Steam Deck - Replace shoulder switch R1/L1: Difference between revisions

Steam Deck - Replace shoulder switch R1/L1
Device	Steam Deck
Affects part(s)	Controller Board
Needs equipment	Soldering Iron, replacement switch
Difficulty	◉◉◌◌ Medium
Type	Soldering, Part replacement

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Latest revision as of 07:39, 13 November 2024

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Problem description

A common problem with the controller board of the Steam Deck LCD are the shoulder switches, that can break off easily during disassembly.

Solution

Where to buy new switches

There are multiple compatible replacement switches. On Aliexpress they are sold as

Steam Deck switch
XBOX 360 bluetooth pair switch

Those switches have three pins and two legs (the latter for mounting through the pcb).

Repair Steps

Swapping of the switches should be self-explanatory. A hot plate/pre-heater is recommended (the board sinks a lot of heat). See example videos:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R3DQNNDvZmE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGT32mNI3Yk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFDZtsM-iDM

Damaged signal pad

In case the signal pads on the pcb get damaged (See Figure 1):

On each controller board the leftmost and rightmost pin of the switch is connected to the ground plane of the board.

The middle pin is connected to the MCU/a signal multiplexer. On the left controller board you can strip the solder mask of the trace, running to the middle pin of the switch or connect the middle pin of the switch to the corresponding testing point for the L1 switch (see figure 2 and 3 on rev. B boards and figure 7 on rev. F board).

On the right controller board, the middle pin is connected to the testing point visualised in figure 4.

Figure 5: Controller Board R, magnet wire connected to the center pin of the switch (picture by u/veazix).

Figure 6: Controller Board R, magnet wire connected to the testing point on the back side of the board (picture by u/veazix).

A possible fix for the right controller board might look like figure 5 and 6 (rev. B Board) if you run a magnet wire (enamelled wire) from the center pin of the switch to the testing point.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{stub}}
 {{Repair Guide
 |Device=Steam Deck
-|Affects parts=Controller Board rev. B
+|Affects parts=Controller Board
 |Needs equipment=Soldering Iron, replacement switch
-|Type=
+|Type=Soldering, Part replacement
-|Difficulty=intermediate
+|Difficulty=2. Medium
 }}
+{{stub}}
 == Problem description ==
 <!--
 Provide a concise description of the issue here. Be  as specific as possible to help readers quickly determine whether or not this is the exact problem they are facing.
-  -->
+  -->[[File:Shoulder switch.webp|thumb|Figure 1: Example of a new shoulder button switch with a ripped center pad  (picture by u/veazix).]]
 A common problem with the controller board of the Steam Deck  LCD are the shoulder switches, that can break off easily during disassembly.
 *
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 -->
+==== Where to buy new switches ====
+There are multiple compatible replacement switches. On Aliexpress they are sold as
-There are multiple compatible replacement switches. On Aliexpress they are sold as "Steam Deck switch" or "XBOX 360 pair switch".
+* Steam Deck switch
+* XBOX 360 bluetooth pair switch
 Those switches have three pins and two legs (the latter for mounting through the pcb).
 === Repair Steps ===
-[[File:REV B left back mux.jpg|alt=Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board - full view|thumb|Figure 1: Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board - full view. Red box: signal multiplexer. green arrow: testing point for the L1 switch.]]
+[[File:REV B left back mux.jpg|alt=Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board - full view|thumb|Figure 2: Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board - full view. Red box: signal multiplexer. green arrow: testing point for the L1 switch.]]
-Swapping of the switches should be self-explanatory.
+Swapping of the switches should be self-explanatory. A hot plate/pre-heater is recommended (the board sinks a lot of heat). See example videos:
+https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R3DQNNDvZmE
+https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGT32mNI3Yk
+https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFDZtsM-iDM
-In case the signal pads on the pcb get damaged:
+==== Damaged signal pad ====
+In case the signal pads on the pcb get damaged (See Figure 1):
 On each controller board the leftmost and rightmost pin of the switch is connected to the ground plane of the board.
-[[File:Back board l.jpg|alt=Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board|thumb|Figure 2: Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board. red circle: testing point for the L1 switch.]]
+[[File:Back board l.jpg|alt=Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board|thumb|Figure 3: Test point of the L1 shoulder switch on the rev B controller board. red circle: testing point for the L1 switch.]]
-The middle pin is connected to the MCU/a signal multiplexer. On the left controller board you can strip the solder mask of the trace, running to the middle pin of the switch or connect the middle pin of the switch to the corresponding testing point for the L1 switch (see figure 1 and 2).
+The middle pin is connected to the MCU/a signal multiplexer. On the left controller board you can strip the solder mask of the trace, running to the middle pin of the switch or connect the middle pin of the switch to the corresponding testing point for the L1 switch (see figure 2 and 3 on rev. B boards and figure 7 on rev. F board).
-[[File:R Board REV B back - R1 test point.jpg|alt=Figure 3: Test point of the R1 shoulder switch on the rev. B controller board. green circle: testing point for the R1 switch. |thumb|Figure 3: Test point of the R1 shoulder switch on the rev. B controller board. green circle: testing point for the R1 switch.]]
+[[File:R Board REV B back - R1 test point.jpg|alt=Figure 3: Test point of the R1 shoulder switch on the rev. B controller board. green circle: testing point for the R1 switch. |thumb|Figure 4: Test point of the R1 shoulder switch on the rev. B controller board. green circle: testing point for the R1 switch.]]
-On the right controller board, the middle pin is connected to the testing point visualised in figure 3.
+On the right controller board, the middle pin is connected to the testing point visualised in figure 4.
+[[File:Wire1.webp|thumb|Figure 5: Controller Board R, magnet wire connected to the center pin of the switch  (picture by u/veazix).]]
+[[File:Wire2.webp|thumb|Figure 6: Controller Board R, magnet wire connected to the testing point on the back side of the board (picture by u/veazix).]]
+A possible fix for the right controller board might look like figure 5 and 6 (rev. B Board)  if you run a magnet wire (enamelled wire) from the center pin of the switch to the testing point.
+[[File:Shoulder switch testing point.jpg|alt=Testing point for L1 switch on controller board rev. F - left|thumb|Figure 7: Testing point for L1 switch on controller board rev. F - left]]