Main > Main Forum
GaryMcT's 2-player generic control panel layout
GaryMcT:
I have to think about it. What makes it crazy hard is that with a gamepad you have access to both a stick and multiple buttons with a single hand. May require a stick with buttons to work for a lot of games.
KissMyWookie:
--- Quote from: GaryMcT on August 11, 2009, 02:05:50 am ---
--- Quote from: KissMyWookie on August 11, 2009, 01:42:01 am ---
--- Quote from: Bender on August 10, 2009, 03:20:05 pm ---no worries, this is a hobby and should never take precedence over real work ;)
I think they are potentiometers
happ's analog joysticks have either 5k or 100k pots though it says "Optional pot. amplifier PC board allows variable output from potentiometer"
I have no idea how that "k" relates to volts ???
--- End quote ---
The K on a potentiometer is the resistive value in kilo-ohms (1000's of ohms) of the device. Even though resistors are current limiting devices, it's normal to see a change in the voltage across the resistor/potentiometer as the resistance changes.
Steve
--- End quote ---
I'm an electronics newby. Is it likely that the circuit in the x360 controller is reading the voltage change, or the resistance change when reading the analog stick?
--- End quote ---
I'm not an expert (I just dabble in electronics), so someone please correct me if I'm wrong...
It's probably feeding the pot(s) with a regulated input (precisely fixed voltage), then measuring the output through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The return voltage will drop as the resistance increases.
Steve
Bender:
--- Quote from: GaryMcT on August 11, 2009, 02:06:01 pm ---I have to think about it. What makes it crazy hard is that with a gamepad you have access to both a stick and multiple buttons with a single hand. May require a stick with buttons to work for a lot of games.
--- End quote ---
yeah, I was thinking 4 buttons (2 trigger and 2 thumb) on each flightstick and possibly a d-pad on one
and just the 3 admin buttons on the actual panel
GaryMcT:
--- Quote from: Bender on August 11, 2009, 02:32:05 pm ---
--- Quote from: GaryMcT on August 11, 2009, 02:06:01 pm ---I have to think about it. What makes it crazy hard is that with a gamepad you have access to both a stick and multiple buttons with a single hand. May require a stick with buttons to work for a lot of games.
--- End quote ---
yeah, I was thinking 4 buttons (2 trigger and 2 thumb) on each flightstick and possibly a d-pad on one
and just the 3 admin buttons on the actual panel
--- End quote ---
If I were doing this on a large enough control panel, I'd probably also want to put some regular buttons on the surface for games that don't use the right stick. I think the thing that hurts me with gamepads is having to "claw" my hands. I think a flight stick might actually have the same problem for me unfortunately.
I'm pleasantly surprised that playing arcade games with a ball-top U360 and a bunch of buttons is really ergonomic for me and I doesn't hurt me nearly as much as playing an FPS on a PC with a mouse and keyboard (mouse hand kills me) or playing on an X360 controller. :)
Bender:
ahh, that's easy enough