Hacking an analog stick into a dpad with deadzone control.

[syntax_x]

Ive been trying to think of an easy way to connect an analog stick to a dpad and have a controllable deadzone.
Something that i can put a pot between the analog stick and dpad to change the activation point on the analog stick at which the dpad gets grounded.

Im sure there's some IC out there that can do this. Any help?

[RandyT]

A d-pad (digital interface) will usually hold the input high, and will not see that input as being activated until the voltage drops below a certain threshold, based on  the interface in question.

What you would need to do is increase or decrease the amount of resistance between the ground on the joystick pots and the interface you are using, to get the adustability you desire.  I.e. more resistance=larger deadzone, and less resistance=smaller deadzone.  Resistors in parallel reduce resistance, while those in serial increase it.

That's the theory.  In practice, however, it may not be simple to do, and would likely entail quite a bit of trial and error.

[syntax_x]

Id thought about that route and figured that the best way to control that would be changine the controllers pullups to change the analog sticks dead zone as there is no way to decrease the ground resistance of the stick which im sure is around 5k centred.

I want to get 2 PS3 flight sticks and use them as Virtual on twin sticks, but Virtual on plays across a few platforms.
I can hook the sticks directly up to a 360s sticks or a ps3 but when I go to play DC or arcade versions I need to be able to make the sticks pots activate a ground for the inputs, and i wanted a pot somewhere to change the point at which the sticks activate the grounding.

Would a simple comparator IC work maybe?

[syntax_x]

And it did! more to come.....