Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle
General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: Etienne MacGyver on May 19, 2009, 08:31:08 PM
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As i am planning to build an arcade cab in the future, i was investigating the ways of connecting the controls.
As i like to spend as little as possible i focussed on hacking a keyboard.
Somewhere i found this joystick that is good enough for testing purposes
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/1.jpg)
And ofcourse a "victim" :D around 10 -15 € but i received it for free from a friend
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/2.jpg)
The tool of the day for this job 8)
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/3.jpg)
for the people that like to use this post as a tutorial, its a Logitech classic keyboard 200 USB
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/4.jpg)
After taking out a bunch of screws, there is the treasure that we need ;)
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/5.jpg)
After carefully removing the controller its time for the "mapping of the matrix"
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/6.jpg)
To follow all the lines on the circuit i used 4 different colors
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/7.jpg)
First i write all the letters on the circuit after "splitting"the circuit
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/8.jpg)
At the time i finished that i was not in the mood anymore to continue that day , so i put back together the remains
It makes a nice toy according to my son 8)
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/9.jpg)
Oke the tracing of the circuit can begin, i started to number the pins on the circuit , so that is why it starts on the controller with pin 27, and not with 1. the controller is mounted inside the keyboard in the opposite way than that i write ???
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/9a.jpg)
Can you folow me what i mean
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/10.jpg)
Folowing lines....
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/11.jpg)
Following more lines.....
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/12.jpg)
Im getting there !
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/13.jpg)
I made a excell sheet with the results (wich is handy for you if you like to use this KB for a hack)
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/13a.jpg)
After this i decided to create a test panel from an old piece of metal
i already spend some time so why not continue...
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/14.jpg)
In some place i found some swiches wich could serve for the test panel
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/15.jpg)
thanx god i have a nice tool for the drilling job :wink:
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/16.jpg)
Measure the swiches (sorry for the blurry picture)
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/17.jpg)
and measuring the joystick shaft
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/18.jpg)
Holes drilled, ready to put everything together
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/19.jpg)
These contacts need some sanding.....
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/20.jpg)
after sanding 8)
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/21.jpg)
Everything in place
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/22.jpg)
Bottom view
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/23.jpg)
Solder time !
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/24.jpg)
And finaly after soldering, and testing i used hot glue to mount the controller inside
(http://www.opdenkelder.com/pics/kbhack/25.jpg)
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Wow, that's a lot of work and dedication to save a couple of euro's.....
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Wow, that's a lot of work and dedication to save a couple of euro's.....
It was ideed some work, but i like to "hobby" 8)
and like i say , it was a test , just to know if i could pull it off
and it works !, so the next time i need a controller i just need to find a keyboard from that type an we are ready to go
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Next time hack a cheap USB gamepad:
http://www.zercom.eu/index.php?p=35&f=1&s=1&a=146429
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Next time hack a cheap USB gamepad:
http://www.zercom.eu/index.php?p=35&f=1&s=1&a=146429
I did that already some time ago with an logitech precision gamepad in combination with an old Suso arcade but it did not work out good.
I dont know what i did wrong at the time , but it did not function the way i expected
(http://www.gamegear.be/images/logitech_precision_gamepad.jpg)
Gamepad that i used for NES emulation and some other games
(http://members.home.nl/roeloftenbrink/computers/fotos/Prof%20Competitionsuzo.jpg)
Old joystick that i had in the time of the Commodore 64, it was still in my garage in some box :D