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[Nillaz]

QUOTE(RDC @ Dec 28 2008, 10:09 PM)

Post #14 and #16 in this thread describe what needs to be done on PS3 controllers with the 4 leg POTs. You'll have to pull the POTs (not the whole stick, just the POTs) bend the signal leads up and and then rewire it to LG, SP or LG-SP. It's kinda 'old school' as it's basically just pulling the part and rewiring it to where ya need, but it doesn't involve trace cutting and on those board versions it's the easiest way to go about it. The only thing to be careful with is make SURE ya have the things desoldered really good before trying to remove them. It doesn't take much to rip out a Via on those boards and then it's way more of a mess to straighten out.

The next one I get to do I'll get some after shots of it to illustrate it a lot better, but ya should be able to get it rewired for SP from the description.

Hey RDC great work! I have one of the original ds3 controllers (VX-1.03) and want to do the legacy mod (just sticks, no clicks). I understand that for southpaw you just pull the POTs, bend the leads and rewire all of them to their corresponding opposite on the other side, but when you have a moment can you show me which leads need to be swapped just for legacy? All of the diagrams in this thread and talk about the tops of the POTs, bottom of the POTs, etc. has my head kind of swimming here. I've done this with original xbox and 360 controllers, but for some reason these new sticks with 4 legged POTs are not intuitive to me.  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/uhh.gif)

My controller:

(IMG:http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/RDCXBG/PS3%20Six-Axis%20and%20DS3/MSU_VX103Bottom.jpg)

BTW I've also been kicking around the idea of making a PS360 controller. I was going to follow Ben Heckendorn's method and do it myself on the cheap, but I think I like yours much better since it's so much cleaner...no mucking around with tact switches and hotglueing perfboard....but more importantly your method preserves the 'feel' of the 360 controller. If you're still doing this can you PM me a price? I understand that it'll cost a fair amount and frankly I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger on this but it would be nice to have some kind of ballpark figure so I can plan my expenses accordingly.

Much thanks in advance,
~ Nillaz

[RDC]

For Legacy ya only do the X-Axis POTs, the Left/Right ones.

You'll need to remove them from the board first (just the POTs, not the whole stick) and I can't stress enough that ya have to be very careful doing so. Those things are nothing like doing a 360 controller and tearing out a Via can be done pretty easily and then you'll have a real mess to straighten out, so make sure all 4 leads of each POT you're working on is completely desoldered before trying to remove it from the stick, likewise don't use so much heat ya end up torching the small traces either. Flow a little bit of new solder onto the joints also before trying to remove the solder, that will really help in getting it all out of there and be prepared to really turn the heat up to get the ground lead desoldered.

Once ya have the X-axis POTs removed bend the Signal leads up, leave the Voltage/Ground ones like they are. Then wire the Signal leads up with some 30awg Kynar/Wrappping wire (around 3in / 7.5cm in length) and then feed those wires thru the holes where the Signal leads were and reinstall the POT. At this point it may seem like all ya have to do is wire up the one side to the other, but because the sticks are mirrored if ya do that the directions will be inverted, so ya have to 'cross' how ya wire the one side to the other. The outside leads (the wires) of the POTs will go to the inside trace on the board of the other POT and likewise the inside leads go to the outside traces, and that's about it. Don't forget to resolder the Voltage/Ground leads of the POTs after putting them back in.


PM sent about the PS360 as well.

[Nillaz]

Thanks for the info RDC it's invaluable!

I learned the hard way about tearing up vias the first time I attempted a controller mod years ago. The resulting soldering of jumpers taught me quite a lesson about the virtues of patience. I'm glad it happened then since it forced me to improve my soldering skills before I moved on to messing with more expensive equipment. Investing in 15, 40, and 60 watt irons certainly helped as well.  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Nillaz]

Finally got around to doing this today. I've just finished up with my legacy mod and it works flawlessly. The POT's came off surprisingly well. I dumped a little bit of solder on the leads and using a 25 watt iron it just came off like butter. I used a bit of braid to clean up the excess solder left on the board. I can see how someone could damage the traces on the board with a clumsy hand or little soldering experience but for me it just went off without a hitch.

OK I'm lying I did run into one issue.....I followed the wiring diagram in post #14 exactly and when I was finished left and right on the left thumbstick were reversed when I began testing....i.e if you pressed left on the stick I turned right on screen and vice versa, but only on the left stick. I went back and checked my connections to make sure I hadn't reversed them by accident and.....I did not! So I just shrugged, desoldered those two wires again and hooked them up in reverse and now everything is great.

Probably the worst part of doing this mod had nothing to do with the soldering itself. The worst part was trying to get the shell back together again snug with those stupid plastic inserts Sony is using between the shoulder buttons. It sucks that the new revision board has fewer tp's, but I bet the new shell revision that did away with those inserts is going to make life easier in the future.  

Anyways sorry to get off track there. Just wanted to relay how it turned out and say thanks to RDC once again for the info maybe now I can actually enjoy gaming on my PS3 (or as I lovingly call it, my George Foreman Grill).

I keep getting hammered with home repair B.S. so my PS360 controller is getting pushed further and further away, but I'll contact you when I can get going on it and we'll figure out pricing/logistics.  

~ Nillaz

[RDC]

The best way to get the PS3 controller back together is to leave the L1/R1 buttons out of it until ya have the rest of it together, they just snap right in after the controller is together, makes messing with those center pieces easier. On the latest version controller they redesigned it and did away with them.

The wiring has to be crossed (reversed) to work, but they don't have to physically cross to pull that off, outside lead to inside trace, inside lead to outside trace and so on, so in that pic it's..

X-Axis (Do only for Legacy)

Light Green - LS Outside Lead to RS Inside Trace

Green - RS Inside Lead to LS Outside Trace

Violet - RS Outside Lead to LS Inside Trace

Pink - LS Inside Lead to RS Outside Trace

Y-Axis (Do only for Legacy Southpaw)

Light Blue - LS Inside Lead to RS Outside Trace

Blue - RS Outside Lead to LS Inside Trace

Magenta - LS Outside Lead to RS Inside Trace

Red - RS Inside Lead to LS Outside Trace


Do BOTH X-Axis and Y-Axis for Southpaw




The Gray/White are for the Sticks buttons and it really depends on which version of controller ya have as to the best way to go about swapping them around, but traces do have to be cut for that to get them swapped.