PS2 DUALSHOCK2 repair, common problem?

[Codeman]

I have 2 broken PS2 DUALSHOCK 2 pads which display the exact same symptoms but came from 2 distinct persons.

When the pad is plugged in its detected (tested in Kingdom Hearts which is a DUALSHOCK2 only game) and the analog led lights up, analog sticks work but no other button works (Dpad, R/L, start select etc)

In the PS2 browser I can manually press the analog button and the led lights up but still nothing works.

Any ideas?

[ken_cinder]

Analog sticks don't work in the PS2 browser. You can't even turn the analog on, so I don't know how you managed unless theres a malfunction in the controller. I JUST turned on my PS2 to confirm this.

From what I remember, the analog sticks are mounted right on the PCB. There are 2 wiring harnesses plugged into the PCB from what I remember, 1 of those is probably for the analog sticks and the other for the buttons. It's probably a good bet that one of those harnesses is loose........quite easy when you're a spaz and throw your controllers at the TV.

[Codeman]

I opened up the pads and I didnt spot any visible damage.

The analogs are soldered to the PCB, the only wiring is on the tumble motors and a flat ribbon for the sheet that captures the remaining inputs

[ken_cinder]

Theres the ribbon cable that attaches thin ribbon face layer, but theres also a connector for the cable itself that goes from controller to PS2 on the other side of the PCB. I'd check the wires there, make sure the connector is in tight and that there is continuity all the way to the plug at the end from that connector.

Unless we know what has been done to these controllers, we can only speculate as to what is wrong. If the analog is working, but none of the buttons are then it could be that connector not in all the way, damaged cable or component on the PCB itself.

[l_oliveira]

The plastic circuit board which has the buttons contacts for the dualshock 2 controller works slightly different from the usual controllers from older consoles.

Instead of being a simple open/closed switch like older systems, the PS2 controller uses a A/D converter to sense impedance variations on each of it's inputs. That added to a ball shaped rubber contact, causes the controller to be capable of reading the pressure applied to the buttons.

All buttons on the Dualshock two (exception being Start, Select and Mode) are pressure sensitive.

Sweat from the player's hand can enter on the controller and cause the conductive ink to rot, breaking the electrical circuit. 

The microcontroller on the Dualshock2 pad is programmed to stop sending keystrokes to the PS2 if the A/D circuit is open.

[l_oliveira]

Sorry about the double posting but I forgot to add a thing on my post (and I cannot edit my posts for some reason)

Depending on where your flexible circuit board broke it might be possible to add a resistor to the main board (in the proper pins of the toshiba microcontroller) to fake the board original resistance.

That will cause the other buttons to start working again.

Another possibility is use the controller board to make a PS2 arcade stick (lol)
Again, if you add the resistors to simulate the flexible printed board the controller board will work with any kind of switches you can install in it.