rec.autos.simulators

        All

                I am currently building a steering wheel and pedal
        assembly for use with F1GP, I am doing quite well with the hardware
        but need to know the connections for the 15-way connector on my PC.

        Has anyone got a circuit diagram of anything that
        connects the joystick port. so I can check I'm not going to
        blow anything up

                        Thanks

|>   All
|>
|>           I am currently building a steering wheel and pedal
|>   assembly for use with F1GP, I am doing quite well with the hardware
|>   but need to know the connections for the 15-way connector on my PC.
|>
|>   Has anyone got a circuit diagram of anything that
|>   connects the joystick port. so I can check I'm not going to
|>   blow anything up
|>  
|>                   Thanks
|>

|>

--
One alternative that isn't so bad is to buy a cheap joystick and then
disassemble it, using its pots and circuitry and cable to connect the sterring
wheel to the computer... that way there is no danger and most of the
electrical work is already done!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mindless data of the above message does not express the opinion of
the Remote Sensing Lab or Lousisiana State University, just this mine.
________________________________________________________________________

I have made a steering wheel to use with F1GP/WC, using 100k or 250k
ohm potentiometers. The 15 pin plug on games cards contain enough pins
for 4 axes and 4 buttons (effectively 2 joysticks) and perhaps more
'cos there's still a few spare pins to use. This means you really
don't require a card with two games ports to connect up two joysticks.
If you've got a Thrustmaster games card, the second port doesn't seem
to work anyway (something to do with the hat on the Flightstick using
a joystick 2 axis perhaps).

Anyway, back to the point - the pin layout for the MALE plug, looking
at the pins, is as follows (they should be numbered on the plug
anyway):

  +-----------------------------------+
   \  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8  /
    \                               /
     \  9   10  11  12  13  14  15 /
      +---------------------------+

Pin         Application
 1       common for all joystick axes
 2       switch 1 (joystick 1/button 1)
 3       joystick 1 axis 1 (x/lateral axis)
 4       common for all switches
 5       ?
 6       joystick 1 axis 2 (y/longitudinal axis)
 7       switch 2 (joystick 1/button 2)
 8       ?
 9       ?
10       switch 3 (joystick 2/button 1)
11       joystick 2 axis 1
12       ?
13       joystick 2 axis 2
14       switch 4 (joystick 2/button 2)
15       ?

The steering wheel and the linked brake/accelerate works fine, but I
haven't had any luck when putting the accelerate and brake on
different axes. I used microswitches on the steering wheel for
changing gears (semi automatic!!) which is great. Found that a bit of
feedback in the steering helps, so design in some kind of spring
system that centers and provides load on the steering wheel.

Hope this helps.
--
--
Andrew Currie                       Phone: 61-3-647 7675

Melbourne, Australia                Fax:   61-3-647 7771

That's the answer I got when asking the same question.

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 12:19:49 +0100


Subject: Re: 15-pin connector for analog joystick

Joystick A

X-axis          1       3
Y-axis          1       6
Button          2       4
Button          7       4

Joystick B

X-axis          9      11
Y-axis          9      13
Button         10       5
Button         14       5

1 and 9 are both connected to +5V (computer provides this)
4 and 5 are both connected to GND
8 (connected to 4 and 5 as well) should be the shield ground

--
Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers, research engineer at     |  Stop connecting  
computers;
Infolab, Tilburg University, The Netherlands    |  start connecting  
people!

--

== Andreas ==
Wir entschuldigen uns fuer die Strapazen (Douglas Adams). NeXTmail  
accepted.

Can you give some sort of part no for the pots, eg radioshack  or
tandy,  and  also whats the difference between a 250K pot  and  a
100K pot? which is more sensitive?

I  thought  about  getting  a balance knob off  an  old  radio  or
cassette,  and  then  you would get a click when it  was  in  the
centre, eg straight ahead!

--
Wolverhampton University, England.

|> >
|> >I have made a steering wheel to use with F1GP/WC, using 100k or 250k
|> >ohm potentiometers. The 15 pin plug on games cards contain enough pins
|>
|> Can you give some sort of part no for the pots, eg radioshack  or
|> tandy,  and  also whats the difference between a 250K pot  and  a
|> 100K pot? which is more sensitive?
|>
|> I  thought  about  getting  a balance knob off  an  old  radio  or
|> cassette,  and  then  you would get a click when it  was  in  the
|> centre, eg straight ahead!
|>
|> --
|> Wolverhampton University, England.

Just go to any electronics store and ask for a 100k LINEAR pot.  The clerk should
know what you want (don't make my mistake and buy log pots the first time... "hey,
the stupid car's not turning... WHOAA!")

You'll need something a lot bigger than a balance knob for steering (again, I
know from trying)

Stephen

These are standard pots and should be available at any electronics
supply shop (Tandy, etc). Couldn't notice any real difference in the
sensitivity between the 100k and 250k pots. The 250 should be more
sensitive, but not being electronically minded, I could be wrong.

I don't think you'd be able to notice a click after you put a decent
sized steering wheel on it. I think putting some kind of spring
centreing device on it would be better, and it would also give a bit
of feel and prevent driver induced oscillations.
--
--
Andrew Currie                       Phone: 61-3-647 7675

Melbourne, Australia                Fax:   61-3-647 7771