If I make an Xbox arcade stick...

[kattanFAN]

You know how some games use 2 sticks? Like Smash TV, Total Carnage, Robotron, etc? I want to make an Xbox arcade stick, based on instructions from wrongcrowd.com.

Anyway, I wanted to add a 2nd stick, that would be wired to function as the Right Stick. Once the controller's PCB is prime to be wired into a homemade arcade stick, how would one add a 2nd stick with the functionality of the Right Stick?

I ask because I noticed that on the board, there's a little yellowy-orange thing with a little prong and it is manipulated by means of the thumb stick. And if I can wire a 2nd 8-way stick to the Right Stick, could I also have a button that simulates pushing down on the Right Stick (and Left)?

I need to know.

[kattanFAN]

I take it that no one's ability to respond is everyone's way of telling me that it's impossible and that I'm a retard for asking.

[NFG]

You're talking about making a digital stick report its position through an analogue stick's input.  It's a difficult (but not terribly so) task for anyone who wants to sort it out, probably slightly more difficult than most people are willing to attempt for someone else's mod.

It's not impossible, but there's also a good chance most people haven't the same sticks/pads/software/systems you've got.

Of course there's no way to know for sure, your post was really kind of lacking details.  Where are the pics of the stick and pad?  

[kattanFAN]

You're talking about making a digital stick report its position through an analogue stick's input.  It's a difficult (but not terribly so) task for anyone who wants to sort it out, probably slightly more difficult than most people are willing to attempt for someone else's mod.

It's not impossible, but there's also a good chance most people haven't the same sticks/pads/software/systems you've got.

Of course there's no way to know for sure, your post was really kind of lacking details.  Where are the pics of the stick and pad?

Sorry for the lack of details, pics, etc. And also, my modding lingo sux. I don't have the supplies yet. I do plan on doing this. I just need all the things. Now, you said that a stick would work if wired to an analog stick, but it would be difficult. If possible, do I use an 8-way stick or a 360 degree stick?

[Matarick]

Isn't Robotron a Digital input based game, so wouldn't it be a better idea to just mod an extra Xbox controller to use the face buttons on the right stick?  Just attach the solder points to each face button to match the directionals of the joystick.

I am sure just grab some spare Semitsu's from Akihabara Shop since they are built in 8 ways and I think they perform like the olden Wilcos despite the newer sticks have microswitches.

Not only you would have a faster response but have a true digital feel compared to the analog directional sticks.  With a digital stick, you can just only hit one of the directions without hitting them all, so if you go left lower diagonal, lower left diagonal gets detected (on) compared to a constant analog signal.

Not only you have a great Robotron stick but you are set for Total Carnage and Smash TV.

[kattanFAN]

Isn't Robotron a Digital input based game, so wouldn't it be a better idea to just mod an extra Xbox controller to use the face buttons on the right stick?  Just attach the solder points to each face button to match the directionals of the joystick.

I am sure just grab some spare Semitsu's from Akihabara Shop since they are built in 8 ways and I think they perform like the olden Wilcos despite the newer sticks have microswitches.

Not only you would have a faster response but have a true digital feel compared to the analog directional sticks.  With a digital stick, you can just only hit one of the directions without hitting them all, so if you go left lower diagonal, lower left diagonal gets detected (on) compared to a constant analog signal.

Not only you have a great Robotron stick but you are set for Total Carnage and Smash TV.

Instead of using 2 controllers, couldn't I just wire a stick & 4 buttons to the A, B, X, and Y buttons and have a switch? I guess it could be:

Controller PCB ----> Splitter ----> Switch -------> Stick or Buttons

[Midori]

A joystick and buttons are in one way similar, both of them uses microswitches(mostly, of course there are leaf switches and others). A joystick(I'm now refering to arcade joysticks) has 4 switches which are activated when you push the stick in i direction. 4 buttons with one switch each also makes up total 4 microswitches. I'm quite tired now and tlaking a lot of crap so I'll finish this up quickly:

Yes, you can wire up both a switch and four buttons to the A,B,X & Y buttons and select which of them that you would like to use with a switch.

[kattanFAN]

Is a switch required? Can I have the joystick and the buttons working at the same time? If it is, how easy is it to create a switch? I have a possibly clear idea of how to make a switch. I just want to make sure that I don't screw it up.

[Midori]

I don't think a switch is required(unless I've missed something very important, it would be better with a switch but in this case I think the difference will be very hard to notice).

[kattanFAN]

Also, what about a trackball? I have Midway Arcade Treasures 1 & 2, and some games that might be best played with the trackball. Would the trackball be wired to the Dpad? Or is the trackball analog?

[kendrick]

Most commercially available trackballs use rotating photoresistors to transmit information about the speed and direction of the rotation. If you want to substitute trackball input for the digital D-pad, then probably the easiest solution is to track down the Atari-branded trackball that was used for the Atari 2600 and 7800. This has a control mechanism already in place that converts trackball motion into pulses suitable for digital directional control. If you want to substitute trackball motion for the analog control stick, then you're probably stuck having to code up some PIC routines that will turn the velocity information into the appropriate analog signal (more motion being equivalent to the stick being pushed further.) So it can be done, but there's no store-brand blueprint for it.

-KKC, posting from a text web browser. Man, is this a pain the butt...