your help!

Yes you can solder all of your ground wires to one spot. You can also just solder up one and then jumper it from button to button, either way it's the same thing.

Neither the CG or CG2 have 'easy' spots to solder on for extra buttons. The CG2 would be the one I'd prefer in this case, but you'll need to remove the RT to get to most of the Vias that need soldering on. All of the ABXY traces are shown in this thread, and how to solder to a Via is in the Trace Repair thread in the Tutorials section.

Hi RDC I'm a big fan and have been reading all your threads for about a year now. I've always been busy, but now I finally have a chance (I think, haha =P) to finally mod my controller! So what I would love to do is add two buttons to the bottom of the controller, and add two LED's under the control stick's that will run by an On/Off switch.

I have the CG2 board and last year I replaced the ring-of-light LEDs with white ones. I am aiming to duplicate "A" and "B." I have some tactile buttons from a router and modem that I de-soldered and put some leads on them, I'm pretty sure that they'll work =P So here's my question:

http://i44.tinypic.com/24e0ujb.jpg

(The grounds are on the reverse side, I know my editing is horrible =/) I just don't know if I can do it because the vias are close to each other and really small.

Thanks.

Your diagram says X where you mean B though.

That's pretty much the best option for the CG2, without scrapping some of the carbon coating from the pads and soldering there instead, which I personally don't recommend. Practice up on some other board or a junk controller if you have/can get one, and if you think those Vias there are close, then you'll want to stay pretty far away from any PS3 controllers.

Oh I meant "B", sorry. Thanks for the reply! Sorry for necro-ing though or whatever it's called... Uhm So I found an old gamecube controller and a old computer gamepad. So I was thinking of trying to duplicate the thumbstick on the gamecube controller with one of the thumbsticks from the computer game pad. So I got my year old soldering iron that used to solder the surface mount LEDs on my 360 controller. I finally was able to de-solder the control stick modul, but it took like 20mins to heat up, and even then it would not hold solder on the tip. It's a 25w radioshack one so I thought that it was burnt out or something because the tip was fine and screwed in tightly.

So I went and bought the 15w/30w switch radishack soldering iron. It took 5mins to fully heat up and was awesome. I used some small wires and just soldered them accordingly to each module for fun. So then one that was done I tried it and it worked! So I took my glue gun and glued it to where the "R" trigger used to be. Then I got a button and took some screws and placed it so that it fit on the side grip, where I'm going to put the two tact buttons on the 360 controller, and I took one of the tactile buttons and put it on the other grip. I used some drill bits to do the dirty work first though.

Then I soldered the leads to the "R" and "L" respectively. So anyways, I know this is long-ish, but this is what I came up with:

http://oi41.tinypic.com/15g410x.jpg
http://oi43.tinypic.com/25u5geq.jpg
http://oi39.tinypic.com/2rmnne1.jpg
http://oi44.tinypic.com/20ge6nc.jpg
http://oi43.tinypic.com/35arvwk.jpg

Everything works perfectly! The control stick module even works better than the default one. But the "R" button was trouble some... Now I know why tactiles are so popular! I feel a lot more confident now though The problem is though now that my new soldering iron has the dark/black/smoked look on the main pipe thing-o like my old one. Is that bad? Am I using the soldering iron too long?

Thats normal,...they all do that and theres nothing to worry about.