Easy Pad Hack mod for Madcatz SE/TE/TE-S Arcade Stick

Hi everyone, long time for me since I post anything.

I've worked on a small project since a lot of my friends wanted to keep their arcade stick for the incoming Street Fighter 5 en PS4.
As maybe some of you know, the Madcatz SE/TE/TE-S (they share the same electronic) are not compatible in native mode on PS4. If the developpers include a 3rd party driver in their game, those arcade stick are working in "Legacy Mod" which mean you still have to use a Dualsock 4 for login/menu.

Sure, the quickest way is to buy the new Madcatz product, the TE2, but some of my friends don't like it and still prefere their original TE.

They is some fightpads already out for the next-gen console (Hori Fight Commander 4, the Guilty Gear Fight Pad sold in the collector box or the one for Mortal Kombat X) and there is already some guides for making a padhack with those ( here on shoryuken).

But I wanted a clean solution and limit as possible the soldering and for those who know how padhacking works, you know it could become quickly a wire mess.
Also I wanted a solution for a dual padhack.

Here my first revision of my work:



This PCB replace the original one and you can work in two mod with some jumpers: single (normal mod) or dual (deluxe mod)
The PCB support dual pad (X360/Xone, PS3/PS4) so with this board you can do a Quad mod: compatible up to 4 consoles.
The connectors are the sames as the original one: JST.
It also support the Left Stick/D-Pad/Right stick and the Turbo Function if your pad support it.
In fact, it was design for the Hori Fighting Commander 4.

The Normal mod use the original Madcatz control panel. You will lose the turbo leds but one of them will show on witch console you are. Here it's red for PS3, blue for PS4:



But for the Deluxe mod, I wanted a clean layout. So I've made one in 3D and printed it on Shapeways:





The precision is of the printing is really good, but the material I choose (the cheaper one) is too transparent:


Here's the main goal: you wire up the PCB from you pad, and you just plug if on the control board:


This is working great but that's not perfect.
- There's some errors in my PCB's design, like the colors of the led swapped between PS4 and PS3, or the high logic which cannot just be "open". Nothing some kynar can patch but this is not clean.
- The Hori Fight Commander doesn't want to work without its original USB cable. It works with a short USB cable, but it refuses to work with the one in the Madcatz (15ft). Maybe I need some ferrites in my design.
- The big issue: I used IDC socket for a quick and simple wiring but with the ribbon cable + connector + housing, the total height is way to high to be used on the side I've designed it. I've to used a different connector and solder it in the other side of the PCB, but I have to crimp each wires from the ribbon cable, so I'm losing the easy process I've wanted :'( .It can still be installed in a Madcatz SE but the PCB is a bit bent and you can only use it for a single padhack.

Here's a bunch pics of installations:

Madcatz SE single mod (don't pay attention to the mess on the buttons, this was my testing unit):


Madcatz TE full frame single mod (first order from a friend):





Madcatz TE-S (in progress):


edit: typo, clarifications, etc.

 

Hi, I like your design for the control panel. Can I buy one off of shapeways? If so what's your link?

 

Sure:
http://shpws.me/LtSX.

I'm working on two videos to present both of the finised joystick.

 

Thanks! Does it include the buttons and switches?

 

Yes, I've made a design to get anything you need.
You should receive something like that:




Edit: note that will only fit into TE version. SE are taller.

 

First video. The second should be finished in a week or so.

 

Here's a video about the quad mod:

 

would there be a way you could implement this into the mccthulu code?

 

Nope. I don't know how programming. Also the MC Chtulu doesn't work with Microsoft consoles since they're using a special chip for licencing controllers, as Sony does for the PS4, so I don't think this will be easy. Lot of unlicenced boards on PS4 (such as the PS360+ and the Cerberus) have the 8 minutes timeout.
All what I'm doing is rewiring an licenced controlers.

 

I wonder if this also fits on the Wii Tatsunoko stick as well, if it fits on the original SFIV ones.

 

If I believe this pic:
http://s925.photobucket.com/user/dozerjaw/media/IMG_2581.jpg.html

Yes the PCB seems to fit, looks like the same shell and layout than the Madcatz SE.

However the 3D printed panel won't fit (this one is designed for TE/TE-S version)

 

As far as I know the code isn't open source.

 

Regarding your IDC height issue, couldnt you just had them on the bottom instead? I assume there is more space?

It would mean a new pcb (to flip signals round) or adjust wiring on the pad end to suit

 

Totally. If I make a new rev of the PCB the IDC connectors will be on the bottom. I have no choice to put them like that anyway.

I choose to use a different connector with each wires to crimp separately for this rev in order to keep the original order of the ribbon cable: it has a logic order for installation. I choose to always keep that order no matter the revision of my boards.

Like that, you wire you hacked pad ONCE, and you just have to cut the old connector and put an IDC connector in the next revision of the board (if there's one). This is easier to update than rewiring 24 wires in differents order.