MadCatz Arcade GameStick Pad-Box

I modded a MadCatz Arcade GameStick to be a pad-box.

From Arcade Stick Modding

UPCB Test

Hi,

last year about xmas I've found a little piece hw called UPCB in the SRK Forum. Development of UPCB was done by Toodles.



I've ordered a piece and he shipped me one from the states. Thanks for that. After two later month I've built up a padbox with wireless support via a RF Module. So the wireless UPCB was born. My experiences was very good with UPCB so I decided to make a batch to spread it over germany.

Jason from AZ Forum helped me with assemply and collecting the parts. Toodles gave me the gerber files to produce to PCBs.

Assembly is now finished and the very interesting testing phase comes up.

I've taken a lot of pics and vids. Check it out. For more infos about UPCB read my previous posts on this topics, too.



Here is a vid with testing Ikaruga on the Dreamcast. Take attention to the led mod in the padbox ;) Dreamcast is NOT supported natively by UPCB, so piggyback is used.





Here's is a test with the xbox360 and Street Fighter HD Remix. Again xbox360 is not supported natively and pad hacked piggyback is used. Led Mod for padhack is realized again.







Now test with first native UPCB protocoll: The Playstation 2. Test was done with Samurai Showdown.

Video

Summarizing the whole tests was very successful. Wireless Adapter was not topic of this test, tough. However it worked fine, too. No impact is here.

Some Cables: Every console needs an own cable.

PadBox

With this cute little piece of hardware I can connect my arcadesticks to most of all consoles. And this of course wireless! Here's a list of supported consoles:

• NeoGeo
  
• xbox360 (extra piggyback)
  
• dreamcast (extra piggyback)
• USB HID PC
• PS3
• PS2
• PS1
  
• Gamecube and Wii
• SNES
• NES
• Amiga
• Sega Saturn and Genesis
• ...
  

Scetch was this:

Arcade Stick -> radio sender -> AIR -> Pad box [ radio receiver - UPCB - piggyback Dreamcast and xbox360] -> all consoles

Now here's the pad box:




Cammy in new colors.



Plexi case with connectors for VMU and consoles



Look inside with UPCB, RF Module, Dreamcast and Xbox360 padhack on plexi with illumination.



Here's again the UPCB and RF Module.




Dreamcast Padhack



Dreamcast Padhack on Plexi with graved logo.




xbox360 padhack on plexi...



... and with graved logo ...



... and with illumination.



But that's not the end of the light show. When pressing "Start" on Arcade Stick Plexi will be light up in blue. Dreamcast default light is dreamcast europe blue and pressing "Start" will result in green.



Pressing A light ups PadPlexi in red.




Default color for xbox360 is green, for Dreamcast of course blue.

Padhacking and Piggyback for the UPCB + PCB illumination

I'm currently builing yup my project box. A project box includes the gamecontrollers for an Arcade sticks. The buttons and stick aof the arcade stick will be connected to the pads of the gamecontroller. The gamecontroller send then the specific console protocol to the console.

Scetch:

Arcade Stick -> Wire to corresponding button of gamecontroller board -> connection to console.

Procedure:
1. Press button on arcade stick
2. Signal will send to gamecontroller
3. gamecontroller translates signal in specific console protocol
4. gamecontroller send state of button to console
5. console receives button state.
6. Game reacts.

Enough of theory. If you're interested in further information then slagcoins tutorial is a good starting point.

Now my wireless environment with project box

Arcade Stick -> radio sender -> AIR -> Project box [ radio receiver - UPCB - piggyback Dreamcast and xbox360] -> all consoles

UPCB is a module to support all (!) gamecontroller except dreamcast and xbox360 which will be piggybacked.

Here's the realization:


Padhacks for piggybacking the dreamcast and xbox 360 controller.




This dreamcast padhack wires all needed buttons and directions. Extra gimmick is here the desoldering of the VMU connector. The connector was removed and transfered with wires. Connector will be build in the case.



All unnecessary stuff was removed: Analog trigger LT and RT, analog thumbsticks, LB and RB switch, direction pad. Potentiometer was replaced with resistors.



Same idea like the dreamcast. Logo was scratched in the plexi with use of a dremel.



Here's the piggyback dreamcast connected to the UPCB. The third little board is the radio receiver.



Let the lightshow begin. :-)


Illimination of plexi was done with the Dreamcast_select line from UPCB. Led used is RGB SMD 0603 underneath the tape. Plexi was prepared with dremel.