Hey y'all. I just finished up turning an old nintendo controller into the housing for a USB passthrough. Basically a nicostick but retro awesome.
Anyway, here's the build:
Shopping list:
USB cord
Dead NES-004 Controller
Dead e-Go battery
Drill
3/8" bit
Submini momentary switch
Hot glue gun
Small Phillips head screwdriver
20-22 gauge wire
Step one:
Strip the end off the USB connector, leave the black and red lines uncut. Cut white and green (data). Don't have pictures, I've got tons of these already cut and ready for passthroughs.
Step two:
Remove screws from back of NES controller. Open and remove circuit board. I have no pictures of this because I used the board in another, unrelated project. Screw the controller back together, minus buttons and circuit board (just the shell)
Step three:
Take pliers and grip down on button area of e-Go battery. Rock back and forth until it pops free. If you can, preserve the red wire leading to the center post on the threaded end (makes it super easy). If you don't get that wire, have fun figuring out how to solder onto it. Tear everything except the red wire out.
Step four:
Solder momentary switch to red (positive) USB wire. Solder 3-4" of 20-22 gauge wire to other terminal of switch.
Step five:
If you were able to preserve the red wire coming from the center post, use the wire we just soldered to connect to it. If not, then have fun soldering it to the center post. Be careful not to short the wire to the outer casing, otherwise it won't work.
Step six:
Solder the black wire from the USB cable to the outer casing of the terminal; I prefer to do it where the button used to reside. At this point, check to make sure that everything is actually working before setting stuff in place.
Step seven:
Using the 3/8" bit, drill a hole roughly in line with the "Nintendo" logo (or anywhere, really, that just felt most natural to me), then open up the controller shell again.
Step eight:
Place the front faceplate upside down and drop all but the A (or B, again, personal preference) buttons in. Hot glue them in place so they don't move around. This is the fun part. I thought the submini switch I had was small enough - it's NOT. You'll have to grind out the inside part of the A button and CAREFULLY shave the top off the button. I would say maybe 1/64-1/32 of an inch at most. In hindsight, a button-style switch would have been much easier to implement and would negate having to shave the A button down.
Step nine:
Place the USB cable where the original cord came in on the top shell. Hot glue in place. Line up the momentary switch with the underside of the A button, and balance it there. Helping hands are helpful (!!!). If you want to glue anything else down to make sure it fits, now is the time. Make sure you can A) screw everything in, and B) shaved off enough of the button that it doesn't just get held down in the ON position. Put the tiniest little squeeze of hot glue on the back of the switch and QUICKLY close up the controller casing. This will hold it in place so that you don't have to worry about it sliding and having to open stuff up again. Put the screws back in.
Step ten:
Fill your tank with Tasty Vapor's Peppermint Mouth Mosh and vape!
Side notes:
*If you want to be really hardcore about it, cover all your wire paths with hot glue so that nothing moves or pulls out. It's unnecessary, but I've had passthroughs where things wiggled free after a while.
*Due to the size of the e-Go's connector at the button side, the top cover will not go down all the way. It's a difference of about 1/32", but unless you're an absolute perfectionist, it shouldn't cause any problems. If you really want to, you can take dremel and CAREFULLY sand out the top to give you the extra clearance you need. Just don't go THROUGH the case and you're fine.
Build pictures are here:
http://db.tt/4ysdgeNP
Anyway, here's the build:
Shopping list:
USB cord
Dead NES-004 Controller
Dead e-Go battery
Drill
3/8" bit
Submini momentary switch
Hot glue gun
Small Phillips head screwdriver
20-22 gauge wire
Step one:
Strip the end off the USB connector, leave the black and red lines uncut. Cut white and green (data). Don't have pictures, I've got tons of these already cut and ready for passthroughs.
Step two:
Remove screws from back of NES controller. Open and remove circuit board. I have no pictures of this because I used the board in another, unrelated project. Screw the controller back together, minus buttons and circuit board (just the shell)
Step three:
Take pliers and grip down on button area of e-Go battery. Rock back and forth until it pops free. If you can, preserve the red wire leading to the center post on the threaded end (makes it super easy). If you don't get that wire, have fun figuring out how to solder onto it. Tear everything except the red wire out.
Step four:
Solder momentary switch to red (positive) USB wire. Solder 3-4" of 20-22 gauge wire to other terminal of switch.
Step five:
If you were able to preserve the red wire coming from the center post, use the wire we just soldered to connect to it. If not, then have fun soldering it to the center post. Be careful not to short the wire to the outer casing, otherwise it won't work.
Step six:
Solder the black wire from the USB cable to the outer casing of the terminal; I prefer to do it where the button used to reside. At this point, check to make sure that everything is actually working before setting stuff in place.
Step seven:
Using the 3/8" bit, drill a hole roughly in line with the "Nintendo" logo (or anywhere, really, that just felt most natural to me), then open up the controller shell again.
Step eight:
Place the front faceplate upside down and drop all but the A (or B, again, personal preference) buttons in. Hot glue them in place so they don't move around. This is the fun part. I thought the submini switch I had was small enough - it's NOT. You'll have to grind out the inside part of the A button and CAREFULLY shave the top off the button. I would say maybe 1/64-1/32 of an inch at most. In hindsight, a button-style switch would have been much easier to implement and would negate having to shave the A button down.
Step nine:
Place the USB cable where the original cord came in on the top shell. Hot glue in place. Line up the momentary switch with the underside of the A button, and balance it there. Helping hands are helpful (!!!). If you want to glue anything else down to make sure it fits, now is the time. Make sure you can A) screw everything in, and B) shaved off enough of the button that it doesn't just get held down in the ON position. Put the tiniest little squeeze of hot glue on the back of the switch and QUICKLY close up the controller casing. This will hold it in place so that you don't have to worry about it sliding and having to open stuff up again. Put the screws back in.
Step ten:
Fill your tank with Tasty Vapor's Peppermint Mouth Mosh and vape!
Side notes:
*If you want to be really hardcore about it, cover all your wire paths with hot glue so that nothing moves or pulls out. It's unnecessary, but I've had passthroughs where things wiggled free after a while.
*Due to the size of the e-Go's connector at the button side, the top cover will not go down all the way. It's a difference of about 1/32", but unless you're an absolute perfectionist, it shouldn't cause any problems. If you really want to, you can take dremel and CAREFULLY sand out the top to give you the extra clearance you need. Just don't go THROUGH the case and you're fine.
Build pictures are here:
http://db.tt/4ysdgeNP
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