Xbox Rapid Fire Mod

xbox rapid fire

[Xboxplaya978] has posted instructions detailing how to add two rapid fire trigger buttons to your Xbox controllers. He got the original plans from Mattie on Xbox-scene, but his site has since gone down. The circuit is based on an a-stable multi-vibrator used to flash LEDs. Halo players have been drawn to this mod because it makes using the battle rifle or covenant carbine a lot more enjoyable.

Related: Xbox 360 Hacks, Xbox Hacks

30 thoughts on “Xbox Rapid Fire Mod

  1. Anybody remember Turbografx? All the controllers had built-in 3-speed selectable rapid fire, even on the portable version (TurboExpress), I’m not sure why something like this is an afterthought on systems today.

  2. With most games it doesn’t really help too much – halo included. All weapons have a minimum wait time between firing – in fact, if you trigger too fast, it usually slows down the rate as the extra triggers are sort of like misfires. A much more useable hack for halo 2 and a lot of FPS games is to add two buttons to your controller for A/B so that you can jump/melee without moving your thumb off the right thumbstick.

    Tom

  3. Re th0mas:

    Instead of making your controller more mouselike, why not just get a mouse?

    You’ve got 10 fingers for a reason. I have no idea why console makers assume you shouldn’t use most of them.

  4. Re ivan256:

    “Instead of making your controller more mouselike, why not just get a mouse?”
    -Because the Xbox doesn’t have mouse support and fakers like the SmartJoy Frag don’t have anywhere near the same feel as a mouse.

    “You’ve got 10 fingers for a reason. I have no idea why console makers assume you shouldn’t use most of them.”
    -You need something to hold the controller with… Honestly IMO the PS2 controllers that require the use of your middle finger is already too many fingers because I don’t have enough left to comfortably hold the controller and I get cramped too quickly. It’s not often you need to use more then one button at a time. Besides I think any more complexity in the controllers would only further alienate non-gamers.

    As for this hack… it’s kind of an old hack… I mean the linked thread up above was created in December of ’04. Also why not just use a 555 timer?

  5. you can change the speed using a 555 based astable multivibrator, less total parts involved too

    f = 1.44/((R1+2R2) * C)

    i always liked the programmable controllers you could get for SNES, awesome for mortal kombat where you could program in the fatalities etc..

  6. good instructions – rough pictures – i like how the buttons are mounted under the controller for a nice stealth mod – maybe find enough room inside the controller if the pcb could be flattened some more and maybe even seperated – nice hack for saving you mashing the buttons – it also helps you play longer I imagine both timewise within the game and physically reducing the stress on your trigger fingers :D

  7. In the link to the topic about it, therte are some schematics for the 55 timer. It is smaller but I couldnt find one when I was looking for my parts so I couldnt use it. I know someone had a pic of how small it was and he had it in his controller. Maybe I will try it too.

  8. Nice writeup. Perhaps some stuff got lost in translation:

    Capacitors *_CAN_* be damaged by heat. Electrolytic have a polarity so they *_CAN’T_* be put in backwards.

    LED

  9. a 555 would definately be the faster/clearner/easier way to go. I’d probably put a three-way toggle switch to change the astable speed from single shot (off), slow and fast. Maybe use a 556 chip so you can create a burst-mode where you get off three shots for every trigger pull.

  10. 13# a resister *cannot* be put in backwards, as it has no directionality. a diode or an electrolytic *can but shouldn’t* because it has polarity. It has the propensity for backwardness, though backwardness is undesirable.

  11. If you wanted to get really tricky you could cut the traces going to the pot on the trigger and put in a mode switch, in one position the trigger would work normally in the other position the trigger would be fed through the 555 and it’s position would be used to adjust the burst speed.

    #16 (stephen) pretty much any 555 timer in an Astable configuration would work. Here is some good beginners info on building 555 circuits: http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/555timer.htm

  12. Begginger question:

    Could someone tell me where these four wires go to?

    1) +5v
    2) Gnd
    3) Right Trigger
    4) Left Trigger

    I want to use this device on a 360 controller. Do I buy a 5v battery and hook up 1 & 2 to it?
    The triggers on a 360 controller have two leads going to them. As I would think all switches do. Which right trigger lead do I put 3) on? Similarly, which left trigger lead do I put 4) on?

    It doesn’t make sense to me that there are four wires that come out of the schematic and go to the triggers. Two wires for each trigger.

  13. I meant to say:

    It doesn’t make sense to me that there **aren’t** four wires that come out of the schematic **that** go to the triggers. Two wires for each trigger.

  14. Kevin.

    The circuit in the controller can only see voltages, and the pins on the circuit are pulled high by a resister attached to 5VDC, which comes from the xbox, no battery required. What this circuit does is use that five volts to make a circuit that fluctuates between 5 and gnd(also from the xbox). this signal is not sent to the controller. Rather, the fluctuating signal is sent to the two transistors at the bottom of the schematic. These basically work as electrically controlled switches, turning on and off. one side of the button is attached via a mess of circuit board and wires back to ground, so it works the same way, and you don’t have to solder anything to the button contacts themselves.

    if you have any questions, email me at benjamin.baker@gmail.com

  15. what would you have to do to make it work for a mouse? i am interested in doing it for pc gaming but dont know what ould be different? i just want it for my left button… (i am a noob)

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