Connecting to SEGA 5k pots for controls / joystick button pad

[rmwilson]

I am looking to connect a sega aracde cabinet that uses  5k pots to a PC and or a Xbox 360 - controller? Can any one help with any information if they have ever made a driving racing cab and tapped into the SEGA pots?

Ryan

[PL1]

I am looking to connect a sega aracde cabinet that uses  5k pots to a PC and or a Xbox 360 - controller?

For the PC, you'll need an analog encoder.

A potentiometer steering wheel is electrically the same as one axis of an analog joystick like KADESTICK.

An adjustable voltage is on pin 2 (wiper) -- the exact voltage depends on the current position of the potentiometer/wheel/stick.

Operating voltage and ground are on pins 1 and 3. (or pins 3 and 1 if it's moving opposite the intended direction)

I'll let someone who knows more about X360's chime in on that aspect.


Scott

[BadMouth]

To connect only to a PC, I'd recommend Ultimarc's A-PAC or U-HID
The primary difference between them as far as your purposes are concerned is that the U-HID will need to be connected to a PC and configured for potentiometers before hooking it up, while the A-PAC is already set up.  There are other differences, but I don't think any are relevant to your application.
These won't work with an xbox360 though.

Ultimarc is coming out with a new interface that is compatible with xbox360.  BUT since the products it is replacing don't have analog inputs, I assume the new one won't either.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,142969.msg1482378.html#msg1482378
It may be worth shooting Andy at Ultimarc an email to ask if analog input will be an option.

I've tried hacking 5k arcade pots to xbox360 controllers before.  I found the movement to be "clunky" if using pots less than 10k.
The cursor will move in small jumps instead of being a smooth motion.  Both 10k and 100k pots worked fine.
You can read about my trials and tribulations of analog xbox360 controller hacking here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,128941.0.html

The big issue with swapping standard pots in place of arcade pots is that sometimes the arcade pots have less rotation (deflection).
You only have to turn them say...90 degrees to go from 0-5k whereas a standard off the shelf linear pot would need to be moved 270 degrees.
I know this is the case with analog arcade joyticks/triggersticks.  I do not know about the ones in your ManxTT cab.

The standard pots can still be used on a PC as long as the game allows for calibration, but on a real xbox360 you don't have that option.
The pots will work as long as they're centered properly, but you might run out of physical rotation in your handle before the pot is rotated enough to post the full 10k.
This may mean that you can't hit full speed or turn all the way in some games.

If it were me, I'd use the A-PAC and settle for just having PC games.

If pursuing the xbox360 hack, the first thing I would do is measure what range of resistance the pot is delivering (0-3k, 0-5k) and how many degrees of rotation is required to get that range.
(even though they're 5k pots, physical stops might prevent them from using their full range)
That should tell you whether you can swap in $3 pots from radioshack or whether you'd have to fork over a small fortune for 100k happ pots.

There's also the route of having an arduino or some other microcontroller take input from the 5k pots and send a corresponding correct output to a hacked xbox360 controller, but that's way out of my realm.

[rmwilson]

Awesome - THANK YOU guys ! both 'badmouth' and Scott,

This is great to get me started. Since the time I posted I did reach out to Andy and he suggested the U-hid - So I have to explore that further.  Still not entirely sure how I'd configure it before i set it up - would i need to know how to script and code or just a windows application with an interface???

'Badmouth' - as far as testing pots I will have to open it up and see check resistance and rotation... Right now its in my garage and its dang cold up here in Toronto to work on it fully.  but could you elaborate a bit further on your comment "That should tell you whether you can swap in $3 pots from radio shack or whether you'd have to fork over a small fortune for 100k happ pots."  - in the sense of giving me examples or reasons why i'd be able to use $3 pots vs  100k happ pots ( and what would a 100k happ pot do or work that a 3 dollar pot wont -- like i say I am brand new to all this so trying to learn and figure it out ..

[BadMouth]

Since the time I posted I did reach out to Andy and he suggested the U-hid - So I have to explore that further.  Still not entirely sure how I'd configure it before i set it up - would i need to know how to script and code or just a windows application with an interface???

windows application.  See the product page.

could you elaborate a bit further on your comment "That should tell you whether you can swap in $3 pots from radio shack or whether you'd have to fork over a small fortune for 100k happ pots."  - in the sense of giving me examples or reasons why i'd be able to use $3 pots vs  100k happ pots ( and what would a 100k happ pot do or work that a 3 dollar pot wont -- like i say I am brand new to all this so trying to learn and figure it out ..

Don't really know how I could elaborate without just repeating the stuff from my previous post.
It's all about how much rotation is required for the pot to move throughout it's entire range of resistance.
If your controls only rotate 100 degrees from one extreme to the other but the radio shack pot needs to be rotated 270 degrees to go from one extreme to the other, that will be an issue if hacking into an xbox controller.  As stated before, the Happ pots used in joysticks and triggersticks only need to be moved a small amount to cover their entire resistance range.
I tried to find a source for these reduced travel pots, but they don't seem to have any use outside of analog joysticks.  The potentiometer company part number stamped on the happ part tracks back to a custom ordered part.

The ones for the steering in driving cabs have standard rotation like "normal" pots, so there's a good chance the ones in your manxtt do.

If you go with the U-HID, you can just use the 5k pots that are in there now anyway.

EDIT: Personally I'd just spend the money for a wired xbox controller, hack into the arcade pots and see what happens in the windows controller setup screen.
If I didn't like the results, I'd spend $3 on a 10k radioshack pot and see what it does.  Sometimes you have to break some eggs and spend some money to figure stuff out.

[rmwilson]

absolutely - I get it now - THANK YOU !!!

(being busy at work is awesome huh - lol)


I am happy to 'break some eggs spend some dough and play' - I am happy and content when tinkering but admittedly so I am so brand new to all this I am not ashamed to admit that I am at a zero knowledge level ... Sounds like you guys all have some great info ... I am reading through posts and trying to understand ... and as I read I am like HUH LOl as I don't even have a base yet ! 

that might be the way to go -  'wired xbox controller', hack into the arcade pots if not  spend $3 on a 10k radioshack pot and see what it does. and that way I have both PC and xbox covered because the uHID seems like a no brainer so far !

[rmwilson]

in an effort to keep this thread up to date and relevant - found this link and it has the exact part number for pots as the ones identified in the MANX tt DX manual. $22.50 each!

http://na.suzohapp.com/amusement_products/driving_controls/220-5373?SS=ON

Maybe some others here might be able to tell if its a 'normal' 'regular' pot or if there is anything special to them ..

[rmwilson]

Found this site that offers custom POTS - in case any one needs them

http://www.potentiometers.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjw_MisBRCTuNPfoMqU4ngSJACrJv1VO82BTIuM8yR9vhiBn5SM1KBnDz6WmWDr_NUup67_qhoCXuzw_wcB

[baritonomarchetto]

If you want your sega cabinet to be interfaced both with a pc or xbox360 the best way to go is to hack a (non wireless) xbox 360 controller. You only need to replace the 5kohm pot of your sega weel with a 10kohm, single turn, linear, 6 mm in diameter potentiometer and connect it in place of the X axis pot in the controller. I reported how to do that >>here<<.
This rig is working fine with my racing cab