Modify a Retail Breakaway to work with a Dakota?

I found a Dakota at Goodwill a while ago without a breakaway cable, is there anyway to modify a retail breakaway to work with it?
I also found a NIB Duke

 

I don't know what a Dakota is, but Xbox controller wires are just USB with an extra wire for composite video sync and using a different plug. If you don't connect that extra wire, gun controllers don't work. Won't matter for anything but gun controllers as far as I know.

 

Myria already said it. The Xbox controller is a USB interface +the yellow wire that has the composite sync on it.
The Difference between the Dakota and a Retail Duke brakeaway should just be a different pin layout.
They most likely just exchanged the Data+ and Data- lines.
That would be the first think i would test as you can't really damage anything if you swap these 2 signals.
But be careful if you lay the 5v power line on the wrong pin the Dakota could be damaged beyond repair!

@Myria: A Dakota is the Development/preproduction Version of the Duke. The biggest difference is the Green Yewel instead of a Black one.

 

http://xboxarchive.co.uk/doku.php?id=dakota:start

I would like to try and swap the data lines and see if I can get it work. Not many have looked into it actually.

@N64Freak - Here's the breakaway from the Alamo controller, they seem to share the same connection.

 

Can a retail brakeaway cable be plugged on to the Dakota controller?
If that is possible it would be no problem to exchange the Data lines on a retail cable and test it out with the Dakota pad.

 

You can plug a retail breakaway into a Dakota controller.

EDIT: I should test these out. I have all three of the prototype Duke controllers with their breakaways...

 

I've seen pictures of Dakota's with two different kinds of breakaway connections. Some look the same as retail and accept retail breakaways just fine. Mine, with a retail looking pinout, does not work on any console I own. I could replace the entire cable itself, or plug it into my computer. I'd be interested if someone were to post anything about this before i get around to it.

 

What exactly do you need to know? I think most was explained. If your wondering if Dakotas will work on a retail console at all the answer is yes as long as you have the right breakaway cable which doesn't include a retail one.

 

Is it really the breakaway cable to blame? I can see why for the alternate pinout breakaways, but for the retail like ones is the real difference actually data + and - being swapped? I have never seen this confirmed. Following that theory would mean a retail controller won't work with the Dakota paired xbox, and swapping lines should make it work. Other posts allude to a different HW ID that is incompatible with post launch xbox's. I would like to know if its really the breakaway cables, a HW ID, or failure that's causing so many of these controllers to appear dead.

I suppose someone with multiple Dakotas and fewer breakaways could confirm.

 

From every test that both Moontar and myself have done, it is the breakaway cable that is at fault. I have one Dakota breakaway cable that has worked with multiple Dakotas on retail Xboxes without issue. A retail breakaway does not work at all.

 

you should just break out a multimeter and compare the pinout of the retail vs dakota.

Its just going to be a simple wiring job id imagine.

 

I'll have to try switching the data lines and see what happens! Hopefully I get to it sometime this weekend >.>

 

I have a spare retail breakaway I might try and switch the data round myself as well.

 

This will be interesting to see what happens. =)

 

It might not just be the data lines. Just randomly swapping wires isn't a good idea. Just use a multimeter. If you have a pad and don't mind opening it. You can work it out easy too.

 

I think you can open dukes without destroying any labels. How would I find out by a multimeter? Still new to it

 

Post picture of where the cable meets the board and I'll help you.

They might even be colour coded, so then you just measure between the points on the PCB to the connector for the breakaway to see which is which. Once that's done, compare to pinout of the breakaway and modify what's different

 

Will do man, might do in the next few days. I'm sure they would be colour coded, but who knows being non-FCC.

 

Even if they aren't, it's not hard to work it out. Find the ground and power line, then worst case you can guess the data lines and switch if they don't work.

Or you can trace them properly.

 

Alright then, I popped open the Dakota but I'll have to do it tomorrow. The points are on the reverse side of the board (well the wires anyway).