360 controller cutting and rewiring?

[weaver]

Hey does any one have a tutorial or some pics of where I can cut my 360 controller board and where it needs to be rewired? I want to cut it into 2 pieces so one half is on each side of the portable im making. No it is not a 360 portable.

[weaver]

Somebody must know how to do this. Any help guys?

[gamer255]

i'm pretty sure you can cut where ever you just have to wire the traces.
Not completely sure

[weaver]

Alright Im going to give it a try tonight after work. Just got a new controller and a dremel today. Hopefully I don't break it because 360 controllers are not cheap.

[weaver]

Will a 360 controller work with the rumble packs unplugged and shoulder buttons pins removed?

[RDC]

Since you're wanting it cut in half you'll be breaking it no matter what, the trick is to get it broken how you want it.

If you're not using it on a 360, or for anything that needs a functional 360 controller, then you can hack it in half or cut it anywhere you feel like, and most of the components should be removed from the board as well as they will just cause issues loading down lines and such. Then just wire up the button contacts to your project accordingly. Just be aware of the button layout of your controller (Common Ground, Common Line, Matrix) versus what you're wiring it up to.

If you need it cut in half and have to keep the actual functioning of the 360 controller intact you're in for much, much more work, and only the Wired CL version is the one you'd want to try that on.

The Bumpers (LB/RB) are just Normally Open switches, so removing them is the same as them not being there, that's not going to cause any issues at all. Same with the Rumble motors, that would be like a stereo not working if the back-light was removed, it still 'works', you're just missing something is all.

[weaver]

So if I cut it like this I just need to rewire the 7 traces on the front and the 1 on the back with some tiny wire and it will work?

[RDC]

If you cut it like that you'll have to redo 2 traces on the back and then reconnect 5 for the A,B,X,Y,RB and then 3 for the Trigger.

[weaver]

Alright I missed that other one on the back. I still only see 7 on the front though? it looks like theres only 2 traces going to the trigger not 3.

[RDC]

You can explain to me how it works then.

There are 3 leads..

Ground (the one you're not seeing because it's not exactly a trace, it's the ground plane, and has to be connected for the Trigger to work)
Wiper
Voltage

[weaver]

Thanks for the help RDC. So to connect the ground would I just wire the one pin that doesn't have a trace any were on the other part of the board?

[RDC]

Welcome. TP100, 101 or 102 are easy to use Ground spots on that controller.

[weaver]

What kind of wire should I use? I tried to wire it already but the wire was to thick.

[RDC]

I'd use 30awg Kynar wire, also called wrapping wire. You could also use an old IDE cable, the 80 conductor kind.

There are nice TP spots on that board version to hit for most of the connections you need also, everything but RB..

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=635462" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TP4 - Common Line for Buttons, 1.8v
TP5 - Analog Voltage (Sticks/Triggers)
TP10 - RT (Wiper)
TP36 - Common Line for Buttons, 1.8v
TP37 - Common Line for Buttons, 1.8v
TP38 - Y
TP39 - A
TP43 - B
TP44 - X
TP100 - GND
TP101 - GND
TP102 - GND

[weaver]

Nice that will help me a lot.