Print

[FmanFORPS3]

Thats a pretty good step-by-step tutorial.  I suggest maybe placing this in the FAQ sticky.  And when I eventually take mine apart, I'll take more pictures in case they're needed.

[GeKKoXP]

I've translated your Guide into german (LINK) and if anybody thinks it needs some Improvements don't hesitate to contact me .

[pablot]

theBloodShed: That led is definitely the wrong way around in your picture. I would suggest that you change it before someone breaks something.

Now, that pad is definitely for a resistor, not a capacitor. It connects to the leg of a MCU, so having a capacitor there makes no sense. The reason why there is no signal from the MCU is pretty evident. They didn't include the LED on the board so why should they control it from firmware? There really is no reason for it. So that is just a dead point. I guess you can use the led pads to easily mount the resistor and then use the resistor pad to patch in a wire to ground. It'll make a neat and clean install.

/pablot

[PDAIsAok]

QUOTE(aaquib2 @ Jan 7 2007, 03:10 PM)  

PDAisAok thanks a bunch for the help. Il try it soon, and if not, I'll most likely send it to you. Once again, that is very helpful, still confusing with all this melting and solder stuff, but your post is very helpful and educating. Thanks a lot! Oh yea, how much is all this going to cost (getting the parts like solder iron, solder, iron, led and other)

25w Soldering Iron  -  $10.00
5mm Blue LED (if thats what you want) - Anywhere from $0.75 to $5  (I paid $5 for one at RadioShack)
Solder - $2.50 (rosin core)
Wire - $2.00 (you could find it cheaper but thats for a spool I believe)
Snips or wire cutters - $2.50
Tiny screwdriver set  - $3.00
A knife - $0  Assuming you have one already


Total (with $5 overpriced LED from Radioshack)  $25  + tax
Total (with cheap ass online LED)  $20.75  + tax

[ebphondaprelude]

ok so I popped back open the controller again today to poke around and change a few things

1st here are some hi-res shots of the front and rear, i would post them here but they are pretty big pix, so here are links

 

Front

http://myacc.net/~eu...s3/pcbfront.JPG

Back

http://myacc.net/~eu...ps3/pbcback.JPG

 

 

2nd, I changed up a few things on the controller.

 A. Replaced 0603 led with a PLCC2 led

 B. Changed power source for controller posistion leds, and added a resistor

 

Here is a shot with the controller turned off, as you can see the PLCC is a lot bigger then the 0603 and is flat, it still only runs 2.8v but is much brighter. I could not find a switchable 3.7v source, all the 3.7v sources I found were always on no matter if the controller was on or off. heres what it looks like.



 

Next I covered the power contacts for the 4 indicator leds at the top, I soldered down all 4 ground points, then the bigger trace that is right under the leds but just above the black connector is 3.7v. so i picked that for my power source. Now since the leds on the top are turned off by the ground points it is ok to always give them constant power (as the original ones had constant power as well), I used a 22ohm resistor to bring down the power to about 3.3v. then a wire from the top of the resistor across all the top (positive) of the leds

here is a pic up close

 



 

 

So how much brighter is it you ask, well i would say now they look right, lets see

 



 

And last but not least the final product

 



 

 

 

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this thread i cant beleive it got so many views and got so big, and without all the help from the scene it wouldnt have been accomplished.

 

Stay tuned for more ;-)

[PDAIsAok]

QUOTE(aaquib2 @ Jan 7 2007, 05:48 PM)  

hey, how come pdaisaok's picture has 4 coloured wires and the other picture shown on this thread doesnt?

The PCB board will stay on with nothing connected to it besides the battery



Eb, Very Nice!  Did you use a different power source in order to get brighter LEDs for the SMDs?

[ebphondaprelude]

PDAIsAok - for the 4 indicator leds i used a 3.7v source, with a 22ohm resistor.  the PLCC i stuck with the 2.8v source cuz with the PLCC it was bright enough

[theBloodShed]

QUOTE(NeoSHODAN @ Jan 7 2007, 07:54 AM)  

Someone asked why I believe the empty pad is a resistor.  I'll avoid numerics and speak generally...  Makes things far easier for me.  Having a resistor there allows you to limit the current and the voltage that an LED is subjected to, allowing it to turn on without blowing up.  A capacitor, on the other hand, wouldn't have the same effect.  If a capacitor was placed in that position, it would block the power attempting to flow through the LED.  It would build up a charge instead of allowing electrons through, essentially cutting the LED off from a power source.

I know what a resistor and capacitor are.  Seriously, I'm not completely ignorant; I'm just no expert.  I've taken a couple classes and I've built small electonic projects from analog sound amplifiers to digital video encoders.  Anyway, since my image ended up being backward anyway, it's just a pass through for a positive feed to the IC.  It could be a resistor if the IC needs less than 2.8V but it could be a capacitor if the IC needs a more consistant power.  The positive side is always live.

QUOTE(pablot)

theBloodShed: That led is definitely the wrong way around in your picture. I would suggest that you change it before someone breaks something.

Yeah, I had already realized that after I actually tested the board.  Unfortunately, I made a new image but it looks like the forum doesn't allow post edits after a certain time.

QUOTE(pablot)

Now, that pad is definitely for a resistor, not a capacitor. It connects to the leg of a MCU, so having a capacitor there makes no sense. The reason why there is no signal from the MCU is pretty evident. They didn't include the LED on the board so why should they control it from firmware? There really is no reason for it. So that is just a dead point. I guess you can use the led pads to easily mount the resistor and then use the resistor pad to patch in a wire to ground. It'll make a neat and clean install.

You could be right, but without a datasheet for that IC there is no "definitely".  Hell, it could even be for a 0 ohm resistor making it nothing more than a bridge.  Anyway, it's true that the firmware on the chip may ignore that point completely.  It's too bad.

I did find this interesting document.  On page 8 they show the controller's mainboard and they took the metal casing off that chip.  The chip is labeled SCEI (Sony Computer Entertainment International I assume) and CSR.  It also looks like it has some flash memory and a built-in crystal oscillator.

[pablot]

QUOTE(theBloodShed @ Jan 8 2007, 02:45 AM)  

Yeah, I had already realized that after I actually tested the board.  Unfortunately, I made a new image but it looks like the forum doesn't allow post edits after a certain time.

You could be right, but without a datasheet for that IC there is no "definitely".  Hell, it could even be for a 0 ohm resistor making it nothing more than a bridge.  Anyway, it's true that the firmware on the chip may ignore that point completely.  It's too bad.

PM me the address to the new picture and I'll replace it for you (I can do that).

And well.. I work with electronics and that pin on the mcu is used to ground the LEDs. There is no reason for that component to be capacitor. It is definitely a resistor. It can be a 0ohms resistor if the voltage is right, but it is a resistor.

/pablot

[pablot]

uhm, we are not bitching. We are simply discussing the matter. If you read the whole thread you'll see that it has already been tried and it doesn't work since control of the LED is not implemented in the firmware.

/pablot

[ebphondaprelude]

funny how ppl jus start posting without reading the thread YES ITS BEEN TRIED resistor or not it doesnt work

[Pugsly0014]

Um.. I went back and read it again.  No one, and unless they took the post down has tried the following.


Adding a SMC 0603 LED to the spot labled LED5
adding a SMC resistor to the spot labled R35


I see where someone has added a LED to the spot labled LED5 but this pad is dead without also adding a resistor to the spot at R35.


Now... if the programmers did not remove the firmware implementing lighting up LED5 when charging, and when the battery is about to die thoes two parts would be the only thing needed.


I don't see any posts seeing where someone has added BOTH the LED (LED5) and the Resistor (R35) back onto the board.

This post has been edited by Pugsly0014: Jan 8 2007, 10:10 PM

[pablot]

QUOTE(theBloodShed @ Jan 7 2007, 01:20 AM)

Well, the left side is the positive 2.8V feed, so my picture is definitely backwards.  However, that point coming from the chip is dead regardless if the controller is on or off.  It doesn't apply ground or a positive voltage.  Something else is definitely missing.

QUOTE(Pugsly0014 @ Jan 8 2007, 09:38 PM)

Um.. I went back and read it again.  No one, and unless they took the post down has tried the following.
Adding a SMC 0603 LED to the spot labled LED5
adding a SMC resistor to the spot labled R35
I see where someone has added a LED to the spot labled LED5 but this pad is dead without also adding a resistor to the spot at R35.

that post pretty much covers it. The output from the MCU is hi-z, so it's like not connecting it to anything.

on the other hand... He could have just been measuring at a bad time. It might be on when charging or so, so yes. I guess that it could be useful if some one tries it. Didn't think of that scenario..

[9ks2k]

NB with your new setup the top 4 leds stay on con stantly? so u cant tell that controller is assignment? also unique leds dont ship to NJ?? i dont get it?

[ebphondaprelude]

QUOTE(9ks2k @ Jan 8 2007, 07:17 PM)

NB with your new setup the top 4 leds stay on con stantly? so u cant tell that controller is assignment? also unique leds dont ship to NJ?? i dont get it?

 

the top 4 leds turn off and you can tell the assignment :-)