Splitting the buttons out on an xbox joypad.

[djlins]

Hiya,
I have a bit of a dilemna and am looking for some ideas and to see if I am missing something obvious.

So I am knee deep into my project now on the little beasty here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=115421.0

and I want to butcher a USB controller for it but I am wondering if I am going about it the right way?
My MBoard has one USB port that I want to plug a normal controller interface into so I want to butcher a PC USB Analog controller like this:


The reason I chose that one is because it has 2 analog controllers plus 2 analog triggers round the back plus 7 buttons as well as 4 DPad buttons.
I figure that I can split out the 2 analogue controllers and mount one attatched to the steering wheel on the left somehow and attach one on the right to the gearshift, and I intend to cut a couple of holes in front of the gear shift to place the accelerator and brake triggers (assuming that they all split out as separate entities then that part should be simples).

The trouble is I also want to split out the buttons. If you look at the image of the cabinet it is going into then I want to mount 2 buttons on either side of the gear shift handle.
The other buttons I would like to mount somewhere on the dash behind the steering wheel as they would be used mainly for the OK and enter coin and player 1 buttons.
The trouble is I just know inside that joypad casing the buttons are going to be all on one PCB and my soldering is terrible so I dont want to try and chop it up and solder the connections together.

So could anyone give me hints on how I may split those buttons up into separate moveable buttons (baring in mind that I am terrible at soldering).
Either that or is there a better USB joypad or joystick that I would be better off looking at to make it easier to split out all of the controls I need?

Cheers for any advice,

djlins.

[Hoopz]

Use the man to do it for you:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=76185.0

[djlins]

Wikkid

I didnt expect and answer that quickly.

Cheers.

L

[Donkbaca]

You aren't going to be able to move those analog controls, especially if you aren't good at soldering

[djlins]

You aren't going to be able to move those analog controls, especially if you aren't good at soldering

Yeah I just found that one out.
Hmm I really want analogue because this is a driving sim and not just an arcade sim.

Does anyone have any thoughts on using bits like this:
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9032
and
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9807
and building something up myself that would run through a USB plug?
Does that sound like a harder plan?

Is there any USB joysticks or joypads out there that has easily moveable 10K Potentiometers?

Hmmm there is an answer somewhere I just know it.

[Donkbaca]

all a potentiometer would do is regulate current.  You need something to interpret that signal.  Just buy a driving wheel or hack a mouse and use digital for acceleration and braking

[djlins]

Thanks Donkbaca I did originally think of using an old wheel mouse, but the return to centre might cause me pain. Plus the mouse would use the whole USB port and I need more inputs. Because I want to use the new Raspberry Pi for this then I will only have one USB port so think I am on the right track to butcher a joypad.

I think digital acceleration and braking is fine so if I can get HaRuMaN to help me out with relocating the thumbsticks about (on that other link above from Hoopz) then I think I am sorted.

Thanks again though.

L

[Donkbaca]

you can't relocate the joysticks without serious hacking.  Good luck with that

[djlins]

Okay just openning this up again because I have another member willing to hack a joypad and then move the analogue pots onto 30cm wires for me to relocate however since then I have just come across this little beauty:
http://www.ultimarc.com/a-pac.html
It kind of skates around the fact that it uses USB technology but I can't find any proper instructions to see how easy that is.

Can someone correct me if I am wrong.
I am now thinking of getting about 15 of these:
http://search.digikey.com/uk/en/products/GPB081A09B/SW641-ND/2235513

and a couple of these:
http://search.digikey.com/uk/en/products/EVU-E2AF25B14/P3P5103-ND/243653

Should I theoretically be able to whack them all straight into that ultimarc A-PAC board and then plug a usb cable in the end? Would that work in the same way as a hacked PC USB joypad?

From what I have read up on it should just then pick up as normal USB joystic inputs (With the analogues being on only 1 axis each but thats fine)
Just want to check before I go down this route because I think the board would take less space than the hacked joypad.

Cheers,
DJL.

[Donkbaca]

I say just hack a mouse or get a spinner.

Did you do that Mil Falcon mod?  That sucker is sweet!