The Beginners guide to planning a Mod like a Pro
I decide to make a quick guide to help potential modders build their projects.
Veterans feel free to add any info or correct my own. Please note I will go back and edit the content of this guide as time goes by.
To you beginners, before starting ANY project their are 3 things you need to consider.
*Your Goal to Accomplish
*Your Budget
* Your Skill Level
Skills:
Find out what you need to know. shoryuken.com forums has a wealth of guides, FAQ and tutorials, use them. Use the Search function here, and find the guide you need and read though all of it. Read though all of
slagcoin a few times (its recommended reading here on the tech talk board). Search the web for any additional info, including how other people did their builds. And if you still lacking information do not be afraid to ask.
Reference links
There are many others, but I think I hit up the main topics for "how-to".
(Under Revision)
After this point you might want to practice what you learn till you feel confidant enough to go ahead with your project. Example for soldering find a scrap preff board or old PCB to practice on.
Goal(s):
What is your goal, usually with SRK members its to build/ mod a arcade controller or related item. If your goal is to just have a arcade stick you can accomplish that with buying a commercial stick. But if you have any plans of customization, repair or to teach your self/ challenge/ fun of doing so you first need to set some goals and what you want out of your stick.
Step 1:Identify your final goal. Lets say making a 6-8 button arcade stick.
Step 2: plan out how your going to make this stick and what parts, materials and skills this will require and how you acquire these things. Make a list of what you need.
Example list ..
Joystick
*6 to 13 buttons depending on your design remember to include buttons for Start. select, home and if required a synch button (for wireless Xbox 360 builds)
*case and any case materials
*required disconnects, wiring harnesses, header connectors, pin connectors, barrier strips and the like.
*Wire (buy at least 1 foot more than what you will need)
*Your Printed Circuit boards
*system cable(s) and any connectors and passthoughs you need for the disconnects
**Your written/ drawn plans on what your doing (including a pattern for your button stick layout)
*Solder
*Electrical tape
Any tools you need that you do not already have.
If you are not Modding a existing stick , but building one from scratch make sure you have a lay out planed and drawn out. You later want to print an extra at full size as a template to where to drill/ cut for the case. I assume if your going with a pre-made case such as Art Hong's tek case or Foe Hammer case the layout is already provided.
Break your long tern goal into smaller short tern goals you can accomplish.
Example
1. get all materials and parts.
2. build case
3. Paint case
4. solder Xbox 360 pad to wires.
5. wire xbox 360 pad to 2nd PCB board (like a cthulhu, chimp , Dual Strike or what have you)
ect ect...
Budget:
Find out how much this will all cost (plus any shipping and tax) take that value and add 10% to the total cost, this will be your budget. Taking in consideration how much money you got already to spend. You be usually looking at $75 to $200 for your budget.
Tip 1: only buy the tools you need, when you need them, Don't buy RJ 45 crimmpers if you have no plans of using RJ45 connectors. Do not get a power saw and router if your not going to use them.
Tip 2: Do not order additional extra parts. You do not need 4 JFLs 3 PCBs and 56 push buttons. Order just what you need. What you can go extra on is consumable materials, wire, solder, crimp connectors, things that can be consumes easily especially if you make mistakes.
If you lack the money, you might have to buy a few pieces at a time, once a week or 2 till you have what you need. If this is still too much for you to afford, go back to your plans and see where you can scale back, this might mean skipping out on Kino's printed insert art and printing the image at home or going with a stock gate and springs for a joystick or removing extras like LED lighting.
Beginner Tips:
Take Notes. Like the Pros, always take notes. Have a piece of paper and a pencil or pen handy at all times.
Never ever trust someone else's identification for wire color in system cables. On various extension cords and system cords from various manufacturers, never trust the wire colors to identify pins on the cable connector. The colors of the wires change from product to product and manufacture to manufacture. Use a multi-meter or other continuity tester to test out each wire for its correct pin number. As you test, write down your findings. I once had a USB cable that did not use "standard colors", the colors were red for VCC (+5 V), brown for data -, yellow for data + and blue for ground.
If possible use multiple colors of wire. This is to color code your wires for your work.
if multiple color wire isn't possible use bits of different color shirk wrap, tape or some other indicator.
Alternatively use small labels on your parts/ wires. If you do not have any parts that are see-though go ahead and write on the inside of your case or use post-it notes to label what goes where.
Always make you Projects where you can dissemble your work if you need to go back a step or repair. This means using screws (or other fasteners such as latches) instead of gluing a case shut. Use quick disconnects, barrier strips, pin connectors headers and the such on your wiring so you can undo your work with out unsoldering or cutting anything. Leave the the
LETS SOLDER EVERYTHING mentality for the few elites who "know" they can get away with this. Terminal strips and disconnects are our friends.
If you have to hack a pad, cable or connector, always go 1 wire at a time.
1. so that you keep track of what wire/ component your on.
2. if you got to back track, you only have to undo 1 wire instead of possible dozens
If you modding a cable or ribbon cable, cut, and mod only 1 wire at a time and test to see if the cable still works. Sometimes the different properties in a wire can effect how the cable works.
3. Do not leave the soldering iron for too long on a button pad or a trace of your controller PCB. Too much heat can lift pads, solder points and traces right off the board.
Always test your game pads you going to hack before you disassemble. Nothing is worst than having a broken pad PCB and not knowing till too late. Do the same for PCB kits such as the PS360, Cthulhu and other devices to see if they work.
Before cutting at or soldering to a Controller PCB, test for common ground if you are going for a common ground project. I already have 2 extra PCBs I can't use because this over sight.
If you have a digital camera, take pictures. This is not just for later to show off, but also to document what you are doing and how pieces fit together.
And remember, take you time. if you get too frustrated, take a break and come back when once your head cools off.
