$2 Chinese SNES Controller to Arcade Stick Hack

Hacking a $2 eBay Chinese SNES controller to Supergun DB-15 format. This allows me to play on any joystick with the same format.

[@caillou4566]

Omg! Thank god this video exists. I bought one of these a while ago but had no clue how to soder wires. This video helped alot! Thanks man.

[@MightyistheRCGamer]

I wish I was your neighbor so we can rig some things up

[@srarcade]

Aw yea that would be cool

[@GrumpyTy34er]

I never thought of making a "common" gamepad for a bunch of different controllers. That's actually a really clever idea.

[@greensun1334]

Interesting! I also to play SNES games with my Neo Geo stick (but it's the ASP), but I used different solutions: I hacked the NGASP and a good amount of those games are on it now, or I connect the stick to the PC and play on an emulator. I like that we have so many possibilities today!

[@custokerruiz413]

very good tutorial!, it was the answer to solve my arcade joystick interface problem!!!

[@NightSprinter]

The A button is used for your Force Module. So you just need to get a weapon powerup.

[@christopherchyba4595]

You used a premade fight stick but could you simply solder a joystick and buttons to a SNES controller? Would it work or is there some type of programming in the Neo Geo that is needed?

[@FecesPhantom]

Definitely the best pad hack video I've seen on KZbin for classic systems. But you should have just made a new fightstick instead of that shitty old one.

[@srarcade]

Lol thanks, I like my busted old stick. It's like an Archie Bunker chair.

[@trenzinhodaalegria8012]

I want to buy one of these to use the board with resin recasts of the original Super Famicom controller parts and also I'll add membrane switches to the buttons to give them a more clicky feel without being too clicky.

[@Okamizu]

I love the membrane-induced click.

[@JesusLopez-fi1yq]

I thought my table was a mess until I see yours...xD

[@shadymaint1]

I built an arcade stick controller for my NES. I used a NES Max controller for the interface and arcade buttons and joystick for the controls. I used the shell from a old cable box for a housing. It even has turbo.

[@freakface1234]

I'm trying to do this exact mod but using a different controller for my snes to plug in to. I was wondering if I had to connect vcc as well as ground into the connected controller. I see you have a wire soldered to ground and was just curious.

[@srarcade]

+freakface1234 Hey- You just need 1 wire to common ground and then a wire for each individual button. No Vcc from the controller circuit is necessary.

[@haylspa]

so much for learning any thing here

[@kitclark8215]

srarcade looking for someone to contact that can soilder a super nes controller like this video to all buttons, please help

[@mvrdamonxy7942]

This is the controller that should have came with the snes very cool.

[@crystanubis]

Frequency Modulation?

[@greensun1334]

In Super R-Type, you actually need the R-button to control the force ball (or is it called force pad? Idk)!

[@DavidPalin]

I've been trying to get a Genesis and SNES controller wired to the same arcade stick but I'm having issues with power and/or ground. Any ideas how to fix it!

[@srarcade]

Ive never tried both at once but thought about it. Maybe if you have a common ground from each, then install a switch that lets you only use the common ground from one controller at a time, that might work? 🤔

[@ShawkWave]

what did u connect to the tv u were playing on if u just soldered the wires on the two controllers to each other

[@srarcade]

Super nintendo. This was the controller converted to arcade stick.

[@snesfan8935]

I make it differently. I use pcb from "dead" controller and remade it to full fledge arcade stick for a console with Sanwa parts.

[@julianocs87]

Do you have a tutorial for that? I'm willing to do the same.

[@Kingshukpalchoudhury]

I have an old ending man terminator console with stock controller with da15 port. The controller has 6 wires coming out. Can you tell me the pinout / wire colour code to the male da 15 connector?

[@mikekazz5353]

Have you checked out slagcoin or Reddit (sorry can't remember which one it's in the description for Woolie vs. Arcade stick 101 video) there's probably a diagram on Google images of you type in the name and wire layout/diagram. Sorry I can't be more helpful with this. I thought about turning a knock off PS3 or PS4 controller into a wireless fight stick but I need more info, wires and wood someone mentioned lumber liquidators.

[@Kingshukpalchoudhury]

@@mikekazz5353 i eventually got it..in some site..the 6 th one is actually for headphones..thats what was making it difficult..helped identify the pinout diagram for 5 wires..

[@Kingshukpalchoudhury]

A Google search with da 15 controller pinout will list search results, listing the images, the one labelled fami-clone controller pinout is the one.. Excellent picture showing which wire is latch, ground, vcc, clock and data, which helps in rewiring those wires to other input ports like SNES etc.neat picture really.the headphone wire is a white colour coded in mine and goes next to ground ( if anyone else is interested).. surprisingly, the ground is colour coded red in mine..and black is vcc.. which turns the electronics world upside down :P . They had to make it more confusing... :D

[@TheRealJPhillips]

I got a logitech f310 I've had for a while now. I may pull this once the buttons start to fail on me.

[@TheGeoffers08]

Great video mate. i am going to try this. Hey as to the other comment. Man calm down. he isn't makibg any nasty comment in the pad being made in China....just that it was cheap as in cost! Hes actualy complimentary in his video of the pcb build quality.... callllm down. no one is beinf nasty here.

[@srarcade]

+TheGeoffers08 Thanks, definitely one of the easiest pads i've ever hacked. Makes for a clean job too. Good luck!

[@Towertime7500]

Hello i have the same controller chinese if i cut the pcb to put in game boy is it possible, it will work?

[@srarcade]

aloe vera yea if you don't cut any major traces I don't see why not. Would be interesting to see how much you can actually cut out. I did this with a genesis controller once and got it down to be roughly an inch square!

[@jaimeb.384]

Whaty about using the Snes on NeoGeo_? I bought this pads for a cheap Db15 test controller, but not sure if the way buttons work, allows me to use it in Db15.

[@srarcade]

+Jaime B. This pad uses some sort of shift registry circuit like most old control pads, you would have to do some work to convert it back to straight pin.

[@jaimeb.384]

Damn! I bought it to have a cheap Supergun pad, but on idea how it works. From what I see, the buttons are plastics and activate the pcb some how. Not sure how that relates the the way sticks work which is only ocnnecting line to ground...

[@srarcade]

+Jaime B. You could run a new 11 conductor wire to the pad, then you tap each contact so it makes it pin to pin - i did this on my NeoGeo X usb stick, but its a big stick. Trick is finding a 11 conductor wire that's going to be flexible and not get in the way, it would be like 34 gauge or smaller wire inside. The other thing I've seen is people using Sega Saturn controllers on super guns. They're not pin to pin either but I guess they're easier to work with- maybe check that out. Sega Dreamcast controllers use a standard maple bus for their registry which is a common circuit to work with too.

[@jaimeb.384]

But if I tap into each contact how does the circuit close? Push button are metalic in theswitch, this controllers just have a rubber bad underneath, I don't really understand how it works.

[@srarcade]

+Jaime B. Assuming you mean if you were to run a new 11 conductor wire (4 directions + 6 buttons + ground) You tap into each button at the contact and the common ground. Any time a button closes contact with common ground it registers. Yes, it does look rubber, don't be fooled- that is actually causing the contact to close! This is how keyboards and many buttons work all over the place, even your phone. No different than if it were a joystick on an arcade cabinet, just different means of achieving the same result. All you're doing is using the pad as a contact point to close the circuit instead of buttons and a joystick.

[@tomastjoo4716]

i had a snes controller that has been broken, but its fake, can u help me about the wiring diagram of it because im confused with the wiring, where i can email you?

[@srarcade]

If you look at the PCB, there will be 2 sides to each button/direction contact - a common ground and the button/direction voltage. You will need to figure out the common ground with a multi-meter on continuity setting, easily done by probing like sides- if it beeps you found your common. Then you will automatically know the opposite side of the contact is your voltage point. Then you just need to find the best places to solder. You only need to solder 1 point for common ground, and then each direction/button. Simple as that.

[@lukelubenow]

hello, you have given me an idea but can you help me understand a concept I am struggling with? i get all the wires go, but I dont understand where does the ground hook up to? why is there no + wire

[@srarcade]

The ground hooks up to a common ground which will be the opposite side of a button contact. The + is on one side and - is on the other. So if you follow the traces of the - side, they all meet up at once point or another because its all the same wire. So using a multi meter on continuity check, you can probe around and see that you can get a beep by touching ground points together and the find the one that is easiest to solder to. Does that help?

[@lukelubenow]

Thanks for helping me understand and posting how to do this, much appreciated!

[@qdfxrg]

okay I'm going to try this, any tips on getting good with the soldering iron?

[@srarcade]

GV3G - GLaDOSv3 Gaming it's not too hard, get an iron with a very small interchangable tip to help with hitting the solder points easier. Always apply a little solder to your wires before attaching them, this is called tinning. Practice splicing some scrap wire. Check out some solder videos for more tips.

[@ihatemovingpictures]

So just to get this straight did you solder the wires directly onto the solder pad? And it turned out that you didnt have to scrape those pads?

[@srarcade]

ihatemovingpictures I usually look for a point I can solder to, like where another existing solder point is, just follow the trace, sometimes it can go to a chip and you can attach easily there. Sometimes you can use a blade to gently scrape the coating directly off a contact pad and carefully solder there. I recommend a hot glue gun to help keep your wires safely attached after you're done soldering.

[@ihatemovingpictures]

srarcade gotcha i was just wondering about this specific pad since i just got two of these specific pad. It looks like all you need to do from the video is just solder the wire to it and that it. But ill scrape those if need be.

[@srarcade]

ihatemovingpictures yea it's been awhile but I remember this pad was pretty trivial.

[@Khinh-xq6lx]

you need a 6 button game to test it

[@greensun1334]

This requires two additional buttons for the stick, it would be quite easy to build them in and change the four button into a six button arcade stick. But I doubt he likes to drill holes in his original AES stick.

[@baddboo]

Can this be done on a mini snes ??🤔

[@srarcade]

Yes, 99% of game pads are designed like this.

[@v23ification]

Can you do PS4 pad to arcade stick pls

[@srarcade]

I dont own anything newer than a xbox360 unfortunately. But the principle would be the same. My tip would be to buy the cheapest controller you can find because those are normally the simplest in design to hack.

[@TheRealJPhillips]

Interesting

[@RussiaGoodFantastic]

ohh its cheap controller from China blabla. Everything is made in China including youre 2000$ ipods. Why bashing chinese quality? Its 2$ and probably more reliable than SNES controller from Nintendo

[@srarcade]

+Aktuell Russland (RussiaGood) The PCB isn't that bad at all. China products are hit or miss, I'm not bashing it, I use stuff made in China all day long. The pad rubbers were a bit stiff which caused some unresponsive control but otherwise for $2 you cant go wrong on this pad. Its perfect for a arcade stick donor though!

[@Okamizu]

In all honesty our "$2000 iPods" have awful durability and build as way. A simple drop without non-included protection can shatter the screen, bend the metal, and damge the internals. Bashing or not, Chinese products are indeed hit or miss, $2 to $2000.

[@davidmasci4335]

Made in China to break in America😂

[@haivernicolasaguileragomez7801]

I have snes original controller and one of chinese controller, the best is the original, the chinese controller's buttons are hard to push

[@FelipeBudinich]

Yeah right, it's not like I have Japanese electronics that are older than me, with Rubicon caps that do not leak or fail if you look at them wrong. Most consumer stuff built these days is just disposable and meant to last 5 years tops. The price is just marketing, specially on Apple products.