I need help modding my 360 controller to be more accessible to me...

[sc0tthic]

Hello, I'm new on here which is likely going to be very obvious to most of you...

Here is my basic story I'm 30 and have been in a wheelchair since 10 due to muscular dystrophy...
My hands have more issues than I had with them a few years ago so its become hard to really play decently for any extended periods of time...
I tried a Mad Catz MicroCon wired controller since it was a good amount smaller. It didn't work as good for me as I had hoped, the analog sticks are stiffer and have smaller caps, it also had tighter shoulder buttons and how I hold it i tend to press the triggers accidentally... So I figured I would try to teach myself how to customize my own controller set up through modding...

Here is my goal,

1.) moving the right analog stick to be external from the control pad and making r3 a separate push button
2.) changing the left and right triggers to push buttons
3.) possibly moving the d-pad to also be external
4.) moving the back, start and guide buttons to a different location

Can anyone help guide me with how to properly wire these mods, since I am not sure which methods actually work?

It will be greatly appreciated so Thank you in advanced!


Scott

[[HoP]]

If you take some pictures of how you hold the controller (or have someone take the pictures) or if you made a video with what type of motion you are able to accomplish, I believe that the people here would be able to help you more greatly. The combined experience and expertise that we have here may come up with something that you never thought you could have.

I'm willing to help with whatever it is I can do. At the moment I'm not able to mod anything, however shortly I can.


Here is what im assuming based on issues that a friend of mine had.

1) extending fingers for long periods makes fingers less responsive/strong
2) minimal movement range would allow for better play
3) triggers would be best moved to the side of the controller, or the bottom (see pics)

Edit: Pics to come in a second.

Edit 2: Here are pics:






I'm taking a guess that you rest your palms/controller whilst playing. having the right switches can allow you to use the weight of your hands to press R1 and R2. (not sure how often you use them)

[[HoP]]

Edit: i moved the pics to my last post....

I'm verrrrrry tired, mind my roughness... I just saw the post and wanted to help. (just got my internet back!!!)

also, I don't particularly like Ben Heck.

[toadzilla]

A guy buy the name of Ben Heck makes things like this for people in situation such as yours. he has even taken request for projects.

http://benheck.com/for-sale

But doing it your self is always more fun, and you know better than any one what you need.

-gunner7553

some would take offense to this i find the dude to be a  overhyped over charging i know we have our own group who have taken request and have done it and donated it to the person if u look in the accessibility part theres a couple done in there

[gunner7553]

i only suggested Ben Heck because i seen a controller he had made in the past, that was just the first thing that popped in to my mind. and yes i have seen other controllers for people in his situation but none seemed to be all that great, where the one i seen was one controller split in to two, where you had half in each hand and used your lap to use the controls. and yes i don't much like him either but there are people there that do those mods too that he could get ideas from too.

-gunner7553

[toadzilla]

i only suggested Ben Heck because i seen a controller he had made in the past, that was just the first thing that popped in to my mind. and yes i have seen other controllers for people in his situation but none seemed to be all that great, where the one i seen was one controller split in to two, where you had half in each hand and used your lap to use the controls. and yes i don't much like him either but there are people there that do those mods too that he could get ideas from too.

-gunner7553

a option would be https://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php/board,315.0.html to look in there theres about 4or 5 the guys have done most by modded matt

[toadzilla]

trying to understand what he means by external off the controller or on the side off the front

[gunner7553]

Either or, what ever best fits him. I i just trying to give him ideas from thing that are already made.

-gunner7553

[sc0tthic]

I kind of think Heck is a bit of a douche myself and I don't want to pay a guy like 200-300 bucks to do cheap ass controller mods for me...
I can't totally do all my mods on my own but my bro in law is mostly a welder so he knows how to solder in case i can't pull off all the soldering stuff...
Basically what i really need to know is the easiest or best ways to wire up the board so i can either attach buttons to the controller or externalize things... I do have 2 videos I can link you to (keep in mind my hands aren't quite as tight as they were in the videos now)

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pIkgRvCBcJQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FbirlFoKlkw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[[HoP]]

are you able to use your pinky and ring fingers more then you used to be able to? is there motion in them for circular movements?

[toadzilla]

are you able to use your pinky and ring fingers more then you used to be able to? is there motion in them for circular movements?

yo hop remember matts controller he did were everything was moved to the back  with analogs i wonder would that work for scott?

[sc0tthic]

basically my biggest issues are lt, rb, r-stick/r3 and reaching the d-pad with my left thumb...

i wouldn't mind knowing how to rewire select, guide and start but i kind of know how to do that the easier way.
i can get around them enough though so they aren't important in the grand scheme of my mod needs...

my left hand/fingers are less messed up than my right... pretty much to simplify this for you guys to have better ideas...

 my left hand is more flexible than my right is so i pretty much can use all my fingers decent on the left side...

my right hand is more of a mess which was noticeable i'm sure but i can use my thumb, middle and pinky fingers pretty good my ring finger is pretty screwed up but i could press a mini button with it...


i'm going to be using mini push buttons for the buttons that are being added on and i have my supplies already...

so whatever you think i should know bring it on

Thanks guys!

[toadzilla]

this is just some ideas of what acid mods has done in the past

https://acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=32790.0

https://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=24546.0


im still trying to think of a good way to do it

[Rodent]

sc0tthic... I am sure someone here can help, and I give you alot of credit for pushing forward everyday. I would also recommend if your bro in law could maybe make you a stand that would hold the controller . seeing that you have it blocked up in the one video, I think that would help out with less movement of the controller for you and give you some stababilty. just an Idea.

Hopefully with the people of ACIDMODS we can all put our heads together and work something out to make you more comfortable and easier to use controller.

[802Chives]

Hey Scotthic,   Sounds like you are looking for technical information about modifying an xbox 360 controller?

Basically there are two styles mother boards for the 360 controller, for modding one works better then another.  The style mother board the works best for modding is called a Common Ground, or CG.  CG style mother boards are simple in that the digital buttons are activated by a connection to ground or more simply one common line for each of the buttons.  The other style is called a matrix and there are several common lines to deal with, which can still work for simple button duplication mods, but is less desirable because of the added complexity.

ModdedMatt is an admin on acid mods and his work has been mentioned earlier in this thread, one of his mods takes a CG controller and adds jacks for all digital buttons so that an alternative button  can be plugged in, whether its a pedal or simple lever switch:

https://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php/topic,38944.msg291149.html#msg291149

soldering to traces on the 360 controller board can be difficult, however with the use of correct tools (fiberglass brush) you can easily scrape the protective layer from the board and expose the bare traces.  Also some the buttons are easier to grab by scraping the edge of the black contact pads that the buttons make connection with.

Take a look around in this section at the stickied topics and also have a look at the accessability section to get a better idea of what you need help with.  Feel free to make another post in acccessablility section if you have any specific requests of the AM community whether it be actualy manufacture or just looking for specific ideas.

good luck 

[sc0tthic]

Guys I really don't need new ideas for layouts as much as I need help with a diagram on how to correctly wire up the shoulder buttons, triggers, d-pad and right analog stick and stick clicks, it looks like my board is a wireless matrix (1)...

I can fully use the left analog stick, the a b x y buttons where they are by default...
I know how to add wires to have select, guide and start have duplicate buttons...
I likely will attach something to the back of the controller to keep it propped up for me...


I can handle just adding some mini push buttons to the controller shell and having wires that come out of it that attach to an externalized d-pad and r stick for now...

I ideally would go for something a bit more complex and not needing the controller shell, but as long as I can play most of my old games again and get use of some new ones its good enough for me...

[hyper999]

Essentially to add a new button solder wires from the either side of the old button (RB .etc) to either side of the new button, you can leave the old button on the board and just solder to the same places as the original button was.

For moving the analogues you will have to desolder them from the board and completely remove them (quite tricky) then just solder wires from the pins of the analogue you just desoldered, to the holes where the pins used to be soldered.

all you are really doing is extending connections.

[sc0tthic]

Here is basically what I'm looking to do to my controller...

http://www.sc0tthiccreati0ns.com/sccustomcontrollerdsgn.png


and can anyone verify if these are the correct points to solder to on the board

http://www.sc0tthiccreati0ns.com/x360pcb_y_or_n.png

[Modded Matt]

sorry man I have been away on a business trip. These guys are just trying to help. guys, pay attention to the posts if you are going to try and help someone. This man knows what he wants and almost knows the way to do it. He needs information, not ideas. I will give you most of the info you need, and if there is anything else, please just let me know.

Chives explained the differences between how to mod the controllers. While modding the CG controller is 10 times easier for the reasons listed, the matrix controller can be modded for button relocation also.

you have it basically right, the way you are moving the start, guide and back buttons, will be the same method used for relocating any of the other BUTTONS on the controller. (buttons=a,b,x,y,up,down,left,right,back,start,guide,Leftclick,rightclick,left bumper,rightbumper.)

the other functions are three pole pots. (pots: lefttrigger,righttrigger,left stick y and x axis, right stick y and x axis.) for the stick movement you need to extend both axis pots, (six wires for each stick)  the clicks are tact switches mounted to the sticks (4 wires each stick) so you have 10 total wires per stick to remove them. to use a pushbutton for the click, you only need one set of the tact switches. let me know if I lost you here.

the triggers can be forced by applying ground to the bottom pin. they will no longer be pressure sensitive they will be all on or all off. (like a push button) to use push buttons for the triggers, wire your push button to the middle pin and bottom pin.

I am tired and jet lagged so it may not be all there but most of the info you need is there.

I have two other mods on my desk at the moment, and a custom viking coming up for keylaykeys. but I will answer any questions you need.

tips:
see where i marked my contact points? at the extreme top and bottom of the pads. you do this so it wont affect the way the stock button feels.

the triggers can be made easier to press by trimming the springs.

dont over heat the controller, use a solder wick or solder sucker to remove the factory solder.

[1TONpete]

Have you thought about an arcade style stick... sorry to but in with new layouts, off your request. Just an idea. As I have a friend w M.S. and he can play quite well with arcade style sticks.

[sc0tthic]

M.S. and M.D aren't really a like and arcade sticks only are good for arcade and fighting games really...

Thanks for trying to be helpful though...

[totolia]

You can use a nuchaku the Wii. If so poker is not one to tailor the right of control

[sc0tthic]

what the f_ck! was that even in english?

[Rodent]

  thats what i thought , i wasnt sure thought.

[1TONpete]

he's using a translator guys.
sc0tthic - My comment about the arcade "style " stick, was about these analog sticks i have been modding. Not an arcade joystick. Basically modding the analog stick to be more like a joystick. But w/e. I'll go through and read back over your thread. If there is anything I can do let me know.
Idea for your dpad problem, if you use a 4/5way microswitch, you can use that like a dpad and it like taking 5 buttons and turning it into one. push the button/nob/hat/nub left it dpad left ... etc. 5 way gives you a push down also.
For externalizing stuff like analogs... svideo plugs work well for analog signals. Put a female end wired up to the controller and have your external analog wired up with a standard svideo wire.
If you can reach abxy ok, have you thought about a comm switch? ie using abxy as a dpad also by installing a "shift" button wired to the comm for dpad. This idea will only work on non cg controllers.

[Rodent]

Oh yea sorry i forgot, I  read that in the other thread, SO SORRY!!!

[durban65]

I reliable a Mad Catz MicroCon bugged mechanism since it was a upright quantity smaller. It didn't make as fortunate for me as I had hoped, the similarity sticks are stiffer and somebody small caps, it also had tighter margin buttons and how I bear it i tend to force the triggers unexpectedly... So I figured I would try to blackbeard myself how to make my own somebody set up finished modding...

[SixtyninNaMoose]

Hey Scotthic, I have Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and have slowly lost the ability to use an xbox controller. I like you continued try'n to use different controllers that fit my hands, never found one because their just not made for the disabled gamer. So I set out to learn how to rewire the buttons/thumb sticks to accommodate the tightness in my hands, my hands held on to the controller very similar to the way you currently do. However it's to strenuous to play for long periods of gaming and eventually it just becomes to difficult to make your hands do what they don't want to do. So I took the circuit board out of the case and rewired everything to be re-positioned externally, I positioned everything to fit my hands natural positioning. my right hand more flexible than my left hand, so made most of the buttons usable by my right hand. Now I've had my current set-up for a little over a year and its still comfortable to me, however my hands have gotten a lil weaker. So I asked the great modders of acidmods to help me make it a little more accessible and cleaner.lol So We decided to use 5-way switches to allow more function with less extension of the fingers/less hand movement. Also I'm sure your aware that the preset button layout don't always suit our needs, so we came up with a switch box that allows you to make whatever button you want do whatever you want depending on the game.


Now I know you may not need new idea's/layout right now and you already know what you want. I say do your idea now so you can still play now, but I strongly urge you to do what I did. Do it in your own way, do it to where it fits your needs and stop try'n to force your  hands to do what they dont want to do. If you completely rebuild a controller to completely fit your needs now your gaming skill will shoot up and you can play longer.

Please just consider what I'm suggesting, I'm not saying you shouldn't try your mod, do your mod however I think you should make it easier on yourself sooner is better than later. Here's my thread that is still in progress:

https://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php/topic,39888.0.html     

[bladexj]

About miniature controllers, I found this new one thats coming out from a company i saw at pax prime.

http://www.powera.com/products/details/775

I've seen people mention the need for this. And it was in the first post. This controller might be helpful
with minimal modding. It's supposed to come out in a few weeks. I have tried it and the sticks are pretty
easy to use. But the triggers and d-pad may be a bit hard to use.

Sorry this might be off topic for this thread, just thought it might
be helpful for someone.

[hamberg54]

I reliable a Mad Catz MicroCon stiffened person since it was a saintlike quantity smaller. It didn't utilize as salutary for me as I had hoped, the analog sticks are stiffer and tally smaller caps, it also had tighter berm buttons and how I hold it i lean to pressing the triggers accidentally... So I figured I would try to inform myself how to construct my own human set up through modding...



Geo Power Steering Gear Box