Part II of the NES Controller to Xbox Mod will cover how to prepare the Mad Catz Official Gamepad Pro 400 Series - Pro Series Xbox Controller as the control unit of this mod. All of the button presses made on the NES controller will be routed through the Xbox controller’s PCB and into the Xbox for a responsive and simple hookup.

 

 

If you missed Part I of this mod please refer to:
How-To: NES Controller to Xbox Mod Part I

3.0 Modding The Xbox Controller

Controller Used

The Mad Catz Official Gamepad Pro 400 Series

3.1 Opening the Xbox Controller
Located on the back of the controller you will find 7 screws (Figure 3.1). Remove the screws and pry the controller apart with your hands (this may require a little bit of force). Don’t worry about breaking the shell of the controller as it won’t be used!

 

Remove the 2 screws that hold the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) in place and remove the PCB from the controller shell.

 

3.2 Remove the Rumble Units and the Plastic Coated Carbon Contacts
Removing the rumble units isn’t a necessity, but it they will most likely break off by the time you are done with this mod. However, removing the Plastic Coated Carbon Contacts off the X,Y,A,B,Black and White buttons IS necessary.

To remove the Rumble Units just snip the 2 wires connecting it the to the back of the PCB as flush as you can with the PCB itself.

 

To remove the Plastic Coated Carbon Contacts just peel the plastic off slowly to minimize getting strings of glue all over the PCB and disgard the contacts, because you won’t need them anymore.

 

Rumble Units and Plastic Coated Carbon Contacts Removed

 

3.3 Preparing The Wires For Soldering
Get out your wire spool and cut 18 indivdual wires, all about 5″ to 6″ in length. Strip 1/8″ off of one end and roughly 1/4″ off the other end of each wire. These wires should all be the same color for easy reference later.

Label The Wires
Use masking tape and make a label for each control of the Xbox Controller and the 2 Grounds. You should have the following labels: A, B, X, Y, Black, White, Up, Down, Left, Right, Back (Select), Start, R. Trigger, L. Trigger, R. Thumb, L. Thumb, Ground 1, Ground 2. Attach the labels about an inch below the 1/4″ stripped portion of the wires.

3.4 Where To Solder
The following images will highlight where to solder each set of wires on the Xbox Controller PCB.

 

Front of the Controller

 

Soldering the D-Pad
Easily found on the Front Side of the PCB.
Solder one wire (the 1/8″ stripped end) to each of the solder points diagramed below.

 

Soldering the A, B, X, Y, Black, White Buttons
These solder points are obviously found on the Front of the PCB on the Right Hand Side.
Solder one wire (the 1/8″ stripped end) to each of the solder points diagramed below.

 

Back of the Controller

 

Overview of where the soldering points are located

 

Soldering Start and Back (Select) and Ground 2 (Section C)
Solder one wire (the 1/8″ stripped end) to each of the solder points diagramed below.

 

Soldering the Left Thumbstick (Section D) and Left Trigger (Section E)
Solder one wire (the 1/8″ stripped end) to each of the solder points diagramed below.

 

Soldering the Right Trigger, Ground 1 (Section A) and Right Thumbstick (Section B)
Solder one wire (the 1/8″ stripped end) to each of the solder points diagramed below.

Now that you are finished soldering, use electrical tape and cover your connections.

Completed Front Side


Completed Back Side

That’s it for Part II of this mod. The 3rd and final part will show you how to put this mess all together into a project box and finally have a fully functioning NES Controller on your Xbox without losing any controls in the process.

Go to: How To: NES Controller to Xbox Mod Part III