/tech/ - Help a Stupid Newbie (Arcade Controller)

Name: Anonymous 2011-01-20 1:20

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a Pop n' Music (Arcade Rhythm Game) controller for my brothers birthday. I don't have any electronics experience but I managed to do everything pretty well until I decided to add LED lighting.

I followed this guide: http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=124114

^ It explains a lighting method for home built DDR pads but a Pop n' Music controller should basically be the same thing (it's just nine buttons instead of four, all are the same type of switch).

My problem is all of the buttons light up when pressed now but none of them register when plugged into a PS2 (START and SELECT register but neither of them needed diodes since they have no lights. If it helps, the START and SELECT buttons use a separate ground than the buttons I'm having problems with).

If anyone is interested in helping you should know that I haven't fried my controllers PCB (I can register button presses when I manually connect the contacts on the PCB, but not when pressing the controller buttons). Instead of soldering one positive and one ground for each switch on my PCB, I've soldered one positive to each and then used a barrier strip to split one ground into nine and then connect them to their respective switches (not sure if this matters at all).

If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it. I have pics and more info if needed of course.

Name: kevinxiao 2011-01-20 8:28

Name: jessica 2011-01-20 9:07

Name: Dennis 2011-02-07 17:43

Did you use 12v for the LED power? If so, did you use a diode to keep the 12v out of the controller circuit? If not, replace the controller board and try again, you probably blew it out.

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Name: Dennis 2011-02-08 9:49

So here's the picture of what your LED and button should look like:

http://imgur.com/D4Gqz

Now, since mine is old and a mess, I'll explain to try to make sense of each connection.

- The blue wire and the blue/white wire is just 12 volt power being daisy chained from one LED to the next. IT gets attached to one of the two LED leads.

- The ground (black wire) is your controller ground. leave it as is.

- The quick disconnect below that in the pic is the signal for the controller. It is normally attached to the middle prong of the switch, but I added a diode (1N4001 model) to prevent the 12 volts from the LED power from getting into the 5 volt control board and frying it. you put the diode between the controller plug and the middle prong as shown...make sure the stripe on the diode is facing the switch side.

Now, the middle prong gets another diode, also with the stripe facing it. Run that from the middle prong to the other LED prong (on the right in my pic. Then attach the LED power supply's ground to the controller boards ground (ground can touch, it doesn't matter) and you're all set.

if you need help, reply. i'll be watching this thread.

Help a Stupid Newbie (Arcade Controller)

1 Name: Anonymous 2011-01-20 1:20

2 Name: kevinxiao 2011-01-20 8:28

3 Name: jessica 2011-01-20 9:07

4 Name: Dennis 2011-02-07 17:43