Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Turn off your PlayStation 3 controller. Remove the five screws from the underside of the controller: one beneath each shoulder button, one at the bottom edges of each handle and one just beneath the player indicator LEDs. Once removed pull the back side away from the front. You may need to use the edge of a flathead screwdriver to pull it apart, but do not use too much force. If you feel like the plastic might break, check to make sure you didn't miss a screw.
Remove the battery from the circuit board -- the connector will pull right out.
Remove the single screw from the circuit board; it's located in the middle on the bottom between the two curved sections for the joysticks.
Pull the circuit board up from the controller; the joysticks will come with it. When you do this, multiple pieces of the controller will be left unsecure, including the buttons and directional pad, the start and select buttons, and the PS button. On the front of the circuit board, in the center, you'll see "LED5" printed in small letters. This is the general area where you'll place the LED, though it does not need to be connected with any sort of solder or glue.
Remove the button foil from the circuit board. This piece is connected by a flat green connector and a standard cable. Your shoulder buttons will come loose with this piece; if you need to remove them, you'll need to remove the bar holding the second shoulder buttons in place.
Strip the ends of a short wire -- Xbox Mod Store recommends a 2 1/2-inch wire -- and solder one end of the wire to the negative side of the LED. Solder the resistor to the positive leg of your LED. Insulate your soldering points with electrical tape.
Follow the specific instructions for the placement and soldering of your LED as per your DIY kit; every company or individual that sells LED modification kits suggestions slightly ways to solder your LED to your circuit board.
Xbox Mod Store recommends soldering the resistor to the bottom point on the white box in the center of the circuit board -- opposite the red wire on the button foil connector. Be very careful that the solder does not touch other points on the box. Then run the wire connected to the negative end of the LED through the number five hole to the far right side of the circuit board. Solder both sides.
The modder behind the YouTube Channel Electronic Truth TV solders his LED ends to the back side of the circuit board, on the right side along the bottom curve of the joystick. The first point along the bottom is negative, the second is positive.
Another modder, Bang Toyib, recommends soldering the positive point of the LED to the left point below the words "LED5," which still has a positive charge. He also puts the negative point through the 5 hole on the right, same as the Xbox Mod Store instructions.
Remove your player indicator LEDs from the circuit board by "floating" them. In instructions from the mod store NiktroniX, you do this by adding a bit of solder to tip of the iron and sliding along the side of the LED that already has solder applied -- thus loosening it from the board. Pull it off with tweezers.
Add a small amount of solder to the positive location on the circuit board -- the positive side is located toward the top of the board. While the solder is melted press the positive end of the LED in place. Hold it until the LED is affixed. Repeat this for the other four LEDs. You should use tweezers or similar instruments while dealing with these small LEDs to avoid burning yourself.
Test your LEDs once the solder has solidified by plugging the circuit board into an active USB port using the charging cable. Press the "PS" button input on the circuit board to cause everything to light up. If it doesn't work, check that your soldering points are correct.
Reassemble your PS3 controller. Check that all the buttons are in the right spots and that your LED is steady before pressing the circuit board back in place and screwing it down. Connect the battery, connect the shoulder buttons if necessary and snap the back cover back into place. Use the PS3 button to test your LED before replacing the screws.