
Edit: Now add 3DO (1player only, no daisy chain) and Dreamcast (no VMU support) to that list.
edit 2: Too lazy to update for Imp Version 2. That version autodetects. Here is another tutorial for it.
So many people have been wanting a tutorial or guide for the Ultimate Stick setup:
The RJ-45 MC Cthulhu + Imp + Xbox 360 Controller Dual mod.
The goal of this tutorial is to visually show how to wire up the PCBs, and provide links to other tutorials/info pages for the other needed info like making ethernet cables and hacking random Xbox 360 controller pcbs. I also must emphasize; I don’t recommend that you take this project on as your first joystick mod. As tempting as it sounds to get a stick like this setup, if you have no soldering experience, there is a good chance you will screw up and short a part of your PCB. Obviously do this at your own risk.
Parts:
MC Cthulhu
Xbox 360 Madcatz Fightpad PCB or Madcatz common ground Xbox 360 pad
Imp Kit (no usb jack) or DPDT switch
Soldering Iron 15-30 watt with a fine tip recommended
Soldering wire
Desoldering spring action pump. Just in case you mess up or need to remove solder
Digital Multimeter (cheap category I with audio continuity check)
Cat 5e cable or Cat 6
Neutrik RJ-45 pass through.
Switchcraft RJ-45(best for wood), or any RJ-45 (and 24mm drill bit, forstner or spade bit for wood, holesaw for metal)
Ethernet Jack crimper
Extension cables for systems you want
Stranded wire (reccommend 26 gauge stranded in as many colors you can find)
Drill free option Update:
Instead of a 24mm hole to mount a neutrik or switchcraft RJ-45 jack, you can feed the ethernet through a notch and use a ethernet coupler. Recently I modded a VLX but this can also be used with a TE or any stick with a cord notch. I didn’t want to drill into my VLX case so Instead I used an Ethernet coupler and hid that away in the cord compartment. I tied a knot in my ethernet cord so that the cord would not be pulled out of the notch used for the default usb cord.
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/rtdzign/VLX%20360/th_1b827ab6.jpg http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/rtdzign/VLX%20360/th_2cf280a1.jpg
Prerequisites!!!
First off I would have you also refer to the following tutorials for prerequisite knowledge information:
Know and understand everything about PCBs on slagcoin. I hope you have at least done one pad hack stick, or at the very least wired a plain old cthulhu by itself and have made a working stick.
http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring.html
The often referred to Bomberman Dual Mod Tutorial while awesome, it is specific to madcatz sticks Edit: Looks like the thread is lost forever. =(
Installing an MC Cthulhu and Imp in an Xbox 360 SF4 SE stick
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=184787
(Official MC Cthulhu forum)
The official Cthulhu/ChImp board thread
http://www.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=162026
(More info on how to make system cables)
My RJ-45 ver 2 rewrite with new console info.
(If you are using a regular madcatz pad)
How to padhack an 08/09 Madcatz 4716 Common Ground Xbox 360 Pad
For this Tutorial, You should already know basics such as hacking a common ground PCB or know how to hook up a cthulhu by itself. Go to slagcoin.com or the cthulhu thread because I won’t be going over that kind of basic info. In this diagram I am reccomending a Madcatz SF fight pad, for ease of hacking (especially of LT and RT) and nice PCB size. I have an MC Cthulhu board minus the componnents for the lables. You can use a Madcatz 4716, a Madcatz Retro Stick PCB, or a SE or TE PCB, you just have to know where the solder points are for those. Here are the signals for the 360 fightpad.


Step 1: Piggyback
In this step refer to theMC Cthulhu documentation paper that has the holes labeled. I first solder the A-H and 1-9 on the MC Cthulhu and solder it to the appropriate button signal on the xbox 360 according to the document. I use a multimeter to constantly continuity check, and use many colors of wire to help me out in labeling.
Alternately, you can also solder or screw into the button signals to the screw terminals on the MCC, it is electrically the same. This might be easier if you are dual modding a 360 TE.
Before you solder off that USB cable off of the Xbox 360 pad to solder on the Vcc, make sure you write down or draw or take a picture of what order of colors the USB cable attach to the PCB. If looking at if from the front left to right it should be red(VCC) White (D-) Green (D+) Black (Ground) if using the fighting pad pictured
Aside from piggybacking the buttons and directions, make sure that you also connect the Vcc (A on MC Cthulhu) to the Vcc (red cable on USB on x360 pad) .
For wiring Ground, I like using one of the big contacts on the dpad on the Xbox 360 and wire that to the MC Cthulhu (hole “C”. It says to wire to USB black wire on 360 pad and that is fine too. Since Grounds are common all over the board it doesn’t matter where you solder too so long as it is one of the common grounds)

Copied From Welcome Doc

This board is fully common ground, so can be used in dual pcb setups. The tight two rows of unlabeled points (labeled A-H and 1-9 in the image above, but unlabelled on the board itself) can be used as extra places to access the signal lines for making a dual pcb setup. The pinout and recommended connection to a MadCatz360 pad is below. This is an advanced mod, and NO help will be available to do this:
A - VCC. Connect to the spot the red wire from the 360 USB cable went
B - D-pad Down
C - Ground. Connect to the spot the black wire from the 360 USB cable went
D - Select
E - D-pad Right
F - Roundhouse/3rd Kick. Recommend at RB.
G - Fierce/3rd Punch. Recommend LB.
H - Jab/1st Punch.
1 - D-pad Up
2 - 4th Punch. Recommend RT.
3 - D-pad Left
4 - 4th Kick. Recommend LT
5 - Start
6 - 2nd Kick/Forward.
7 - 1st Kick/Short
8 - 2nd Punch/Strong
9 - Home/Guide
Of course to do it neatly I solder the wires to the back side away from the bottom and try to keep it neat.
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/rtdzign/MapleWithBalls/th_DSC03329-1.jpg
Step 2: D+ and D- to Imp
I am going to make MC Cthulhu Primary and Xbox 360 Secondary. You can switch it around if you want. The primary (MC Cthulhu) will be default, and holding Guide will use the xbox 360 PCB. I reccomend that you have a dedicated button for Guide/Home as opposed to Sel+Start = Guide/Home. I am not sure what happens when you set Select+Start to be Guide, because by default Sel+Start on bootup enters bootloader mode. And Guide on bootup switches to option 2.
Take the D- from the MC Cthulhu (in this case column D, row 1 pictured) and wire it to one of the “1 D-” on the Imp. Take the D+ (use column E, row 1) and wire that to the “1 D+” on the imp
Do the same for the xbox 360 but to “2 D-” and “2 D+”

(Option B) Step 2B: Wiring to DPDT switch.
Alternatively, You can use a “Dual Pole Dual Throw” or DPDT switch if you don’t want to use an Imp. You will have to drill a hole or cut a slot into your stick depending on what type of DPDT switch to mount the case. That or train a hamster to live inside your case to switch the DPDT for you, just be sure to clean the poop. If doing this step, skip step 3 and go straight to Step 4 option B. The imp was made for people that did not want to drill a hole in their stick or rework a wood case. Reworking a wood case takes some effort,tools and skills that some people don’t have.

Step 3: Connecting Ground, VCC, and Guide/Home to Imp
You can take the Ground from anywhere from either the Xbox 360 or MC Cthulhu, doesn’t matter, but here I’ll choose this screw terminal and solder that to the Ground.
Connect the VCC on the MC Cthulhu to the imp, I used A on the Piggy back connector holes, but the VCC screw terminal will work too. In the case I ever find an optical joystick that requires a 5+V Vcc at a reasonable price, I’ll keep the VCC screw terminal open.
Connect the Guide from the MC Cthulhu to imp. I chose to solder to 9 on the piggy back connector, but you can also use the home screw terminal or solder to the guide on Xbox 360.

Step 4: RJ-45
This is where it is gets hard to wrap your head around it. The Imp is used to control the D+ and D- from each pcb when using USB. So we wire all but two wires from the RJ-45 out jack to the MC Cthulhu. Those two wires we route to the output D+ and D- on the imp. I think the picture will explain it better. Once this is done you can plug the RJ-45 into the pass through port. If you are using a keystone jack then you have to punch down the wires into the proper terminals. Just so you know most Cat 5/6 cables are color ordered in type “B” layout as shown below, so make sure that you look into the end of your jack and the color layout matches up to what I got here.

(Option B) Step 4B- RJ 45 with a DPDT switch.
Wire the 5 (D-) and 6 (D+). The Blue/White wire should line up with the other two white wires and the green wire should line up to the other two green wires. The switch will only activate one pair of D+ or D- lines.

Step 5: Wire up your buttons and Joystick
Assuming you are attempting this mod you should already know how to wire up a joystick and buttons. Use the Screw terminals to the appropriate buttons and joystick connectors/harness wires. If you don’t know how to do this then I’m just going to point you to slagcoin.com and look up PCB and Wiring.
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring/custom_setup.png
Now look at the mess of wires. It is no wonder that despite there being a tutorial already, this mod is hard to follow.

Hi Res wiring Examples (some have variations in wiring but as illustrated above is best):
Dhalsim stick with 2009 pad with trigger invertors:
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/rtdzign/Dhalsim/th_DhalsimHiResGuts.jpg
Blue Aluminum Stick with 2007 Madcatz pad:
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/rtdzign/AluminumCNC_sticks/th_BlueAluminumHiRes.jpg
Using DPDT Switch with Retro PCB:
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/rtdzign/RedOctagons/th_AluminumStickHighResGuts_DPDT.jpg
Step 6: Make a cable
I am going to just refer to this thread:
RJ-45 Tutorial ver.2
My RJ-45 ver 2 rewrite with new console info. Skip to post 2 for the creating cables part. Look for the stop sign that reads “Making System Cables”

**Edit:Picture for Imp Version 2 **
Too lazy to do a step by step, but hopefully this pic will help out with the different changes. With the newer Imp Version 2 you get autodetection, so you don’t have to hold a button on plug in.
Taken from this thread by Bapex215

RJ-45 pinout.
