Can the Happ/Atari Active Steering Wheel be interfaced to a PC?

[mark shaker]

Hello All,

Has anybody figured out how to interface the Happ's Active Steering Wheel to a PC?

Happ Part Number 50-0102-00. Liscensed to Happ from Atari.  "Not intended to connect to a PC".

   - Mark  

[u_rebelscum]

If you look at the exploded view, the two wires are to a 5k POT (96-4916-00) and the force feedback motrr.  If you don't need the feedback, any of the POT hack hookups will be great.  If you want the feedback well, easier to remove the motor, buy a PC wheel w/ feedback, and hack that motor and board onto the happs wheel.  Not easy.

[mark shaker]

Robin,

Thank you for the reply.

I don't have a problem hacking the pot to PC. I've already interfaced a Star Wars Yoke and a Happ Flight Stick using the info I learned years ago from "Judes Star Wars Controller Hack".

I was thinking of hacking a PC Force Feedback Wheel, but I was hoping to use the original Happ motor, just for the additional torque and durability. (And because it would be cool!)

   - Mark  

[isamu]

Hi Mark,,,any luck?

[mark shaker]

Hi Mark,,,any luck?

Oh Yeah!  Full instructions can be found on my web-page: www.marksarcade.com. (Scroll to the bottom for the link to the instructions.)

   - Mark

[Minwah]

Oh Yeah!  Full instructions can be found on my web-page: www.marksarcade.com. (Scroll to the bottom for the link to the instructions.)

Cool project!

[isamu]

WOW that is AWESOME!!!

[Level42]

Great ! Gonna need this for my dedicated racing  mame/Taito cab ! Thanks !

[mark shaker]

Great ! Gonna need this for my dedicated racing

[ponyboy]

I myself have a driver board to connect the Happ Steering Wheel to a PC.  Back in 1996 I was involved in one of the first Arcade PC Projects, Ultimate Race.

We could not get funding for this game so it was shelved.  Still have the board just never done anything with it.

Ponyboy 

[Minwah]

Mark:  Just wondering if you have used this with your wheel?:

http://www.geocities.com/finalburnff/

[mark shaker]

What a great job you did on this project.

[mark shaker]

Mark:

[mark shaker]

I myself have a driver board to connect the Happ Steering Wheel to a PC.

[Level42]

Great ! Gonna need this for my dedicated racing  mame/Taito cab ! Thanks !

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Also let me know when you finish your project. A couple people have asked about it, but as far as I know I'm the only person with the Happ Active Wheel hooked up to either a PC or PS2.

It makes a big difference having such a rugged wheel. I don't have to worry about breaking it, just thrash away!

BTW: My friends and I are arcade style gamers: I've installed a IR relay system in the driving cabnet, and HDLoader with about 30 racing games (none pirated) on the PS2, but that was all for nothing, as I can't get anyone to play anything except the latest version of Burnout!

   - Mark

Well it won't be some time before I begin working on it, actualy the cab is mine but still at the seller's as I have no means of transporting it until october. The cab is a Special Criminal Investigation (Chase HQ follow up) but it looks converted to something else. It's defective but I sure hope the force feedback wheel is still OK
Amazing what that thing costs at Happ !!! Bought the entire cab for about 85 USD So even if I'd only use the wheel, paddle and shifter it would be worth the money....I'll let you know more when it arrives.

[Level42]

Uhmmm, does a cab like the Taito also incorporate an amplifier like you'd need with a seperate Happ wheel ?

Of course the cab already sends powerfull enough signals to the force feedback motor so I guess somewhere between the game PCB and the wheel there needs to be some amp ?

[isamu]

I myself have a driver board to connect the Happ Steering Wheel to a PC.  Back in 1996 I was involved in one of the first Arcade PC Projects, Ultimate Race.

We could not get funding for this game so it was shelved.  Still have the board just never done anything with it.

Ponyboy 

Helo Ponyboy. Can you please tell me what driver board you own that allows you to connect your Happ wheel to the PC? Would it happen to be the *Wheel Electronics Board* from Immersion Corp? They say it is designed to work with the Happ Active wheel.

I am planning to buy the Happ Active FF Wheel soon if BRD does not have their FF wheel ready by May. I'm planning on using it mainly for PC games but would be interested in using it to play Gran Turismo 4 on the PS2. I guess it depends on whether or not the game uses typical Immersion FF drivers for its FF code.

Hello Mark How's your Happ Active wheel holding up? Had any problems with it so far? Any looseness or worn out parts? Is it still as smooth as it was when you first got it? Is it true that the wheel does not have any gears and is strictly belt driven, hence the reason for it's smoothness?

One thing I am interested in doing with the Happ wheel if I get, is changing the actual steering wheel itself and replacing with a real racing wheel like one from Momo or Talladega. You can see a selection of them *Here*. The Talladega one looks pretty cool:




Mark.....With your Happ wheel, can you tell me if it's possible to unscrew and detach the wheel from the steering column? How many drilling holes does the wheel have in the center? It's hard to tell from this picture:




Looks like there's three, but the Talladega has them in a different position.


Anyway one more thing I'm curious about....does anyone know if the Happ Active Steering wheel uses the same parts and is built pretty much same way as the FF wheels found on Sega's arcade cabinet? I really enjoyed playing games like Daytona USA in arcade because the FF wheel felt nice and smooth. There is no "grinding" of any geard when you move it. It's all smooth. I'm really curious if Sega is basically using the same arcade parts to build their wheels as Happ.

[mark shaker]

Hello Mark How's your Happ Active wheel holding up? Had any problems with it so far? Any looseness or worn out parts? Is it still as smooth as it was when you first got it? Is it true that the wheel does not have any gears and is strictly belt driven, hence the reason for it's smoothness?

One thing I am interested in doing with the Happ wheel if I get, is changing the actual steering wheel itself and replacing with a real racing wheel like one from Momo or Talladega. You can see a selection of them *Here*. The Talladega one looks pretty cool:

Mark.....With your Happ wheel, can you tell me if it's possible to unscrew and detach the wheel from the steering column? How many drilling holes does the wheel have in the center? It's hard to tell from this picture:

Looks like there's three, but the Talladega has them in a different position.

Anyway one more thing I'm curious about....does anyone know if the Happ Active Steering wheel uses the same parts and is built pretty much same way as the FF wheels found on Sega's arcade cabinet? I really enjoyed playing games like Daytona USA in arcade because the FF wheel felt nice and smooth. There is no "grinding" of any geard when you move it. It's all smooth. I'm really curious if Sega is basically using the same arcade parts to build their wheels as Happ.

My Happ Active Steering Wheel is as good as new. It's designed for rugged arcade use, in my home environment it shows no signs of wear.  (I have tightened the belt a couple times.)

It is belt driven. So on most games it does play very smoothly. I do have the feedback turned up higher than usual, so any jerky movements performed by the software are exaggerated.

The picture on my webpage is obsolete, as I just changed my wheel to Happ's "2 Button European Design". It is less comfortable than the old wheel, but having 2 buttons on the wheel is great for arcade style games (Burnout series, Twisted Metal series ...). Here is an updated picture:

Obviously, the wheel can be changed. It is fastened by 3 socket head screws, which are visible in the picture.

I know the Happ wheel was used on Atari and Midway games, I don

[isamu]

Wow that's encouraging! Thanks man can't wait to get mine!

[isamu]

Mark...based on the three sockethead screws in the middle of the Happ wheel, would you say it should work with *THIS* quick release adaptor?





Or perhaps one o the ones listed  *HERE* ?

Would you say they're about the same diameter?

[isamu]

Mark check you email

[isamu]

Bump   

[johnm160]

This wouldn't work with an xbox would it??

[mark shaker]

Isamu,

If my calculations are correct: The diameter of the Happs Steering Wheel bolt pattern is approximately 1 9/16".

The bolts are at the 2, 6 and 10 O'Clock positions.

You get to figure-out what will work! If the quick disconnect has 2 parts, one attached to the column and one attached to the wheel, you should be able to drill any holes you need in the column part, as they will not be seen with the wheel in place.

   - Mark

[mark shaker]

This wouldn't work with an xbox would it??

Not exactly.

Assuming the X-Box supports force feedback (I've heard Yes and No): You could try the same trick with the PCB taken from a XBox wheel.

   - Mark

[johnm160]

This wouldn't work with an xbox would it??

Not exactly.

Assuming the X-Box supports force feedback (I've heard Yes and No): You could try the same trick with the PCB taken from a XBox wheel.

   - Mark

Ha Ha Ha,

Try it.... you mean on my own, without a step by step tutorial? The fire department warned me not to do that again.   j/k

[mark shaker]

This wouldn't work with an xbox would it??

Not exactly.

Assuming the X-Box supports force feedback (I've heard Yes and No): You could try the same trick with the PCB taken from a XBox wheel.

   - Mark

Ha Ha Ha,

Try it.... you mean on my own, without a step by step tutorial? The fire department warned me not to do that again.   j/k

Well, you could come over to the Dark Side: A PS2 is $129. Most compatible games can be had for $20 or less.

   - Mark

[johnm160]

I have a ps2 also, I was planning on building a cockpit cabinet with all the xbox racing games in it. I guess I could do a ps2....But I was just reading the info on your site. What is the $500 amplifer? Ouch

[isamu]

Mark check your email