PS5 Dualsense controller stick drift a mainboard issue?

[dbuergi]

Hi all,

I got a controller where the left stick was moving left all the time (-1.00 at calibration tool). Even after changing to hall effect sticks it stayed the same and reset and all others things didn't help.
I removed the stick again and even without it calibration tool shows a movement to the left. Anybody knows where the fault can come from? Maybe any bridges or damaged SMD components?

[Unspun01]

Double check that you did not damage any of the traces to/from the hall effect potentiometer. Usually there is 4 pins: Vcc, ground, 2x poles. If one of these traces is damaged, or not making connection then the calibration will not be correct. See attached image. It is for PS3 but gets the point across.

Not sure if this applies to your controller since I can't remember what is inside PS5 controller, but maybe will give you some hints. Also, double-check that the replacement hall effect sensor is identical to the original one. There can be some differences between OEM ones and aftermarket ones.

[Mogens Riis]

If there is no hardware issue, maybe someone used the calibration tool and messed up.

Try a fresh calibration with this tool: https://dualshock-tools.github.io/

[dbuergi]

I unsoldered the stick checked eveything again and after soldering it back the problem still is the same. So there must be a hardware issue with lines our maybe caps? Anybody has an idea what to check?

[m1ch43lzm]

Some things to try
Check the middle pin on the left stick X axis potentiometer

If using regular potentiometers, measure resistance from the middle pin to both outer pins, with the stick in the center position it should be around 1.15k, the potentiometers are 2.3k
The potentiometer acts as a voltage divider, the aftermarket hall effect and TMR sticks send a voltage instead that corresponds to the position on the stick

On one end you have GND, the other end is VCC, I think is 1.8v for the dualsense, not sure

Check diode mode on your multimeter with red probe on GND, black probe on the middle pin on the board, you should get a reading there

[Unspun01]

@dbuergi: You mentioned that you unsoldered and resoldered the stick. Did you replace the entire joystick with X and Y potentiometers or just one potentiometer?

Do you have a different potentiometer to swap into the problematic one?

Or perhaps you can swap the potentiometer/sensor between the X and Y axes on the same joystick to see if the problem moves from X to Y or Y to X etc.

Swapping the potentiometer or hall effect sensor locations can help determine if the problem is with the joystick pot itself, or the location it is installed into. Then you can see if there is a trace problem or something else like a capacitor.

[dbuergi]

Thanks for all the replies!
The problem stays the same with changed axes even with or without installed potentiometers.
I checked all lines for continuity and would guess that there is a.problem with a cap.
Since i have no shorts is there any way to find "wrong" Ohm readings?

[m1ch43lzm]

Hi, Please post pictures of both sides of the board, there are 5 revisions of the dualsense (BDM-***)
Also a close up picture of both sides of the board where the left stick is located

The traces from the sticks go directly to the main MCU, it may be broken somewhere

[dbuergi]

Please find pics attached. The copper trace in the front was scratched by me because there was a lot of dirt and wanted to check for damaged. But the fault was already there.

[m1ch43lzm]

Measure voltage at the place where I marked 1.8v on the first picture, also measure voltage at the middle pin, marked "X" on the pictures
With the stick centered, voltage should be around 0.9v, moving side to side should vary from 0 to 1.8v

Also check continuity between the two points marked "X" (middle pin, and where you scratched the trace), it should read 0 ohm, if not, solder a jumper wire from the middle pin and the exposed trace

You may find this video useful
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cWUnZ7KjUIQ

The resistance measurements on that video are valid only with regular potentiometers, if you installed hall effect joysticks skip that part of the video, check voltages instead

[dbuergi]

Measure voltage at the place where I marked 1.8v on the first picture, also measure voltage at the middle pin, marked "X" on the pictures
With the stick centered, voltage should be around 0.9v, moving side to side should vary from 0 to 1.8v

Also check continuity between the two points marked "X" (middle pin, and where you scratched the trace), it should read 0 ohm, if not, solder a jumper wire from the middle pin and the exposed trace

You may find this video useful
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cWUnZ7KjUIQ

The resistance measurements on that video are valid only with regular potentiometers, if you installed hall effect joysticks skip that part of the video, check voltages instead

Thank you for the Input buddy!
All lines show no voltages. Also soldering a wire between the X points didn't help even If there was no continuity.
Can i solder jumper wires from the marked points to get the voltages?

[m1ch43lzm]

Bridge only the 1.8v if it's missing on the X axis potentiometer, the "0.9" is the output of the potentiometer, measure it after you fix the 1.8v

Moving the stick left to right should vary the voltage at the middle pin (where I marked "X")

[Unspun01]

@dbuergi: Inspect the soldering on the 1.8v line. The trace damage in your photo shows missing solder mask and it is easy to accidentally solder across the trace to the nearby traces.

Also, why so much melting damage to nearby plastic components? did you use a heat gun? There is a lot of melting to some of the white plastic connectors where flex ribbons go, and your reset button switch is destroyed.

A heat gun could also melt the plastic internals of the joystick so it will never work properly.

These joysticks have orange pots. Are you sure these are hall effect sensors? or are they TMR sensors? If these are TMR, they may operate differently than resistance pots or hall effect sensors.

[dbuergi]

@dbuergi: Inspect the soldering on the 1.8v line. The trace damage in your photo shows missing solder mask and it is easy to accidentally solder across the trace to the nearby traces.

Also, why so much melting damage to nearby plastic components? did you use a heat gun? There is a lot of melting to some of the white plastic connectors where flex ribbons go, and your reset button switch is destroyed.

A heat gun could also melt the plastic internals of the joystick so it will never work properly.

These joysticks have orange pots. Are you sure these are hall effect sensors? or are they TMR sensors? If these are TMR, they may operate differently than resistance pots or hall effect sensors.

Hello,

i got this controller in a bunch of non working return shipments. Already looked like this.
The dealer on ebay offered them as hall effect sticks but the problem was there before.
Main fault was a damaged USB port which i repaired and now i try to fix the stick.

[dbuergi]

Bridge only the 1.8v if it's missing on the X axis potentiometer, the "0.9" is the output of the potentiometer, measure it after you fix the 1.8v

Moving the stick left to right should vary the voltage at the middle pin (where I marked "X")

It's fixed! One wire did the trick. It's insulated copper but i will also ad a UV mask.
Thanks for the help of everyone!