Updating a legacy pre-USB Tankstick

Useful Answer

For older pre-USB Tanksticks, use the replacement Tri-Mode PCB upgrade kit together with the matching computer cable kit to add modern USB connectivity for PC or Raspberry Pi use. The Tri-Mode PCB upgrade is compatible with every X-Arcade model, including very old PS/2-era units.

To identify an older board, switch the rear toggle all the way to the right and connect the controller to a PC. If the PC still recognizes it only as a keyboard, treat it as an older Tankstick board that needs the Tri-Mode PCB upgrade for modern X-Input / D-Input modes.

Do not rely on a generic PS/2-to-USB adapter as the upgrade path. Those adapters generally will not work properly with the legacy Tankstick electronics; replacing the controller PCB and cable is the supported fix.

If the customer keeps the original PS/2-era board and only uses the DB9-to-USB/PS2 computer cable, the controller will be seen as a USB keyboard only. X-Input and D-Input require the Tri-Mode PCB upgrade.

Recommended parts/checks:

If the Tankstick already has its original internal DB9 connection and the missing piece is the cable to the computer or Raspberry Pi, choose the external DB9-to-USB/PS2 computer cable. Do not choose the internal USB PCB cable for that case; it connects the PCB to the chassis port and will not solve a missing external computer-cable problem.

For original PS/2-only X-Arcade units with lost cables, use the X-Arcade PC Cable / Cable Replacement Kit rather than generic USB-to-RS232 or RS232-to-USB-HID adapters. Generic serial adapters do not substitute for the X-Arcade cable path.

For Tankstick models with a built-in USB cable for the trackball plus a rear DB9 connector for the joystick/buttons, both paths matter. The native USB cable is only the mouse/trackball path. The joystick and buttons need the rear DB9 connected through the supplied DB9-to-USB computer cable; if only the trackball cable is connected, the customer may see mouse movement but no button or joystick input. The old purple PS/2-style connector is generally not needed for modern PC/Mac/Raspberry Pi use.

If an old Tankstick only works when the DB9 connection is pushed sideways, inspect and clean the DB9 contacts before replacing electronics. One customer restored an old two-joystick Tankstick by cleaning the contacts with electronics contact cleaner and using the needed DB9-to-DB9 plus DB9-to-USB adapter path.

If the trackball and spinners work but the red light, joysticks, and buttons do not, check for a simple cabling mistake before treating the unit as defective. The PS/2 plugs are for legacy keyboard/programming use, not the normal controller data path. Connect the Tankstick's DB9 socket to the DB9-to-USB cable, then plug that USB end into the computer. Two separate customer videos in February 2025 were resolved this way, with customers confirming the unit worked after the correct DB9 cable path was used.

On older shells, manually route the internal PCB cable through the existing rear opening, since the case was not originally designed around the modern USB layout. If using the full kit, expect the PCB, internal cable, and external computer cable to be replaced together.

If the customer wants to preserve old console adapter support, confirm compatibility from photos of the internal setup and adapter/cable type before promising support.

For custom keyboard remapping in programmable keyboard mode, the customer may still need a PS/2 keyboard connected to the controller, even after the Tri-Mode upgrade.

For a PS/2 HotRod joystick upgrade, support generally recommends the complete X-Arcade DIY / Build Your Own kit rather than trying to piece together only one board. The complete kit includes the modern control-panel electronics needed for the conversion. If the customer asks for wireless PC use, treat any wireless USB extender/adaptor as a third-party workaround: support has referenced a user-tested option, but it is not the normal official X-Arcade wired setup. For a legacy Tankstick, the practical wireless workaround is to switch the controller to Mode 1 / Keyboard Mode and connect it through a compatible wireless keyboard adapter. If the customer also needs the trackball wirelessly, the adapter must support mouse input and the trackball USB must be connected through that mouse-capable adapter path.

Source Context

The customer had a pre-USB Tankstick used with an Xbox and old PC and wanted to update it for Raspberry Pi or modern PC use. Support recommended the replacement cable kit and noted that older shells require manual routing through the existing opening. Later support threads confirmed that the Tri-Mode PCB upgrade works with every X-Arcade ever made, that generic PS/2-to-USB adapters are not expected to work properly, that the cable-only path appears as a USB keyboard while X-Input and D-Input require the Tri-Mode PCB plus internal/external cables, that an older board can be identified when the far-right rear switch position still appears as a keyboard on PC, and that trackball-only detection usually means the DB9-to-USB joystick/button path is missing or connected incorrectly. Two February 2025 videos confirmed that plugging into the PS/2 connector or only the trackball USB can mimic a dead controller; reconnecting through the DB9-to-USB cable restored joystick/button/red-light function. A later PS/2 HotRod question confirmed the complete DIY kit as the recommended upgrade path, with wireless PC use treated only as a third-party user-tested workaround. A November 2024 old-Tankstick case confirmed that intermittent DB9 contact can be solved by cleaning the contacts and using the proper DB9 cable/adapter chain.