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MyMyBox Research Page
Written by _ter

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SITE UPDATED 6/17/2004

* Metal Pad Precautions/Checklist *

** The Essential MyMyBoX Modification ** - *Now with Pictures*

MyMyBox Research

1.1 - Introduction
2.1 - Acquisition
3.1 - Suspicion
3.2 - Malfunction
4.1 - Research
4.2 - Discovery
4.3 - Cause and Effect
5.1 - Hypothesis
*New!* - 5.2 - Center Screw Damage
*PICTURES*6.1 - Solution/Prevention
7.1 - Contact Information


1.1 - Introduction

First off, I'd like to make it clear that this is not some angst-ridden consumer rant on the miserable state of product quality, or a woe-is-me stab of retribution, but rather just the documented findings of a supporter of DDR arcade pad evolution. I make no claims that my findings can be reproduced, or that any information here is without error. With that said, we can move on to...

2.1 - Acquisition


When I first ordered my MYMYBOX pad on eBay, I was riddled with anticipation. "How well do they work?", "Are they worth the investment?", "Which model will I be getting?" and so on. My concerns were laid to rest with the arrival of the pad, pictured above.

The pad performed like a dream, so long as one takes the precautions necessary to ensure maximum life/performance out of the pad. Finally the Max Combos were within my grasp.

3.1 - Suspicion



After a couple weeks of heavy use, small stress fractures started developing on two of the padcovers. I had heard other reports of this occuring, and that the damage was mostly cosmetic, and that nothing should come of them. This made sense, jumping up and down on a piece of plastic should cause damage sooner or later. So I wrote it off as normal, since they seemed to be harmless and not affecting pad performance.

3.2 - Malfunction

The first malfunction of the pad to occur was common to the device category: stuck commands. In the music selection screen of Konamix, the pad's right arrow wouldn't stop triggering. After nudging the pad back and forth, the behavior ceased, but instigated the research as follows:

4.1 - Research



Opening and observing the inside of the pad reveals it's simple archetecture, on the back of the acrylic pad we have strips of Metalic Foil-Tape Which, when pressed down, complete the circuit of the Copper interlace grid below. This is quite different from the DDRHomepad design, in which the pad itself is one half of the circuit.

4.2 - Discovery


At first glance it looked like I had found what I was looking for ... worn off residue from the foil tape seemed to be completing the circuit. Cleaning this off and ensuring full isolation of the interlace grid should prevent the pad from malfunctioning further, I thought. But that's what I noticed something else suspicious ...

4.3 - Cause and Effect


The spot in the middle of the padcover that had worn off was ... worn excessively, to say the least. The foil had completely worn away, and there was a noticable burn/wear mark in the center of the hotspot, and an interesting radial wear patern around it ...

Putting two and two togeather, this was revealed:


(Same pad, flipped horizontally)

As you can see from these illustrations, it appears as if the stress fractures on the pad are originating from this burn/wear mark on the underside of the pad. The burnthrough (where the wear actually ate away the paint on the bottom of the padcover) is at the epicenter of this fracture.


...And this one...


And this one too ... hmm.


5.1 - Hypothesis



(Left - Green Arrow/Minimum Usage | Right - Up Arrow/Heavy Usage)

One will notice in this example that the burn marks are not isolated to the large spots, but rather the entirety of the foil. Small contact points can be seen all over the Up Arrow foil, leading one to believe that this material is not suitable for its intended purpose.

My theory is this: Electricity released by completing the circuit (coupled with the friction of pad movement against the circuit) eventually wears away the foil at it's primary contact point (center of the arrow). We are still left with this being the primary conductor (foil residue), so this point still receives electricity heat, and eventually suffers damage from the heat generated by the completed circuit. This causes a weak point in the acrylic padcover. ultimately increasing the likelihood of breakage.

5.2 - Center Screw Damage



The Center screw for each pad protrudes into the body farther than other screws, and is completely exposed to the copper interlace circuit. In times of persistent use this screw can actually burrow into the circuit ...


This can raise the point in the middle of the pad to an even more prone to damage bump, right at the weakest point in the pad. This is the most likely cause of premature breaking/foil wear.



To prevent this, keep the screws in the middle of each pad (the ones with the wires coming out of them) as loose as possible. Removing the screw altogether and securing the feet with glue would be the most sure fire way of preventing damage to the circuit.



This is not to say that the pads cannot/will not be broken for other reasons, and I acknowledge that possibility exists that these events happen in reverse order(i.e. cracks cause foil burnouts). Although it seems illogical to me that this would be a thrice recurring patern on my pad, and it seems much more likely that the pad would be damaged by the heat, rather than a minor fracture in the pad causing increased conductivity.

6.1 - Solution/Prevention - UPDATED


First, please visit and read the PRECAUTIONS checklist to make sure everything is in order. Pictures outlining exactly the damage caused by the center screws will be available soon, as they are the new cause for concern.

If you've been using your pad for a period of time before this, the first thing you want to do is remove each pad cover, and make sure there is no contortion (bending) or the Copper Interlace grid in the center point as a result of protruding screws.



If this is the case, carefully use a hammer to attempt to reshape it to a flat surface. Also, if any copper is protruding in a sharp fasion, either bend it back down or remove it.

Second, make sure all the contact are CLEAN of any FOIL RESIDUE that may have worn off. This will look like silver streaks on the copper interlace grid.



You can clean it off with a mild solvent or with a dry brillo pad, making sure the connections are clean and isolated.

Once the shape of the copper pad and it's cleanliness have been ensured, consider a pad modification.

The *Essential* MyMyBoX pad modification


This virtually required, inexpensive (around 10 bucks), and simple mod involves applying a sheet of 30 Gauge Sheet metal to the bottom of each acrylic padcover, replacing the foil (covering it up, actually) completely.


(bottom of acrylic padcover)


To do this mod, you'll need:

-A sheet of 2' x 3' 30 Gauge Galvonized Sheet metal (Available on the Duct isle of any hardware store, around $6)
-Duct Tape
-A Hammer
-Something to cut the Sheet metal with (Tin snips recommended, anything that you can manage will work)
-a ruler.

1. First, decide if you're going to do the four primary arrows or all 6. If you do not play solo very much it may not be worth it to mod the green arrows. But it's up to you.

2. Remove all arrows you plan to mod. I recommend using a drill or power screwdriver as there's a lot of screws and it gets tiresome very quickly

3. Cut (4) or (6) sheets of metal into 10" x 10" squares.

4. Cut the edges of the squares to leave 1/2 inch space on each corner (I'm sorry I don't have the dimensions for this)

5. On a hard, flat surface, carefully hammer the edges of the sheet metal squares so they are flat and even.

6. Place each square on the bottom site of the pad, and use a strips of duct tape cut in half vertically (so they're half as wide as normal) to secure each side to the bottom of the acrylic pad.

7. Repeat above step until all desired pads are complete.

8. Put the padcovers back in their slots. Each of these should now contain the Acrylic padcover, with the sheet metal secured to the bottom, and the copper circuit below that. Do not secure the screws at this time, rather turn on your Playstation and test each pad by hand to ensure their proper operation.

9. If one is too sensitive or randomly firing, you may need to make sure the copper circuit is completely secured to the foam base beneath it. You can do this by first prying it off with a flathead screwdriver (carefully, as not to detach the wires) and re-apply it with a hot glue gun. Also make sure there is still enough rebound to the four foam strips around the pad to keep the pad up and off the trigger, if they are worn or too thin you will need to replace them. Foam replacement can be found at any fabric store.

10. Periodically take the pads out and clean them off with a light solvent. The copper likes to leave electically corroded residue on the metal but it should rub off easily. This will keep the pad in optimum working order.

11. (Updated 6/04) From research emailed to me by Matthew M., the absolute best plastic that you could go with is a polycarbonate called Lexan. This is one of the strongest plastics out there, and should be available for approximately $2.25 per square from a professional outlet. He writes that is is well worth the price for something that will never crack. The Lexan should be cut at 10 and 7/8" and 1/8" thick (the exact dimensions of the original squares). Thanks Matt!.




How well does it work post-mod?



Matsuri Japan Maniac, 447 Max Combo
All Arrows Modded.

Additionally, I may only weigh 165 lb, but my arrows have not cracked at all since I modded the pad. This is several weeks of moderate to heavy use.

Finally, if this works out for you, contact me and tell me how it went. Feel free to contact me with any questions pertaining to your MyMyBox pad operation.
If this information helped out and you feel like helping me out, you can donate a buck or two via paypal to fund further research :)


Contact info is below.

7.1 - Contact Information


If you have any questions, would like to know more, or just want to talk about DDR, my information is as follows:

On the ddrfreak.com forums as _ter
Email: ter@rufus3.com
AIM: teratwerk
MSN: rufus3@hotmail.com



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