D-pad, With Diagonals - Working!

[bacteria]

Ok, as per my post a few minutes ago on my last post, I incorrectly assumed my D-pad was only 4 way - after fully testing, I found it is 8 way AND games seem to accept it as 8 way. I made an error before, so thought I would start a new (clean) topic.

Proof:

I need to spend a few days testing the D-pad for ruggedness, and I will then need to make a final product. I will keep this topic updated, if I don't believe the product is rugged enough, I won't sell it.

This has proved however that a non-intrusive product works without needing special hardware...

So, again, I would appreciate feedback please on this WIP, and whether you would pay £11 (UK) for it; or if you would buy it but don't live in the UK. I need to ascertain a guide as to how many people might buy it to see if it is feasable for me to continue the project.

 

[pantera6]

Im sure its good, but it looks like cloth
i hate to say it but i wouldn't like to show my gp2x of to my fanboy psp mates.
mayby create a plastic covor for it
otherwise good work!

 

[bacteria]

I will be (as part of the WIP) experimenting with materials. I will try leather, plastic, etc (it isn't cloth above, but let's not split hairs!).

When you are playing your GP2x, you won't even notice - like at the moment you probably don't notice the dust on your GP2x whie you play it!

Coolness (ahem!) - any modification to the supplied unit will look different - isn't it "cool" to have something different? (at the moment, my gadget is so "cool" it is so absolutely unique! (want to be cool too?)

 

[PokeParadox]

Technically that is just a standard "4-way" Dpad. The Dpad usually is just 4 digital buttons with a cross of plastic on a rocker.


To be truly 8way, you would have to set off the diagnals on the joystick test.

However, I don't think there is currently any program on the GP2X which would see this as necessary.

EDIT: Sorry I just read up on the other thread and realised that this is what you have already concluded.

I think I would like this mod if you can make it look a little better.

 

[garteth]

I like my joysticks to look good, so maybe if you could improve it's appearance it would be more popular. I know some people are all about being practical and dont care what it looks like but most people care if their joypad looks like a chewed piece of cloth. I am glad you are testing other materials because of this. Great work

 

[Draken]

Same, looks like a good replacement and has good promise (after all, a D-pad has been a general request for a while), but I'm awaiting your experiments, I like my handhelds to look pretty. xP

 

[barnesy]

I'd be very interested in buying it, and the price sounds fine. It would also depend on how hard it is to fit.

 

[Paradox]

maybe you could work with DaveC or something and buy proper custom plastic dpad things off him.

 

[Draken]

Yeah, that would be pretty cool, a good working D-pad with fancy DaveC quality covers.

 

[Turambar]

Does all software written for the GP2X recognise a combination of 2 ordinals as a diagonal?

 

[Reesy]

Nope, none of it will work judging by the output of his test photos. GP2X software expects there to be a diagnal, currently none of the software interpretes UP and RIGHT as a diagnal..as far as I know, DrMD does not for sure. Of course software can be changed.

 

[moz]

Nope, none of it will work judging by the output of his test photos. GP2X software expects there to be a diagnal, currently none of the software interpretes UP and RIGHT as a diagnal..as far as I know, DrMD does not for sure. Of course software can be changed.

​

yep and maybe a nominal dontation of each pad sold to a donation fund for the generous devs to alter thier code/SDK?

 

[Reesy]

Actually I'm lying DrMD would work. I've just checked the source, for a UP-LEFT diagnal, I translate it back to UP and LEFT being pressed at the same time. I'd guess that most other emulators will work as well.

 

[DopeHat]

I would get one if just the cap got a little prettier.

 

[garteth]

I'd like to have an exact description of how it works aswell. I still don't completely understand :/

 

[trooper]

My impression is that it LOOKS (I did say LOOKS) like a DaveC cap with a cloth over it, Thats just the impression i get. Well with not much info given away in the pictures and description, What am i suppose to think. :rolleyes:

Don`s 4 inch thick flame suit.

Trooper

 

[Flexinoodle]

Whats the point of a second thread ?
Just to hide the fact you made yourself look like a tit in the other one ?
You seem to be annoyed that Radeks project is getting more praise than yours but when anybody makes a sugestion you just jump on em ?
The stick in fact looks like total crud.
Make a better design for the cap it is that simple, Radeks version with the QD pad actually looks quite nice and how could you honestly expect anybody to mash up there GP2X with that ugliness.

The impression you have given here is that you have a very bad attitude towards the general public and as a succesful online business owner i would not buy anything from you, You seem to lack the ability to take any criticism at all, That will not hold you well dealing with customers.

 

[bacteria]

Reesy - yes, it works perfectly on your fantastic emulator. I just played a few minutes of Helfire on it. System works perfectly on DrMD, MAME and the Nintendo emulators. Personally, I can live without a couple of homebrew titles not working if I can get 2000 others working perfectly with emulators. DrMD and MAME are the very best reasons to buy a GP2x. Incidently, it was nearly impossible to move around the DrMD menu with the stock stick (with a better cap of course), no problems now.

DopeHat - Just bought some nifty material for the top of the D-pad, to give it longivity and make it look better. Will experiment with it, and other materials. I can finish "tarting" up the unit when I know the working bits are heavy duty enough.

Paradox - I have proper D-pad bits - salvaged from old units - however it would be hard to mount the buttons firmly and precisely enough on a board for them to work properly (and means drilling the front of the unit too), else the assembly would be far too high on the GP2x if it was surfacemounted. I tried this solution in my early stages and dismissed it for a variety of reasons.

Flexinoodle - re-read your comments above, your arrogance and self importance is amazing, especially your last paragraph. Your comments are unfair, but it is not worth my time flaming them.

Trooper - DaveC's cap is just that - a cap to improve the stock stick. A joystick and D-pad are chalk and cheese.

 

[Radek]

I'm not sure I should participate in that thread but... why not?
(I will not write about my eventual offerts anymore here)

This is quite impressive bacteria! Thought your dpad is capable of diagonals problem with software compatibility remains.

It was discussed in the full length before - connecting 4-switch based controller is easy electrically but software is expecting 8 discrete inputs for every of 8 directions. So thought mechanically you will get diagonals but not functionally.

Software have to be recoded to have such ability. And it's unrealistic to expect that all of it will get patched to work with 4-way discrete input.
(thought some of it might work now)

The two possible soulution are:
- make software wrapper that will make needed conversion in software
- make hardware converter what will do same but connects directly to the stick's original 8 pins

I will dismiss the 8-switch based dpad/stick because frankly... we have such one now and it proves that it isn't that great idea.
With 4 switches only you have the advantage of mechanically forced movement only to 8 directions (diagonals and ordinals) what make handlig much more reliable.

You have to improve the looks of you upper part of you dpad too. Unfortunately people do prefer nicer things to even more practical ones.

I hope I wasn't hi-jacking anything here...

 

[vic20-ian]

Question for Bacteria

Is this mod in 2 parts : 1- a soldering mod to the back of the pcb and 2 - a replacement cap but essentially using the original joystick?

If so how well does it function with the original cap? Many people will be interested in either the stock cap or Dave C's cap as they look good.