DaveC - perhaps it'd be a good idea to put inside stick case four small microswitches? I was trying but the ones what I could get weren't small enough (but not much). They could be glued inside and the bar could control them?
Now that'd be an excellent solution .. you wouldn't even need to remove your stick in all likelihood, just open it up, insert a new assembly, run out some leads, solder them to the back of your board and be done with it. Perhaps there's some conductive tape or other means that could attach the leads for those not keen on soldering as well ...
The idea would look like:
The major problem is the size of microswitches. I couldn't find smaler ones.
The rest should be easy - microswitches could be just glued inside. Wiring shouldn't be that hard either. To make a bar to act properly would more of a problem.
Center push could be supported natively by existing switch in a stick.
(and I could use DIP14 chip instead of DIP18 for a converter).
DaveC - perhaps it'd be a good idea to put inside stick case four small microswitches? I was trying but the ones what I could get weren't small enough (but not much). They could be glued inside and the bar could control them?
I am not keen on microswitches though. The contact band is too wide giving more impreciseness. You press to activate it and the spring clicks, then to release you need to travel pretty far to let the snap-spring pop back. It is kind of the opposite problem that we have now. Instead of a large dead zone you have a large contact zone. An opposite problem but still a problem that would make for poor controls.
I had been having many microswitch based joysticks for all my old computers. They worked fine but I understand someone might not like a click like behavior.
Membrane and d-pad would still be best.
But it's not the point here - if putting microswitch inside existing stick's case could be done then it'd be all relatively easy to do. No drill, not hot polymorph phase for mounting and it would an improvement for sure.
But an idea and reality sometimes aren't "compatible".
The only reason GPH actually did what I suggested and rotated the stick by 45 degrees is because it was an easy change. Good luck getting any
But it was a change - they had to change PCB documentation and there are other changes in GP2x MKII PCB design as well. They could (if they would be willing) replace a stick with something different. And a compatibility issue isn't any excuse. One extra small SMD demultiplexer would handle it. I could done three different circuits for that myself. GPH couldn't?
more out of them, they think the stick is good. I think the stick is ok but could be better. I don't hate it but will admit that a d-pad is better. I guess the stick is not bad enough to motivate me to design a pad plus I figure since you are making one why should I bother.
I think they aren't so sure about it - they rotated it after all. Perhaps it's just so common and cheap so looking for alternatives would increase costs too much?
(mounting a dpad would need change of front panel - perhaps GPH can not afford to make more radical design changes so quickly?)
How is your d-pad kit going? do you plan on releasing it soon? I see you have the logic chip board done.
Not bad except that LCD's ribbon problems what I got by my dumb mistake:
For a relase yes - I'm going to send some full kits. Done an other PCB for some different purpose for the same person and once I get it I will send everything immediately.
(I'm outsourcing PCB manufacturing as I found a company what it can do even small series at decent prices with good quality - but I have to wait few days)
I really don't think the 'get used to it' logic really applies when the control stick is really just an industrial switch that was never meant for use to control a game in the first place, compared to say, adapting to the Gamecube's controller after using a Dreamcast for years.
Well... ALPS (the company what is manufacturing those GP2x sticks) would disagree with you as in its PDF is clearly stated:
"An
excellent operational feel is achieved with
uniform
application force."
(emphasis is mine)
I mercifully will not quote what is written in the "Applications" section.
h34r: Then there are options. Funny you should bring up Battle squadron in your post. Notice how they have options for the number and speed of enemy bullets? You could do the same so that we can adjust it for the stick. Or not, again up to you. 
