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2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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File: 73 KB, 500x500, ddr.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
341310 No.341310 [Reply] [Original]

Hey, /diy/ers. Anybody out there familiar with DDR pads? I bought this one for 40 bucks under the pretense it worked and it ended up not working when she showed up. When pressing the buttons, it'll only register some of the time. I don't believe it's the contacts themselves, and I've tested the control box on its own and it works fine then. I talked to Kon, a prominent DDR player from the area, and he said it would probably be the serial cable, connecting the pad to the control box. Does anyone know how I might replace that? I can open it up and take pics if anyone needs some reference. Maybe I should give it up? How feasible would it be to just gut the insides, and put a PS3 controller in there, wiring it to the pressure pads? After all, the main thing stopping me from making one myself was the metalworking aspect.
Otherwise, DDR Homepad thread.

>> No.341337

Have you checked the pad output with a voltmeter? Might take some messing around to find the ground pin but you should be able to figure out if it's the pad circuitry or not.

If it is, DDR pads aren't complex things. Maybe moreso if it uses sensors, I've got a cobalt flux so I don't have to worry about that shit.

Even though I almost never use it anymore.

>> No.341354

> Even though I almost never use it anymore.

presumably because you stopped being a fag, unlike OP who still has a-ways to go.

>> No.341357

>>341354

When did /diy/ become shit?

>> No.341362

Yes, use a voltmeter and actually test each stage. The switchplates or whatever it's using should close circuit when stepped on, signals should get to the cable header, then through the cable to the controller end, then signals entering the controller should trigger the proper inputs.

Also make sure it isn't shorting when multiple plates are pressed. Shitty QC can lead to stupid mistakes like bridging signal between two switches instead of closing them separately to ground.

If it uses a standard serial cable it can simply be replaced with one using the same connectors.

Worst case, you can get some cheap plenum with the same number of wires or more, and solder directly to the pins or headers.

If the ground wire is inadequate then signals might not be pulled low reliably when closing switches simultaneously. Kind of unlikely with 5V signals, but I've seen some shit grounded through 30awg.

>> No.341397

>>341337
Hey maybe if you ain'ta using that anymore, I'd buy it off you. *wink wink*
>>341362

If I have almost no experience soldering, am I fucked? I have friends who don't suck at it, but I did like a little light thing in high school. I'll look up voltmeters and stuff. Maybe I should look up basic electronics, actually.

>> No.341402

>>341357
It took less than a week man.

>> No.341410

>>341402
It goes through cycles. Feels like we're getting a decent amount of /b/ types lately.

>> No.341437

>>341397
>If I have almost no experience soldering, am I fucked?

This sort of soldering is about as easy as it gets. You can watch basic soldering tutorials on youtube if you need to learn technique.

>> No.342080

>>341437
Okay, gotcha. I'll look that shit up. Would anybody be willing to talk to me on steam when I crack this thing open on sunday and kinda just give me some pointers at what's going on here?

>> No.342083

>>342080
the secret to soldering is the same as the secret to cooking

use the right temperature. Too hot and it burns the solder and makes a mess. Too cold and the solder doesn't flow right and makes a mess.

Put a little solder on the end of your iron (just enough to coat the tip that will be making contact with your targets). This is called "tinning". If you're soldering a wire to something, also tin the wire.

Make sure to heat both things you will be soldering together. Touch your solder to the joint between the two things you'll solder together, and it should flow in and connect them.

The two things should be touching and the solder should be holding them there. Electricity shouldn't be passing through the solder much, it should pass directly from thing A to thing B.

>> No.342085

>>342083
Okay, gotcha. I have a soldering iron, I'm not sure the temp. range, but it's a shitty one. Lemme check the temp real quick. How will I be able to figure out what goes where? Will it be pretty straightforward you think?

>> No.342090

>>342085
there are few things you shouldn't be able to figure out by staring at them while feeling like a dumbshit until they suddenly make sense

if your iron doesn't have a temperature setting then just make do with what you have and get a better one once you start using it more often. Sometimes you have to use what you've got on hand

>> No.342093

The major problem beginners have with soldering is it takes three hands. One to hold the iron, one to hold the thing your soldering and one to hold the thing your soldering it too. If you plan on soldering more than once in your life get a "Helping Hands" type holder, pic related. They can be as cheap or expensive as you like and you can DIY them if you know where to get the parts. If this is a one time deal, just roll with it but seriously, if you plan on doing any kind of soldering in the future these things save you so much frustration.

>> No.342094
File: 16 KB, 640x480, helper.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
342094

>>342093

Sorry, I done fucked up. Heres the pic.

>> No.342147
File: 47 KB, 657x473, soldering for dummies.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
342147

Those Helping Hands can be more trouble than they're worth. for example, look at this retard on Youtube, who made one of the most popular How-to-solder videos. notice the alligator clip is really close to the hot area, melting the plastic and poking holes in the insulation. that's reckless and potentially deadly.

the stupid fucker also recommends wrapping the solder around your hand to steady it. the resultant lead poisoning must've addled his brain.

>> No.342165

>>341310
man for some reason i want to get a ddr stand , tear its guts out, replace it with some multipressure sensors and turn it into a midi drum pad

>> No.342170

>>342147
I don't think you can get that much lead in your body just by touching the stuff, if you wash your hands after soldering.

>> No.342180

>>342147
you can just wrap the clip in a piece of paper or something and it's fine

that guy on youtube is just stupid

>> No.342293

>>341310
what kind of ddr pad is it? hard or those soft foam ones

>> No.342870

>>342293
Metal pad, the one pictured.
Also, another thing I'm thinking of, is how do I stabilize the handrail? It's currently just the bar goes down through the pad, and it has those two things coming off the back to stabilize it. Is there something I could do to make it less wobbly?
Tomorrow I'll post pics of the guts of this pad, BTW.