Greetings!
With the great news, that Stock Car Extreme now supports up to 6 USB devices, I wanted to build a simple buttonbox on my own. Do I need one? - hmmmmm maybe. Do I want to solder and build around a little but? - YES! So please see this as a fun little project to improve my little soldering and building skills a little bit. Inspired from good online manuals like:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Joypad-To-Switch-Box-Controller/step2/We-have-contact/
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/simple-gamepad-based-buttonbox.68675/
I wanted to turn my over 10 years old, unused Thrustmaster Gamepad (http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/products/360-modena-upad-force) into a buttonbox. The first thing I did was removing the screws from the back and open the case. What I saw was quite satisfying:
Image by: http://www.ixbt.com/peripheral/thrustmaster/360modena-upad/360modena-upad-in.jpg
There was one main pcb with the main electronics and little ones with the majority of the buttons, which were connected by cables. The buttons itself were the usual comb-shaped electrodes which gave a contact if the button was pressed, plus a diode per button. (which use i couldn't figute out) So I went online shopping and got me a few new buttons (14 buttons a 0,25 €) and a case (6,88 €).
http://www.musikding.de/Drucktaster-NO-blau
http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/...21-x-94-x-34-Hammond-Electronics-1591GBK-1-St
I proceeded to figure out, what cables were for what button (by following the canals on the pcb) and cut off the cables from the main pcb. Then I just soldered the diodes off the old pcb and onto the new switches. I soldered the new switches to the main pcb in the way it was before - so i actually just replaced the switches. Since I had no use for the analog pads, I just removed them.
After drilling some holes in the case, I installed the switches and everything was done
A new buttonbox with 14 buttons for 10,38 € parts and an old gamepad. It was really fun to build and the good thing is - even if you are not good at soldering like me - what could go wrong?
Sorry for the lack of pics, I was too fascinated building it
With the great news, that Stock Car Extreme now supports up to 6 USB devices, I wanted to build a simple buttonbox on my own. Do I need one? - hmmmmm maybe. Do I want to solder and build around a little but? - YES! So please see this as a fun little project to improve my little soldering and building skills a little bit. Inspired from good online manuals like:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Joypad-To-Switch-Box-Controller/step2/We-have-contact/
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/simple-gamepad-based-buttonbox.68675/
I wanted to turn my over 10 years old, unused Thrustmaster Gamepad (http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/products/360-modena-upad-force) into a buttonbox. The first thing I did was removing the screws from the back and open the case. What I saw was quite satisfying:
Image by: http://www.ixbt.com/peripheral/thrustmaster/360modena-upad/360modena-upad-in.jpg
There was one main pcb with the main electronics and little ones with the majority of the buttons, which were connected by cables. The buttons itself were the usual comb-shaped electrodes which gave a contact if the button was pressed, plus a diode per button. (which use i couldn't figute out) So I went online shopping and got me a few new buttons (14 buttons a 0,25 €) and a case (6,88 €).
http://www.musikding.de/Drucktaster-NO-blau
http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/...21-x-94-x-34-Hammond-Electronics-1591GBK-1-St
I proceeded to figure out, what cables were for what button (by following the canals on the pcb) and cut off the cables from the main pcb. Then I just soldered the diodes off the old pcb and onto the new switches. I soldered the new switches to the main pcb in the way it was before - so i actually just replaced the switches. Since I had no use for the analog pads, I just removed them.
After drilling some holes in the case, I installed the switches and everything was done
A new buttonbox with 14 buttons for 10,38 € parts and an old gamepad. It was really fun to build and the good thing is - even if you are not good at soldering like me - what could go wrong? Sorry for the lack of pics, I was too fascinated building it
