new info on gamepad hack

[neuromancer]

I found out something I hadn't seen before regarding gamepad hacks:

It's a Saitek 750 USB gamepad. It has a Dpad, 8 buttons (+ 3 more "function buttons" = 11 total), analog stick and throttle wheel. The analog stuff is on a secondary PCB.

Since I didin't really need the analog stuff, I cut it off. Guess what. The gamepad will not work without the analog board. I went to re-attach it, but I decided to cut off the throttle wheel, since it was dangling by three wires. Guess what. It will not work at all without the throttle wheel.

My conclusion: If you are doing a gamepad hack, you need to plan on keeping all the various components intact.

For those who need a gamepad to hack, the Saitek 750 is pretty easy to work with. There are little copper pads adjacent to the contact area to solder to. 5 of the switches are actually microswitches, which are a dream to solder to. Having that many buttons available is great. I am even leaving some unused...

Bob