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USB-Joystick with 5 Axis and 24 Buttons

employing PIC18F2455


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General
Preface
Schematic
Download

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General

Power supply:


via USB
Clock:


20-MHz-crystal
analog Axis:

5

8 bit resolution
Buttons:
24
3 rows with 8 buttons each

Joystick-Controller



Preface
Simple joysticks are available for little money. There is no need to build your own one.

But sometimes it makes sense to build your own individual joystick. Especially the flight simulation enthusiasts like to build cockpit parts with the look and feel of original aircraft parts. Such self made hardware needs an joystick controller that meets the requirements of the hobbyists.

This project is ideal to build up devices with up to 5 axis and 24 buttons. It is based on the microcontroller PIC18F2455. I was inspired by a project on opencockpits.com. There is used the outdated  PIC16C745 to design a similar project.

The operating system of any modern PC recognizes the device as a joystick with 3 additional axis (sums up to 5 axis) and 24 buttons, not needing additional software or driver.




Schematic
The joystick-controller is powered and controlled via USB. The capacitors C1 and C5 stabilize the supply voltage. C2 is stabilizing the USB-voltage if the internal 3.3V-voltage regulator.

Q1, C3 and C4 feed the microcontroller with a stable 20-MHz clock.

R1 pulls up Pin 1 of the microcontroller to high level.

The circuit is designed for a PIC18F2455. However,  PIC18F2458/2550/2553 can be used as well. (No changes at the hardware or HEX-file would be necessary.)



Axis
To every 3-pin-connector SV1 bis SV5 can be hooked up a linear 10-kOhm-potentiometer (the resistivity value is non critical). The sliding contact of the potentiometer has to be connected to pin 3 of the connector.
The end-contacts of the potentiometer have to be connected to the pins 1 and 2 of the connector.

The following circuit shows a single potentiometer.
Schematic of one axis





Schematic

Buttons
The buttons are connected between SV6 and SV7. The 24 buttons are organized in a matrix with 3 rows and 8 columns.

matrix of 24 buttons



Download


History

16.05.2012
Prototype


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Author: sprut
created: 16.05.2012
last change: 24.05.2012