XBOX 360 controller complete lighting Tutorial
By Spurgurgle
Hi there, ok so I’ve broken this tutorial down into smaller sections to make it a bit easier to use. But by the end you should have a controller that looks something like this:
XBOX 360 controller LED change and RF indication light
Introduction In this tutorial I'll be covering how to remove and replace your Xbox 360 controller ROL leds and how to add a second LED to the player 4 contacts to act as a different color RF indication light.
Parts Needed - 5x 0603 leds
- 1x Xbox 360 controller
Tools Needed - Fine Tipped Solder Iron
- good quality tweezers/ small needle nose pliers
- Torx screwdriver depending on your controller
Difficulty rating: 2/5
Average Time to Complete: 05-15mins
Notes:-Be careful picking up the leds in tweezers as they can easily fling out across the room.
-Be careful not to use too much heat on the leds as they are sensitive.
Step By Step Tutorial 1- Watch this Acidmods video by Treemty on how to take your controller apart.
Xbox 360 Wireless controller disassembly video tutorial 2- Identify what controller type you have. Use this thread:
https://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=24699.0 thanks goes to Gameroms
3- Use these diagrams below to check + / - for your LED's and controller
This the CG pad type, the - side of the contacts is marked by the white line and dot at 1 end of the LED.
This is a matrix pad type, the - side is marked by the point on the triangle that is in-between the two contacts for the led you can see it until the led is removed.
So I have marked all the contacts in this picture.
In this picture you see the underside of you LED's some types have a small triangle other have a T on them. Use these 3 pictures to work out which way round you leds will go.
4- Removing the original leds. First make sure your soldering iron has a nice fine tip on it. (use a file if necessary to file a better tip onto it.) Then prime your soldering iron with a large enough ball of solder to flood one of the led.
Now your iron is ready carefully flood the led with the solder ball make sure it is touching both contacts on the led (add more solder if needed but not to much as it'll get messy) and with very little pressure slide the LED off
5- Now clean the excess solder from the contacts so there flat (again don’t apply to much pressure else you'll damage/rip off the contact) The pads should look something like this:
6- Carefully remove the packaging from your leds and pick 1 up using the tweezers the hold it in place over the contacts. check the + / - to make sure it's going the right way. + goes to + and - goes to -.
Now carefully with a small amount of solder on your soldering tip, touch it to the contact at 1 end of the led to tack it in place, let the solder cool and pull away the tweezers. it should stay there (if not pick it up and try again but be careful not to use to much heat on them. (You want to be doing quick soft touches,with your soldering iron not long holds as this will damage the leds.), now touch the other contact and there you go! You should have successfully changed a ROL led.
7-Test each led as you go, and repeat step 6 on all 4 of the leds then test again.
Now onto different color Rapid fire indication light. This is rather simple to do.
Just get another color led and connect it to the right hand side of the player 4 led, check the + / - and make sure it matches to the contact on you PCB *on matrix + side of led to + contact *on CG - side of led to - contact (Note: there both on the right hand side for player 4)
FAQ/ Troubleshooting If the leds don’t not turn on. - Use a battery to test the polarity of the led is correct. i.e. + to + and - to -
- Make sure the contacts are not damaged (if they are follow the trace's back top through the via's and bridge with a wire like in this picture.
)
- Make sure there is power to the controller and that it is turned on.
Ok so that is the ring of light now onto light the dome
Lit Dome/Guide button
Introduction In this section of the tutorial we'll be covering how to light up you dome/guide button using 5mm leds.
Parts Needed - 2x 5mm leds
- Resistor (depending on led used.
- 30awg wire
- Bread board
Tools Needed - Solder Iron
- Hot glue gun
- 7-10mm drill
- Wire cutters
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Average Time to Complete: 15-45mins
Notes: Take extra care drilling the button.
Step By Step Tutorial 1- After taking your controller apart using the above guide, solder 2 3inch pieces of wire to a small piece of breadboard.
2- Now glue your breadboard in place on your controller using the hot glue...
(As you can see on this controller I have a rapid fire chip already installed so I just glued the new breadboard over it making sure there is no shorting out of the chip. You don't have to do this if you don't want to)
3- Connect the 2 wires from the breadboard on to the ground and VVD. The pad type im using is CG but I also use these connections on matrix pads as they don’t have a switched 3v.
4- Clamp your dome in a pair of pliers
And carefully drill out the inside. I used a 7mm drill bit for this but had to move it a bit to get the whole insides out.
Once you’re happy with the drilling cut a small notch in the larger of the 2 tabs on the side of the button to move the wires through.
5-Take your two 5mm leds (Other sizes and types of leds can be used I just like 5mm because they are cheap and easy to get) bend the legs on both in the same direction then solder them together. and solder on two 3inch pieces of wire to them
6- Now check if your leds fit inside the button. (if they don't drill out /shave out a bit more of it..) and check that they are working with a battery. Then fill half the button with hot glue and press in the leds making sure they are point straight down into the buttons (Any slant on them will result in a badly lit dome.) Once you’re happy with the led placement fill the button with glue up to the height of the original plastic X. If you go too high the button will be stiff and too low means you have to push the button further.
The finished button should look like this:
7- Now check the polarity of your bread board and lit dome then solder the wires in place on the bread board
FAQ/ TroubleshootingIf the led's aren’t lighting up - Check the polarity of the leds using a battery
- Test the leds with another power source
- Check for any short circuits
Trigger lights
Introduction this is the part of my tutorial on how to back light your triggers or light up triggers (if there transparent)
Parts Needed - 2x5mm leds
- a resistor or 2 if required for your leds.
- 30awg wire
Tools Needed - Solder Iron
- hot glue gun
- wire cutters
Difficulty rating: 1/5
Average Time to Complete: 5-15mins
Notes: be careful gluing the leds in place as they may foul up on the case..
Step By Step Tutorial 1- take you 2 leds bend the legs as shown below then solder 3-4inches of wire to them
2- now use you hot glue gun to glue the leds in place. take care not to get glue under the trigger parts
3- test and connect you wires. for the right trigger use the breadboard installed earlier in the dome mod.
and for the left use the same vvd and ground that we connected the breadboard to
Here's this mod done:
FAQ/ Troubleshooting - if the triggers are sticking, check no glue is in the way.
- if the leds aren’t working check the polarity, test on a battery. and check for shorts.
ABXY lighting tutorial
Introduction in this section I will be showing you how to light your ABXY using 5mm white leds...
Parts Needed - 4x white 5mm leds
- resistor if on a wired controller.
- 30awg wire
Tools Needed - Solder Iron
- hot glue gun
- 7mm drill
- a sharp knife I use a Stanley knife
- wire cutters
- pliers
Difficulty rating: 4/5
Average Time to Complete: 30-60mins
Notes: note be very careful when cutting or drilling the buttons.
Step By Step Tutorial 1- take you four 5mm white leds and solder on 2-3 inches of wire to the base of each led the trim off the excess leg material.
2- now carefully clamp your ABXY buttons in a pair of pliers and use your 7mm drill to remove most of the white plastic.. you want to leave a thin layer of it.. this way your buttons still look stock when the mod is turned off.
3- cut notches in to your buttons using a sharp knife. on A and X cut the notch above the largest sized tabs and for Y and B cut the notches above the middle sized tabs
4-glue the leds in the button.... ok first test fit the leds then half fill the button with glue. insert the led down most of the way.. make sure it is below the white plastic. make sure the wires run through the notch’s you cut. then fill the button up to the top of the white plastic with hot glue and use the other end of your drill bit to push it down flat with the white plastic..
5- ok now test the polarity of each button. and wire them to the bread board we installed in the dome guide.
your finished buttons should look like this:
now carefully close up your pad making sure none of the wires get in the way of the pad closing....
FAQ/ Troubleshooting - if the buttons are to stiff or to soft check the build up of glue in them as it may be too high or low... it should be build up to the same height as the standard plastic..
- if the leds aren’t working check the polarity, test on a battery. and check for shorts.
Lit start and back buttons
Introduction in this part of the tutorial I will be showing you how to light the start and back buttons.
Parts Needed - 4x0603 smd leds
- some 30awg wire
- a resistor if required for your leds.
Tools Needed - Solder iron
- wire cutters
- 3mm drill
- hot glue gun
Difficulty rating: 4.5/5
Average Time to Complete: 30-45mins
Notes: this can be very tricky to get right as you will be soldering smd leds to wires and drill a small hole down the center of your start and back buttons.
Step By Step Tutorial 1- take 2 of your leds and lay them upside down, side by side. I used a blob of blue tack to hold them still then solder a 3-4 inch piece of wire across each set of contacts. carefully twist the 2 wires together test. and apply a small amount of hot glue for strength
then repeat for the other 2 led's 2- now take you buttons first cut a dip into the center of each to guide your drill bit then very carefully drill out the center make sure you don’t go too far check it as you go buy holding it up to a light and see if you can see the light shinning through.
once the inside of your button looks like this cut a small groove for the wires to run through in each button then half fill with hot glue insert you leds and fill level to the top of the button.
3- now check the polarity of each led and run the wire to the bread board used through out this tutorial. make sure you get the button round the right way. then trim them off and solder them to the bread board
ok now carefully close up your controller making sure all the buttons are going in correct and none of the wires are in the way.. use a small screwdriver to push them in place if need be.
and your done enjoy your new lit controller
FAQ/ Troubleshooting- if the leds aren’t working check the polarity, test on a battery. And check for shorts.
- if you have trouble closing the finished controller check the wires aren’t in the way. Use a small screw driver to move them into place
Tutorial courtesy of Spurgurgle
https://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=15159[/list]
