Smash TV Arcade Stick

Our friend Lucas was recently married and for a gift James had a great idea. I had just come off my Street Fighter IV inspired arcade stick building kick, and Lucas was a big fan of Smash TV. So James said "build Lucas a dual-stick controller for Smash TV on MAME." James would pay for the parts and I would build it. So it was born.

I used a GP-Wiz40 USB controller from GroovyGameGear.com. This makes it a generic HID input that works on any PC or Mac. The sticks are Happ 8-way Competitions. The construction is MDF with a particle board top panel (I wanted to keep it authentic as possible). The control panel overlay is a reproduction of the arcade original from MameMarquees.com. And of course it has red T-molding, just like the arcade. A final touch was a lighted coin slot-style button for adding credits. It's a bit large but... "I'd buy that for a dollar!"

More pics, including during construction, here.

Two More Arcade Sticks

So I did two more arcade sticks that I just finished last weekend. I made one for Darklord as a wedding gift, and while I was at it, I offered to make one for Admiral if he paid me for the parts. It was a lot of work doing two at once, but they really came out great. I didn't want to part with them once I had them finished. They are way nicer than mine. They're small, a more reasonable size, and I modified the design after playing mine for a while. I moved the joystick about 1" further from the edge because my hand kept rubbing the plexi. Also, the headset plug I used for these is much nicer. I also love the 45 degree chamfer I used on Darklord's. I think his is my favorite.

See more pics here.

Arcade Stick Building Info

Admiral Nelson asked me to send him all my info I have collected during the course of my arcade stick production. So here it is.

Links for design ideas:
http://www.joystickvault.com/index.php
http://byrdo.org/arcade_joysticks.htm
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=115479&page=4

Shoryken's Essential Joystick FAQ
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=132452

Button Layout templates:
http://www.joystickvault.com/showgallery.php?cat=506

Frame Construction Example (my frame design was very similar):
http://omgbbq.com/tfight360.htm

Joystick Mounting Options:
http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/mounting_layering.html

Xbox Modifications at Xbox Scene (tons of controller info, including PCB maps for all editions):
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=471958

If you remove the analog pots for the analog sticks, you need to replace them with resistors:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=581799&st=30&p=4153934&#entry4153934

The analog triggers (RT/LT) require a small circuit to make them behave as digital buttons. This is the diagram, except I found I also needed a small resistor between the base and the button:
http://www.joystickvault.com/showphoto.php?photo=415&cat=507

I ordered all of my arcade parts from Lizardick.com. I recommend them. They have a great selection.

General Tips:

1. Use stranded wire, not solid. Stranded is more flexible and will put less stress on your solder points.
2. There are two styles of wireless controller, Matrix and CG. The Matrix style needs two wires per button, but the CG is common ground, so there is much less soldering required. See this post to determine which is which without having to rip the controller apart. I just went around town to all the Gamestops looking at the used controllers until I found the right style.
3. Radioshack has everything you need electronincally; resistors, PNP transistors, mini-PCBs, etc.
4. If your soldering iron didn't come with a holder, buy one. It is well worth the $8. It will keep you from accidentally melting shit, including your hand.
5. Soldering flux is a good idea, especially when soldering to the PCBs. It helps clean the contact to make sure the solder sticks well.
6. Tin the wire ends (melt the solder into it) before soldering to the board. Makes it easier so you don't need three hands.
7. Cutting plexi: Sandwich the plexi between two sheets of scrap wood or MDF and cut through the whole thing. Plexi is notorious for cracking and chipping. But it only cracks and chips when it flexes too much, so if you keep it steady between some scrap wood (and use lots of clamps), then it will cut beautifully. I used a jig saw and hole saw with no problems. Also, do NOT use spades to drill holes in plexi. A lot of idiots try to use spades because they are cheap and hole saws are expensive. The hole saws are worth the extra money.
8. Be very careful when desoldering the PCBs. You can rip out the rings and break the contact. Don't force it, just be patient and make sure you remove all of the solder and it will come right out.
9. Clean the contact pads on the controller PCB with a wire brush rotatary bit. The CG boards are more difficult to solder the digital directions, but you can do it. Just wire brush it to clean off the top coating, use flux, solder it, and then use hot glue on top of it to help secure it

It's Alive!

My arcade stick project is finally complete! It's a wireless Xbox 360 controller, poplar frame, battery compartment built into the side, Sanwa stick, Seimitsu buttons, Street Fighter graphic from UdonCrew under a plexiglas cover. Total Cost: ~$250. Works awesome on Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix. Looking forward to playing some Street Fighter IV on it next week! More pics here.