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Desktop Controller Project(s)


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Hi all,

 

I recently posted a thread about hacking cheap USB controllers to use instead of keyboard hacks or 'proper' keyboard encoders.

 

To prove the concept, as well as play around with a few ideas I had for desktop control panels, I've built two 'proof of concept sticks'.

 

So without further ado:

 

Playstation 2 controller (can also be used on PC with a $5 PS2-to-USB converter). Has rumble motors!

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/controllerhack/chungli_2.jpg

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/controllerhack/chungli_3.jpg

 

USB PC controller (this one was specifically designed to compliment my Alien Bartop).

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/controllerhack/alien_player2_cp.jpg

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The boxes are made from my secret recipe of pine side panels (although I'm now using MDF because pine is a bitch to do neat recesses etc). I use some 16mm quad to secure the walls together.

 

The top is made from 12mm MDF, a photo-quality print on my photo printer (using UV/fade resistant photo paper), sandwiched under 3mm perspex.

 

The controller is obviously a hacked USB (or playstation 2) controller, and then its all enclosed with a 3mm ply base, and 4 rubber feet are stuck to the bottom to prevent slipping.

 

Depending on the reaction/interest levels to these controllers, I'm considering a limited run of building these to order. Final pricing would depend on the choice of components and 'extra features' (see below) but the basic price would be $80 + joystick & buttons.

 

Joystick & buttons would be user choice, I don't hold massive quantities of joysticks/buttons on hand.

 

Examples of optional extras: Extra detailing (more polishing/clearcoat/etc and silicone seal of perspex to prevent dust gathering around the print), Illuminated buttons, Illuminated joystick (still investigating), leaf switches (still investigating), playstation 2 compatibility, and wireless versions (runs on 2xAA batteries).

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Two words Elvis:

 

Annual Leave.

 

:D

What's that?

 

In the last 8 years I've spent 5 of them contracting (no leave), and 3 of them working with the little leave I have had being spent helping my wife for a few weeks after the birth of our second and third children.

 

I personally haven't had a holiday in 5 years, and the last one I did have was taking some time off to spend with my dad after his quadruple bypass. Which while lots of fun (couple of weeks on a beach, no electricity or modern conveniences, eating only what we can catch), didn't offer me any free time towards hobbies.

 

If anyone has successfully worked out how to clone a human being, I'd be interested. Having three or four of me would mean I could get all the stuff done that I want to achieve in this far too short lifespan.

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I've been experimenting with two thicknesses of the side walls. Whilst I think both will be very sturdy, the thicker one (shown in the photos) would take a hit from a sledgehammer to break I reckon, since I reinforce them inside.

 

If you're interested in one, send me a PM as i'm about to build one for another member... the more I build at once the less postage costs from ordering parts I need to pass on.

 

Let me know what colour scheme/joystick/button types you'd be after.

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I've been experimenting with two thicknesses of the side walls. Whilst I think both will be very sturdy, the thicker one (shown in the photos) would take a hit from a sledgehammer to break I reckon, since I reinforce them inside.

 

The sticks I make are made out of a dual-layer 9mm MDF (total thickness is a touch more than 18mm due to glue and paint at the end).

 

I use dual layer so that the inner layer is just slightly recessed, allowing for the base and 1.6mm steel + 2mm polycarb top to sit recessed and flush with the side of the stick. It gives the appearance of being made out of a much thinner material, while being as strong as 18mm MDF.

 

All this is done without any screws or nails. Glue, wood and finger joints only, and they are as tough as a bloody tank.

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Thats a good idea elvis, I use quad inside 16mm(?) MDF sides.

 

The only problem I'm having so far is getting perfect mitre cuts... I loose a lot of time sanding/trimming them to be a perfectly flush fit.

 

I might have to come up with some kind of jig for the router or something.

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Mitre joints look good, however as you've already said they take a lot of time to get right!

 

Butt jointing can be just as strong and if you have a router you may want to consider biscuit jointing. I know you already have a slot cutting bit so you could make up a very simply table into which you mount the router so you can make the grooves for the biscuits.

 

I'm using a different method for the boxes I am just about to build and I might elaborate on it further with a few pics once I've cut the panels, which I plan to do today. These will form the basis of my new desktop joystick controllers.

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The problem with the mentioned joins is that the material I'm using is pre-primed architrave (thats my little secret for not having to route/sand the rounded edges). Its just the right height.

 

If I don't mitre join, then the rounded edges don't match up nicely, and I'd need to do extra sanding, then extra filling & priming etc.

 

I'll figure something out :)

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You could get the same finish with a router, albeit with a lot more effort. Using pre-routed is a pretty smart idea. As Chris mentioned, a biscuit joiner could speed the process up quite a bit.

 

And no offence to anyone (this is purely a personal taste thing), but I prefer slimmer sticks, and a slight slope towards the player. When playing for LONG amounts of time I find both more comfortable.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Yeah Baby, WIRELESS with BLING!

 

I've just completed my 'showcase' desktop controller (yes, another project I started for no other reason than "to see if I could").

 

There's some special touches to this controller that I think a lot of you will be interested in, including a new nifty gadget designed by our own David_AVD.

 

This control panel is WIRELESS, and has a hardware-LED controller which lights up the buttons AS THEY'RE PRESSED! Better yet, this nifty little LED controller doesn't require a PC, and will even work on original arcade gear! More on that later.

 

For now, I'd like to present to you, the:

 

The TMNT Pimped out Wireless Desktop Controller :lol :lol

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/tmnt_cp_04.jpg

Here's a photo of the top of the Control Panel using a flash. Artwork is a highres scan of a TMNT game cover, with some creative photoshop in the middle to remove the "TMNT" logo that would have been obscured by the buttons, and instead incorporated a 'fade to black' version of my 'green arcade matrix code', then overlayed their weapons back on top of it.

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/tmnt_cp_05.jpg

A photo of the front & side. The balltop is only temporary, I will be replacing it with a white balltop. I considered using an illuminated balltop too, but I might save that for another project as this is wireless so I don't want too much unnecessary drain on the batteries.

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/tmnt_cp_01.jpg

A photo of the paintwork (with flash)

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/tmnt_cp_06.jpg

A photo of the paintwork (without flash). This is a metallic automotive spraycan paint from Superheap Auto (approx $20).

 

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/tmnt_cp_07.jpg

A photo of the rats nest of wiring before I cleaned it up a little (part of the loose wires is to run a on/off switch and 'power LED' which is now mounted on the base-plate (underneath panel). You can see the hacked wireless Playstation 2 controller from DealExtreme.com. At the top you can see David's LED controller (its about the width of a normal pushbutton!) and on the upper right you can see the battery pack.

 

http://www.got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/tmnt_cp_08.jpg

A photo of David_AVD's LED controller in action. Notice the pushed buttons are lit up. The photo exagerates the 'glow' of the 'unpressed' buttons. At night they look about as bright as a 'glow in the dark' object, and during the daytime you can't see the glow (but you can certainly see when the buttons are pushed!).

 

Finally, here's a Youtube Video of it in action:

[ame=http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=V6VGIH07HlQ]YouTube - MVI_6268.mp4[/ame]

 

Some more details on David's nifty LED controller (link and wiring diagram) to follow!

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Ok, for those of you interested in the 'how' of the LED controller:

 

David was kind enough to design two new PCBs for this 'hardware LED controller" I had in mind for this project. The one featured in the post above can controll 6 LEDs for pushbuttons.

 

The second PCB is very similar, except it can take 4 inputs to a single LED output. This is so that you can hook it up to a joystick (with a hollow shaft an an illuminated balltop) so that it lights up whenver you move it.

 

He's now selling them on his website for only $10 ($8 for the Joystick LED controller). When you compare that to alternatives like the LEDWIZ (and the fact that this is a hardware-only solution, thus making it viable for genuine arcade gear) I reckon that's a deal.

 

In my clumsy way of explaining it, his PCB works by taking an input from the "positive" wire on your button microswitches/leaf switches. You then supply the board 5v from your Jamma or USB/Keyboard power source (whatever is controlling your buttons). When a power button is not pressed, the PCB is sensing a drop in the voltage on that button, but when it is pushed, it senses the closed circuit (on the button) and in turn lights up the corresponding LED.

 

The board only requires one wire to come from the button/microswitch. The only condition is that the 'negative/ground' for all of your buttons is common (which is fine for Jamma and the controllers I've used in this thread, but some cheap hacks might have separate grounds for each button).

 

And now, some wiring instructions:

 

http://got2getalife.com/DesktopCP/LED_controller_02.jpg

The purchase price includes some crimp connectors and a plug so that you can easily plug/unplug the wires from the controller. You don't need to solder, but I always do because I'm fussy. :)

 

Note:

An interesting thing happened with the wireless Desktop Control Panel I posted about above. David designed this PCB for a FIVE VOLT DC input. It already includes in-line resistors so that you can put regular 3.3v LEDs in your buttons without any further modification. This PCB is designed so that the LEDS are usually OFF, and come ON when pushed.

 

Because I used mine in a wireless controller, it runs on about 3.1v. The side effect was that I get that 'low glow' in the buttons when not pushed, then full power when pushed. This actually worked out exceptionally well for me as I happened to wire the PCB's power to the transmitter of the wireless controller, and accidentally got:

Controller is out of range = Power LED on, button lights OFF

Controller is within range of transmitter = Buttons 'glow'

Controller is in range and button is pushed = Button lights up to full brightness.

 

This is a cool 'accidental feature' if you happen to use this in a wireless (or below 5v) project, but its important to note that the original design (what you get with a 5v source) is:

Button pressed=LED ON

Button not pressed=LED OFF.

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