Dead PS3 Controller?

[Gizmo613]

Hi guys, my older brother attempted to mod a ps3 controller with rapid fire last year. and the the controller stopped working. When the usb cable is plugged in the status led lights and blinks as if it is charging. But the problem is that none of the button are working. I had it at full charge and still nothing happens when the buttons are pressed.

Here are some pictures:

[FOOKz™]

Static electricity damage most likely. Probably a dead controller.

[Gizmo613]

Dang, not what I wanted but at least i have spare parts.

[RDC]

Make sure that small foam piece is in the Daughter board brace. It sits behind the contacts of the Daughterboard and presses it against the motherboard contacts when everything is together. If it's not there, then the connection between the Daughterboard and motherboard isn't made good enough and no buttons will work.

You'll also find it next to impossible to puke any IC from just handling it, unless you're messing with GaAs FETs or the like and treating them like crap, and when they're already soldered on a PCB it's pretty much impossible.

[FOOKz™]

You'll also find it next to impossible to puke any IC from just handling it, unless you're messing with GaAs FETs or the like and treating them like crap, and when they're already soldered on a PCB it's pretty much impossible.

This is only the case whom designed it actually did their job. Sony's PS3 controller is just your average design nothing really too impressive. A few passives that help protect it, possibly some ESD protection diodes inside the actual chip packages.

[RDC]

I've had more than a few PS3 controllers apart, as well as several other things that are far more and less complex, and never killed a one. Unless you're intentionally trying to frag the thing, or made a boo-boo and didn't fess up to it, it's near impossible to mess one up.

[Gizmo613]

My brother brought it to me this way and yes i made sure the foam piece is making contact. In fact, i even added a bit more foam to make sure it is making contact. Still none of the buttons are working. I am ordering a new flex piece to see if that is the problem, i don't want to spend any more time or money on this controller. Since there are different variation in the ps3 controller, is it safe to assume the flex cable piece is also different? Meaning certain flex only for certain boards? Thanks for your input guys!


Edit: FIXED!!!!!! so i called my brother and ask him what else he did to the controller and he said that he swaps the rubber conductive pads for the start button cause i "accidentally" burned it with the soldering iron. So i took a look at the replacement he bought and yup its the wrong one. I had a spare from his sons' destroyed ps3 controller and the pads line up and the controllers syncs and works no problems!!!!!!!!

[RDC]

The Daughter boards have slight variations, but will work for the most part on the different controllers. About the only thing that would make a Daughterboard fail is really, really filthy/corroded contacts or damaging the pull up resistors on it, or bending it so much it creased and severed a trace. If the thing has been apart for a year the contacts on the DB might be corroded up too much. You can take some really fine grit sandpaper (2000 or so) and lightly go over them a couple times at most, then clean with rubbing alcohol, but I've yet to see that ever make a difference even on older DBs than that.


Another thing you can to try, unless you're testing on the PC, is to turn your PS3 off from the switch in the back, then fire everything back up. Mine here (older phat version) will get really stupid sometimes and ignore the PS button on new controllers until that is done.