HW MOD - Add USB out for control sticks (use buttons/sticks on your PC or another device)

[Hello-dot-Jpg]

This is a WIP I'll expand it a bit more later on

Things you'll need
4 Pole three way rotary switch https://www.jaycar.com.au/4-pole-sealed-pcb-rotary/p/SR1216
Some hook up wire https://www.jaycar.com.au/hook-up-wire-pack-2-metres/p/WH3025
Knob of your choice https://www.jaycar.com.au/black-push-on-style-knob/p/HK7707
A soldiering iron
A solder sucker or solder wick
An old USB cable with the non USB A end cut off and the wires exposed
Heat shrink
Grommet for the USB cable (optional)

Instructions:
Disassemble the Retro Arcade (Remove the top four securing screws)
Carefully disconnect the ribbon cable from the CSH-102-48 PCB
remove the screws securing the pcb holder
remove the PCB holder
Unscrew the two PCBs
Drill a hole for the selector switch in the back of the plastic mounting plate (8mm)
Drill offset towards the top of the rear housing so that the selector switch fits
Drill a hole for the USB Cable in the back of the plastic mounting plate (varies)
Carefully desolder the 4 pin ribbon cable that connect the two boards
using your hookup wire choose 4 colours ideally black green white and red
Push your USB cable end through the hole
Solder up the connections as shown in the diagram

after soldering I recommend checking continuity with a multimeter
Check the four connections from the CSH102 PCB tp the AN06 PCB when the selector is in the correct position then do the same for the USB cable.
If connections are incorrect inspect all connections and resolder as needed
Once you have confirmed all connections are ok then
remove the nut and star washer from the selector switch
push the selector switch through the hole
put the star washer back on then the nut and tighten
cut the end of the selector switch down the correct size
Install the knob
I used a cable tie on the end of the USB cable to prevent it from being pulled through you could also use a big blob of hot glue.
reinstall the PCBs as shown in the pictures (Note you'll lose two mounting points for the CSH PCB but it sits nicely on the ribbon connector and should be fine as long as you are gentle reconnecting the control stick and buttons ribbon cable
Reinstall the PCB holder into the housing
Attach the ribbon cable
Close the unit up
Screw the housing together

The selector will have three modes PC - OFF - Retro Arcade

You don't need drivers to use the control sticks on PC, I am also hoping that we can work out how to enable four player mode on the devices that support it so that if you have two retro arcades you can connect the one with USB to the other one.

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll update this guide to make it clearer

[nk64]

Great work, thanks for the write-up.

I wish Jaycar still had these in stock (but I've ordered a couple of something similar from AliExpress in the meantime) https://www.jaycar.com.au/ip67-rated-type-b-usb-plug-cable-1m/p/PP0785

[horsiezoo]

Cool hack, in your testing, with the arcade controller board disconnected , what happens when you plug a usb controller, etc into usb 2 (main connector back of console or even the now exposed usb #1 port? Does having just one device connected at a time make any difference?

[Hello-dot-Jpg]

I was hoping that it would work while working with it with the board out of the housing but using the controller in port two with the port one disconnected didn't seem to work :( it could be my gamepad though
I did not try wiring it to port one, I might try that later

[horsiezoo]

Thx for that info, something odd with usb port 2 , well that rules out a power supply issue eg not enough power going to both ports at same time, or some sort of signal collision between ports.
It likely isn’t your controller at fault. Did you see someone figured out can reboot console with ctrl alt del on usb kb? I ran logcat a few days ago and there was a —-restart — entry after a reboot, I’d have to run a compare on a different dump to see if that happens regardless. Very odd design.