crosbred900's Analog Xbox360 Control Panel - DONE!

[BadMouth]

I've been wanting to do an analog joystick to xbox360 pad hack for a while.
I don't have an xbox 360, so there really wasn't much point in doing it other than to prove the concept.

This starts in this thread about whether an analog hack is possible or not,
but I'll recap the parts pertaining to this build here for the sake of having it in one thread.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,120216.0.html

The rest of this post is a repeat of info in that original thread.
(except for the last pic)


crossbred900 is paraplegic and doesn't have use of his fingers, but still has control of his arms.
His hands are in a loose fist that he can get over bat top joystick handles and he can hit buttons with his knuckles.
This CP will be built specifically for him. 

I am using him as an excuse to do something I've been wanting to do anyway. 

This started out with the idea that an analog joystick would be easy to hack into an xbox 360 controller as long as it had the same value pots as the original thumbstick (10k).  I tested this by hooking up an Alps 2D joysticks ordered off ebay. 
It proves the concept, but has some play in it when centered and I'm not sure the xbox360 will have enough deadzone built in to account for it.
I tested the original xbox pots just to make sure that they had no deadzone built into them and they didn't, so it has to be on the software side.
This wouldn't be an issue for emulators since the deadzone can be adjusted, but this will be used on an xbox360 console.



The other issue with the ALPS stick is that it is so small.  I was hoping to fit Sanwa bat tops to them, but they are just too small for this project and I'm not sure if they'd hold up to extended use.  They might not be too bad as a small addition to a standard cab where they would only see occasional use for N64 or Dreamcast emulation.





The original thumbstick and switch that is activated when you press down on it are removed as one unit.
All connections to both of them must be unsoldered before it can be removed.
I ran to Radioshack and picked up a $13 desoldering iron that has the vacuum bulb attached.
That thing is well worth the price and made easy work of removing the sticks and trigger pots.


I should have done more research about the hack, but jumped into it after glancing at HaRuMaN's tutorial.
I read that the controller wasn't common ground and ran with that, but it turned out that there are different versions now and this one was in fact common ground.
Really good because one of my ground wires wasn't getting a connection, so I could just jumper it over to the next one.



Since I already had all the wires soldered in, I decided to move ahead with the barrier strips as if it weren't common ground.
All the spots marked with black are ground and any of them will work.  As far as I can tell though, they can't be used with the analog inputs.
The controller disconnects and reconnects to windows when I try that.  I went ahead and added 10k resistors to the back side of where the trigger inputs will connect to make them digital.  They can easily be removed though if we wanted to make them analog.

The board is fairly big (6x12"), but it is less than an inch tall and should fit in the bottom of the CP without any problems.  It is 1/4" MDF.
The buttons are ordered right to left in the numerical order they appear in windows controller properties.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Very interested in this. I had a control panel in mind using an XBOX controller analog stick.

[BadMouth]

In researching bite switches, I came accross this overpriced monstrosity:
http://www.broadenedhorizons.com/ultimate-arcade


The same place is also charging $450 for what amounts to my hacked xbox360 controller above (with no controls) and $99 for a bite swith with a MSRP of $35-45. 

Anyways, back to this build.......

Finding suitable analogue sticks is probably going to be the biggest challenge.  The industrial ones I looked at were expensive and who knows how they'd feel.
I'm waiting to hear back from a vendor who is checking with their Seimitsu vendor about getting a set of LS-64 analog sticks.
This stick should be perfect if we can get a pair.  They are already 10k which is what we need and are built for arcade duty.
They won't be cheap, but should be a lot cheaper than the Happ analogs (which we would still have to swap out the pots in).
I have some Sanwa bat-tops that I plan to put on them.


For the D-Pad, we're going with a JLF with either a round or octagonal gate.  I'm thinking octagon would be more forgiving, but I'll get both and he can have someone swap the round one in if he likes.

The buttons will be translucent Seimitsu 30mm with inserts similar to the ones I'm using in my cab, although the ones in this CP will probably have black lettering.


Absolutely every input on the xbox controller has been wired, including the ones activated by pressing down on the thumb sticks.
crossbred900 is working on a layout that will work best for him.

There will also be two 2.5mm jacks wired in parallel with the trigger buttons for use with bite switches.
Hopefully this will allow first person shooters to be played effectively.

I'll add a jack for the headset too, although I have no plans to make it shaped to accept the contours of the official headset.
A short exentsion cable will probably have to be used between the CP and the headset.

That's where the project stands for now.
I have enough mdf, Dayton stick on vinyl, and red T-molding to make a respectable CP (IMO anyway).
Not planning on doing plexi or artwork for now, but we'll see if I can cut out the plexi for my own CP without breaking it.
If I succed in doing that in one try, maybe I'll reconsider it for this CP.

I'm still waiting on the second ALPS joystick I ordered to come in.  When it does, I'll find a real xbox360 to test the hacked pad on and see how much deadzone it allows for.

[emphatic]

Very cool project!

[BadMouth]

   Well, the vendor got back to me and it looks like the LS-64 has been discontinued.
I can't find anyone with them in stock.
They show up on akihabarashop, but when I try to put one in my cart, it says "no products in this range".
If anyone has a lead on a pair of these, please let me know.  I do think they would be ideal.

The Happ analog sticks are $163 each.

I'll come up with something, but I'd prefer it be something intended for arcade duty.

[BadMouth]

I just bought myself a basic electronics book, a breadboard, and a pile of parts to experiment with.
Haven't taken the time to read any of it yet though, so I'm asking you guys. 

I picked up a pair of used Happ analog triggersticks to experiment with for this project.
I was planning on just swapping in the proper value pots, but they came with this "Pot Amp" 95-0013-00


I came accross this info on KLOV:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=252946

HAPP CONTROLS POTENTIOMETER AMPLIFIER PCB #95-0013-00

The Happ Controls Pot Amp pcb is designed to be used with a Happ Controls analog
(potentiometer type) joystick to increase the effective range of the potentiometers on the
joystick.
For example, when operating at 5 volts, an unamplified joystick moved to it's extremes has
a voltage range at the potentiometer of only about .7 volts. With the Pot Amp pcb the
voltage range can be adjusted anywhere from .7 to 5 volts. The center voltage can also be
adjusted to voltages other than the usual 2.5 volts independently. This means that an
analog joystick equipped with a Pot Amp pcb can be used with any game hardware that
uses an analog type joystick operated at 5 or 12 volts. No special wiring is necessary;
power for the pcb is connected to the vertical and horizontal potentiometer +V and
Common connections.

Connection:
PCB pin Function
1. Vertical output
2. Horizontal output
3. Horizontal input
4. Vertical input
5. NC
6. Power supply common
7. +V (5 or 12 volts)

Adjustments:
VR1 Vertical center
VR2 Vertical range
VR3 Horizontal range
VR4 Horizontal center

To adjust, place joystick at it's center and adjust center trim pots to the desired
voltage (typically 2.5 volts). Then move the joystick to it's extremes and adjust
range trim pots to the desired voltage range (typically 3 volts or a bit less). The
adjustments are interactive, so it may be necessary to repeat the adjustments.

It sounds like they might be extremely useful to tie the pots into the hacked xbox controller.
One concern I had was whether the happ would have enough travel for the pot to register as all the way in a direction.
This board sounds like it addresses that.

I've been focusing on using the same value pots and haven't really thought about things in terms of voltage.

My question is:  Is there anything on this board that would draw any extra current and if so, should I be concerned about frying the xbox pad?
                        In my limited knowledge I don't think so, but I don't want to lose all the work I put into hacking the pad.
                        Definitely don't want to fry crossbred900's xbox.

[PL1]

Here's the datasheet for the LMC662CM.


Scott

[BadMouth]

The Pot Amp didn't fry the xbox controller, but it didn't seem to accomplish much either.
When displaying raw data in the windows controller calibration, adjusting the pots on the pot amp resulted in miniscule changes.
Either I misunderstood what the pot amp supposed to accomplish, or it doesn't accomplish much.
I tried it with the original 5k pots, a 10k pot, & a 50k pot. 
Didn't make any difference in the range of movement on-screen, but it was less jittery with every increase.

I had a spare 10k pot, so I stuck that in the Happ joystick and wired it directly to the xbox controller.  The results were not good.
The range of motion on the Happ joystick is so limited, that the on screen cursor only moves a tiny bit.
The handles of the ALPS joysticks don't move much farther, but the on screen cursor moves accross the full range.

On closer inspection, the pots in the ALPS joysticks are only moving about 60-80 degrees, yet going through their full range.
So now I guess I'm looking for pots that are less than one turn, but I can't seem to find any online.
I found a mention of quarter turn pots here on byoac, but can't find them for sale anywhere.

Anyone know where to source a 60 degree or 90 degree pot?

The pots in the alps don't seem to be good candidates for transplant into the Happ sticks.
I may end up having to use the ALPS joysticks after all, but will need to beef them up or create some kind of ALPS/Sanwa hybrid.
I'd rather find real arcade parts that work because they can take serious abuse and nobody is going to be around that can service it.

Thread needs more pics, so here are some of the Happ Analog disassembly:




Little bit of damage, but I think it is salvageable.  Haven't priced a replacement yet.

Rusted on top.  Thick cruddy lube inside.

Awaiting delivery of lube for reassembly.


One cool thing is it uses a bearing where the joystick shaft rides against the restrictor plate.
It's giving me ideas....I did want to reduce the throw on my JLF........

[Jigenjuke]

In researching bite switches, I came accross this overpriced monstrosity:
http://www.broadenedhorizons.com/ultimate-arcade


The same place is also charging $450 for what amounts to my hacked xbox360 controller above (with no controls) and $99 for a bite swith with a MSRP of $35-45. 

Anyways, back to this build.......

Finding suitable analogue sticks is probably going to be the biggest challenge.  The industrial ones I looked at were expensive and who knows how they'd feel.
I'm waiting to hear back from a vendor who is checking with their Seimitsu vendor about getting a set of LS-64 analog sticks.
This stick should be perfect if we can get a pair.  They are already 10k which is what we need and are built for arcade duty.
They won't be cheap, but should be a lot cheaper than the Happ analogs (which we would still have to swap out the pots in).
I have some Sanwa bat-tops that I plan to put on them.


For the D-Pad, we're going with a JLF with either a round or octagonal gate.  I'm thinking octagon would be more forgiving, but I'll get both and he can have someone swap the round one in if he likes.

The buttons will be translucent Seimitsu 30mm with inserts similar to the ones I'm using in my cab, although the ones in this CP will probably have black lettering.


Absolutely every input on the xbox controller has been wired, including the ones activated by pressing down on the thumb sticks.
crossbred900 is working on a layout that will work best for him.

There will also be two 2.5mm jacks wired in parallel with the trigger buttons for use with bite switches.
Hopefully this will allow first person shooters to be played effectively.

I'll add a jack for the headset too, although I have no plans to make it shaped to accept the contours of the official headset.
A short exentsion cable will probably have to be used between the CP and the headset.

That's where the project stands for now.
I have enough mdf, Dayton stick on vinyl, and red T-molding to make a respectable CP (IMO anyway).
Not planning on doing plexi or artwork for now, but we'll see if I can cut out the plexi for my own CP without breaking it.
If I succed in doing that in one try, maybe I'll reconsider it for this CP.

I'm still waiting on the second ALPS joystick I ordered to come in.  When it does, I'll find a real xbox360 to test the hacked pad on and see how much deadzone it allows for.



Hi there,

Looks like a great project.  I live here in Japan.  I can check for availabitliy of the LS-64 here at Arcade companies here in Japan if you would like me to.  Let me know.

Jigenjuke

[BadMouth]

Hi there,

Looks like a great project.  I live here in Japan.  I can check for availabitliy of the LS-64 here at Arcade companies here in Japan if you would like me to.  Let me know.

Jigenjuke

That would be great!
I don't have a lot of hope since they've been discontinued, but if you can find a pair, I'll take them.

[BadMouth]

Found some time to fix up the buttons with labels.
I didn't like the way start and back looked printed small, so I went with arrows like the real buttons have.



They were printed on an Avery 18665 full sheet clear label.
The printed sheet had circular outlines slightly larger than each button insert.
The back was removed from the clear adhesive sheet and the button inserts carefully placed in the center of the circles.
Then they were cut apart and the excess (including the circular outline) was trimmed away with a fresh x-acto blade.

This was my first time using the clear inkjet labels and I must say that I am impressed.
The adhesive is strong, and the image comes out detailed and bright (see the smaller xbox button).
I read some complaints about it looking more frosted than clear, but on the white inserts they look perfect.
The printing on the surface didn't smudge, but it can be scratched off fairly easily, so I'd only recommend using them on inserts, not on the surface of a button.  Looking forward to trying some bright designs in clear plungers for another project someday.


I'm still trying to work out the best course of action for the joysticks.  If JigenJuke doesn't find any LS-64s, I'm leaning toward mounting Sanwa bat tops on the little ALPS sticks.  It won't be arcade durable, but I know it works.  I haven't given up on the Happ sticks completely yet.  Need to wrap my head around getting full voltage range out of very limited stick movement if we go that route.

[crossbred900]

Those look very nice. I'm glad I came across this site and found someone willing to work on this project . Here's hoping JigenJuke has some luck finding LS-64s, and a great new year.

[BadMouth]

A progress (or lack of progress) update.

It seems the only chance of finding the LS-64s is finding them used in a repair shop in Japan.
I think chances are pretty slim since nobody seems to have ever seen one in real life or know of a game that they were used in. 

I took apart a potentiometer and made the same modifications LeChuck used in his micro star wars cab.
Basically, I took a 50k pot and put conductive paint on the section that goes from 10k to 50k.
This effectively turned the 50k pot into a 10k pot with a very limited range of motion.

It's hard to get it exactly 10k though and I'm not sure how well the cheap $3 radioshack pots I used would hold up.
I'm afraid if the pot is allowed to travel far enough to rub the spot that's been painted, it will wear through one day and throw the joystick centering off.
I'm sticking this solution in the last resort pile with the little ALPS joysticks.

I've been fixated on having a 10k pot because that's what was in the original xbox controller, but in truth the controller is probably working off the voltage (hopefully), not the resistance.  A 10k pot with 5 volts going to it will read 2.5 volts when centered.
A 100k pot will also read 2.5v when centered.  As long as it has the same amount of resistance on each side, the voltage is divided equally.

So the value of the pot isn't as important as finding one with a limited range of motion.
The replacement pots for the Happ joystick say they're "S taper"
From what I've been able to find out about S taper pots online, it sounds like it's a custom taper and might be hard to find a generic match for.
If someone could offer a better explanation of it, I'd be ready to listen.

So I ordered a single 100k pot from Happ to drop into my analog Happ trigger stick.
Since it's made for the range of motion of the joystick, maybe we'll luck out and it will just work.
I only ordered one because they are $31 each.  That should be enough to see if it works.

I don't want crossbred dropping money on the Happ Analogs until it's guaranteed they will work.

We'll see what that does with the hacked pad and if it doesn't work, I guess I'll see if I can get one of the custom industrial joystick companies to sell me one of their 10k pots.

I may also go ahead and mount seimitsu bat tops to the little alps joysticks just to see how they play.

I know this is taking forever, but I'll wrap it up one way or another by the end of next month.

[BadMouth]

More testing and more text without pics......

I tested out the 100k happ pot in the Happ analog trigger stick last night and it mostly worked. 
It moved all the way in one direction and almost all the way in the other.
My trigger sticks rest at a slight angle instead of being completely centered.  That could explain it registering farther in one direction than the other.
Maybe it just makes center whatever position the joystick is in when it is connected.
Unfortunately I don't have access to an xbox360 to test with.
I'm 85% sure that the 100k Happs would work fine, but wanted to be 100% sure before having crossbred900 drop that kind of money. 

I planned to take the numbers off the pot and order more from a cheaper source so I could outfit both directions on both triggersticks that I'm testing with.
It doesn't match up with anything on the manufacture's website (PEC).  It looks like it's a custom taper made for Happ.   

crossbred900 is going to have someone in Japan go to akihabarashop in person as one last try in finding LS-64s, but I don't have much hope for them.

I think we're down to either cheaping out and mounting sanwa bat-tops to the little ALPS sticks or dropping the money on the 100k Happ analogs.
If the mounting plates of my trigger stick are the same as the standard mounting plates, I may just make an adapter plate to use the ALPS sticks now, but allow for the Happ sticks to be added later.

The lack of sawdust so far in this project is driving me nuts. 

[jmike]

 
 
     BadMouth,
                      I'm really digging those buttons labels, any chance you can set something up for me? Let me know if you can and how much. They'll go great in my xbox 360 bartop I'm working on.


 

[BadMouth]

 
     BadMouth,
                      I'm really digging those buttons labels, any chance you can set something up for me? Let me know if you can and how much. They'll go great in my xbox 360 bartop I'm working on.


 

I have zero free time  (all the time I spend on BYOAC is while I'm at work    ), but I'll attach the png here when I get home.
I printed out extra and only had to redo one or two buttons.  If there is still a complete set there, I'll mail it to you for free.
You'll have to place them on the button inserts and trim around them with an x-acto knife.

CoryBee is using the same clear labels to make serial plates.  He might have the time to make some up for you if you wanted a different font or something.
The png I made up had a lot of blank buttons on it that will work as a template.

[jmike]

 
          much appreciated.



 

[BadMouth]

The outlines on these sheets are slightly larger than the inserts in Seimitsu buttons.
The smaller circles inside the bottom row are for 24mm buttons.
At 300dpi, these should print the correct size if you uncheck "fit picture to frame" in the stupid windows photo helper thing.
They did for me anyway.  Your mileage may vary, use at your own risk, etc.

Here is the method I used to apply them, but I'm sure there are other ways to go about it.
1. Print on an Avery 18665 full sheet clear label.
2. Cut them into smaller, more manageable pieces containing four labels.
3. Placed them face down and peel the backing off.
4. Carefully place a Semitsu insert in the center of each circle.
5. Cut them apart so you can work with one at a time.
6. Using a fresh x-acto blade, trim around the edge of the insert, removing the circle you used as a guide.

[jmike]

 
    Thanks BadMouth. I'll definitely use these on my CP.

 

[BadMouth]

Time to get back to work on all my unfinished projects! 

This one is high priority as crossbreed900 has been waiting a crazy long time. 

Although I'm still unsure about the durability of the ALPS joysticks, we are moving forward with them rather than paying over $300 for the Happs.
Worst case scenario is they don't last long and crossbreed gives me feedback about everything that needs to be changed on the next CP.

I had a friend make adapters to attach Sanwa bat-tops to the ALPS joysticks.
Unfortunately he broke his tap of the needed size and gave them back to me unfinished.
He sent me a link to a set of taps(taper, plug, bottom) to finish the job and I ordered them,
but I didn't get around to attempting it until last night.
It went surprisingly well.

It drives me nuts that one bat-top appears larger than the other in all the pics. 
It should be the same size, but I might move it onto the D-Pad stick just to be sure.


So here are the sticks.  The D-Pad will use a Sanwa JLF with octagon restrictor.
Adapters probably could have been a bit longer, but we'll work with it.


Next step is figuring out how to mount them.  The holes in the corners of the plastic bodies of the ALPS sticks are extremely small in diameter.
I'll probably mount them to a plate and then mount the plate to the CP, similar to how the JLF mounts.
Also need to pick up 2.5mm jacks for optional bite switches.  The ones radioshack had were pretty shallow for mounting in wood.
I'm hoping to find some longer ones online (haven't looked yet).

I already have the CP box made, but must have deleted the pics from my phone.

Here is the layout.  Keep in mind that crossbreed900 will be pecking the buttons with his pinky knuckle and we need to keep enough clearance between the joystick and buttons that his hands don't get in the way of each other when doing so.  These analog sticks lean over farther than standard ones.
The buttons are close together in case he has to quickly move from one to the other or press two simultaneously with the side of his fist.

[BadMouth]

I just can't seem to make major progress on anything lately, but I'm still chipping away at it.

I'm trying to keep it fairly light in case crossbreed900 wants something attached to the side so he can pick it up by his wrists instead of having to gets someone to help.  So I'm using 1/2" MDF on the sides, 1/4" on the bottom, and keeping it fairly thin.  The top will be glued on and the bottom will be removeable, similar to an x-arcade.  The base should fit between the armrests of his chair if need be, but the top will overhang.



Instead of routing out areas of 3/4" MDF and covering my shed in mdf dust, I decided to cut the top out of 1/4" mdf and glue it to a 1/2" layer that has the areas for the controls cut out. 





The mounting points on the ALPS joysticks are tiny diameter holes on the edges.  I was concerned about the durability of them, so the plan is to notch out the MDF so that the body of the joystick is wedged in there tight.  The joystick bodies are 1" tall, so two layers of 1/2" MDF will come up even with the bottom of them.
Then I plan to make a metal mounting plate with holes to put screws into the base of the joystick and into the surrounding MDF.

[AGarv]

Thanks for the updates, I've been following this thread for a while!

Did you try temp mounting the analog joysticks to see how they feel?

[BadMouth]

Thanks for the updates, I've been following this thread for a while!

Did you try temp mounting the analog joysticks to see how they feel?

Not really.   From messing around with them outside of the CP, I can tell they are going to have very light spring action, about the same or lighter than a stock Sanwa JLF spring.  It is still enough that the joystick quickly returns to center when let go, even with the added weight of the extended shafts and bat tops.  Moving along the axis feels a tiny bit lighter than moving both axis at the same time, but you really have to be concentrating on how the joystick feels to notice it.

I'm hoping to get a couple hours free to work on it tomorrow.

[BadMouth]

The analog sticks lean over much farther than standard joysticks.  I had to angle the joystick hole.  Drilling it out big enough would make it larger than the joystick base and dustwashers aren't an option.


I had planned on using stick-on Dayton vinyl on everything, but when I rounded the edges with a random orbital sander it rounded the bottom corners also, so there was no chance of it laying right.  So I went with my old go-to treatment: rustoleum bedliner with clearcoat overtop.  I was running out, so I just used plain black paint on the inside.




Using Dayton stick-on vinyl on the top.  We're not messing with artwork this round.  I've taken too long to get this done already and there might be something that needs changed.  I remember a member here mentioning that they wrapped the vinyl on around the side to the t-molding slot.  I was afraid of the edges peeling, so I went that route too.




Analog joystick bracket




I had to throw it together to see how it would look.  I had the red t-molding laying around.  I had some black, but it was scuffed up.   


It's got a fair amount of overhang on the front, but I wanted enough space there that crossbreed's hands had room to rest.

The standard joystick is just propped up from underneath.  It still needs a bracket made.  The CP will also have two 2.5mm jacks on the back so a bite switch can be hooked up to the left or right trigger.  I tried to hammer the jacks in, but had drilled the holes too small, so those aren't in yet either.  The jack housings aren't long enough to extend all the way through the mdf, so I'm paranoid about them pulling out.  Guess I'll epoxy them.

Hopefully I'll get it wired and wrapped up tomorrow.

[crossbred900]

That looks awesome. 

[AGarv]

Hrm... that button layout is actually amazing for Xbox games.  The labels make it appear much tighter and organized that I would have thought.  Nice!

[Le Chuck]

Wish I would have seen this earlier. Those pots with limited deflection are harder to find than hens teeth. Awesome build and research so far.

[BadMouth]

Hrm... that button layout is actually amazing for Xbox games.  The labels make it appear much tighter and organized that I would have thought.  Nice!

Crossbreed900 came up with the layout.  He is going to be tapping them with a pinky knuckle, so the tight grouping was important to allow him to move from one to the other quickly or press combinations.  I like grouping the Japanese buttons so close that the nuts on the back just touch each other.  That way the spacing between buttons is perfect, even if the button holes that were drilled aren't.   

I was waiting for someone to click on the thread, look at the pictures, and then blast me for the layout without realizing that it was being built for someone who can't move their fingers.  I'm glad that didn't happen.

Wish I would have seen this earlier. Those pots with limited deflection are harder to find than hens teeth. Awesome build and research so far.

Happ will sell you 5k or 100k ones for around $45 shipped. 
I have ONE new 100k I'll ship to you for $20 if you'd need it.

I bought it to see if the 100k Happ joysticks would work with the xbox hack (they do, but they cost $165 each).
The second half of the plan was to take the numbers from it and order three more elsewhere to use in my dual analog triggerstick CP.
The numbers only led to the manufacture's website where it's listed as "made to order". 

The ones in the ALPS sticks aren't near the build quality.  They are mostly plastic, including the shafts.
The shafts aren't normal either.  They are made to snap into yoke inside the ALPS joystick.

[BadMouth]

I took the day off work today to get this wrapped up.

JLF mounting bracket made one day last week.
I'm surprised how solid it is.

Enlarged and tapered holes so the heads of the machine screws would sit close to flush.


1/2" nylon spacers from Lowes




Wiring done today.  Not a lot of space to spare inside.  I forgot that the triggers and xbox button don't share a common ground with the rest of the buttons, so ended up with a few extra terminals on my ground chain. 


The corners of the Dayton peel and stick vinyl I used lifted slightly on the edges where it is wrapped around the corners.
I probably won't use it again for this style of CP that has t-molding around the edge.  The surface of it seems pretty durable based on me scratching things up against it and not leaving marks.


The final product.  Not perfect, but not too bad and fully functional.  I'm not sure I'm capable of making things good enough quality to sell. 

Jacks for bite switches on back wired to left and right triggers.
I didn't do a headset jack because the plug turned out to be much more complicated than I expected.
A headset could still be plugged into the controller pcb inside.


I couldn't find the rubber feet I wanted today and those might not work for crossbreed's application anyway, so I installed some rubber grip strips instead.


FIN!


I didn't have access to an xbox360, so I played some games on Steam with it.  The spring of the stick is so light it takes a little getting used to.  In Tomb Raider, you have to shake the left stick back and forth to escape from someone's grip.  I had a hard time doing this without worrying about banging the stick against it's limits and damaging the little ALPS joystick.  I imagine if I played with it long enough, I'd adjust my style.  All the controls work as they should though and I was able to play the few games that I tried.  Fuel actually played pretty well with it since there is no throttle finesse required (triggers have been converted to digital).

So, it's boxed up and will be shipped tomorrow.  I hope it works well for him.

[Le Chuck]

    

[crossbred900]

I've been using this for a while now, I played through Batman: Arkham Asylum on Steam, and it works well. The analog sticks do travel a long way though, so games that require super precision may be a bit more difficult. The button layout is good too, but I do sometimes hit the Start button accidentally when I'm not paying enough attention or frantically mashing buttons. Overall I'm very pleased with, and grateful for, BadMouth's work. I'm looking forward to the 2.0 build in a year or two, hopefully some nicer analog sticks will pop up by then.

[emphatic]

Very nice work!  Why no washers on the analogue sticks though? 

[BadMouth]

Very nice work!  Why no washers on the analogue sticks though? 

Thanks.

The analog sticks lean over so far that I was afraid dust washers would cause them to bind up unless the center holes were way oversized.
To be honest, I never tried them or gave them much thought because all the analog sticks I'd been looking at either didn't have them or used a rubber boot instead.  Looking at it now, they'd also have to be huge to provide enough coverage since the joysticks move so far compared to regular sticks.

[DeniseLinke]

Hey,

I am a German journalist and I am currently working on an article about disability and gaming. I stumbled across this story and I'd love to ask a few questions.
Why did you build somebody you a control panel? How do you know the guy you built it for?
Did he pay for it or was is a gift?

Best,

Denise Linke
Zeit Online
denise.linke@zeit.de

[BadMouth]

Why did you build somebody you a control panel?

My primary motivation was to prove that it was possible to interface analog arcade joysticks with an xbox360 controller.
Several people had posted in this forum asking if it was possible.  I thought so and encouraged them to try it, but nobody ever did.
It was frustrating that the people who wanted an analog control panel weren't willing to attempt it unless someone else had already done it.
I wanted to prove it possible, but had no use for the control panel myself.

crossbred900 came across one of these threads and entered in the discussions.  It seemed like an interesting project and I'd get to demonstrate that connecting analog joysticks to an xbox360 pcb was in fact possible.  The challenge of working out the details of a controller that worked for him was more of a motivating factor than any feeling of "helping" a disabled person.  When it was finished though, it was very satisfying to hear how much he appreciated it and how much it was getting used.

How do you know the guy you built it for?

I didn't know him.  I talked to him via email enough to alleviate any doubts that he was in fact paraplegic and not some punk kid trying to be the only one on his block with an analog xbox360 control panel.  He lives a few hours away, but I never talked to him on the phone or met him in person.

Did he pay for it or was is a gift?

He paid me $100 for it.  I had more than that in parts, but didn't feel right charging any more than that because I was unsure about the durability of the joysticks we used.
There were really no other options available in a reasonable price range.  I'd like to see a more durable analog joystick with removable top offered for sale at a reasonable price.  A removable top would make it versatile for disabled and able bodied gamers alike.

I'll gladly share information to help someone else build one, but have no interest in building another one myself (even at a profit).
My purpose was to prove the concept and that was accomplished.

Sorry, not much interesting to this story. 


Le Chuck has also built a special needs controller
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,135457.msg1399124.html#msg1399124

Also check out http://www.ablegamers.com/

[theskid31]

The outlines on these sheets are slightly larger than the inserts in Seimitsu buttons.
The smaller circles inside the bottom row are for 24mm buttons.
At 300dpi, these should print the correct size if you uncheck "fit picture to frame" in the stupid windows photo helper thing.
They did for me anyway.  Your mileage may vary, use at your own risk, etc.

Here is the method I used to apply them, but I'm sure there are other ways to go about it.
1. Print on an Avery 18665 full sheet clear label.
2. Cut them into smaller, more manageable pieces containing four labels.
3. Placed them face down and peel the backing off.
4. Carefully place a Semitsu insert in the center of each circle.
5. Cut them apart so you can work with one at a time.
6. Using a fresh x-acto blade, trim around the edge of the insert, removing the circle you used as a guide.

Hi what are the settings to print these in windows 10’s photo viewer as they seem to come out too small
Thanks