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Help: Gorf Joystick Hack
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SavannahLion:
Just to double check, did you check the Wiki link I gave you? It outlines the pins in order.


--- Quote from: D_Harris on February 25, 2009, 12:35:55 am ---Neverthless, if a Gorf joystick that is "properly wired" can be connected to the "KeyWhiz" or "IPAC" then I can't see why it would not be the same for a "Hydrogen" controller. After all, don't all of them send +5V to the controls?

--- End quote ---

Short answer is, yes.

Long answer is;

Not sure why you're missing the first three pins. The pins outlined in blue in the attached photo are pins, in order, 1, 3, 4, 5 (there is no pin 2) of J1. The pins outlined in red are the three pins you seem to be missing. Yellow is what you have. With the Red/Yellow outline you'll count down 1-3, no 4, 5-10. Flip the board over and note which pins have their corresponding solder points.

Yes, the controller boards do have +5 on their control pins, but this is usually a signal line, not a supply line. You'll need to supply clean +5v from somewhere like the USB bus or the appropriate pin from a power supply. Even a simple 5v wall wart for a cell phone works well (I add a regulator when I'm testing regardless since the GORF sticks are so old).


--- Quote from: D_Harris on February 25, 2009, 12:35:55 am ---Neverthless, if a Gorf joystick that is "properly wired" can be connected to the "KeyWhiz" or "IPAC" then I can't see why it would not be the same for a "Hydrogen" controller. After all, don't all of them send +5V to the controls?
--- End quote ---

The short answer is that most controllers like the KeyWiz probably isn't going to have enough amperage from those pins to drive something like the GORF stick. That isn't how it's meant to be used anyways and I can't think of any way to power and detect the GORF stick directly from a KeyWiz (The LED-Wiz+GP might work though) control line.

Supplying +5v to most of those pins isn't going to do what you want anyways. The way it works is that the GORF directional pins actually put out a +5v signal. When you pull the stick in a particular direction, the voltage is pulled down to or near 0v. Conveniently enough, this is exactly what controllers like the KeyWiz look for. It too puts out +5v signal and when this signal is pulled to 0v (or grounded via a switch), then it registered as a button press. The two seem to play nicely with each other. So you need to supply +5/ground to pins 10/7 and the GORF stick will be functional.

I don't know anything about the "Hydrogen" controller or how it works so I won't dare say it works with the GORF stick.
D_Harris:
I did check the Wiki link. That's why I noticed that there are three "missing" pins. But the PCB is clean and it doesn't look as though there were ever any pins there. And looking closely at the PCB, those three empty holes(1, 2, and 3) from J2 are connected to their corresponding solder points(5, 4, and 3) at J1.

But since J2 obviously goes the the game PCB, I can't see how the trigger ever could have worked.

Nevertheless, I assume that I'd have to solder leads to the empty holes 3 and 7 at J2, Solder leads to solder points 1 and 3, or just find a way to connect directly to the connector for J1

Now since there doesn't seem to be a any way to get the "Left" and "Right" of a powered Gorf Joystick to work with a controller, I decided to bypass the joystick PCB altogether using two leaf switches and electrical tape. (See pic).

And I'll clean up a band saw stand I have which just happens to have an opening just big enough to fit the joystick.

I know it's ugly, but I did say it would be a temporary hack.  ;D

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
SavannahLion:

--- Quote from: D_Harris on February 26, 2009, 08:17:46 pm ---I did check the Wiki link. That's why I noticed that there are three "missing" pins. But the PCB is clean and it doesn't look as though there were ever any pins there. And looking closely at the PCB, those three empty holes(1, 2, and 3) from J2 are connected to their corresponding solder points(5, 4, and 3) at J1.

But since J2 obviously goes the the game PCB, I can't see how the trigger ever could have worked.

Nevertheless, I assume that I'd have to solder leads to the empty holes 3 and 7 at J2, Solder leads to solder points 1 and 3, or just find a way to connect directly to the connector for J1

--- End quote ---

That glob of wires on J1 might not be original. Looks like there's two connectors there. It's possible J1 was simply bypassed.


--- Quote ---Now since there doesn't seem to be a any way to get the "Left" and "Right" of a powered Gorf Joystick to work with a controller, I decided to bypass the joystick PCB altogether using two leaf switches and electrical tape. (See pic).

--- End quote ---

I explained it to you twice. Supply +5 and ground to pins 10 and 7. Since pins 1-3 aren't there, you just adjust your count accordingly.

But hey, you found your own solution, it works, and that's what this place is all about. :cheers:
D_Harris:

--- Quote from: SavannahLion on February 26, 2009, 11:11:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: D_Harris on February 26, 2009, 08:17:46 pm ---I did check the Wiki link. That's why I noticed that there are three "missing" pins. But the PCB is clean and it doesn't look as though there were ever any pins there. And looking closely at the PCB, those three empty holes(1, 2, and 3) from J2 are connected to their corresponding solder points(5, 4, and 3) at J1.

But since J2 obviously goes the the game PCB, I can't see how the trigger ever could have worked.

Nevertheless, I assume that I'd have to solder leads to the empty holes 3 and 7 at J2, Solder leads to solder points 1 and 3, or just find a way to connect directly to the connector for J1

--- End quote ---

That glob of wires on J1 might not be original. Looks like there's two connectors there. It's possible J1 was simply bypassed.


--- End quote ---

Not at all. I got continuity between pins #1 and #3 of J1 when I pressed the trigger.


--- Quote ---

--- Quote ---Now since there doesn't seem to be a any way to get the "Left" and "Right" of a powered Gorf Joystick to work with a controller, I decided to bypass the joystick PCB altogether using two leaf switches and electrical tape. (See pic).

--- End quote ---

I explained it to you twice. Supply +5 and ground to pins 10 and 7. Since pins 1-3 aren't there, you just adjust your count accordingly.


--- End quote ---

Yes, I know that. It would be a simple matter to get +5V from my computer power connector.

But unless I can just attach pins #5 and #6 from J2 to the "Left" and "Right" on my MiniPAC (or Hydrogen) controller I wouldn't know what else to do.


--- Quote ---But hey, you found your own solution, it works, and that's what this place is all about.

--- End quote ---

My way just seemed to be more simple than trying to figure out what might not be possible.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
SavannahLion:

--- Quote from: D_Harris on February 26, 2009, 11:41:49 pm ---
--- Quote from: SavannahLion on February 26, 2009, 11:11:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: D_Harris on February 26, 2009, 08:17:46 pm ---I did check the Wiki link. That's why I noticed that there are three "missing" pins. But the PCB is clean and it doesn't look as though there were ever any pins there. And looking closely at the PCB, those three empty holes(1, 2, and 3) from J2 are connected to their corresponding solder points(5, 4, and 3) at J1.

But since J2 obviously goes the the game PCB, I can't see how the trigger ever could have worked.

Nevertheless, I assume that I'd have to solder leads to the empty holes 3 and 7 at J2, Solder leads to solder points 1 and 3, or just find a way to connect directly to the connector for J1

--- End quote ---

That glob of wires on J1 might not be original. Looks like there's two connectors there. It's possible J1 was simply bypassed.


--- End quote ---
Not at all. I got continuity between pins #1 and #3 of J1 when I pressed the trigger.
--- End quote ---

That's not what I meant. That signal has to get to the game PCB somehow. It looks like the photo sports extra wiring at the connector on J1. So even though the connector is "plugged" in, that signal isn't being utilized from J2 (no pins). So that small section between J1/J2 is being bypassed for some reason. A broken trace, cost overhead reduction, a lazy assembly man on a Friday, a hung over operator on a Monday, who knows?  :dunno
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