My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

[FortyTwo]

I don't have a PS2 or xbox, and I mostly play ITG2 on PC or stepmania. I was wondering, is it possible to pry open a simple usb game controller and use that instead of a ps2 controller and a ps2 - usb adaptor?

Would it be advisable to use a pad instead of a controller that also had usb support?
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I'm just your average DDR nub ^^

[ChilliumBromide]

I'd get a standalone USB numpad.
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I used to be active here lol

[slvrshdw]

@FortyTwo
just use a cheap USB controller, or a cheap USB numpad


@traydemark03
is it all 16 of the 2" stanley (the ones most like the arcade) brackets?
and how much would you want for them?
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[traydemark03]

[FortyTwo]

What about a simple usb keyboard? Would one of those work? I have 2 of those lying around.
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I'm just your average DDR nub ^^

[slvrshdw]

[NeoPerson]

I'm sorta going for the RipTide build but for the plexiglass, would 1/8 inch thick be okay? Or do I need to go for the 1/4 thick one.

[Weston]

No, 1/8" will bend too much and it'll be like playing on spaghetti.

[ChilliumBromide]

1/8" plexiglas is definitely not an option for DDR panels. 1/8" Lexan or 1/4" plexiglas would be some safe minimums. tx-1000's use 1/8" plexiglas, and I've got 3 cracked panels from the 6 months I had my two pads playing mostly 7's and 8's.
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I used to be active here lol

[slvrshdw]

if you do use 1/8" lexan, just make sure that you use a 1/4" piece of wood underneath it.

its not the best option, but it will work in a pinch, or if you cant afford the ~$40 on the thicker plexiglas
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[ChilliumBromide]

Is the Riptide pad the one on 2x4's? If so, then yeah, get at least 1/4", preferably lexan.

If the sensors are in the middle though, 1/8" Lexan is absolutely fine.
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I used to be active here lol

[StuartQF]

1 quick question about wiring up the controller from a Mad Catz Beat Pad for the 360.. When I press my buttons, sometimes it registers a press, sometimes not.. I've checked the buttons to make sure they're completing a circuit every time with my multimeter, and they are.

I'm assuming the ground is the underside of the pad, and the lead is the top? My controllor looks a little different than this one, I have the pads on top and bottom, and from what I can see, this only has one side?

(Image happily stolen from bunkerguts.com)
Maybe the guy from bunkerguts has some insight?

[ChilliumBromide]

Are your wires SOLDERED to the contacts? 'cause if they're just taped on or something, that would do it.
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I used to be active here lol

[StuartQF]

Yes, they are. I scraped the glue off and soldered them on pretty well. I'm pretty sure there is no accidental contact at the board, but I'll double check it anyway. There must be something I'm forgetting to check.

[ChilliumBromide]

Maybe the panels are being held down by something after you hit them? (ghost stepping)

The only other possibility I can think of is damaged wires. Are you sure all your wires are intact?

Also, are all your buttons have problems, or just one or two? 'cause if all of them are having issues, then the problem's in the design of the pad somewhere. If just one or two are, it's probably the wiring.
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I used to be active here lol

[StuartQF]

I checked all the wiring of buttons and switches from the pad to the controller, and they're all good, so I setup xbcd on my laptop and plugged the controller in so I could see when buttons registered a press, and then took a wire and held one end on the bottom side of the controllers circuit board, on the pad where I soldered, and took the other end to touch beside it, and it looks like the ground isn't the pad, it's next to it, but it'd be nice if someone who has wired this controller up before could chime in before I start sucking solder and re-soldering.

[kev0]

Well. I finally managed to find Acrylic (6mm) thick and Sheet steel, so I'm going to be prepared to make my homepad.

And while doing some planning I realised I have some problems.

The plywood I'll be using only comes in 15 mm.

As with my previous post, I am going to do with RipTide's design, but with the diags being only 15mm thick, and my 2 acrylics going to be 12 mm, I realised I only have 3 mm for the weather stripping. The weather stripping has to be at least half an inch thick (12mm), so doing some calculations, the panel is going to be too high up (24 mm in total).

Now with RipTide's design, I was wondering how did his panels end up being lower than the diags. His diags are made from 3/4 inch plywood, which is roughly 19mm. He used 1/2 inch weather stripping (12.5 mm) and 2 pieces of 0.55 mm acrylic. (23.5 mm)


(The empty space is going to be where I put my panel, and there's only 15 mm for 2 sheets of Acrylic and 1/2" weatherstripping

To my point. I wanted my panels to be under the diagonals (Is recessed the correct term?) And I was wondering how does Riptide make his panel under the diags? Is it because the acrylic pushes the weatherstripping down? Or the cornerbraces hold the panels down?

Eitherway, is 15mm Plywood GOING to work?

EDIT: I found something close enough to 2' by 4' woods. It's called Structural pine and it comes in 90mm by 35mm and costs $2 per metre. Knowing little about wood, would Pine work well in this project?

[devout]

[kev0]

Okay, I finally bought all my materials. Got a few of them cut already - Acrylic, Sheet metal, 84 by 84cm plywood and I just need to cut the panels before I can start assembling them.

But before I start, I just want to clarify on how to "ground" the wire. Basically, you get all the second wire from every control and wire them all at ONE ground on the controller.

Is that correct? The info of grounding was kind of unclear to me ._.

[Weston]

You seem to understand it. Take one of the two wires from each arrow panel and attach them all to a ground area on the controller curcuit board.