My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

Gemco23 · Basic Member Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Location: Ames, IA

Question for Y'all...

I just built a metal DDR pad ala Riptide's design, and something really stange happened. I just got it together, and I played a light song and full combo'ed it. Needless to say I was excited as crap that it worked. But then, I tried Rhythem and Police on standard, and halfway through my up and down arrows stopped working completely.

I took my pad apart and tried shorting the screws w/ a screwdriver to see if its was an alignment issue. Nothing. Neither the up or down arrow responded. Then I tried directly connecting (ala a wire) the contacts on the controller. Nothing. I can get the other buttons to work (left, right, select, start, X, O) but not up or down.

What could've caused the controller to work fine for a while, then burn itself up? Is it possibly bad wiring? Static buildup? Poor soldering (I admit I am a poor solderer)? I really have no idea.

Any input would be helpful. Thanks!

-Rich

tolookah · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 10:27 pm Post subject:

Gemco23 · Basic Member Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Location: Ames, IA

Oops.. thought I put that in my original post. I'm using a MadKatz controller. $5 @ Wal-mart.

hooded__paladin · Trick Member Joined: 10 Nov 2003

the biggest reason for controllers to suddenly stop working is static shock.
official sony dualshock 1's are good at shock resistance.

game3eak · Trick Member Joined: 17 Feb 2004

im also using a madkatz controller and i think that may have happend to me on the first one i cracked open. The up and down ones didnt respond at all but the left and right ones went crazy.

It could have been the paddle or i was having a hard time finding the ground so it could have been that.

Go back and look at everything you did. (if the points are still solderd on ect) and if you find nothing like i did than go buy another controller
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hooded__paladin · Trick Member Joined: 10 Nov 2003

yeah, check your soldering. Disconnect it from the pad to make sure it's not the arrow structure messing it up. If nothing else is wrong, it means your controller has been fried with static.

Gemco23 · Basic Member Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Location: Ames, IA

Well... the soldering looks fine, although I don't know. This is my first attempt at soldering EVER.

What causes static buildup and/or what's a good way to prevent it? Is it possibly my arrows aren't moving enough? They seem like they dont' have very much travel to them.

hooded__paladin · Trick Member Joined: 10 Nov 2003

My guess as to the source of static is the pieces of plexiglass rubbing together. I've noticed, when I opened them up and lift up the printed arrow graphic, that there is tons of static cling. Whether the plexiglass moves far up and down or not doesn't matter, because it bends in the middle and thus the two sheets move slightly. What you need is a new controller, and to put some low-value resistors at the ends of the wires to protect the board.

marsman57 · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 2:50 pm Post subject:

Hey guys, I don't know how many of you have done this with your homebuilt pads, but after frying a lot of controllers I finally decided to get out my old softpads and pull them apart. I realized that the controls to them are *much* better than any controller I've used. The contacts are huge, they seem designed to take more stress electrically than a normal controller. They also seem easier to put back together. I used an empty controller shell to run some pushbuttons (they fit perfect too, w00t) into it for X, Start, and Select. It really seemed to me to workout better. I know the cost is a little bit more, but I think it's worth it and who doesn't have a broken softpad sitting around (hint: the broken part is almost always in the pad itself and not the electronics box).

DDRdre · Trick Member Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Location: Fl

marsman57 · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:20 am Post subject:

I have not tried with an XBox pad, but I would assume it's the same particularly if you get one of those MadCatz pads for XBox.

DDRdre · Trick Member Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Location: Fl

I have a naki one
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Kamashi-Kun · Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2004 6:51 am Post subject:

A little off topic: I'm making a "universal" Dance pad. It will support P'nS,PIU,DDR,and DDRS. Will adding extra panels to the 4 panel design interfere with the function of the pad? and Is it dangerous to make a 9 panel dance pad?
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turtleboy · Basic Member Joined: 24 Mar 2004

I built my pad and when I was soldering some of the arrow connections to the controller, I noticed a few of the wires that connect to the board(from the cord that goes to the playstation) had broken off. I dont want to spen another 5 bucks if I can fix it, which I can if I can find out what wires go where. its a datel controller I bought at best buy, model PS1110D, if someone can e-mail me a pic of the connections([email protected]) or post the pic here I would be very grateful!

also,
Ill post pics of my finished pad as soon as I get the wiring done. I think it turned out pretty well.

turtleboy · Basic Member Joined: 24 Mar 2004

no one? I guess I have to bite the bullet and buy another controller

Cheshire Cat · Basic Member Joined: 26 Mar 2004

I'm pretty new to DDR, there aren't any arcades around here (that I know of) which have it, but I've enjoyed it in arcades a couple of times while traveling. Anyways, I got Ultramix bundled with a wireless pad recently, pretty much with the understanding that I'd need to build a decent hard pad eventually.

"Eventually" came in less than a week, with maybe 2 solid hours of play on the pad. Once I've verified that the electronics are still 100%, I'll start working on a platform, probably following RipTide's design. Otherwise, I suppose I'll get a cheap wired pad (so it'll still be a pad if I ever bother w/ Live) to use for parts....
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sexualsoybean · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 11:55 am Post subject:

Hey, I have a question..

I'm following Riptide's design, and he says to use .22" plexiglass..

I went to my local Home Depot and they didnt have .22", they had 3/16" which is = 0.1875 inch.. Will this affect my pad? Am i screwed?

Discoduck · Basic Member Joined: 27 Mar 2004

whoops, meant to start a new topic... sorry ^^ **edit**

DDRdre · Trick Member Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Location: Fl

Since no one here has built a DDR pad for xbox yet im gonna be the first one after i earn some money. I just have one question im gonna use a old soft pad to use as the control place w/e you call it. It is connected to the place where you plug the xbox live headphones if. I were to build it would that function still work?

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