Replacing PSOne screen's tact switches with pots

[Kurt_]

I'm aware this has been posted before, but I haven't found one with a conclusive answer yet.

I want to replace the volume/brightness buttons with a gameboy-type dial. However, I don't think it would work if I just directly soldered a pot onto the tact switches (and which 2 out of 4 soldering spots would I choose?).

Has this been done? And How?

[Gamelver]

The PSone screen brightness/volume buttons are just that, buttons....so really, it's almost impossible to have them as a pot. You could mod a pot to have it be a switch on both sides, or something, but you can't have it like a normal volume control.

[Kurt_]

I jsut thought of something so incredibly simple it might work. And might free up that entire spot between the case and the PCB:

1) Turn the volume to max
2) Remove tact switches
3) Wire up a pot between the snes output and ps1 input

I'm pretty sure that would work. Brightness doesn't matter much, since I would always have it at 100%, so I can remove those too.

(I know I don't need to take them off, but I feel it saves a minute amount of space, and prevents accidental pressing, which could permantely affect the volume level if I do this simple mod)

[Turbo Tax 1.0]

yeah that should work i guess i reall7y dont know crap bout pots but it sounds like it would work

[madc0w]

you could also hook it up between the speakers and the board

[Kurt_]

But that would require 2 different pots for each speaker, wouldn't it?

[Turbo Tax 1.0]

no just one stereo pot

[Kurt_]

Both would work equally well, I'm assuming.

Am I wrong? You can pretty much do this on any line between the SNES and the speakers.

[Turbo Tax 1.0]

yeah i guess so

[daguuy]

keeping it on high volume and putting a pot on the speakers would be very inefficient so don't do it. just use buttons

[Super Mulletman]

Because the audio signal is amplified between the input signal and speakers, the speakers at max would have a lot more juice (comparitively) running through the pot than the initial audio line would. However since I assume you're using stereo, you would still need a stereo potentiometer (don't worry, they got'em at radioshack) for the left audio and right audio channels. Easy stuff, really.

EDIT: Also, there is in fact a benefit to using a pot, if only that it's easier to make a case that has one pot rather than 4 individual buttons.

[Gamelver]

also, you'd have to figure out the right kind of pot to use....a 10K one might be too much, for example. It may only require a tiny amount of turning before it turns off or something.

[Kurt_]

Why would it consume more batteries?

If I got a pot that had an "off" function, would that work?

(Y'no, the kind with that ever-so-satisfying "Click!" at the end of the turn)

[Turbo Tax 1.0]

because the amp in the screen would always be on high, notice how sometimes you get wavy lines when volume is way up. actually just try the pots what is it a couple seconds to wire and test its not like its a total dissapointment and waste of time if it doesnt work

[gannon]

I assume the buttons on the lcd just controll digital pots (never traced them), so you could replace the signals there.