Best way to make controller

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:45 pm

OK well I'm working on my NESp right now and I'm wondering if there is a better/easier way to make a controller rather than bens. I don't have the tact switches and I read somewhere on here that someone suggested doing it a different way but now I cant' find that different way.... make sense?

Basically I'm going to have the D pad about 8 inches to the left of the start/select a/b buttons. I would also prefer to keep the original buttons and stuff from the controller rather than buying some cheesy buttons.

demonofaj · Post by **demonofaj** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:54 pm

Slice the controller board, in half almost, just don't split wires or IC or anything. Then scrape the dark green sunk down parts of the pcb, and you'll see the copper traces. Seeing it (for both sides) solder it back together with wire connecting the traces. Viola, Tu (something in french meaning work with -er conjurgation)-es le 're-wired' Nes Controller.

wallydawg · Post by **wallydawg** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:19 pm

you can also use two controllers, like that NEStable fellow did.

Yay clicky

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:34 pm

Well I guess I'm going to have to resolder the ICs back on because I already took them off both of my controllers. This is probably a stupid question, but I'm a newb. Should I use flux when soldering on the IC's and resistors etc? Bens book didn't say to use flux... but in my materials science class we always used flux... but thats for much bigger joints.

Weebl · Post by **Weebl** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:53 pm

I've found when doing controller work it really helps to use flux. When you scrape away the green covering, it seems that no matter how much you score the traces, they'll still be too slick to solder to.

That's where the flux comes in. What I do is put the flux on the trace, then tin the wire (heat the wire and apply solder to it so that the stranded wire takes in the solder and is much more solid). Then simply solder it to the trace. Good luck.

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:00 am

Weebl wrote:I've found when doing controller work it really helps to use flux. When you scrape away the green covering, it seems that no matter how much you score the traces, they'll still be too slick to solder to.

That's where the flux comes in. What I do is put the flux on the trace, then tin the wire (heat the wire and apply solder to it so that the stranded wire takes in the solder and is much more solid). Then simply solder it to the trace. Good luck.

I'll try that thanks for the tip! And one last question and I should be well on my way to completing this..... I've got all the unnecessary junk desoldered except the stupid power/rf box thing. Its like all the solder is off but that bugger is sittin on there rock solid! I've tried putting fresh solder on to mix with the old stuff and then removing that to no avail. I also tried a freakin 100 watt solder gun, STILL wouldn't budge. Do I need a magic wand?

Weebl · Post by **Weebl** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:05 am

I've never tried to do that myself, but I've heard other people have had troubles with it. There's directions on page 116 of the book if you have that, otherwise just let me know and I can type it in if you want. It seems that you'll need to pry it up while heating the tabs; simply desoldering isn't enough.

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:08 am

Yah due to lack of hands I had trouble doing that.. I was bending the bored and feared breaking something so I gave up for the time being. I'll wait until I can have an extra pair of hands in the process. (btw I do have the book)

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:13 pm

I'm just getting ready to scrape the PCB... what should I use to avoid damaging it? A file or something? Or just take a knife and work away at it?

Zzebotes13 · Post by **Zzebotes13** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:07 pm

i thinkn you can just scrape it off with a file or anything sharp. the copper should be strong enough. Some scratches shouldn't affect the way it works. Not to sure, so just chesck with someone else.

scherubino · Post by **scherubino** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:18 pm

ghost,

on getting the RF piece off, make sure you have desoldered the 5 pins holding it onto the motherboard first. Yuo can desolder the four corners all you want but if haven't desoldered those 5 spots in the center it wont budge.

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:53 pm

I desoldered the 5 pins first, and then the 4 holding things. Look. That rusty colored stuff, thats what I was talking about in the other thread. It was there when I opened the NES on a lot of the stuff.

This things just been sitting under my bed.... not stored in crappy conditions. Should I try cleaning it with rubbing alcohol? And in the picture it looks like theres a wee bit of solder left on there, I can't get it to melt! I've used my 15, 45 and 100 watt irons and the crap just won't melt!

scherubino · Post by **scherubino** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:01 am

mine didn't look much different. It actually looks like you got most of the solder out. Here's what you do: get a flathead screwdriver and get it wedged between the RF thing and the board. Without breaking it, apply the heat to each of the 4 points and slowly but surely pry it apart where you have the heat applied. Do one at a time applying pressure to the screwdriver the whole time. It should wedge apart.

I didn't get all the solder off on mine before I got the RF thing off. It looked like yours. But I wedged something in there and pryed it apart as I appled heat to each of the 4 corners.

Give that a try.

Ghost2520 · Post by **Ghost2520** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:28 am

ok thanks for the tip, I won't have time to do it until friday though.

Lan party tomorrow night.