Basic joystick wiring:

Connect each joystick direction — UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT — to the corresponding directional input on your encoder board.

Connect the joystick ground (GND) to the encoder's ground connection.

For joysticks with individual microswitches, use the COM (Common) and NO (Normally Open) terminals on each switch. Do not use the NC terminal.

For joysticks with a 5-pin connector, such as many Sanwa-style joysticks, use the appropriate 5-pin harness and make sure the connector orientation is correct.

After wiring, test all four directions before closing your controller case.

Tip: If a direction is reversed or incorrect, check the connector orientation and directional wiring first.

Basic button wiring:

Each arcade button uses a switch with two connections:

1. Signal — Connect the NO (Normally Open) terminal on the button microswitch to the desired button input on the encoder board.

2. Ground — Connect the COM (Common) terminal to GND (Ground) on the encoder board.

For kits with individual 2-wire button cables, connect one cable to each button and then connect the other end to the corresponding input on the encoder board.

For kits that use a daisy-chain ground wire, connect the ground terminals of the buttons together and connect the chain to GND on the encoder.

After wiring, connect the encoder to your computer or console and test each button before closing the controller case.

Tip: If a button does not register, check that you are using COM + NO, not COM + NC, and verify that the cable is connected to the intended encoder input.

If your joystick directions are reversed or incorrect:

1. Test all four directions — Check UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT to determine exactly which directions are incorrect.

2. Check the wiring — Make sure each joystick direction is connected to the correct UP, DOWN, LEFT, or RIGHT input on the encoder board.

3. Check the 5-pin connector — If your joystick uses a 5-pin harness, verify that the connector is installed in the correct orientation and fully seated.

4. Check joystick orientation — Some joysticks may be mounted in a different physical orientation than expected. The wiring must match the actual installed orientation.

5. Check controller configuration — If the wiring is correct, verify the directional or D-pad configuration in your operating system, emulator, or game.

Tip: If only two directions are swapped, such as UP/DOWN or LEFT/RIGHT, check the corresponding directional wiring before changing any software settings.

Important: Do not rely only on wire colors when checking a 5-pin harness. Pinouts and wire colors can vary between harnesses and encoder boards.

If an arcade button is not responding:

1. Check the connections — Make sure the wires are firmly connected to the button microswitch and encoder board.

2. Check the microswitch terminals — The button should normally be connected using COM (Common) and NO (Normally Open). Make sure the signal wire is not connected to NC (Normally Closed).

3. Check the encoder connection — Verify that the button cable is connected to the intended button input on the encoder board.

4. Swap with a working button — Connect the non-working button to an encoder input that you know works. This can help determine whether the problem is the button/microswitch, wiring, or encoder input.

5. Test the microswitch — Press the button and listen or feel for the microswitch click. A click does not guarantee that the switch is electrically working, but no click may indicate a mechanical problem.

6. Check your controller settings — If the button works electrically but does not respond in a game, check the controller mapping in your operating system, emulator, or game.

Tip: Swapping the button, cable, and encoder input one at a time is usually the fastest way to isolate the faulty component.

This one is especially useful for your customers because step 4 gives them a simple component-isolation procedure instead of immediately assuming the button itself is defective.

If your controller or encoder board is not detected:

1. Check the USB connection — Disconnect and reconnect the controller. Make sure the USB connector is fully inserted at both ends.

2. Try another USB port — Connect directly to another USB port on the computer. If possible, avoid USB hubs while troubleshooting.

3. Try another USB cable — If your encoder uses a detachable USB cable, test with another known-working data-capable cable. Some USB cables provide power only and do not carry data.

4. Check for power — If the encoder board has a power/status LED, verify that it turns on when connected. A powered LED does not necessarily mean the USB data connection is working.

5. Check whether the computer detects the controller — In Windows, press Win + R, type joy.cpl, and press Enter. Check whether the controller appears in the Game Controllers list.

6. Restart and reconnect — Disconnect the controller, restart the computer, and reconnect it after Windows has loaded.

7. Try another computer — If available, connect the controller to another computer. This helps determine whether the issue is with the controller/encoder or the original computer.

Tip: If the board powers on but is not detected, first check the USB cable and USB port. A power-only or damaged USB cable can supply power while preventing the controller from communicating with the computer.

Still not detected? Contact us with your order number, product name/encoder model, and a clear photo of the wiring and connections.

Connecting a Sanwa JLF 5-pin joystick:

The Sanwa JLF uses a 5-pin connector for its four directional switches and a shared ground connection.

1. Connect the 5-pin harness — Insert the harness firmly into the 5-pin connector on the joystick. Make sure it is fully seated.

2. Connect the other end to the encoder — If your encoder board has a compatible 5-pin joystick connector, connect the harness directly to that port.

If your encoder uses separate directional terminals, connect the harness to the corresponding UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, and GND connections according to the pinout of your specific harness and encoder.

3. Check the connector orientation — If the joystick does not respond correctly, verify the orientation of the 5-pin connector and the pinout required by your encoder board.

4. Test all directions — Before closing the controller case, test UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT to make sure each direction registers correctly.

Important: Do not assume the function of a wire based only on its color. Wire colors and connector pinouts can vary between harnesses and encoder boards. Follow the pinout supplied with your specific harness or encoder.

Tip: If all four directions fail, check the shared ground connection and connector orientation first. If only one or two directions are incorrect, check the corresponding directional connections.

Understanding arcade microswitch terminals:

Most arcade microswitches have three terminals labeled COM, NO, and NC.

COM (Common) — The common terminal. For typical arcade button wiring, this is connected to GND (Ground).

NO (Normally Open) — This terminal is normally disconnected from COM. When you press the button, the switch closes the connection between COM and NO, causing the encoder to register the button press.

NC (Normally Closed) — This terminal is normally connected to COM. Pressing the button opens the connection. NC is normally not used for standard arcade button wiring.

For most arcade controller installations, use:

COM → GND

NO → Button input

NC → Not connected

Tip: If a button appears to stay pressed continuously or behaves in the opposite way expected, check whether the signal wire was accidentally connected to NC instead of NO.