Main > Main Forum
control panel design review
rhys:
Just wanted to get some opinions on the control panel design I worked up. Image is attached.
Joysticks will be recess mounted from underneath with T-nuts.
The button layouts are the Sega P1 and P2 layouts from SlagCoin, joysticks are Happ Competition.
Everything is laid out to be symmetrical from the center line of the panel.
Fillets on the corners are .5" radii, should allow for simple T-molding installation without notching.
Control panel is 24x11, sorry, forgot to add dimensions in the drawing....
If anyone has an opinion on it, let me know. It's drawn in CAD, so easily modifiable if I have a reason to.
If nobody sees any major issues with this, I plan on milling it this weekend.
BTW - I have a CNC mill. If this works out the way I anticipate and anyone else would like custom milled control panels top boards, I may decide to offer it as a service to forum members if there is interest. You would have to provide the CAD or Vector file and instructions on how you would like it milled. Single sided milling only, 24x36 maximum dimensions. I may be able to mill acrylic overlays as well. I'll post pictures of mine after it comes off the mill.
BadMouth:
I tried that layout and found that in reality P2's button layout was more comfortable for both players.
rhys:
I will take that under advisement. Plywood is fairly cheap, so I can always change the layout and mill it again if I don't like it.
How does the overall spacing and such look? Anything that looks like it might cause interference or other issues?
BadMouth:
--- Quote from: rhys on October 17, 2013, 01:04:56 pm ---I will take that under advisement. Plywood is fairly cheap, so I can always change the layout and mill it again if I don't like it.
How does the overall spacing and such look? Anything that looks like it might cause interference or other issues?
--- End quote ---
24" is pretty narrow, so tight squeezes are to be expected.
Biggest concern would be the corner of the P1 joystick body hitting CP box wall, depending on how it's shaped.
There isn't much room for the typical overhang seen home built CPs.
Next concern would be the joystick bodies being close to the buttons, but I assumed you'd accounted for that.
rhys:
Took into account P1 joystick. There's somewhere between 1.25" and 1.5" (don't remember exactly) between the corner of the joystick and the edge of the board, overhang will be minimal on the diagonals (1/4" or so), but won't interfere with mounting. I just measured the, and the retainer ring will overhang the edge of the controller body on the P1 side by about 2mm, but as I'm flush under mounting the joysticks, this shouldn't present an issue. Worst case, I have to undo the ring on that button a bit if I want to remove the joystick body, although I should be able to tilt it out. There is about 2mm of clearance on the P2 side. If I switch to the P2 configuration for P1, that would eliminate the potential issue entirely.
I went with the smaller CP as I'm not putting a trackball or spinners or anything in it. It's just meant to be a coffee table unit to hook to the media center machine attached to the 60" TV, not going on a cabinet.