Rumble Motor Weights

[TJ_Kat]

I was just wondering, why do controllers with 2 rumble motors (PS2, Xbox) have a big weight on one and a small weight on the other?

And following on that, the big one always seems to be on the left, and the small one is on the right, is there a reason for that, or someone just decided that's how it would be and so it is...?

[kendrick]

As I understand the technology, the large and small variants are just ways of producing different gradations of vibration in the absence of analog motor control. This is especially important when you have multiple sources for the tiny motors, as you can't reliably get a smooth, repeatable linear variation in rotation speed from two different motors from different sources. You essentially get three grades of rumble, small (using the tiny weight) medium (using the large weight) and bone rattling (using both weights.)

About which motor goes on which side? I don't believe that it matters, as long as the signalling for the small weighted motor and the large weighted motor are consistently wired. A person holding a controller isn't going to consciously register the vibration being on one side or the other unless he or she is looking for it specifically.

-KKC, who can't wait to see the inside of the Revolution controller...