Toodle's Universal Controller

[kendrick]

Wow. I was browsing around looking for info on the Nuon controller specifications when I stumbled across this:

http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=131230

A user by the name of Toodles posted some specs and pictures of a universal controller encoder. This thing is intended for expert-level fighting game players, who have their technique perfected on a specific joystick and want to be able to use it on every console regardless of input type. I don't think I would ever make use of it, but I can see this board being the core of somebody's theoretical gaming control panel.

Again, I can't take credit for anything you see here. This is all Toodle's work.

[NFG]

That's pretty impressive, definitely the best thing for people who have one favourite controller. 

[Chuplayer]

Seems like a whole hell of a lot of work for something that would probably run better if you're just soldering wires to sacrificial PCBs, wiring them up to a plug of your choosing, wiring up arcade parts to a matching socket, plugging the two together, and plugging the sacrificial PCB into the system.

I'd be concerned with lag or other irregularities with the PIC involved.

[RGB32E]

I received and assembled my Cthulhu kit on Wednesday (1/14/09)... works like a champ!  I purchased it to make an adapter for my MAS Systems arcade sticks and it does the job!  I haven't noticed any lag or other buggy things.  Well.. maybe one thing, when using the device in windows, and pressing any of the directions, it reports on both the joystick axis and the hat direction.  Definitely not a deal breaker.

One BIG benefit of buying this over a PS3 controller is that it only uses 1 ground connection for all of the buttons.  Real PS3 controllers cannot be gutted and used with 1 ground, since there are 3 separate grounds (start/select, home, and rest of connections) which presents a problem for the MAS stick (only uses 1 ground for all connections).

Another thing is cost (especially if you buy the $20) kit.  Sure, madcatz makes a $20 wired ps3 controlller, but it is GARBAGE/UNUSABLE!!!  I didn't do enough prior research before gutting one - found out that the left direction on the dpad doesn't stay "on" while pressed, and that PS3 controllers use multiple grounds.  There are 2 grounds on the madcatz instead of 3 (like sony).  I found one site who has been documenting controller guts that stated that the madcatz controller was a poor design and they never took pics of under the hood.

All and all this is an awesome device that I personally recommend!!! 
http://www.lizardlickamusements.com/pages/boards.shtml
(I purchased the unassembled kit)