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Using components off a PCB?

P

psxpaul

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 22, 2000
Messages
335
I'm modding a htpc into an old dvd player I had. I wanted to use the front buttons for power/eject/stop/play/rewind/fast forward. I was wondering if there's some way I can use the switches that are already on the PCB from the DVD player for this purpose. I tried soldering wires from the switches onto an extra gamepad I had laying around, and it almost works, but not quite. I think the traces between the switches on the PCB are what's making the gamepad mis-read everything. Like, buttons 3 and 4 on the gamepad work fine, but buttons 1 and 2 don't. They stay off until either button 3 or 4 is pressed, at which point they both switch on and stay on. Using a mutlimeter it looks like some of the switches are connected. I tried scratching out the traces on the board, but it didn't really change anything. I thought maybe the PCB is multi-layered, and I'm only cutting the top layer?

Anyone know what I can do?
 
it's unlikly any switch unit is multilayered but if you want a way around it just make your own PCB it's not that hard. alternativly check the front of it it may be that there are some traces on the front you need to cut.
 
Thanks for the suggestion, but I think making a PCB this size and shape would be a bit complicated. Here are a couple pictures for reference:

pcbfront.jpg


pcbback.jpg
 
keep your sodlered wires on the buttons and grab a pocket knife...just cut the traces on the board conencted to the buttons. that might work.
 
That's exactly what I was going to recommend. Once those are gone the buttons will just be buttons.

James
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I already tried doing that, but its still giving me problems. Maybe I didn't cut deep enough, so I'll try it again.
 
Originally posted by psxpaul
Thanks for the suggestion. I already tried doing that, but its still giving me problems. Maybe I didn't cut deep enough, so I'll try it again.
Click to expand...

Just make sure you keep going through until all the copper in the line is gone. If the signals have nowhere else to go then it is just a normal switch.

If those scratches on the board are where you did it do it closer to the actual switch. If it goes through a resistor before the cut then you have no idea where it goes. I would clear out the area directly around the solder.
 
Ok thanks for the help guys. It turns out one of the traces was hidden some how, and there was a resistor in the middle of a blank spot on the board. I just pulled the resistor out and all worked well.
 
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