I searched the forum but could not find a very specific answer:
I have a first gen Madcatz TE fightstick and it has the issue of buttons ceasing to respond due to static build up every so often. I’ve read a possible fix is to affix a ground wire from the PCB to the metal case - but are there any visual guides or photos of the PCB with correct ground pointed out?
The stick is freaking out regularly but I don’t have much experience with this.
This photo was taken for something else but it does show the location of one of the Grounds in a Mad Catz TE
This is under the button distropution board and not the main PCB.
See that wire I soldered there. The Left side of that wire is the main Ground or GND as its labeled on the PCBs.
The other last 2 ends on the right is the KGND and it is for the tournament lock (as it disables start and select).
You only need to mess with KGND on special circumstances or to bypass the tournament lock. So forget the KGND, some TEs will not have the KGND.
You can locate the ground side of the board by noticing the traces, the bottom side of this pic, you see all there terminals connected by the same trace.
There also spots to solder to on the Main PCB and the guide PCB, but the button distro PCB is you best bet.
I chosen this board because is easy to access to, easy to solder too and no components to accidentally burn
Thank you tons for the photo and fast reply - I’m looking into my TE now to prepare to work on it.
Your welcome
If you do not want to solder, you can always clip off a disconnect and crimp on a new disconnect that includes your ground line to the panel
Please post up your results after whatever change you make. I hate to be a negative nancy, but I sincerely dont believe it to be a grounding issue. But try it out, play the bejeesus out of it and see if it helps. If it doesn’t, please say so and I have an idea that may or may not help that I would like to see attempted.
Using resistors to slow down the current rush when the button is pressed, and use resistors to forcibly pull up the voltage, but to about 3 volts.
Is your stick modded at all? If so, please list what’s in it.
I was sort-of-thinking of the same thing, but I also want to see how it plays out. I didn’t see the harm the extra ground line would do.
It wont do any harm. I just wanted to make sure I was subscribed. Its a PITA to try and recreate the error for me.
My stick isn’t modded with anything that would affect wiring or current - just a gate change on the joystick. I’m about to start experimenting with the ground today.
i did a ground line from roundhouse to the metal panel at the bottom of the case.
i’ve recreated the problem a couple times successfully, but after i put on PC case feet, added a JLF ground to metal panel, i haven’t had the problem since.
i play both on my lap and on a surface.
it happened most when i played on my lap, but again, this is no where as concrete as toodle’s.
I’m sorry for the late reply. I had to replace the soldering iron. So we went ahead and here are the results:
A ground wire was soldered to an unused, open GND connector on the primary PCB that the USB cable connects to - we tried that first after taking a closer look at the internals. The other end of the wire was attached to a bolt post on the joystick assembly that ground the cable via the upper steel faceplate inside the case.
The result, after a month of use, is that it hasn’t glitched out again. No buttons have stopped working, and the stick has not disconnected from USB again. While it could be coincidence, previously it wouldn’t hold out from more than 2 days of regular play before glitching. So, I guess a month of use is a decent measurement.
Here’s hoping that it was indeed a ground issue and I’ll post again if it begins to fail and glitch out.