Thread: How To Add Custom LED's To Arcade Stick!

This is my first tutorial. I hope you guys enjoy this. I actually did more then this on my fight-stick, but I only had pics of this. I finally completed my project and its a MadCatz Tournament Edition Fight-stick. Originally for a PS3. I dual modded the stick so you can use it for xbox 360. I hacked the xbox pad, and parallel linked it with the ps3 buttons. I also had to get a special inverter chip for the trigger buttons. As those buttons are not digital but analog. So I had to special order some parts to get this done. All and all, it came out quite well. I also got some LED boards, LED Controller, and a hollow drive shaft with a color changing LED for the balltop.

*First off, lets look at the buttons. These are seimetsu PS-14-KN Purple and Blue Buttons. This also lets you to put artwork inside the buttons for a more appealing look. Here I took the plunger out having to install the led board.



*Second, You have to drill holes in the back of the buttons to let some wire through for the LED Board. If you choose another way, the buttons will get stuck, so you have to drill holes. I have tried about every other way routing it to the side, but no go. Just cut drill holes on the bottom of the button.



*Okay. So I got 8 Led Boards. They don't have wires connected to them when you buy them. So you have to connect some wires. I use 24AWG single stranded copper wire. I use red for VCC, which is actually 5 volts, or power, and I use green, for GROUND. Do not get these mixed up. You can use any color of wires you have, just don't get them mixed up. I also have a expensive soldering station. Its a constant stable soldering iron, with a small tip. I set the temperature to 350* Fahrenheit. This is the temperature I solder at all the time. Its the best because it melts the solder in less then a second, cools off, and holds. Try not to stay on the pad for longer then 5 seconds. You will take off the copper pad. Also make sure you DO NOT Connect the VCC and Ground by making a soldering bridge or splash. Always check connections with a multimeter, making sure they are not connected.






*Okay, time to put this board inside the button. Just grab the wires, and route it through the holes your drilled. The wires are color coded, so you wont get confused. You can push it in with a cotton swap or something soft so you don't break or scratch the LED board while pushing it in. Make sure you get it all the way down, because you will get caught with the plunger if not all the way down. Its going to hit and cause shorts if its hitting the wire. Plunger is the actual button that's going down hitting the switch, the part we are working on is the Button Housing in lam-en's term.




*Time to work on the LED Controller Board. This set comes with 5 resistors, Chip Holder, and Chip. It does not come pre-assembled so you gotta place them in the correct order. Make sure you get the notch correct on the holder and chip. Should be facing up. Leg 1 is going to the the first leg on the top left. So put the resistors in the correct place, turn it over and solder on the back side of the board. Correct way to solder is do the corners first so they wont move, and work you way in. I usually count to about 2 seconds to heat the pad and the leg of the resistor AT THE SAME TIME. Grab some solder, and it should melt right on it when you dab it. You should not melt the solder on the iron, and then go ahead and try to solder at the spot. You will get a cold solder joint, as you are not heating up the pads for it to stick to.




*Okay, now you should mount the buttons on the Arcade Stick. These are screw ins, so make sure you don't solder anything on the other side of the wire, because if you do, then you would have to desolder it to get the button screw in. Where you mount it is on a piece of steel, or main plate.




*Okay. Im just going to cover up the wiring on the LED. On the LED Controller their is a manual for the pin-outs on the buttons and signals. All in all, you would have to more wiring to get signal to each button. Their is a signal in and a signal out to the controller. You connect the button signal to the signal in, and the power of the LED board to the signal out of the board. Then you connect the ground to ground of USB. Their is also a power VCC on the board which will distribute power to all buttons. I also have a hollow shaft LED Ball Top which I connected too. After you connect all the wiring in the stick, make sure you write which ones you disconnected, and color. These you will connect to the button to get your button working, and is not the power the LED. After everything is done.. You should get this...



This is the LED's all installed. Their is a manual where you can control the dimness of the LED, you can control FADE effect, You can control Sparkle Effect, Play games like light's out. This board has alot of features in it. It has a manual where you can figure out the exact controls.

I hope you guys enjoyed my first tutorial, and more to come if you guys need more help. I am a experienced in video game hacking, repairing, installing, computer repair and install. Lol. Hmm. I dont know, just let me know on what would you guys liked helped on, and I will see if I can put up a tutorial for that.

You guy's are the best.

~InsanePinoyBoy

Wow, that's actually really cool. I have a TE Fight Stick as well, but for my 360. I play SSF4 religiously, lol. I really want to dual-mod my fight stick because I have a PS3 as well, and want to play Super on it. Makes no sense buying another fight stick, you know? Good tutorial though.

If your really interested, it might cost you about half the price of a new TE stick. I can put up a tutorial for that also. Its alittle harder, but I can if you really interested. Thanks for your reply! Have a good day!

~IPB

Thanks for the Sharing and Great Tutorial.
Though It's a bit difficult for me to find out the stuff here nearby but I would love doing that and would try to find out this material.As I love such stuff.And it would look Great.
Thanks once again for sharing.

Originally Posted by humbugthegreat

Thanks for the Sharing and Great Tutorial.
Though It's a bit difficult for me to find out the stuff here nearby but I would love doing that and would try to find out this material.As I love such stuff.And it would look Great.
Thanks once again for sharing.

ebay is your friend. Honestly i get half of my materials for mods from ebay sellers, usually the cheapest place to get it.

Good work IPB. :)

The final output is incredible, but that is some hard work. I'd rather spend the couple $ :D
Good share.