Light-up on activation button mod tutorial

[TingBoy]

**Added new pictures from speedsterharry, including one that explains how to install a switchless version of the mod

First of all, big thanks to Toodles. He helped explain everything to me. I just fabricated it. You're my hero Toodles :tup:

This tutorial explains how to make your (hopefully) translucent buttons light up when activated.

You will need...
1) Soldering iron
2) 6 LEDs (I used white LEDs that were rated at 3.3v)
3) 6 resistors (1/8 watt, 220 - 2.5k Ohms. Depends on how bright you want the LEDs to be)
4) A hex inverter (Toodles recommended the 74HCT04, but also said that any of the 7404 family will work like the 74LS04 or 74HC04)
5) A battery holder (3-4 AA/C/D batteries. Your choice)
6) A SPST switch (Toggle/pushbutton/rocker. Again, your choice)
7) Something to strip mid-wire (I used a good X-acto knife)
8) An extra, unused ground coming from your PCB
9) (optional) A barrier strip to help with the ground wiring (You'll be soldering 8 wires to 1 tiny pin. Think about it :smile:)

The hex inverter will be the center of the mod. There are 14 pins on the hex inverter.

1) Input 1
2) Output 1
3) Input 2
4) Output 2
5) Input 3
6) Output 3
7) Ground
8) Output 4
9) Input 4
10) Output 5
11) Input 5
12) Output 6
13) Input 6
14) Vcc (Power)

Basically, the positive end of the power source is wired to the switch, then to Pin 1 (Vcc) of the hex inverter. The negative end of the power source is wired to Pin 14 (ground). Now attach 1 resistor to the positive end of all of your LEDs (the longer leg), then place the LEDs in your buttons (under or taped to the sides of the button works fine as well). I used Seimitsu PS-14-K buttons, so I popped off the plungers of the buttons and bent the LEDs so the legs would stick out of the small, narrow hole where the buttons snap into metal panels. Now with the LEDs prepped, wire the other end of the resistors to the outputs of the hex inverter (Pins 3,5,7,9,11,13) and the negative ends of the LEDs to Pin 14 (ground). Also, take the extra ground from your PCB and wire it to Pin 14 (ground) as well.

Here comes the hard part. You need to hook-up the non-ground wire of your buttons to the inputs of the hex inverter (Pins 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12). I did this by removing a section of the plastic coating in the middle of my non-ground wires, then soldering that exposed wire to the input pins. Make sure you hook-up the non-ground wires of the buttons to the corresponding LED output, or you'll end up pressing LP and having HK light up.
As a possibly easier method, you can cut the wire in half, strip the ends, then solder them to the same input in.

If all of the above is too confusing or you're just too lazy to read, here's a diagram I made when I was doing this mod to my HRAP2.

http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/28489/2901223980084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
*The green wire is the non-ground wire for the button*

If the previous picture is too hard to understand, here's a clearer one made by speedsterharry.
http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp.png

This only shows the wiring for 1 button, so just rinse and repeat for the rest.

When you're done, it should work like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgF1KIIpjDU).
I hope this tutorial helped! I'll add some pictures of the guts of my stick when I decide to open up my HRAP2 again.

-------------------------------
After hearing about Toodles' idea for a switchless version of the mod, I decided to try it out. I was going to make another picture/schematic, but speedsterharry beat me to it, so here you guys go.

http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp2.png

The mod is relatively the same. Just compare the schematics and you'll find the differences. Here's Toodles' post on this (http://forums.shoryuken.com/showpost.php?p=4814275&postcount=33)

Feel free to ask questions/criticize/comment :smile:

[Ex0dUs27]

you are my god ting, ty

[Toodles]

Good shit. You may want to change your pin numbers you listed; they don't match the pin numbers of the IC. IC pins are counted just like in your picture.

I have ideas/suggestions for how to overcome two possible problems:
1. If the PCB doesn't work when the switch is off or the batteries are dead or removed.
2. Auto switch off when not plugged in
But I dont have any way of testing them. If anyone is willing to be a guinea pig for either of these, say so and I'll post up my thoughts on what could/should be done. #1 would require a diode and running a wire from the +v line from the PSX cable. #2 would require a transister capable of supporting 200mA or so of current and two resistors (one is possible, two is better).

Now, who's gonna be the first to do this mod with color changing RGB LED's? :nunchuck:

[TingBoy]

Good shit. You may want to change your pin numbers you listed; they don't match the pin numbers of the IC. IC pins are counted just like in your picture.

I have ideas/suggestions for how to overcome two possible problems:
1. If the PCB doesn't work when the switch is off or the batteries are dead or removed.
2. Auto switch off when not plugged in
But I dont have any way of testing them. If anyone is willing to be a guinea pig for either of these, say so and I'll post up my thoughts on what could/should be done. #1 would require a diode and running a wire from the +v line from the PSX cable. #2 would require a transister capable of supporting 200mA or so of current and two resistors (one is possible, two is better).

Now, who's gonna be the first to do this mod with color changing RGB LED's? :nunchuck:

Ooops, my bad. Wasn't looking at it right -_-;. That's what I get for doing this in the morning.

And, I don't mind being the guinea pig, just as long as the parts don't cost me too much money =P.

[aznchristmas]

tingboy: that's some seriously cool shit

i might even try it

could i get all those parts at radioshack? (minus the stuff from say,, lizardlick of course)

[TingBoy]

tingboy: that's some seriously cool shit

i might even try it

could i get all those parts at radioshack? (minus the stuff from say,, lizardlick of course)

Not the Hex inverter. You'll need to check out Fry's or your local electronics store. My local store didn't have it, so I went to Fry's (2 of them actually, the one closer to my house was out of stock).

Also, you might want to get the resistors and LEDs elsewhere since I hear that Radioshack likes to sell assorted bags. Never enough of 1 type in 1 bag, so you'll waste your money on another bag. Again, Fry's is awesome for this.

As for the LEDs, I got a 25 pack of white LEDs from Dealextreme.com for $3.05 with free shipping
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1106

They also have UV, blue, red, green, yellow, and IR LEDs

[ulovemikeroch]

So systems don't have enough power to power both the leds and the stick?

[TingBoy]

So systems don't have enough power to power both the leds and the stick?

I don't believe so. I don't have the proper tools to test that out. I'll try hooking up more LEDs to one of my PSX pads and see what happens the next time I get the chance to.

[opips2]

I don't want pennies for battery life on play joystick. that's waste! :looney:

I had a heard aid need battery. :sad:

[infoseeker]

I see if you're using ultra-bright 5mm led's, but i'm just wondering if a PS1/360 pcb will be able to use small standard 2mm led's for all buttons? Nothing fancy just as long as they light up and don't affect performance? any thoughts.

[Kaytrim]

First of all, big thanks to Toodles. He helped explain everything to me. I just fabricated it. You're my hero Toodles :tup:

Yea Toodles, our resident electronics expert.:lovin:

Good shit. You may want to change your pin numbers you listed; they don't match the pin numbers of the IC. IC pins are counted just like in your picture.

I have ideas/suggestions for how to overcome two possible problems:
1. If the PCB doesn't work when the switch is off or the batteries are dead or removed.
2. Auto switch off when not plugged in
But I dont have any way of testing them. If anyone is willing to be a guinea pig for either of these, say so and I'll post up my thoughts on what could/should be done. #1 would require a diode and running a wire from the +v line from the PSX cable. #2 would require a transister capable of supporting 200mA or so of current and two resistors (one is possible, two is better).

Now, who's gonna be the first to do this mod with color changing RGB LED's? :nunchuck:

I'd be willing to work on an RGB LED stick. :wgrin: Need to build one for myself sometime. Though just Red and Green would suffice, switch colors back and forth when pressed. I'd also volentier for guinea pig duty if I had the time and parts.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[Ex0dUs27]

tingboy=god's gift to stick newbz

ty so much

[infoseeker]

noob question, hex inverter in the pic, the positive from the pcb is changed to a negative which goes to the resistor then led? doesn't the led need a positive and a negative to light up? I see a negative going into the resistor then led and one coming out.

[Toodles]

noob question, hex inverter in the pic, the positive from the pcb is changed to a negative which goes to the resistor then led? doesn't the led need a positive and a negative to light up? I see a negative going into the resistor then led and one coming out.
You have everything right except the states of the buttons. The button lines from the original PCB are held high (positive as you put it), and when the button is pressed, the button line gets connected directly to ground, making the voltage on the line low (negative as you put it, but its actually 0 volts). Since all of the buttons have a common line of ground, its a 'common ground' setup, so all common ground pads should work this way.

So, when the button is pressed (negative), the inverter puts out positive voltage, going through the LED lighting it up. When at rest, the button line is high, so the inverter puts out 0v, so the LED doesn't light up.

[Demon Dash]

I don't want pennies for battery life on play joystick. that's waste! :looney:

I had a heard aid need battery. :sad:
You're complaining? When you have buttons that light up when you press them? Get real, that's worth batteries any day...

[infoseeker]

ah thx toodles.

[MaybeMemories]

W O W

[Fallback]

Sweet mod. I must try this...

[TingBoy]

1. If the PCB doesn't work when the switch is off or the batteries are dead or removed.

In case you missed it in the custom stick thread...

http://forums.shoryuken.com/showpost.php?p=4782398&postcount=3293

One more thing to add, when the batteries are dead/switch is off, the PCB will only think that all buttons are being pressed if that 1 PCB ground isn't connected to the ground of the inverter.

[Nashville_Ninja]

Damn me for being a mental midget....I think this mod is going to be alittle bit harder then I thought.

[pc1x1]

What about using power from the actual controller/USBs? Toodles we need to chat, hahaha.

[RockCho]

I've been wanting to mod a Hori xbox 360 stick with a PSone Dual Shock for a while, and have been wondering, can the 4 leds on the top for the home button be powered by the analog light?

If so, do I just detach the light on the controller and just have wiring running to the LEDs or what?

Thanks for the help.

[Toodles]

I've been wanting to mod a Hori xbox 360 stick with a PSone Dual Shock for a while, and have been wondering, can the 4 leds on the top for the home button be powered by the analog light?

If so, do I just detach the light on the controller and just have wiring running to the LEDs or what?

Thanks for the help.
Err, it may be tricky. IIRC, the analog LED on dual shocks are bidirectional; it shows green when the current goes through one way, and red when going the other. So, you could make one led light up with its normally green, and nothing when red, easy enough. I don't know if the LEDs around the home button share a common line. If they don't, you could have one LED when normally green, and another when normally red.

As for powering all four, I have no idea what kind of power outputs the analog light have, so I can't say for sure.

Get me a good picture of that little board with the LEDs on it from the DOA4 stick, and I could probably tell you more.

Oh, and send me the main PCB you rip out of the Hori stick :) Pretty please?

[TingBoy]

What about using power from the actual controller/USBs? Toodles we need to chat, hahaha.

It seems to only work for PS2, although the LEDs seems to glow about half as bright as they usually do. I had up to 4 white LEDs powered by the PCB and it didn't miss any inputs. However, you won't be able to play on DC. It wasn't reading any inputs whatsoever.

[DanSC]

so is the LED draw voltage from both the battery and the PCB or only from the battery?

[Toodles]

With the switch on and batteries in, the LEDs will be powered solely by the batteries. When the switch is off, a little bit of voltage is bleeding in from the buttons, causing the dim lighting TingBoy described.

Edited per TingBoys clarification

[TingBoy]

With the switch on and batteries in, the LEDs will be powered solely by the batteries. When the switch is off, a little bit of voltage is bleeding in from the buttons, causing the dim lighting and the problems with the DC adapter TingBoy described.

Oh no no no. The dim lighting doesn't seem to do anything. It happens on both DC and PS2 and doesn't seem to do anything. The problems with the DC adapter only happens when you power 2 or more LEDs through the 3.3v line in the PCB (I checked for pc1x1 since he asked a few posts earlier).

[DanSC]

and what is that black wire coming directly from the PCB to the ground pin of the hex converter?

[TingBoy]

and what is that black wire coming directly from the PCB to the ground pin of the hex converter?

That would be an extra ground going to the ground of the hex inverter.

[speedsterharry]

TingBoy: I emailed you some cleaner schematic that you might include on the tutorial but you don't seem to have checked your mailbox yet (?).

http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp.png

There's a PDF of it too (http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/LightUp.pdf)

The URLs are only temporary so if you can move them to a more permament place, please do so.

EDIT: white background added, schematic tweaked a little, pic upscaled.

[TingBoy]

TingBoy: I emailed you some cleaner schematic that you might include on the tutorial but you don't seem to have checked your mailbox yet (?).

http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp.png

There's a PDF of it too (http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/LightUp.pdf)

The URLs are only temporary so if you can move them to a more permament place, please do so.

Haven't checked my emails in awhile =P. I'll add that diagram to my first post when I get home. The only difference between that and my wiring is that I put the switch on the positive end of the batteries (not that it matters....i think).

Edit: And I just noticed the ground for the button is supposed to come from the PCB. Mind as well use those grounds instead of having them dangle around.

[TingBoy]

Hey Toodles, I was just wondering if you could give further insight on an auto switch off version of this mod. I can't find a good spot/don't want to drill a hole in my HRAP2 case.

So, based on what you posted earlier and on what I've been reading, I'm guessing I'll be needing an NPN transistor and 2 resistors (fill me in on the Ohm ratings =P) to make an RTL inverter. How is the transistor going to be hooked up? After looking at a few examples online, I'm guessing the 3.3v of the PCB be connected to the base, the collector to the positive end of the battery pack, then the emitter to the 74HCT04.

[Toodles]

Hey Toodles, I was just wondering if you could give further insight on an auto switch off version of this mod. I can't find a good spot/don't want to drill a hole in my HRAP2 case.

So, based on what you posted earlier and on what I've been reading, I'm guessing I'll be needing an NPN transistor and 2 resistors (fill me in on the Ohm ratings =P) to make an RTL inverter. How is the transistor going to be hooked up? After looking at a few examples online, I'm guessing the 3.3v of the PCB be connected to the base, the collector to the positive end of the battery pack, then the emitter to the 74HCT04.

You have the right idea, or at least what I was thinking. I suck with analog circuits, so this is has a higher chance of me being off my rocker.

What I was thinking is to have a wire from the 3.3v line of the PSX cable going towards your setup. Have it go through a power diode of some sort (the black kind , not the clear glass with red kind. Just about any will do. The glass ones could work too, but aren't really the best when dealing with power situations.) and connect it to the + wire coming from your battery. The diode will keep the battery power from powering the PSX PCB, and if there is no power from the battery, provide a proper power source for the inverter so it'll work properly without having the bleed power from the inputs. The gray stripe that marks one end of the diode needs to be the end going to the battery +. The non-stripe end goes to the +3.3v line from the PSX cable. From how it has been acting from TingBoys description, there will still be a little light coming from the LEDs, but definitely not enough to strike fear into the hearts of all challengers. That was idea #1.

Idea #2 is very similar to what you suggested; an NPN transistor to switch the access to the battery on or off. Something like a 2N3904 (if you are dealing with 200mA or less) or a 2N2222 (if you are dealing with >200mA, but less than 800mA. If you want to be sure on the first one, get the 2n2222). I havent had a chance to clearly visualize it, so if you could draw another awesome picture TingBoy for me to look at before doing it, I'd appreciate it.

The idea is to have the battery + line going to power the inverter; no power switch like in the drawing. Yes, you can still connect the diode from #1 here.The trick is to connect the ground (pin 7) from the inverter and all of the ends of the LEDs together; these do NOT get connected to the ground from the PSX PCB! Instead, they get connected to the Collector pin of the transistor. The Emitter pin is connected to the PSX ground and the - wire of the battery.

The base pin is, like you said, going to go through a resistor to the 3.3v line from the PSX. The resistor values I state here are definitely going to be fuzzy, but for this one, I would want it to be something liek 5k ohm. This connection will basically be going directly to ground, so you want enough juice to keep the transistor kicked on, but as little as possible to keep from wasting power.

Now, between the resistor and the base pin, you're gonna connect another resistor. It needs to be a good chunk higher resistance than the one on the base pin, something like 20k ohm or higher. This one is just to make sure the switch is off if there isn't power on the pin. The other leg connects to ground or battery - or the Emitter pin of the transistor. (Realized this paragraph may be confusing, so I'll word another way: The base pin of the transistor is connected to TWO resistors; the 5k ohm one going to the 3.3v PSX cable, and the other 20k ohm one going to the Emitter pin.)

So, if theres juice on the power pin, the juice through the 5k ohm resistor is much stronger than the little 20k connection to ground, so the switch turns on, and the power from the battery can flow all the way back to the other terminal of the battery. If there's nothing on the power pin, the 20k ohm resistor makes sure the switch stays off, and no power can go anywhere; the + end of the battery is only connected to two things: The 3.3v PSX wire, which can't affect anything since the diode prevents the battery from powering the PSX pad, and the inverter. The inverter can't do squat because the power out goes straight to an off transistor. That's the idea anyways.

Inevitable question: Why not put the transistor exactly where the drawing of the switch was in the first place? Transistors cause a voltage drop, just like LED's and diodes. Putting it between the power sink and ground accomplishes the same thing, but doesn't reduce the available voltage those items could use; More brightness.

[TingBoy]

You have the right idea, or at least what I was thinking. I suck with analog circuits, so this is has a higher chance of me being off my rocker.

What I was thinking is to have a wire from the 3.3v line of the PSX cable going towards your setup. Have it go through a power diode of some sort (the black kind , not the clear glass with red kind. Just about any will do. The glass ones could work too, but aren't really the best when dealing with power situations.) and connect it to the + wire coming from your battery. The diode will keep the battery power from powering the PSX PCB, and if there is no power from the battery, provide a proper power source for the inverter so it'll work properly without having the bleed power from the inputs. The gray stripe that marks one end of the diode needs to be the end going to the battery +. The non-stripe end goes to the +3.3v line from the PSX cable. From how it has been acting from TingBoys description, there will still be a little light coming from the LEDs, but definitely not enough to strike fear into the hearts of all challengers. That was idea #1.

Idea #2 is very similar to what you suggested; an NPN transistor to switch the access to the battery on or off. Something like a 2N3904 (if you are dealing with 200mA or less) or a 2N2222 (if you are dealing with >200mA, but less than 800mA. If you want to be sure on the first one, get the 2n2222). I havent had a chance to clearly visualize it, so if you could draw another awesome picture TingBoy for me to look at before doing it, I'd appreciate it.

The idea is to have the battery + line going to power the inverter; no power switch like in the drawing. Yes, you can still connect the diode from #1 here.The trick is to connect the ground (pin 7) from the inverter and all of the ends of the LEDs together; these do NOT get connected to the ground from the PSX PCB! Instead, they get connected to the Emitter pin of the transistor. The Collector pin is connected to the PSX ground and the - wire of the battery.

The base pin is, like you said, going to go through a resistor to the 3.3v line from the PSX. The resistor values I state here are definitely going to be fuzzy, but for this one, I would want it to be something liek 5k ohm. This connection will basically be going directly to ground, so you want enough juice to keep the transistor kicked on, but as little as possible to keep from wasting power.

Now, between the resistor and the base pin, you're gonna connect another resistor. It needs to be a good chunk higher resistance than the one on the base pin, something like 20k ohm or higher. This one is just to make sure the switch is off if there isn't power on the pin. The other leg connects to ground or battery - or the collector pin of the transistor. (Realized this paragraph may be confusing, so I'll word another way: The base pin of the transistor is connected to TWO resistors; the 5k ohm one going to the 3.3v PSX cable, and the other 20k ohm one going to the collector pin.)

So, if theres juice on the power pin, the juice through the 5k ohm resistor is much stronger than the little 20k connection to ground, so the switch turns on, and the power from the battery can flow all the way back to the other terminal of the battery. If there's nothing on the power pin, the 20k ohm resistor makes sure the switch stays off, and no power can go anywhere; the + end of the battery is only connected to two things: The 3.3v PSX wire, which can't affect anything since the diode prevents the battery from powering the PSX pad, and the inverter. The inverter can't do squat because the power out goes straight to an off transistor. That's the idea anyways.

Inevitable question: Why not put the transistor exactly where the drawing of the switch was in the first place? Transistors cause a voltage drop, just like LED's and diodes. Putting it between the power sink and ground accomplishes the same thing, but doesn't reduce the available voltage those items could use; More brightness.

Looks like I'm going shopping soon =). I think I understand most of it. I'll see if I can make a drawing by tomorrow or Saturday =P

[RockCho]

Err, it may be tricky. IIRC, the analog LED on dual shocks are bidirectional; it shows green when the current goes through one way, and red when going the other. So, you could make one led light up with its normally green, and nothing when red, easy enough. I don't know if the LEDs around the home button share a common line. If they don't, you could have one LED when normally green, and another when normally red.

As for powering all four, I have no idea what kind of power outputs the analog light have, so I can't say for sure.

Get me a good picture of that little board with the LEDs on it from the DOA4 stick, and I could probably tell you more.

Oh, and send me the main PCB you rip out of the Hori stick :) Pretty please?
Sorry... can't send the PCB for free. Heh. :clap:

Nice try though.

I'll try to have a pic up tonight or tomorrow... but I think i'll just give a shot tonight anyways just for fun. I'm pretty sure PSone DS only light up red when activated. The green & red I think is for the original analogue without rumble?

[Toodles]

Sorry... can't send the PCB for free. Heh. :clap:
Nor did I intend you to. How much should I Paypal you for it?

[TingBoy]

Hmm, i just realized, what wattage do the 5k and 20k resistors need to be? 1/8 watt or something higher like a 2 or 4 watt?

[Toodles]

Figure 1/8th watt or higher will be plenty for any > 1k resistance. 1/4 w or more for any LEDs <1k. Watt = current*voltage. If you have four batteries, thats 6v. Smallest resistor I mentioned was 220 ohm for the LEDs. Current = V/R, 6v/220ohm= 0.027 Ampere. 0.027 Ampere * 6v = 0.163 W, which is greater than 1/8th of a watt, and well under 1/4 of a watt.

Chances are 1/4 W will be the most common you'll find, and work just peachy for everything youll need.

[TingBoy]

Figure 1/8th watt or higher will be plenty for any > 1k resistance. 1/4 w or more for any LEDs <1k. Watt = current*voltage. If you have four batteries, thats 6v. Smallest resistor I mentioned was 220 ohm for the LEDs. Current = V/R, 6v/220ohm= 0.027 Ampere. 0.027 Ampere * 6v = 0.163 W, which is greater than 1/8th of a watt, and well under 1/4 of a watt.

Chances are 1/4 W will be the most common you'll find, and work just peachy for everything youll need.

Off to Fry's Electronics then =). I have a sketch of Idea #2 on a post it note, so I'll draw it on Paint and post it up =P

[speedsterharry]

I'd want to have an eye on a proper schematic because the one I made as per Toodles instructions doesn't seem to work (or I don't understand it). It seems to me that the Emitter and Collector pins of the transistor are reversed to allow power to circulate from +3.3 V to PCB GND.
Also, I don't understand what the 20k resistor is here for (yes i read many times the explanation but still I don't understand why the switch could activate if there's no power).

I have a feeling the circuit would be easier with a dc-dc step-up converter, would remove the necessity of internal batteries and be a little less wasteful (just an opinion, i haven't checked).

[Toodles]

I'd want to have an eye on a proper schematic because the one I made as per Toodles instructions doesn't seem to work (or I don't understand it). It seems to me that the Emitter and Collector pins of the transistor are reversed to allow power to circulate from +3.3 V to PCB GND. Crap, you're absolutely right; I switched the emitter and collector pins in my description. The ground from the LEDs and the inverter go to the collector pin, and the emitter pin goes to the PCB ground and - terminal of the batteries. Ill be editing my post now to correct.

Also, I don't understand what the 20k resistor is here for (yes i read many times the explanation but still I don't understand why the switch could activate if there's no power).Then skip it. I just like anchoring things down to known values. I prefer to keep from having any pins floating under any circumstances if I can help it. If the PSX cable, if it's unplugged, is floating; no voltage of any kind. This also means it is susceptible to noise, random EMI from induction. This noise will show up as a change in voltage on the base pin of the transistor. It may go nowhere, it may do nothing, it may be enough to bias the transistor and turn it on for a split second; Im not sure. Like I said, I suck at analog. What I do know for certain is that by tying the pin to ground, I can make damn sure there is 0 voltage on the floating base pin, and average EMI won't change that. So, 100% certain the switch will be off if the cable is unplugged.

Damn I should not type when tired. Hope that makes some sense.

[RockCho]

Hey Toodles, it worked! The LEDs lit up like a charm powered by the Dual Shock pcb analog light. Though I only did one LED. I want to try all 4 at once, but am I risking blowing out the PS2 controller ports by doing this? =B

[speedsterharry]

Damn I should not type when tired. Hope that makes some sense.

It's crystal clear now. Thanks for the clarification.

If I find time in the next few days, I'll have a go at doing a vector-based schematic of version 2.0 of this circuit. Maybe even offer an alternative design of it without batteries (the problem is the choice and availability of ready-made step-up converter ICs and weakness of available current). This kind of mod would be so much easier/cleaner on systems providing +5V, thru USB for instance.

[Toodles]

Hey Toodles, it worked! The LEDs lit up like a charm powered by the Dual Shock pcb analog light. Though I only did one LED. I want to try all 4 at once, but am I risking blowing out the PS2 controller ports by doing this? =B

You never showed me how the LEDs on that board are wired up, so cant really tell ya anything.

[speedsterharry]

This is version 2 of TingBoy's Light-Up on button activation schematic.

Some extra components are used to extend battery life. Q1 is a 2N2222 transistor.

The resistor just before the LED can probably be changed to a 100 Ohms one or a bit lower for extra brightness (or at least that's what my calculations show).

http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp2.png

PDF version (http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp2.pdf)

Enjoy :)

[Toodles]

the 20k ohm resistor in the picture should be between base and emitter, otherwise thats perfect.

[TingBoy]

Thanks for the schematic harry! Very nice job. I'll put it in the first post as soon as the fix is done.

Stopped by Fry's Electronics yesterday. I was lucky enough to find the last 2n2222 in the store and the last batch of 20k ohm resistors, but no 5k resistors. I'll have to stop by another one today or something =P. Would it be safe to use 4.7k, 5.1k, or 5.6k resistors instead of just 5k?

[Toodles]

Would it be safe to use 4.7k, 5.1k, or 5.6k resistors instead of just 5k?Absolutely.

[speedsterharry]

Thanks for the schematic harry! Very nice job. I'll put it in the first post as soon as the fix is done.

Update !

[TingBoy]

Ok, well, I finally decided to do the mod, but I came across a problem. When the pcb is powered, it works fine. When the pcb isn't powered, all the LEDs light up when pressed 1 or more buttons are pressed. I'm guessing I need something higher than 20k?

Edit: So, I took out a battery and found out that the buttons don't work. I connected the ends of the battery holder and found out it works. So, I'm guessing as long as a battery is there, dead or otherwise, to complete the circuit, the buttons will work?

[Toodles]

Then theres some sort of connection inside the PCB between the button signal lines and the power. If you have a spare diode of any kind, put it between the PSX +V line and the transistor base pin. Before or after the resistor, doesn't matter. The stripe mark on the diode should be the end closest to the transistor.

[poopons8n]

using a usb pcb such as the ipac ve, could you power the LED without using batteries?

[Toodles]

Sure. Just be careful of the current you're using. USB devices have to tell the host how much power they'll be needing, either 100mA or 500mA. Almost all of them request 100mA, and if your doohickey pulls more than that, the USB host is within its right to shut it down and disconnect the device.

[TingBoy]

No diode lying around. Gotta make a trip to Radioshack =P

[Toodles]

And you're sure the LEDs are going from the inverter output to the collector pin of the resistor? They are NOT connected to ground, correct? Sorry for being a pedantic ass, but if they're connected to the transistor, the only way they could light is if the transistor is biased, and I'm just not seeing how that could be. I could see how it could happen if the LEDs were connected to ground and the inverter used the grounded input pin for the current to flow out of, but that wouldn't allow the LEDs to light if the LEDs went to the collector pin.

If you have a multimeter, can you check the voltage at the base pin of the transistor (black probe on ground, red probe on base pin, multimeter set to voltage) both when the button is pressed (LEDs lit) and when the button is not pressed (LEDs not lit), with the PSX cable NOT plugged in?

[TingBoy]

And you're sure the LEDs are going from the inverter output to the collector pin of the resistor? They are NOT connected to ground, correct? Sorry for being a pedantic ass, but if they're connected to the transistor, the only way they could light is if the transistor is biased, and I'm just not seeing how that could be. I could see how it could happen if the LEDs were connected to ground and the inverter used the grounded input pin for the current to flow out of, but that wouldn't allow the LEDs to light if the LEDs went to the collector pin.

If you have a multimeter, can you check the voltage at the base pin of the transistor (black probe on ground, red probe on base pin, multimeter set to voltage) both when the button is pressed (LEDs lit) and when the button is not pressed (LEDs not lit), with the PSX cable NOT plugged in?

I'm pretty sure my wiring's correct. It could possibly be the transistor. All of Fry's resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc are all from NTE and NTE uses different model numbers. I had to look up the equivalent from some huge book they had lying there. Their equivalent of a 2n2222 was a NTE123A

No multimeter. I need to find a decent one for a decent price =\

Edit: I just noticed that when I plug in my stick into my PS2 with the batteries in, the LEDs light up VERY slightly. It's a very dim glow, so I didn't notice it at first. It doesn't even matter if the PS2 is off/on/unplugged. It just glows.

[Toodles]

The base-emitter junction already has a voltage drop, so forget the diode idea. However, yes, you should get a multimeter. :)

The NTE123A looks like it should work fine from the datasheet.

Disconnect the resistor between the base and the emitter and test again. It shouldnt be a problem, but the transistor should not activate if the base pin is floating.
What'd be really nice is checking the current going to the base pin, but you'd definitely need a multimeter for that. Im just having a difficult time understanding how the LEDs can light without a path to ground. If the LEDs are connected to the transistor right, then the transistor would have to be getting current through the base pin in order for the LED power to get to ground. So, without a multimeter, the first thing I'd suggest is checking the stuff going to the base pin. Remove the resistor connecting it to the emitter pin and test. While you're there, eyeball it to make sure the only other thing going to the base pin is from the PSX power line. Test; if it stops glowing, then we have proof the base-emitter resistor was a bad idea. If it still glows, then disconnect the base pin from the power wire and retest; if it still glows, the transistor got bjorked somehow. If the glowing stops, then we know that some current is still getting to the PCB. Reconnect the power line to the base pin and check the diode to the battery connection to make sure the diode is pointing the right way (the stripe should be on the end connected to the batteries, NOT the end connected to the PSX power line). If the diode's ok, then disconnect the QD's going to the buttons. If the glowing stops when all of the QD's are removed, then we know power is coming through those inputs; let me know and I'll figure out how to get around it, probably with a few cheap signal diodes. If it still glows, then your stick is possessed and let me know to see if I can find an exorcism ritual for you to try.

If you're willing to keep checking stuff, I'm willing to work with ya through it. Sorry it didn't work first time.

[beaniemonkey]

Hi guys,

I've been following this thread very closely. I've seen LED driver devices on the net such as the LED-WIZ and the ultimarc pac-drive to control and power the leds from USB. However when plugged into a USB host without software backend, the LEDS are permanently on.
Just wondering if you can somehow rig it to use the microswitches from the buttons to determine when to light on and off in sync with the buttons as is described in this thread.

Powering the device isnt the issue here, the issue is to make it use the button's microswitch to enable the LED's as well. The buttons are Sanwa Iluminated Chrome buttons from gremlin-solutions.co.uk , they really do look awesome. The LED driver im using is the ultimarc pac-drive.

Any diagrams would be great to get this to work with the LEDs and an xbox 360 PCB/hori ex2 pcb.

Thanks in advance! I appreciate the time and effort of all the modders out there helping out us new guys.

[TingBoy]

The base-emitter junction already has a voltage drop, so forget the diode idea. However, yes, you should get a multimeter. :)

The NTE123A looks like it should work fine from the datasheet.

Disconnect the resistor between the base and the emitter and test again. It shouldnt be a problem, but the transistor should not activate if the base pin is floating.
What'd be really nice is checking the current going to the base pin, but you'd definitely need a multimeter for that. Im just having a difficult time understanding how the LEDs can light without a path to ground. If the LEDs are connected to the transistor right, then the transistor would have to be getting current through the base pin in order for the LED power to get to ground. So, without a multimeter, the first thing I'd suggest is checking the stuff going to the base pin. Remove the resistor connecting it to the emitter pin and test. While you're there, eyeball it to make sure the only other thing going to the base pin is from the PSX power line. Test; if it stops glowing, then we have proof the base-emitter resistor was a bad idea. If it still glows, then disconnect the base pin from the power wire and retest; if it still glows, the transistor got bjorked somehow. If the glowing stops, then we know that some current is still getting to the PCB. Reconnect the power line to the base pin and check the diode to the battery connection to make sure the diode is pointing the right way (the stripe should be on the end connected to the batteries, NOT the end connected to the PSX power line). If the diode's ok, then disconnect the QD's going to the buttons. If the glowing stops when all of the QD's are removed, then we know power is coming through those inputs; let me know and I'll figure out how to get around it, probably with a few cheap signal diodes. If it still glows, then your stick is possessed and let me know to see if I can find an exorcism ritual for you to try.

If you're willing to keep checking stuff, I'm willing to work with ya through it. Sorry it didn't work first time.

I'm willing to keep working through it, just not this weekend. Busy busy busy =\. I'll continue on Tuesday=P

[TingBoy]

I just realized that I forgot to mention that I don't have a diode in there since the slight glow didn't really bother me, but I'll go buy one and put it in when I get the chance to. I'll go do the tests now =)

Edit: Ok, I rechecked my previous statements. Apparently, the slight glow only happens when the PCB is plugged into a port, but isn't powered (also happens with converters). When I do power on the machine and the PCB is powered by the console, the glow disappears and the stick works as it should. So, quick summary.

PCB not powered, not plugged in - LEDs are completely off. All 6 buttons light up when 1 of the face buttons are pressed.
PCB not powered, plugged in - Slight glow coming from LEDs. All 6 buttons still light up when 1 of the face buttons are pressed.
PCB powered, plugged in - LEDs are completely off. Buttons light up as they should when pressed.

Edit # 2: Ok. I just tested everything you mentioned. The glow is still there even after unplugging it from the power line and taking off all of the QDs.

[ulovemikeroch]

Yeah, I was just gonna recommend trying this one a VSHG/HRAP3 PCB as those are USB powered, which I read provide enough power to not have to use C or D batteries as the source for the LED's.

[TingBoy]

Yeah, I was just gonna recommend trying this one a VSHG/HRAP3 PCB as those are USB powered, which I read provide enough power to not have to use C or D batteries as the source for the LED's.

If you do go through with it, let me know how it goes.

[TingBoy]

So, going by what you said Toodles, my transistor = bad?

[Toodles]

So, going by what you said Toodles, my transistor = bad?

If there is nothing connected to the base pin, and yet the LEDs are still glowing and the wiring is correct, something has gotta be fubared with it.

[TingBoy]

If there is nothing connected to the base pin, and yet the LEDs are still glowing and the wiring is correct, something has gotta be fubared with it.

I guess I'll go back to the 1st schematic with the switch.

[Kaytrim]

Ok I am bumping this up to the first page. I have an order for a stick that will be using this lighting system. I am going to go through the thread again to get a list of parts. This will also be a dual game pad system, PSX and XBox 360. So any suggestions along that line will be appreciated.

Toodles where is the best place to order the parts from? While I am at it I might as well stock up on parts for a simple electronics setup. Could you also recommend some standard parts on top of what is required for this circuit?

Thanks,
Kaytrim

[ulovemikeroch]

http://www.retroblast.com/Articles/DIY-LED-Joysticks.php

[Kaytrim]

Already been in contact with Franco. Thanks for the link.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[TingBoy]

I don't know if you can wire up 2 pads to the hex inverter, but I guess you could try. Another alternative would be to use a SPCO (On-Off-On) switch, then have each pad wired up to its own hex inverter.

Edit: disregard this. The great Toodles has spoken below this post =P

[Toodles]

nah, should work fine, if they're both common ground and wired together the way I usually explain it, so they're both powered. The hex inverter is wired up exactly like a dual pcb setup would be; the hex inverter IS another pcb :) He'd actually have three systems wired up if he went lighted+PSX+360 :)

[TingBoy]

Oops =P

[Mr.hitBOX]

http://www.retroblast.com/Articles/DIY-LED-Joysticks.php

I was wondering if the light stays on continuously wouldn't the shaft and balltop get hot from the led?

[Esker]

I was wondering if the light stays on continuously wouldn't the shaft and balltop get hot from the led?

An LED shouldn't produce anywhere near enough heat to be noticable, given how massive a heatsink it's attached to.

[Mr.hitBOX]

oh ok i was just wondering also is there a way for the stick to light up when you input an action like the buttons?

[Kaytrim]

oh ok i was just wondering also is there a way for the stick to light up when you input an action like the buttons?

I don't see why not. It would just take another inverter circuit.

[Toodles]

Toodles where is the best place to order the parts from? While I am at it I might as well stock up on parts for a simple electronics setup. Could you also recommend some standard parts on top of what is required for this circuit?

Depends a lot on the kind of work you're interested in doing, but I'll throw out the little I know.

If you have a lump o' money that you want to spend on a getting a ton of parts, what I'd prolly recommend is to start out at www.futurlec.com. They're prices are good, their selection is decent; I highly recommend you go the $16 route for shipping through FedEx though. Their normal shipping takes for fucking ever.
http://www.futurlec.com/ValuePacks.shtml
^^ You won't need the 1/2 W resistor pack unless you're getting into some high voltage stuff, but grab at least one of each of those grab packs. You may not need the mylar cap pack either.
There's lots of other handy stuff as well, like breadboards. Their protoboards are cheap in case you want to make something permanent. I've made a full Arduino board on their 95 cent small stripboard.

If you are looking to learn, there's a $65 electronics kit available at Radio Shack. Catalog number: 28-280. I had one for a rather long time and enjoyed the hell out of it until it got stolen. The really nice part is that breadboard in the middle; its damn usefull for working on your own stuff because of all of the switches, LEDs, potentiometers and crap available right there. Two books included inside with projects to learn, one for analog, one for digital.

GET WIRE! Get a spool of 24 guage solid core wire for breadboarding, and a spool of 24 gauge stranded for non-breadboard stuff. Radio Shack never has wire smaller than 22 guage, so you'll have to hits Fry's or get it online. Futurlec doesn't carry it.

Get a good multimeter. Digital is good, continuity tester is nice but not required. If it will measure capacitance and/or inductance, its a damn good one. Most are voltage/resistance/current only, which should be fine.

Another option to think about is the Arduino starter pack from Lady Ada:
http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=68
If you want to gloss over the freaky unobservable electricity underneath and get straight to the 'how do I do cool shit?' stage, this may be the way for you to go. But, I just like microcontrollers.

Also, very important if you're poor or cheap: Sampling. It's so awesome. Companies will ship you free stuff pretty much for the asking, hoping you're designing something that will end up with you buying butt-tons in the future.
www.microchip.com : massive samples available of all of their microcontrollers, i2c eeproms, and tons of stuff.
www.onsemi.com : difficult to use their site, but they had a deal where you would cover shipping of about $11, and you could sample up to 25 pieces of an unlimited number of chips they make. They make a version of most 'standard' logic chips and god only knows how much else. Plop down $11 and get more damn chips that you'd ever know what to do with.
www.maxim-ic.com : lots of very specialized stuff, some very handy. The step up DC-DC converters I made for getting 5v from PSX systems is based on their chips.
Just look around, sampling just seems customary for electronics manufacturers.

For buying, Digikey.com, mouser.com, newark.com, jameco.com (and Maplin for UKers).

Whew. Thats enough for now.

[Kaytrim]

Got my chips in today but they don't seem to be working as advertised. I am in the breadboard stage and I don't have a game pad in the circuit. I have everything wired as in the schematics without the pad. Though I am using a wall wart to supply the 4.5v

I am getting some real strange happenings. :looney: Without even touching anything the LEDs will light up just by getting near the breadboard. When I use a button to light up the LED it stays lit when I release the button.

Here are two pics of the breadboard.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/WIP/FirstBreadboard.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/WIP/LEDLitButtonNotPressed.jpg

[Toodles]

It doesn't look like the button is connected to a PCB, but connected only to those two wires going to the breadboard. If that's the case, there's nothing pulling the line high when the button is not pressed; the inputs to the gate will be either grounded low when pressed, or just floating if not pressed.

If you want to test the LEDs and all without the PCB, connect a resistor (something 1k or greater ohm to be safe) between the gate input and your power; looks like a resistor connector pin 13 and pin 14 of the chip would do it.

[Kaytrim]

:woot: Thanks Toodles, that did the trick. I knew you would have an answer.

[Beoyans]

Hey TingBoy,

I have a request.
I have ZERO experience with electronics, I just ordered an HRAP3, and was planning to do this. :bgrin:
I was wondering if you could do a step by step tutorial with pictures, like you did for modding the HRAP2? That tutorial helped me out so much. :wow:
I know it's a lot to ask, but the instructions on this thread are a tad too vague for someone like me. :shake:
Either way thanks for your time, this looks like an awesome mod. :wgrin:

[Kaytrim]

Hey Toodles, what chip would you recommend for a 8 button layout? And what would you use for 11 buttons, 8 plus start, select, home? Finally what about 15, 11 plus one for each joystick direction? I am assuming that there would be a series of chips that have more gates in them.

Thanks,
Kaytrim

[Toodles]

Hey Toodles, what chip would you recommend for a 8 button layout? And what would you use for 11 buttons, 8 plus start, select, home? Finally what about 15, 11 plus one for each joystick direction? I am assuming that there would be a series of chips that have more gates in them.

Thanks,
KaytrimIf you're comfortable using the base 74 04 or 7414 inverters, you should probably stick to those; you can use as many as you like, one chip for every 6 LEDs.

But, if you want to dig in get more comfortable playing with the electronics, there a tons of chips to try, but I don't think you're going to find any chips with more than 8 inverters per; that'd be 16 pins just for the I/O.

[Kaytrim]

Sounds good to me. I'll stick with the 7414 chips I have on hand then.

[TingBoy]

Hey TingBoy,

I have a request.
I have ZERO experience with electronics, I just ordered an HRAP3, and was planning to do this. :bgrin:
I was wondering if you could do a step by step tutorial with pictures, like you did for modding the HRAP2? That tutorial helped me out so much. :wow:
I know it's a lot to ask, but the instructions on this thread are a tad too vague for someone like me. :shake:
Either way thanks for your time, this looks like an awesome mod. :wgrin:

IMHO, the schematics on the first page should be more than enough help. The only photos I could really take at this point would be the Hex inverter all wired up and my messy wiring underneath the control panel. Which part is confusing you?

[Kaytrim]

Hey TingBoy,

I have a request.
I have ZERO experience with electronics, I just ordered an HRAP3, and was planning to do this. :bgrin:
I was wondering if you could do a step by step tutorial with pictures, like you did for modding the HRAP2? That tutorial helped me out so much. :wow:
I know it's a lot to ask, but the instructions on this thread are a tad too vague for someone like me. :shake:
Either way thanks for your time, this looks like an awesome mod. :wgrin:

I'll be wiring up a few of these in the next few weeks. I'll do a step by step for you.:wgrin:

TTFN
Kaytrim

[TingBoy]

I'll be wiring up a few of these in the next few weeks. I'll do a step by step for you.:wgrin:

TTFN
Kaytrim

Thanks Kaytrim =). I'll add it to the first post as soon as they're up :tup:.

[Beoyans]

IMHO, the schematics on the first page should be more than enough help. The only photos I could really take at this point would be the Hex inverter all wired up and my messy wiring underneath the control panel. Which part is confusing you?

Pictures of the hex inverter and everything it's connected to would help.
I have trouble visualizing schematics.

I'll be wiring up a few of these in the next few weeks. I'll do a step by step for you.:wgrin:

TTFN
Kaytrim

Thank you Kaytrim :woot:

[TingBoy]

Pictures of the hex inverter and everything it's connected to would help.
I have trouble visualizing schematics.

I'll take a picture tomorrow. I don't have my camera with me. I'm warning you now though, it ain't pretty inside my HRAP2 =\

[kyored]

where's the pic?

[TingBoy]

Keep in mind that I wasn't really trying to make this mod clean. I just wanted to make it work with what I had, so brace yourself for some scary pictures =P

http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/11020/2167023650084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
Back of my HRAP2 where I put my switch and battery pack.

http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/12470/2166181980084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
Messy messy wiring. Lots of makeshift fixes =)

http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/29760/2140488300084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
The barrier strip I used to wire up the ends of the LEDs to the 1 ground pin on the inverter.

http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/30518/2259304770084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
LEDs + resistors sticking out of my buttons.

http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/1096/2371966790084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
The hex inverter. Terrible soldering on my part. I just got frustrated trying to solder to such small pins.

I should probably make this mod less gruesome one of these days. =P

[speedsterharry]

What does the last pic refer to ? The hex inverter ?

[TingBoy]

What does the last pic refer to ? The hex inverter ?

Ahh, yes, forgot to add that. Yea, that's the hex inverter.

[Tetsuosan]

Good God man my eyes are burning from them pics lol. Hey good job none the less I just ordered some green Seimitsu buttons so I'll be trying to do it with my custom. I don't know if everything will fit but this is what the case looks like.

http://joystickvault.com/data/500/ProtoStickWithButtons1.jpg (http://joystickvault.com/showphoto.php?photo=224)

Hopefully I could put all of the wiring, the hex inverter, and the pcb. This mod really intrigues me lol.

[kyored]

THANKS tingboy. this helps me out alot...

[Kaytrim]

http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/1096/2371966790084014115S600x600Q85.jpg
The hex inverter. Terrible soldering on my part. I just got frustrated trying to solder to such small pins.

Next time use a piece of perfboard. I have one here ready for soldering. The back side has copper pads around each hole. I'll be putting the resistors for the LEDs on here as well. As you can see I also have room for a mounting screw.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Perfboard.png

TTFN
Kaytrim

[TingBoy]

Next time use a piece of perfboard. I have one here ready for soldering. The back side has copper pads around each hole. I'll be putting the resistors for the LEDs on here as well. As you can see I also have room for a mounting screw.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Perfboard.png

TTFN
Kaytrim

Yea, I saw those at my local electronics shop after I finished my mod. Ahhh well, I'll go pick some up when I have the time =P

[Vietexan]

I have a few hex inverters lying around. I can put together these light up kits for anyone that would want one.
It would include:
-hex inverter
-breadboard
-6 resistors
-6 white LED's
-battery pack
-toggle swith
-barrier strip

The inverter and resistors will come pre assembled. Only thing left to do is wire up the Led's to a barrier strip and the barrier strip to the pcb, wire up the battery pack and the switch.

[Kaytrim]

Ok folks here it is the tutorial for the button flashing LED mod.

Parts needed.
LEDs, one for each button
Resistors, one for each LED scaled for the voltage being supplied
Perf Board to mount the electronics
A hex inverter (Toodles recommended the 74HCT04, but also said that any of the 7404 family will work like the 74LS04 or 74HC04)
Wire, 26 or 24 AWG

Tools needed,
Drill and drill bit to fit the LEDs
Soldering Iron
Rosin core Solder
Screw drivers

This paticular mod is for 10 buttons so I am using 2 chips. This can be done with one chip for 6 buttons as well.

First step is to mount the chips to the perfboard. Note the orentation, the white stripe helps line things up.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step1.jpg


Next step is to identify the legs of the chips and install the resistors for the LEDs. Notice that each chip has one leg for the power and one leg for the ground.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step2.jpg


Now drill a hole in the buttons to fit the LEDs. My LEDs are 3mm so a 1/8" bit is perfect. You can also glue the LEDs into the holes at this point. Make sure to test them first. Be extra careful if you choose to use supper glue. It can drip into the button and ruin it.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step3.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step6.jpg


When using Perfboard there are small copper disks around each hole but they are not connected to each other. You have to create a bridge from one hole to the other as you can see in these two pics. They are the same board just top and bottom views.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/PerfboardTop.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/PerfboardBottom.jpg


The first wires I solder in place are the power and ground lines. I just jumpered them from one chip to the other.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step4.jpg


Here is where the magic happens. The wires from the pad, to the button and anode of the LED are added to the perfboard. Also notice the holes drilled in the perfboard are for mounting the board in the case. It will be real difficult to drill them after all the wires are added.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step5.jpg



Here are all the wires soldered in place and the board screwed to the case. I used Cat-5 network cable to help keep things straight.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step7.jpg

And here is the board's underside.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step7a.jpg


The final step is to daisy chain the grounds on the LEDs and connect them to the ground from the pad. Then connect the ground and power from the perfboard to the ground and power on the pad. In this case I connected the ground to the daisy chain ground on the buttons.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/Step8.jpg


Finally here is a short vid showing the working end product.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/th_100_3054.jpg (http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/Electronics/?action=view&current=100_3054.flv)


I hope this helps everyone who is looking to do the on their own sticks.
Kaytrim

[kyored]

nice work... I'm almost finished with mine too I'll be posting it soon....:china:

[Toodles]

Kaytrim, you should post up a pic of the bottom of the perfboard. I spent the longest time not having a clue how to use perfboard, and I would expect others trying this for the first time may not know how to connect the leads on the underside. I know it probably looks like someone sneezed solder everywhere, god knows mine do, but showing how to connect everything with solder, resistor leads, or bus wire, would probably be helpful.

EDIT: I dont know if I mentioned it, but any unused gate inputs should be tied to ground. The outputs can just float not connected to anything, but connecting the inputs to ground will help with the power consumption.

[Kaytrim]

Good point Toodles. With the way I have things set up I just bent the leads so they joined and touched a little solder to the joint. I have two at home right now that are single chip boards with the resistors in place. I'll take a pic of them tonight.

About the inputs that is the leg that takes the pad and button connections right?

TTFN
Kaytrim

[Tetsuosan]

Kaytrim for that guide that you made i noticed that you didn't use an external power source. Does the 3.3v from the psx controller provide enough juice for the leds to work?

[Toodles]

About the inputs that is the leg that takes the pad and button connections right?
Yup, or at least the legs that would have had the pad and button connection. Those that go to a button are just fine, leave 'em as is, but those input pins that aren't being used used be connected directly to ground. The matching output pins where the LEDs would go can be left alone unconnected (in fact, definitely leave them unconnected. DO NOT CONNECT THEM TO GROUND).

[TingBoy]

Nice work there Kaytrim =)

Quick question though, does the stick work on DC with a PS2 -> DC converter? If so, does it work with multiple button presses (2-3) + direction?

[Kaytrim]

Kaytrim for that guide that you made i noticed that you didn't use an external power source. Does the 3.3v from the psx controller provide enough juice for the leds to work?

I am using a PS to PC USB adapter. I checked the voltage on the pad and it is between 3 and 4 volts. So to answer you question I believe that what you see in the video is what you will see in real life.

Nice work there Kaytrim =)

Quick question though, does the stick work on DC with a PS2 -> DC converter? If so, does it work with multiple button presses (2-3) + direction?

This I don't know because I don't have the converter you mention.


Toodles, thanks for the clarification on the ground connections. I figured that it would only be the unused input legs of the chip.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[Kaytrim]

Kaytrim, you should post up a pic of the bottom of the perfboard. I spent the longest time not having a clue how to use perfboard, and I would expect others trying this for the first time may not know how to connect the leads on the underside. I know it probably looks like someone sneezed solder everywhere, god knows mine do, but showing how to connect everything with solder, resistor leads, or bus wire, would probably be helpful.

I posted two pics in my tutorial. One of the top and one of the bottom of the same board. I hope that helps explain how to use this stuff. :china:


TTFN
Kaytrim

[poopons8n]

Ok so I know you've seen this mod. So how do I bore that hole in the joystick shaft or who should I take it to?

Thanks for this thread. Tons of Fun. http://www.retroblast.com/images/stories/Image/rb_archive/photos/DIYLEDJoysticks/LEDSanwaDark.jpg

[Kaytrim]

The best tool to use is a metal lathe. Or if you want I can drill out one for you.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[Mr. Big]

Ok so I know you've seen this mod. So how do I bore that hole in the joystick shaft or who should I take it to?

Thanks for this thread. Tons of Fun. http://www.retroblast.com/images/stories/Image/rb_archive/photos/DIYLEDJoysticks/LEDSanwaDark.jpg

That guide totally downplays how hard it is to get that shaft drilled. It took a week and a half, a dozen places / people (including my university IT Dept), and $35 before I got mine drilled.

I figured that living in a pretty industrial area with all the people I know in construction / factories that it would be a sinch to get it done, but it was anything but. The work required is very precise and a lot of places are either unable or unwilling to do it (one place wanted to charge me $90 to get it done :wtf:). If you know someone or someplace right off that can do it, then by all means. But if you don't, it can turn into a complete headache. :wasted:

PS: Man, I wish I knew before that you could've done it, Kaytrim: it would've saved me all kinds of trouble.

[centennial]

Doesn't some guy at BYOAC sell pre-drilled shafts?

[Kaytrim]

Doesn't some guy at BYOAC sell pre-drilled shafts?


That would be Franco B. He taught me how to do mine on my lathe. Just hang tight guys they will be available down the road.

Kaytrim

[poopons8n]

Sweet. Thanks Kaytrim for the offer... I may just take you up on that.

[poopons8n]

I picked up 4 inverters from Frys, and one of the 7040s had 16 pins instead of 14. I figured I just picked up the wrong chip, but the number matched the package and the diagram on the package had 14 pins. Does that type of thing happen a lot?

[TingBoy]

You need a 7404 hex inverter. Dunno what a 7040 is =P

[poopons8n]

I meant to type 04.... I'm using a 7404 and two 7414s. But one of the extra 7404s I picked up had 16 pins. Crazy.

[TingBoy]

I guess they put the wrong chip in the box.

[Shin Ace]

The 7404 chip can source about 3 mA at high output, and sink about 12 mA on low ouput.
Some of the coding means,
74HCxx , high speed cmos (these runs decent at 3.5v)
74Lxx , low power (including LS, ALS which are to be avoided)
74ASxx , this is a good one
7404, standard (pretty good actually)
74F , fast(so high power)

If you're willing, run the signal into one inverter, then cascade into a second inverter gate. Now you wire the led as follows:
from positive battery terminal(or power adapter) to positive of LED, negative of LED to resistor, other end of resistor to the inverter output.

This way you don't use a transistor.

Realistically, the single inverter gate output(3 mA) is enough to run red and glue high intensity LEDs. If you want green, then you gotta get fancy and be patient.

[Shin Ace]

p.s. 54xx04 is military spec.

[Toodles]

Source/sink depends on the family. The HC or HCT should source 25mA : http://www.nxp.com/acrobat_download/datasheets/74HC_HCT04_3.pdf

I'm trying to figure out why this doesn't work.
http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp2.png
I'm trying to make it so that if the cable is plugged is, Q1 (a 2n2222 transistor) is saturated so the ground lines from the LEDs and inverter have a path to the negative terminal of the batteries. Not plugged in, so saturation, and no path to ground. TingBoy tried it and it didn't work. Any ideas?

[Shin Ace]

The circuit needs to be re-worked almost entirely. Or try a PNP transistor, 2n3906, real quick.

more to come.

p.s. don't use transistors on the gnd side.

[Toodles]

p.s. don't use transistors on the gnd side.
?? Why not? Before the load, and the voltage drop reduces the available power to the load. Every project I've seen that used transistors like switches puts the transistor between the load and GND.
Examples:
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/trancirc.htm
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_4/2.html
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electronic/transwitch.html

Putting in a PNP would leave it constantly on because of the pull down resistor on the base pin.

[Shin Ace]

I've got a bunhc of bad alligator clips, so I can't do a whole lot right now.

That circuit, even without the 20k resistor should power the IC, but the logic won't work properly. You'd have to start adding diodes on each input to the inverter to match the voltage loss.

Another choice is to repeat the transistor switch with PNP transistor. Your best bet, honestly, is to use the transistor to power the coil of a relay, and have the relay be a true switch for the IC. Measure the DC resistance of the coil yourself, most relays are about 300 ohm, and therefore use about 15 mA from the batt. For a digital only circuit, that current drain would be excessive; here you are powering tons of LEDs, so I assume you've got current to spare.

Using your PIC above, you would eliminate the 20k resistor. I would also consider changing the 5k for a 2.2k or 1k. The emitter and base wiring is the same. The collector would go to one side of the relay coil. The other side of the coil goes to 5 volt(+). You you wire from the 5 volt(+) to the common of the relay. Normally open goes to Vcc of the IC. The IC shares the common power ground. Done, clean grounds.

[Shin Ace]

Here ya go:
www.geocities.com/alainprice/fix.bmp

Trust me, it'll work. One of my own sticks uses the exact same circuit.

The first of the 3 links you posted shows a protection diode on a relay coil(about halfway down the page). Feel free to add one to the circuit.

[Toodles]

That circuit, even without the 20k resistor should power the IC, but the logic won't work properly. You'd have to start adding diodes on each input to the inverter to match the voltage loss. I don't understand what you're trying to say here. The inverter logic works just fine when connected to a PSX; TingBoy's youtube clip shows that pretty well.


Another choice is to repeat the transistor switch with PNP transistor.
Okay, let's say we pull the 2n2222 that's there and replace it with the equivalent PNP. If the transistor allows current to pass when the base pin is connected to ground, how will it be able to tell when it's plugged in? We need the battery negative terminal and ground connected for the inverter to work right. How can we get the base pin to be connected low when plugged in, and not when unplugged? We could pull it high with a resistor, but if we're using batteries the batteries would run dry if left unplugged for a few days. Batteries were included in the schematic to run the LEDs so the LEDs could be as bright as anyone could want without worrying about pulling too much current and blowing fuses.

Your best bet, honestly, is to use the transistor to power the coil of a relay, and have the relay be a true switch for the IC. Measure the DC resistance of the coil yourself, most relays are about 300 ohm, and therefore use about 15 mA from the batt. For a digital only circuit, that current drain would be excessive; here you are powering tons of LEDs, so I assume you've got current to spare.

Using your PIC above, you would eliminate the 20k resistor. I would also consider changing the 5k for a 2.2k or 1k. The emitter and base wiring is the same. The collector would go to one side of the relay coil. The other side of the coil goes to 5 volt(+). You you wire from the 5 volt(+) to the common of the relay. Normally open goes to Vcc of the IC. The IC shares the common power ground. Done, clean grounds.

I'm just not seeing what the relay gains us. If the transistor can control current to the relay, then why can the transistor control the power going to the inverter and/or LEDs?

[Shin Ace]

The transistor is a switch with a voltage loss, that's the problem.

Use a relay and you're done.

If you use transistors, you need to change it so that all grounds are connected directly together.

[infoseeker]

Sure. Just be careful of the current you're using. USB devices have to tell the host how much power they'll be needing, either 100mA or 500mA. Almost all of them request 100mA, and if your doohickey pulls more than that, the USB host is within its right to shut it down and disconnect the device.

hi, noob here, how do I lock down to 100ma so led's don't use more and end up shutting down the device? I have a home-made halogen light with a usb connection which works when connected to the pc, but not when connected to a usb plug - what you said might be the reason/

Back to the led mod - do I just put a resistor in there somewhere lock down to under 100ma?

[poopons8n]

Ok here's the finished product. Thanks for the help with this, guys. I don't know why I picked this project for my first stick, especially since I've never soldered, used power tools, etc.
Watch the LEDs in action. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4WwXLUZYTI)
http://media.tumblr.com/nS2ZQA2fra56gx48SnQRjdpf_400.jpghttp://pbapodcast.com/cox/DSC01051.jpg

[centennial]

Woooowww, nice.

[wiki]

snip

Very nice. What color LED's did you use? They look blue.

[will976]

andre the giant has a posse

[TingBoy]

Nice job! I'm glad the guide was put to good use =D

[poopons8n]

Thanks Ting. The inside is a total rat's nest but hopefully I won't have to go in there for a long while. The ipac VE powers the whole thing no problem so I don't have to use batteries. Hanaho Games is right by my house so they sold me the case for $20. Note: Hot Rod cases don't take Sanwa or Semitsu parts. I had to rout out the joystick beds and each button hole with my dremel and drill separate holes. Spent a lot of money, spent a lot of time.... It was worth it.

@ wiki

I used Blue Super Bright LEDs that I picked up on ebay here (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/50p-5mm-SUPER-BRIGHT-BLUE-LED-LAMP-13K-mcd-50-Resistor_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33713QQihZ024Q QitemZ370059752021QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW#ht_3356w t_0). They come with resistors which is nice if you had to go out and get those separately.

Next I think I'm going to use fluorescent wiring in a plexiglass box and use UV LEDs. That would be siiiiiicccckkkkk.

[Toodles]

Great job. If you wanted to make the stick LEDs light-up as well, grab a 74XXX20, where XXX is what chip family you're already using. It has 2 four input NAND gates. Wire the direction lines to the inputs, and the output to that stick's LED, and it'll light up when not in neutral. One chip can do both sticks


Next I think I'm going to use fluorescent wiring in a plexiglass box and use UV LEDs. That would be siiiiiicccckkkkk.
That'd be neat.

[ulovemikeroch]

I am using a PS to PC USB adapter. I checked the voltage on the pad and it is between 3 and 4 volts. So to answer you question I believe that what you see in the video is what you will see in real life.

TTFN
Kaytrim

Yeah kaytrim, I still don't get if you don't need an external source or not, since you mentioned the converter, will it work on just straight up on the PS2?

If so, you think you can sell just easy to install versions of the board? Ones where I just have to connect the wires from the pad to the board, and LEDs to the board.

[Kaytrim]

Yeah kaytrim, I still don't get if you don't need an external source or not, since you mentioned the converter, will it work on just straight up on the PS2?

If so, you think you can sell just easy to install versions of the board? Ones where I just have to connect the wires from the pad to the board, and LEDs to the board.

You mean like the board I have in this case? :wgrin: This one runs 10 LEDs. I'll check with ZeroX and see how the LEDs work on his PS2.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/ZeroX/100_3226.jpg

Here is another one for 6 LEDs.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee314/KaytrimsKustoms/R-Jive/100_3236.jpg

[Kaytrim]

Report from ZeroX is that the LEDs work fine getting power from the Playstation.

[ulovemikeroch]

Report from ZeroX is that the LEDs work fine getting power from the Playstation.
Yeah, thats the stick I was referring too. The castlevania one right? And thats awesome, though if it used too much power hypothetically, would it blow out the controller ports on the first try or would it take a while? I'm assuming prolonged use? Like a fuse in the dreamcasts?

And, are you gonna sell easy to install versions of that circuit board so we can just plug them in and get the LED's to work?

Also, what does that Pushbbutton inside the case do?

[Toodles]

Report from ZeroX is that the LEDs work fine getting power from the Playstation.

Most LEDs will work fine on a playstation. The reasoning behind using the batteries is so the voltage to the LEDs would always be the same known value. If you figure your resistors for 3.3v operation (Playstation) and then use a converter to use it on something else like PC USB, the voltage will be higher, the LEDs will be brighter, possibly too bright, and the current draw will be much higher. Dangerously so? Maybe not. I just liked the idea of the constant, known voltage, and almost no power draw for the LEDs from the attached console.

[Kaytrim]

Yeah, thats the stick I was referring too. The castlevania one right? And thats awesome, though if it used too much power hypothetically, would it blow out the controller ports on the first try or would it take a while? I'm assuming prolonged use? Like a fuse in the dreamcasts?

And, are you gonna sell easy to install versions of that circuit board so we can just plug them in and get the LED's to work?

Also, what does that Pushbbutton inside the case do?

I have been thinking about selling the boards. I'll figure up a price point and let you know. The pushbutton inside is the analog button for the pad.

Most LEDs will work fine on a playstation. The reasoning behind using the batteries is so the voltage to the LEDs would always be the same known value. If you figure your resistors for 3.3v operation (Playstation) and then use a converter to use it on something else like PC USB, the voltage will be higher, the LEDs will be brighter, possibly too bright, and the current draw will be much higher. Dangerously so? Maybe not. I just liked the idea of the constant, known voltage, and almost no power draw for the LEDs from the attached console.


I use resistors for a 5v power source. They are real bright LEDs so they are fine on 3.3V.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[ulovemikeroch]

I have been thinking about selling the boards. I'll figure up a price point and let you know. The pushbutton inside is the analog button for the pad.




I use resistors for a 5v power source. They are real bright LEDs so they are fine on 3.3V.

TTFN
Kaytrim
Awesome, i'll be your first customer.
Where and Which LED's do you guys get/use? Besides Dealextreme, I also read that some of you guys used "UV/Ultra Bright" Led's? Any sources for that?
Edit: I Can't find the other colors on Dealextreme.

[Kaytrim]

Shoot me an email. I have LEDs to go with the boards White, Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow and UV. I also have some boards ready to go for 6 button layouts.

[ulovemikeroch]

Shoot me an email. I have LEDs to go with the boards White, Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow and UV. I also have some boards ready to go for 6 button layouts.
What exactly does UV look like?

[ulovemikeroch]

Sorry to bump this up, but there a good way to mount the LED's in snapins? Or better yet, can they be put in there in the first place? I somehow managed to get a set of PS-14-'K's in all clear, and wanted to switch em with sanwa switches, yet also do the LED mod.

[TingBoy]

Sorry to bump this up, but there a good way to mount the LED's in snapins? Or better yet, can they be put in there in the first place? I somehow managed to get a set of PS-14-'K's in all clear, and wanted to switch em with sanwa switches, yet also do the LED mod.

I used snap-ins for my HRAP2 mod. Just pop off the top plunger, then have the legs stick out from the sides with the tabs that snap onto the control panel

[poopons8n]

I used snap-ins for my HRAP2 mod. Just pop off the top plunger, then have the legs stick out from the sides with the tabs that snap onto the control panel

This is exactly what I did. Make sure to designate one side for the ground and make that consistent throughout the LEDs because it's muy dificil to tell once they're in.

[bafiaris13]

please dont let this thread dissapear..

it should be added to the essentials thread imo..

[speedsterharry]

For those wanting to do this project on newer consoles with +5V (PS3, XBox360), you can simplify the schematic and remove the batteries.

http://jerome.mathevet.free.fr/shoryuken/TingBoy_LightUp3.png

HTH

[TingBoy]

Just a small update for people who want to use a battery pack. I'm still using my very first set of batteries, so you won't be changing them out that often =P

[godspu]

ok i have no electronics stores (besides radio shack which doesn't carry shit) within 100mi of me and cannot find the hex inverters online. anyone have a link to a good electronics supplier?

[Toodles]

digikey.com
mouser.com
newark.com
jameco.com

Digikey is where I get most of my stuff, but there's a $5 surcharge if your total isn't over $25, so browse around and expect to blow $33 or so after shipping. Good side is that their selection is just amazing. Spend some time learning how to use their menus and catalogs to find stuff, and always check the 'in stock' box when searching. After you know exactly what size/wattage/color/shape/flavor of something you want, expect to go through 3+ pages of results looking for the cheapest. Lots of items have pictures and almost all have datasheets.

[Locovaca]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone involved in this thread. Its a great mod and you all hashing it out made it more or less pretty simple for me to apply.

I put it together this weekend to finish off my Texas Fight stick - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmmVGHlsGo8

Thanks again everyone for your contribution to my project!

(also this thread deserves a bump!)

[Esjihn]

Gj i used this tutorial for mine too i posted a vid response for it

[DeepThoughts]

Great info in this thread, but I'm still not clear on the use of batteries. If I want only 1 led on 1 button (for lag testing), and I don't care how dim it is as long as I can just see it, then could/should this be done w/o batteries? Since I have one of Toodles' upcbs, I'm going to be using it on various consoles (all under 5v?).

If I don't need batteries, then what type of led and resistor should I get to prevent an unsafe draw from the consoles?

[Jayducky]

I just ordered two 6 button flash boards from Kaytrim and two Cthulhu PS3 boards from Lizardlick. My problem is that I've never done a light-up mod before. Could someone
be so kind as to draw up a simple diagram of how those components would hook up
together in a stick. :wonder:

btw: thanks to Toodles and KaytrimKustoms for the parts. You guys make it easy for
entry-level stickbuilders.

-jayducky

[TingBoy]

Great info in this thread, but I'm still not clear on the use of batteries. If I want only 1 led on 1 button (for lag testing), and I don't care how dim it is as long as I can just see it, then could/should this be done w/o batteries? Since I have one of Toodles' upcbs, I'm going to be using it on various consoles (all under 5v?).

If I don't need batteries, then what type of led and resistor should I get to prevent an unsafe draw from the consoles?

I think either way is fine. Batteries just make sure that the LEDs won't cause any lag, but then again, I haven't heard of any problems with the 5v from controllers.

As for the items, just stick to the stuff listed in the first post. The battery setup supplies almost as much voltage as pads do (they're .5v off), so as long as you don't stray too far from the ratings I listed, you'll be fine.

I just ordered two 6 button flash boards from Kaytrim and two Cthulhu PS3 boards from Lizardlick. My problem is that I've never done a light-up mod before. Could someone
be so kind as to draw up a simple diagram of how those components would hook up
together in a stick. :wonder:

btw: thanks to Toodles and KaytrimKustoms for the parts. You guys make it easy for
entry-level stickbuilders.

-jayducky

Diagrams are on the first page. Kaytrim's board makes things easier by having the resistors and the hex inverter wired up. You'll understand everything once you have it next to the diagram =)

[Kaytrim]

please dont let this thread dissapear..

it should be added to the essentials thread imo..

I am adding this information to Numski's Wiki site.
http://padhacking.numbski.com/index.php/Main_Page

Kaytrim

[TingBoy]

I am adding this information to Numski's Wiki site.
http://padhacking.numbski.com/index.php/Main_Page

Kaytrim

Awesome. Thanks for that =)

[speedsterharry]

I'm about to start this mod for a cabinet panel, but i wondered:

How would I go about switching off the light-up part on the panel ? (making the pcb act as normal but without leds)
If I connect the switch between +5V and +Vcc of the inverter chip, when this switch is off, the inverter will suck power from the PCB and this will activate all 6 buttons (not leds).
If I connect all the negatives LED terminals to one leg of the switch and the other leg to the ground, the leds won't light-up anymore but the inverter will be continuously fed.
I can see no other (simple) possibility for making this option work.

This question is pretty much academic from a panel point of view (plenty of power there) but seems relevant in a custom stick situation. What you guys think ?

[bencao74]

Hi,

I've made a light up on press button mod on my arcade stick, too. Here are my experiences and some pics:

I've built-in a SMD 0605 RGB led in the button. 5mm RGB leds doesn't make a good job at mixing up colors.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YLXgzxS8cEc/SRn2xYwRLAI/AAAAAAAAAIY/qen0cynBeMA/s320/P1020923.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YLXgzxS8cEc/SRn2xi8e8gI/AAAAAAAAAIg/BhoaVexCmSM/s320/P1020926.JPG

Button used is Seimitsu PS-14-GN-CP.

With the RGB Leds I had all options realize color schemes. I've based my button led colors on the xbox360 one (when not presses of course). When pressed they light up in red.

Here is the result:
Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTEDRflHAZQ)

Now the realization. The leds are all common anode. This means they on connection to VSS. Per led are three connections for ground. I've put the led resistor to the anode. Here is space for enhancement. When you put specific resistors to three cathodes you can mix up different colors. I've used this only for the yellow led in my mod. I didn't apply any inverters, because I soldiered the cathode to button pin. Here's the schematic
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YLXgzxS8cEc/SSVKYUaohmI/AAAAAAAAAKI/KtngPUQMux0/s320/Button_mod.jpg

If you want a idle mode color (button is not pressed) wire the needed color (cathode) directly to ground.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YLXgzxS8cEc/SSA6SirSN2I/AAAAAAAAAJY/ctNT3MAkK8U/s320/P1020938.JPG

ToDo is light up stick on movement. So far I realized only color change when pressing in one direction. Problem is to control one led color with four switched at the same time. Has anybody ideas without using microcontrollers?

What is the advantage of using inverters compared to my approach?

[Numbski]

Please put these on the wiki. :) Please? On the Main_Page there's instructions on how to add pictures.

[bencao74]

Yes, should be no problem :-) First time writing a wiki entry, but there's a first time for everthing ...

[speedsterharry]

What is the advantage of using inverters compared to my approach?
None that I can think of ! I'm surprised noone else found this solution of yours before O_o

[TingBoy]

What is the advantage of using inverters compared to my approach?

I believe I tried your method before. I used white LEDs (same ones used in mod, so 3.3v) and wanted maximum brightness, so no resistor. Voltage from the LED ended up activating the button without it being pressed (is there a term for this?).

[bencao74]

I believe I tried your method before. I used white LEDs (same ones used in mod, so 3.3v) and wanted maximum brightness, so no resistor.

your power supply is 3.3V or the forward voltage of the white led is 3.3V? Assuming when you're using 5V from PCB and led with forward voltage 3.3V the resistor should be circa 90 ohm for maximum brightness (20mA).

I've two batteries scaled up to 5V in my circuit and I'm using 220 Ohm as led resistor to save power. Due to this I've roughly about 30% of the maximum brightness. My impression is that it's bright enough, even in well-lit rooms.

Voltage from the LED ended up activating the button without it being pressed (is there a term for this?).

So it worked fine?

[TingBoy]

Sorry, I was very vague in my previous post. I was in a bit of a hurry =P

I was using a PSX pad, so power supply is 3.3v. The LED I used has a forward voltage of 3.3v. I tried your method to do this mod (light up on press) before asking Toodles for advice. It worked, but the voltage from the LED was activating the microswitches for the buttons. So the pad was registering the buttons even though it wasn't being pressed. This made it kind of useless, so I scrapped the idea.

Now I don't know how tri-color leds work, but kudos to you for getting it to work.

[bencao74]

Now I don't know how tri-color leds work, but kudos to you for getting it to work.

In principle exactly like your white led. When you're connecting the the cathode to the pad signal (assuming that here is no ground!) and there is no other connection to GND, then it should work. I can't image that the "missing" transistor lead to such behaviour.

However, if you trying this approach again then I will happy to be on help.

[DSlayerZX]

hmmm quick question
From what I have read, the 5v from USB is enough to power up both the board and LED without any problem, but how about a dual PCB set up, have anyone try that? if you did, how's the performance(is 5 v enough)?

[bencao74]

quick question, but not easy to answer. It's more a question about available power. USB has a standard with 100mA, but should be extendible to 500mA (depends of the implemented power management). How xbox360 (or ps3?) handle this, no clue. But let assume you've 500mA. Unknown constant is power consumption of your both PCB, but let's assume 100 mA both. Then 300mA are left (hopefully) and you could lit up about 15 x 20mA Led at maximum. Reduce light intensity or number of leds to be more safe.

Has anybody informations about power consumption of xbox360 or PS3 gamepads?

[Chuck]

sup man, i'm building my first stick and i'm reading over this thread and i got a couple of questions.

(I'm Modding a Fighting Stick 3)

I want the buttons to light up Without pressing them, just light up automatically when the stick is powered, do i still need a Hex Invertor?

-I am useing 3 buttons so R1/R2 is there to draw power?
- I wanted Green leds, all i have right now are 5mm 2.1VDC 25mA
- 1-kohm 1/8-Watt Resistors
- Component PC Board.

lol can i make anything happen?

(I have MSN so if anyone wants to help me over Msn that would be cool too ^_^ )

[TingBoy]

sup man, i'm building my first stick and i'm reading over this thread and i got a couple of questions.

(I'm Modding a Fighting Stick 3)

I want the buttons to light up Without pressing them, just light up automatically when the stick is powered, do i still need a Hex Invertor?

-I am useing 3 buttons so R1/R2 is there to draw power?
- I wanted Green leds, all i have right now are 5mm 2.1VDC 25mA
- 1-kohm 1/8-Watt Resistors
- Component PC Board.

lol can i make anything happen?

(I have MSN so if anyone wants to help me over Msn that would be cool too ^_^ )

No need for a hex inverter. Just hook it up to the 5v and ground and you're good.

[bencao74]

- I wanted Green leds, all i have right now are 5mm 2.1VDC 25mA
- 1-kohm 1/8-Watt Resistors

(Minimum) resistor value to reach maximum intensity is 120 ohm.

Have fun :)