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Making dual-joysticks / "twinsticks".. ?

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o-o:
Ive been thinking about making a sort of "twinsticks" / *dual-flightstick controller*
possibly using something like:
PC Quickshot GenX 500 and 500L(lefthand version) flightsticks
or Xbox/PS2 Pelican Tomahawk flightsticks (these any good?) or other ambidextrous type ?

Possibly by:
Connecting the buttons and main joystick(wires) of flightstick#2 to (or instead-of) some of the buttons and the top thumbstick of flightstick#1 (hopefully still retaining the full regular functionality of flightstick#1 [or both flightsticks] as a solo flightstick [when needed], maybe by using a switch, and jack/connector cable between the two flightsticks..)

Anyone else interested in finding a way to do this and have any ideas?

ultramagnus:
as you can see by this topic http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=40758.0 i have been trying to do somthing similar myself

should be easy if you only want 4 axis and 4 buttons in total.

however if like me you want more (personally im trying to build somthing with between 6-8 axis and 20+ buttons) then im still stuck on finding a way to encode it so that windows only sees it as a single joystick

dont know of any device that i could hack either...

perhaps if you have some kind of IM program we could try to do more research together, i am having problems with people seeing me ATM though so you will have to PM me your IM addy if you want to

NoOne=NBA=:
What is the end goal with this?


Obstacles I can see right off the bat with this are:

1) Maintaining analog control on Flightstick 2, while connecting it into Stick 1 as a digital controller (to replace the Hat switch).

2) Widows itself limits the number of axes per stick.
This means you will have to write custom drivers for whatever you come up with.

o-o:

I mainly just want/need the joysticks to mimic the dual thumbsticks of an (single) Xbox/PS2 controller..
to function the same (with some buttons having duplicate function) as a regular controller, with any games (to use with appropriate style games: FSP mech, flying etc.. [Mechassault, Gunvalkyrie, Crimson Skies are some specifics..])

As options (with switches or?), Id also like it to be able to if possible:
-retain original function as single flightstick
-function same as Saturn/Dreamcast twinsticks (if its possible to have analog joysticks send as digital?) by connecting extra wires to the appropriate button contacts, and having an extra generic cable-out to connect to a saturn controller adapter module..

Extra/redundant buttons (which go to the same contacts) can be connected in parallel/simultaneously can they? (I mean, you can have multiple [digital?] buttons connected to the same contact without any problem right?)

Knowing if the button contacts of a particular flightstick are all feasibly availlable to solder to is another thing though



ultramagnus,
Im wondering what games have you found that you want that many analog axises for that cant be controlled fully now?





NoOne=NBA=:

--- Quote from: o-o on August 06, 2005, 03:42:11 am ---I mainly just want/need the joysticks to mimic the dual thumbsticks of an (single) Xbox/PS2 controller.
--- End quote ---

That is possible, but I'm not sure of all the hoops necessary.
Quasicade doesn't sell their encoders that have this functionality built into them, but they got them to work in this mode.



--- Quote ----retain original function as single flightstick
--- End quote ---

This may require separate encoders to pull off.
You might look at doing this in a modular manner where you are tapping the actual signals themselves from inside the stick (pot position, button presses), and then can switch encoders depending on what you need to do with those signals.



--- Quote ----function same as Saturn/Dreamcast twinsticks (if its possible to have analog joysticks send as digital?) by connecting extra wires to the appropriate button contacts, and having an extra generic cable-out to connect to a saturn controller adapter module.
--- End quote ---

Again, if you use the raw signals, and then encode them afterward, you should be able to run the raw signal through a D-A converter prior to hitting the encoder, and convert the signal to digital.



--- Quote ---Extra/redundant buttons (which go to the same contacts) can be connected in parallel/simultaneously can they? (I mean, you can have multiple [digital?] buttons connected to the same contact without any problem right?)
--- End quote ---

Yes and no.
You will need to diode isolate them, or any time you press button 1, it will ground out all the other buttons connected to it.

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