Hey all, have I damaged this xbox 360 controller circuit board beyond repair?

The Pictures

https://imgur.com/a/oum8Yg4

  • The Red circle is the side I managed to fix.
  • The Blue circle is the parts I could not get to bind properly.

The issues and my process

So I had a pair of xbox 360 controller controllers with corroded battery terminal springs. I managed to successfully replace the first controller’s springs, but the second I was having trouble with. The solder would not bind to the pad and it would form a lump that would break off under any pressure.

I consulted the internet and someone mentioned I just needed to crank up the heat. That didn’t work and the binding seemed to get worse, further it looks like it is now burnt all the terminal pad.

The internet then told me to scrap away the surface as it might be residual flux and it should be fine underneath. It still fails to securely bind.

I suspect the corrosion ate so far into the device that the pad itself was too weak to bind. I also suspect I am an idiot.

Is there any saving this?

My Plan should I discover I borked it

360 controllers have additional terminals on the back which I might be able to connect to something instead of the battery pads.

  • @MajorTomEnglish
    6•1 year ago

    I can’t tell for sure, but it definitely looks like your pad is gone. If you have an exacto knife you can just gently scrape away the solder mask, find the trace, and solder to the trace.

    • @LowQualityGoodsOPEnglish
      1•1 year ago

      Thanks, I was worried about trying this, but if it’s my only option I’ll give it a go after I try another clean and resolder.

      • LazaroFilmEnglish
        1•1 year ago

        Basically it’s broken right now. You can try and fix it and it will either work (yay) or not (so just like now) you have nothing to lose. Worst case you tried something new and learned things!!!

  • @grasibEnglish
    4•1 year ago

    You lost your pad. This usually happens if you have old PCBs which were exposed to some air humidity over time. The pad heats up and the moisture evaporates between the layers, separating the pad and the PCB base material. More heat increases the likelihood of that happening.

    That part is unsolderable now. You need to connect at a different place and reconnect any interrupted traces or glue the pad back to the board, if you can.

    Game controllers in general are very hard to repair since they contain large copper layers to withstand forces from the controls. It’s very common to loose pads or lift THT holes.

    That said, most often nothing is ever beyond repair. It’s usually just a matter of skills and tools which are available.

    • RoliversEnglish
      3•1 year ago

      Hmm so you could work around this issue by placing the PCB in a drying oven a couple of hours before. Something around 50deg C.

      • @grasibEnglish
        2•1 year ago

        That is correct, this is the standard procedure to dry PCBAs.

    • @LowQualityGoodsOPEnglish
      1•1 year ago

      Thanks, I’ll try and find the trace and solder a wire and maybe some supports.

  • @[email protected]English
    3•1 year ago

    As others have said, your pad is gone. If you’re struggling to expose the trace needed to solder, it might be easier to find out which one of those test points corresponds to the battery terminal and solder a wire to that instead.

    Here’s a great resource I used to repair an Xbox one controller after destroying the pads in an attempt to replace an analogue stick.

  • @[email protected]English
    2•1 year ago

    To understand the original traces on each side of a circuit board, you can put a powerful flashlivht on the back to see through.

    I can’t say if the hole is too wide and makes a short circuit with another close track.

    Do you use flux ?
    Have you cleaned the track with water on a coton tip ? (To remove battery leak) What kind of soldering wire do you use ? Shitty soldering iron does not stick.

    I had the same issue with a circuit. Gently sanding and using flux solved my issue. But it was an ugly soldering. I am not proud of it. You are not alone.

    • @LowQualityGoodsOPEnglish
      1•1 year ago

      Thanks,

      awesome, I was struggling to figure out where tracers went, I’ll try the light trick.

      I did try using flux, I tried cleaning it with a toothbrush dipped in isopropyl alcohol, but I’ll try water and bud tomorrow.

      I think I’m using decent solder, I bought it from my local electronics store. It has no discernible branding but does contain a mixture which includes flux. My soldering iron is a fairly expensive one and has treated me well, but I don’t think I take good care of the tip.

      I’ll try a sand as well tomorrow. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement :D