HOWTO: Mod VSHG single switch PS3 / X360

Basic idea:
Wire a common-ground 360 pad to all of the corresponding points on a VSHG pcb; this way, both pcbs will get power, ground, and all button input.
Cut the 2 usb data lines, and switch them between the 2 pcbs and the output cable using a DPDT; this way, only 1 pcb will be sending data at a time.

Why do this instead of using a rotary switch? A hell of a lot less wires to solder.
Why do this instead of using a usb hub? Less usb cable hacking necessary, no need to undo the mod if support for vshg on 360 changes.

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Don't blame me if you don't know how to solder, and destroy your VSHG, scald your eye, burn down your house, whatever.
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--- Stuff you'll need ---
Patience
Common ground xbox360 controller ( gamestop rebranded madcatz microcon, make sure its not one with an invert switch on the back ) Alternately, madcatz arcade sticks (the ugly frogger ones) also seem to work.
DPDT toggle switch (I used this switch but the smallest 2-position circular-mount dpdt you can find locally will do fine)
Drill w/ bit that matches the toggle switch size. If you're using the same switch I did, note that the hole is actually 3/16 despite what the webpage says.
Soldering iron & solder
Multimeter, or at bare minimum a 9v battery, some wires, and an led to test connectivity /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
Wire ( I used 30 gauge; the points aren't small, but there's a lot of wire to cram under the VSHG, and thinner wire is less likely to pull off )
philips screwdriver
7mm nut driver
adhesive squares
A VSHG that you don't mind wrecking if you lack item 1.
(optional) desoldering braid
(optional) 10 resistors; I used 10kohm, but anything over 1k should be fine
(optional) 2.5mm (not 1/8" audio) extension cable for headsets; this is sold as an item for phone or cell phone headsets.

--- VSHG PCB solder points ---

These are numbered on the face of the pcb and / or use colored wires.
Even though you'll be soldering to the pins on the backside of the pcb, it should be obvious which is which by counting or color.

cn 5 / 7 :
( the row closer to the middle of the pcb is what you want to connect, outside row is ground )
yellow triangle jab
orange circle strong
red L1 fierce
purple square short
blue x forward
green r1 roundhouse
brown start

cn 6 joystick
pin:
5 ground
4 right
3 left
2 up
1 down

cn 2 optional buttons
pin:
5 ground
4 R2
3 L2
2 select
1 PS

USB mount point is standard usb.

the cn2 and cn6 grounds don't have to be connected to the 360, since it's a common ground setup.

--- 360 pcb solder points ---
These are shown in this picture , with circles indicating which side of the button terminal you want to solder to.
Sorry about the flash on the 'A' button; you want to solder to the left side.
The solder points for RB and LB are on the other side of the pcb, on the side indicated by the circles.
I don't recommend using RT and LT.

The yellow numbers indicate the solder points for the backside of the USB connector:

5 thickblack ground
4 black ground
3 white data -
2 green data +
1 red +5v

Yes, this is not quite the order of a standard usb connector.
Despite this, the wires are the correct color (at least on my pcb), i.e. green is D+ even though its next to red on the pcb.

If you're using a madcatz arcade stick, there's a diagram with solder points here, although I cant vouch for the accuracy of it right now.

--- DPDT solder points ---

Almost all dpdt switches use the center terminals for output; check it with a multimeter if you're not sure.
Just make sure you keep green and white in order, especially if you use 1 color of wire:

Ps3 | Output cable | 360
Green | Green | Green
White | White | White

--- Steps ---
1. Strip the pcb from the 360 controller. Opening it requires pulling those rubber things off the grips.
Cut the thumbstick rubber off the sticks; if you want to completely remove the sticks, break the plastic u-joint and remove all the junk, then
solder a resistor between the middle and each side point on each axis of each stick (visible in the photo).
In order to remove the triggers completely, desolder the potentiometers & solder a resistor between the middle pad and the high pad; otherwise remove
as much of the triggers as possible after making sure the potentiometers wont move.
If you use resistors to replace the trigger / thumbstick pots, make certain that the resistors do not short against the body of the thumbstick mount or each other - I had an intermittent fault caused by the top panel flexing enough to push the joystick connector into one of the resistors, which was rather annoying to track down.

2. Figure out where to put the 360 pcb. Open up the vshg using philips to get the bottom plate off, then 7mm nut driver for the top plate.
The location I mounted it is shown in the picture, right next to the joystick; i stuffed some screws through the pcb & into the existing holes in the
vshg in order to locate the pcb, then put an adhesive square under the pcb to keep it from rattling.
Don't actually mount it yet, just figure out where it will go so that you can cut wire lengths correctly.

3. Figure out where to put the switch. I put it right next to the cable opening on the front of the vshg.
Putting it close to the usb cable helps make sure you can use the existing wire without splicing.
Drill a hole ( remove the cable first, drills tend to bite and leap forward ), make sure the switch fits.
If you want a headset extension, drill the hole for it.

4. Cut the green and white usb wires going to the vshg, as close to the pcb as possible. Solder those wires to the center terminals on the switch.

5. Unscrew the vshg pcb ( you don't need to move the auxiliary pcb, just the small square one ).
Cut wires of the appropriate length, solder between the underside points ( corresponding to the green and white wires you just cut )
and one pair of side terminals on the switch.

6. Decide your button layout for 360. I used
Y B LB
X A RB
I wasn't successful getting the LT and RT triggers to work without causing problems with the ps3 L2 and R2 buttons, but this isn't a big deal,
since they aren't useful for gameplay; I just left them disconnected on the 360. If it bothers you, figure out how to make them work. The ps /xbox guide, start, and select / back buttons all work fine.

7. Cut wires of the appropriate length (remember, green and white usb lines need to reach the switch),
solder one to each of the marked points on the 360 pcb.

8. Install the 360 pcb.

9. Using multimeter, identify green and white usb 360 wires, solder to remaining terminals on switch.

10. Install the switch.

11. Using multimeter, identify a 360 wire, pull it through the opening to where the vshg pcb is, and solder to the corresponding ps3 point.
(usb red to usb red, ground to ground, Y to triangle, etc etc. )

12. Before you do anything else, check the usb cable with a multimeter to make sure that +5v isn't shorted to anything else, that data lines aren't
shorted, etc.

13. Plug the usb cable into a PC you don't mind destroying, check in the joystick control panel to make sure buttons are all functioning properly
with switch in both positions ( may need to install 360 controller drivers ). If something's not right, use the multimeter to figure out what & the soldering iron to fix it.
If it's the ps/guide button that's not showing up on the PC, check it on the actual 360 before assuming something's wrong - mine wouldn't show up in the control panel, but works fine for the xbox360 dashboard & etc.

14. Reassemble your vshg & enjoy.

If this guide was useful to you, say thanks to Toodles over on shoryuken.com for bouncing ideas back & forth with me.

 

good stuff to you and toodles man. i swear i learn alot just from what you guys post in tech talk on srk.

i was actually in the middle of modding two vshg's to work with the microcon this week but being able to keep the ps3 functionality will make the mod that much better.

thanks again dudes.

 

Ok i have a VSHG and I want it modded to do EXACTLY what is mentioned above. i have no experience doing this and would royally make a mess of it?

I will pay someone a nice chunk of money to do this for me. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

 

Done and done!

Not to toot my own horn, but is it possible to sticky thread this until there's a better solution?

 

teH StiKKeed!

I'm looking forward to having this mod done to my HGs.

 

just wanted to add some quick shots of how i'm mounting the microcon pad to have some headset functionality.

1. first i had to cut out the inside left wall of the vshg to look like this. i used a dremel cutting tool to cut up the plastic. http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/akuma001/vshgshellcut.jpg

2. next i had to use my dremel to cut a hole on the outside left wall so the headset can come through to the pcb. http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/akuma001/vshgheadsethole.jpg

3. next i hacked up a controller shell with the dremel so that the bare pcb would have some protection and would be able to fit level inside the case. http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/akuma001/hackedcontrollerwithshell.jpg

4. mount the pcb like so and you're pretty much done and can now have some headset functionality. i'll probably just hot glue it in place. http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/akuma001/vshgheadsethole3.jpg

i figure the best place to mount would be the left side since it has the most room and since the ps3 pcb is already on that side for shorter wiring.

once again thanks to kod and toodles for figuring out the wiring side of this mod.

 

Right on - the way you mounted it should give better sound quality & keep the volume controls in one place (rather than halfway along the length of cord ).

The pic I linked in step 3 shows what the headset extension cable I used looks like. If you do this, i'd try to find a non-coiled one; it seems like the length of the line degrades the sound noticeably.

 

just some quick pics of how wiring for the innards of a vshg look like from doing the mod.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/akuma001/360moddedvshgwiring.jpg

and how sexy it looks after.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/akuma001/360moddedvshg.jpg

this is one of 2 vshg's for shiznittles using the kod switch mod from ps3 to xbox360.

oh happy day!

 

What 360 PCB do you recommend using for this mod?

 

Common ground xbox360 controller ( gamestop rebranded madcatz microcon )

 

I just wanted to add that Jay did BANG up job with the sticks. He's a great craftsman and they look and play great. I have been using them for two days and don't have a complaint about anything. The headset works perfectly and having my VSHG's on the 360 makes a world of difference.

Thanks again Jay (001[/size])!

 

Excellent job with the joystick mod. I like the recessed headset port on the side of the stick. I'm curious, how much would it cost to commission a stick like that?

 

Hey 001 or anyone really. How tough do you think would it be to mod a HRAP1 or 3 to work similar to this?

Or even, just gut the HRAP and replace it with the 360 parts?

 

easiest to hardest:

HRAP3 mod switch (pretty much just like vshg, you'd need to identify the solder points)

either hrap gut & replace (more work imho since you have to wire up all of the buttons)

hrap1 switchable (probably easiest to just have 2 cables for signal, and wire the +5v / ground to each other)

 

i'd go with the hrap 3 since it already has a "ps" button you can wire as guide and would be the same as doing the vshg mod.

hrap 1 & 2 you will have to add another button somewhere for guide.

but yeah, kod pretty much sums it all up.

 

Sweet, thanks guys.

 

You solder the two wire from each button and direction of the VSHG, onto the mark circles of the 360 pcb picture? Two wires for G, P and K, start, 8, 6, 2, 4 onto each correct point and can overlap is that right?

 

No.

You don't solder any wires to the buttons.

You solder 1 wire per marked circle on the 360 picture, to the corresponding point on the VSHG pcb.

 

Actually I am planning to use VSHG as a 360 stick only. I cut the wires from VSHG stick and buttons. Each direction and button have two wires coming out. I solder two wires to each part of the 360 PCB according to the circles, Is that right? I don't need original VSHG PCB, is that right?