PDA

View Full Version : Xbox killing controlers?



zippedupmonkey
07-29-2004, 08:30 PM
Ok, my xbox is about a year and a half old and about 3 months ago, my controler just up and died, so i couldnt figure out what happened, and blaimed my bro, then the other night i was with my friends and a brand new controller (opened the day before) dies, and i have come to the conclusion that my #3 port is frying my controlers, has this happened to anyone else and is there anything i can do about it?

CMX Jedi
07-29-2004, 09:32 PM
nope
suggestion: put some tape over it so noone can use that port

memphissheik
07-29-2004, 10:41 PM
are they microsoft brand controllers?

WynnFire
07-30-2004, 01:21 AM
I've had my xbox since Dec 23rd 2001 and 3 big controllers, 1 S, and one wireless and haven't had a problem with any of them. They are built like tanks. Seriously, I have accidentally dropped them on my wood floor, stomped on them, threw around the room, etc... just to get them to break but no luck. The same can't be said about any of my genesis, saturn, dreamcast, or n64 controllers though. Some of my N64 controllers did get fried.

Reclaimer
07-30-2004, 01:52 AM
Never had any problems with my controllers.
It would be something to consider that you might have some freak power problem.
The controllers are USB devices, and those ports are USB ports that power the controllers. You never know. If you have access to one of those handheld current meters, whatever they're called... (In the military the electricians call them Flukes)
You could just test the contacts while the Xbox is with the probe and see if your third port is putting out more current than the others. But that's a stretch.
Try a third party controller and see if it dies. Keep the receipt if you have to buy one and return it later. If it gets killed, then it's certainly your Xbox.

Variation-XBA
07-30-2004, 02:04 AM
Launch system with 4 Controller F's, never 1 problem yet, its your box:P

SoundX
07-30-2004, 03:58 AM
Never happend to me, and that would really flip me out if that happend to one of my crystal pads.

Sounds like your Xbox, I guess.

severd hed
07-30-2004, 07:13 AM
i never had any problems with any of mine. i got my first xbox at launch, with 4 of the original controllers. i later picked up some of the controller S units since then, as well as a green halo xbox. i now have two xboxes and 4 of each controller..and no problems with any of them. i did have a friend with a controller problem..but he wrapped his cords tightly around the controller, which seems to cause the wires to break or come loose.


the volt meter idea is good..check all of the ports and make sure they are all the same.

Whizard97
07-30-2004, 03:52 PM
SoundX: If it did happen to one of your crystal pads... you can always buy a replacement and swap out the 'guts' of the controller.... I'll be doing that with my HALO pad... (which I don't use yet... still wrapped)

pickledponner
07-30-2004, 04:05 PM
not a prob yet with mine, i have had two micro mad catz and 3 microsoft s pads and a gamester

zippedupmonkey
07-31-2004, 11:43 PM
its just the port 3, its killed a microsoft S-type controller and a pelican controler, i was told that if i tell pellican that they did it, i could get a new system, but i was thinking of keeping this one, tapin up the port and getting a new mod'ed system or a halo system, unless anyone knows of any better ideas....thanks guys

Shadow20002
08-01-2004, 12:08 AM
Try to use power surge protection, maybe it's better.

Peepers
08-01-2004, 04:46 AM
Ok, my xbox is about a year and a half old and about 3 months ago, my controler just up and died, so i couldnt figure out what happened, and blaimed my bro, then the other night i was with my friends and a brand new controller (opened the day before) dies, and i have come to the conclusion that my #3 port is frying my controlers, has this happened to anyone else and is there anything i can do about it?

Now this is a strange error. I can't think of how a USB port could fry a controller though.

Reclaimer
08-01-2004, 06:00 AM
Now this is a strange error. I can't think of how a USB port could fry a controller though.

All four ports are connected to one daughterboard that plugs into a bus on the motherboard. The power comes from the PSU through the motherboard, since there's no seperate power connecter for the DB. There might be a short in the connector tabs that relay the power and route them through the DB. That short would probably cause more power than normal to only go to that one plug.
The entire controller, motor, buttons, memory card ports might not be dead, but the I/O controller card that reads the actions of the controller. This would be caused by receiving a jolt that's too much than what the controller board is rated for, seeing how the rumble motors in the legs of the controller adjust their rotational speed by current regulations. So that leads me to believe they could tolerate greater currents.

I wouldn't think it's the PSU because everything would be getting zapped and the whole Xbox would be dead.
It's not the daughterboard entirely because all the ports would be dead.
So now we rule it down to just the connector tabs that fit in the bus on the motherboard. More power is going through one port than all 4 should recieve.

Since port 3 kills controllers there's no way to tell if the third controller rumbles harder than the others. You would have to test that port individually with the voltmeter.

Now something not considered is that Zippedupmonkey can buy or find a trashed Xbox somewhere, open it up and remove the DVDROM/HDD tray. Unclip and remove the controller daughtboard from the front face of the motherboard and pop it into his and everything will be fine again.
It's not the motherboard because the power isn't disementated to the different ports from the motherboard side. It's from the daughtboard side.

Hope that works.

CarGuy
08-01-2004, 11:15 AM
This is weird. This morning I turned on my XBox to play 2k5 and my controller S didn't work. It's not completely dead because the headset light still works.. It was plugged into port 1 and the duke was in port 2. I guess i have to get used to Duke again.. :confused:

CMX Jedi
08-01-2004, 01:15 PM
the things called a multimeter, if you have any extra brakeaway cables you could cut them in half expose the red and black wires and test every one with that, than when your done you can make a connecter to use your xbox controler on the computer.

zippedupmonkey
08-01-2004, 01:16 PM
Thanks alot, I am not to sure of the insides of the x-box, now i just have to hunt down a busted box and see what i can do, thanks a lot guys