I tried to fix an Inty II controller

[+wongojack]

I got an Inty II from CList that was working pretty great, but it was very dirty. I cleaned up the controllers with some lightly damp Q tips - I really got into the corners around the keypad and wiped down the buttons well. There was dirt caked on. After the cleaning, one of my controllers had a non-working side button - Ooops!

 

Since I've done a lot of work building my own joystick for Inty, this isn't such a big deal. I can use this controller for its keypad and just plug it into my joystick. However, I still wanted to see if I could fix it.

 

Its S2 that isn't working, so I know that is lines 7,8. I tested them both with a meter and found line 7 is not connecting. However it works on S3 and the middle keypad row, so I was thinking that maybe the contacts are just dirty for this button.

 

I took apart the controller with the help of Youtube video. That was not a total disaster, but I did break one of the plastic pieces that I'm not sure will glue back on. I think that isn't fatal, but lesson learned there.

 

The contacts were indeed dirty, so I peeled apart the insert and cleaned the underside very well. I kinda expected this NOT to work because I could get a reading from line 8 on this button - just not line 7. If the contacts were clean enough for 8 then they should be for 7. In the end, the cleaning didn't help.

 

So I found the place where the trace was indeed "broken" on line 7; it's in a corner where the mylar folds. It makes sense that it would fail here, and I think it stopped working because I was putting a lot of pressure on the controller while cleaning it (rather than water actually getting in).

 

So I tried to connect the trace with a "conductive pen" - didn't work. Probably because I'm using the cheapest possible version of this type of thing, but it goes everywhere and when it dries it doesn't conduct at all. It's weird because I've used the same pen to quickly touch up 5200 buttons and it has worked for me there. Anyway, on top of the conductive "ink" not connecting the trace, it seems that it removes the original tracing from the Mylar - great.

 

Basically, I've made it worse in that there is just less trace material than there was before. I'm trying to decide what to do next. Replacing the insert would be ideal, but I don't seem to see those for sale anywhere. If I decide to keep going, I may try to connect a wire to pin 7 at the connector and the other end somehow to the disconnected button. I was thinking maybe I could punch a hole in a wide section of the trace and push a wire through then do some delicate soldering or even just glue it in place so that it makes a connection when pressed.

 

Anyone been through this kind of thing before and have some advice for me. I'm basically thinking of this as a test run for controller repair, so if it fails then I'll learn from it and just use this controller for it's Keypad. I'd love to hear if anyone else has tried to repair these like this and can give me some advice. Maybe that silver epoxy suff would work better?

[+intvsteve]

Oh, I'm so sorry. I've never had to try to fix anything in a fold - no doubt that's the killer problem. I think 20 years ago I got some conductive paint, but have only used it once. Is there such a thing as conductive tape? Maybe a sliver of that... I never understood the engineering thinking behind designs like these. Wii controllers have similarly secretly hidden snaps like the Inty II controllers. Aesthetics maybe.

 

I think I only tried to monkey with the II's controllers once and decided it wasn't worth it. YMMV of course.

[+wongojack]

Here's the video I found that shows how to open the controller up: __

__

[ZarK]

I searched for how this

the keypad out for the intellivision 1 keypad, and thought 'what a great way to upgrade the intv 2 keypad!'

 

maybe try different conductive paint... or use a fine paint brush maybe?

[ianoid]

Inty 2 controllers suck to repair. I hope to never try again. Failed.

Actually I asked Yurkie to fix some Inty 2 up and straighten the cords and it was well worth the money! He does CV controller cord straightening too. That way you can play without yanking your console at you.

[+wongojack]

Well I "fixed" it. My solution was to run a piece of wire to the disconnected part of the trace. To do this, I punched two small holes; one is through the trace and another a very short distance away slightly touching but next to the trace. I used one wire from an IDE ribbon cable and threaded it through one of the holes, bending the exposed and stripped end of the wire so it would "hook" through the other small hole. This way I had exposed wire running on top of an area of the trace. On the outside of the mylar, I used superglue to attach the two protruding ends of the wire. This means that I didn't have to use solder or glue on the trace area itself.

 

I was actually kind of surprised this worked. I used some small tweezers to really mash down the wire against the trace and that combined with the glue held it in place as I re-assembled the controller. I attached the other end of the wire directly to the wire from the cable. The cable wires are held in place on the plastic clip by razor claps, so I could just force the end of my wire down into the clamp that held line 7 in place. Once I got the wire attached, I could test (using diode setting) with a meter if the button press still registered on line 7 as I re-assembled the controller. I expected it to stop working as I manipulated and moved that wire into place, but it never did.

 

All the buttons now work and it is re-assembled (and much cleaner). I should have taken photos; but I was pretty focused; and actually, I kind of expected it NOT to work.

 

Here are the things that I will remember if there is a next time:

As per the troubleshooting guide, there are 2 pieces of the case that can be removed. The video only shows one piece being removed. The very top piece (not in video) is going to come off eventually because the controller is pretty much impossible to re-assemble with it still attached. You could try to remove it first, but it's probably easier to take apart the controller the way shown in the video and then remove the top section after.

 

I broke off one of the buttons when I tried to force them through their holes as I followed the video. Work the buttons "in" but not up or down as they are attached with a thin piece of plastic to the main body of the controller. Breaking one of these button "arms" wasn't fatal for me as I reattached it by gluing a piece of rubber band as a sort of patch. The buttons are really just floating in place anyway, so you just need something to hold in place while you re-assemble. That one feels looser now, but it works fine.

 

The plastic washer that fits between the mylar for the disc fell out as I was snapping things back in place, but that doesn't prevent functionality, so I'm not pulling things apart to put it back in. Note to stick that in place with a small dot of glue next time.

 

Troubleshooting guide: http://www.intvfunho...q/intv_faq7.php