D-pad Mods Available From Evildragons Shop Now!

[bacteria]

I know everyone is excited about this, however it isn't difficult to do a proper D-pad mod. All you need is:

* Pinout diagram (see my sig (guide), my pinouts are what people have used for the GP2x for ages now). My modding skills have dramatically improved since then (hence my work on an N64p)!
* Old GBC or GBA (for the mobo and D-pad and rubbers).
* Dremel to cut the GBC or GBA D-pad board out; and make a hole in the GP2x case
* Wires, solder, soldering iron.
* Cutters to clip off the old joystick, flat on GP2x mobo (and de-soldering braid if you have any).
* Small and cheap button (off the GBC or GBA if you like) for the centre click. As mentioned ages ago, two wires make the centre click work. No fancy daughter board required. If you only want a centre click you don't even have to remove the mobo - just solder 2 wires and put a button somewhere!

If you are able to buy this D-pad mod and do it yourself, you are only baby steps from doing it from scratch yourself - for the cost in total of an old GBC or GBA, which you can buy for about £9-£15 delivered! (e-bay for example). This is far cheaper than the alternative.

If you use a MKII GP2x, they only rotated the stick a bit, no issue if you are making your own. It really is quite a simple task. B)

 

[peelie]

I know everyone is excited about this, however it isn't difficult to do a proper D-pad mod. All you need is:

* Pinout diagram (see my sig (guide), my pinouts are what people have used for the GP2x for ages now). My modding skills have dramatically improved since then (hence my work on an N64p)!
* Old GBC or GBA (for the mobo and D-pad and rubbers).
* Dremel to cut the GBC or GBA D-pad board out; and make a hole in the GP2x case
* Wires, solder, soldering iron.
* Cutters to clip off the old joystick, flat on GP2x mobo (and de-soldering braid if you have any).
* Small and cheap button (off the GBC or GBA if you like) for the centre click. As mentioned ages ago, two wires make the centre click work. No fancy daughter board required. If you only want a centre click you don't even have to remove the mobo - just solder 2 wires and put a button somewhere!

If you are able to buy this D-pad mod and do it yourself, you are only baby steps from doing it from scratch yourself - for the cost in total of an old GBC or GBA, which you can buy for about £9-£15 delivered! (e-bay for example). This is far cheaper than the alternative.

If you use a MKII GP2x, they only rotated the stick a bit, no issue if you are making your own. It really is quite a simple task. B)

okay cool downloaded your pdf! cheers

 

[Orkie]

If you are able to buy this D-pad mod and do it yourself, you are only baby steps from doing it from scratch yourself - for the cost in total of an old GBC or GBA, which you can buy for about £9-£15 delivered! (e-bay for example). This is far cheaper than the alternative.

I would've thought it'd be fairly easy to just buy 4 tiny microswitches and simply mount them to a disc if you wanted too - real arcade controls . There really are loads of alternatives, no reason to use this one other than if you don't have the time to do it yourself.

I just have one question about your mod: would it be possible to remove the joystick arm without destroying it (i.e. unscrewing it somehow) but also without desoldering the entire thing?

 

[bacteria]

Yes, microswitches (tact switches) are fine, however you don't want a "click" every time you press a direction (a bit annoying).

You could spend a lot of time desoldering the joystick, however you are better to clip the pins off and desolder each connection. If you wanted to put it back (unlikely) you could resolder it, and reinforce the joints with hot glue.

If you make your own D-pad assembly and it is tight in the GP2x, cut out a circular hole on the GP2x around the D-pad area, use model putty / hot glue to elevate the area partially and smooth it, sand, spray paint - job done. This would stop the D-pad "sticking".