Gp2x With A D-pad.

[geniv]

I wouldn't a dpad be better since the console is mainly for 2D type games.

also D-pad seems more fast and responsive than moving a stick and it deosn't make the unit have a little buldge

 

[Epicenter]

Because they're insane? :lol:
In all seriousness, I recall GPH had some sort of a deal to get the sticks discounted because they were made at the same factory, or a sister company. It's a bad idea to be sure, and more expensive than just putting down what is essentially 4 buttons and a membrane on the board like the A/B/X/Y buttons.

 

[yaustar]

There is also some(read: lots) legal wangle about the patent of D-pads.

 

[Epicenter]

If the Dreamcast can have Nintendo's exact plus-shaped D-Pad, I'm sure it's not an issue to use the same. At any rate you can make a unique circular pad easily.

 

[jmetal88]

If the Dreamcast can have Nintendo's exact plus-shaped D-Pad, I'm sure it's not an issue to use the same. At any rate you can make a unique circular pad easily.

Finally, someone realized what I've been saying all along.

Thank you, Epicenter!

 

[Julius]

Maybe they just payed Nintendo licence fees?

 

[Blah]

The only patent I see is:

* U.S. Patent 4687200 - Nintendo's multi-directional switch

That patent had lots of prior art, and is also expired.

But I like the joystick.

 

[grahf]

Another thing to think about: Japanese companies generally dont take legal action on one another. Its just a cultural thing. A Korean company is probably more likely to get "hassled" over something like this. But if the patent is indeed expired, who knows.

 

[yalborap]

Another thing to remember is that the Dreamcast's dpad used a different method of input from the little rubber pads normally used, so it might have skirted around the patent by only LOOKING similar. I could be wrong, though.

 

[bacteria]

I think that GPH should make 2 versions available for people to buy, the standard one with the joystick, and a little extra cost for a D-pad model (assuming it actually costs more for a D-pad). I think people would happily pay another £10-£20 for a Gp2x with a proper D-pad, and many people who currently own a GP2x may well buy another unit if it has a D-pad as standard. No mod will be better than an official unit.

 

[Epicenter]

Craig has told me GPH won't be changing the stick to anything else. He says there is no problem with it because he can play Battle Squadron for MD/Genesis effectively. It makes lots of other games difficult if not impossible to play, however. This isn't a good approach to the situation; by and large, the GP2X community does not care what one distributor thinks of the stick-- they care if it's a widespread problem with many users, and it is.

 

[yaustar]

In which case, it might be possible to provide premodded solutions although the price difference could be quite large.

 

[Epicenter]

I'll tell you this much, installing a D-Pad on your own is no easy job. I'm doing all the electrical aspects and soldering and a friend of mine who is much better at mechanical work than me is doing cutting, gluing and fitting things together-- and we're still having a hell of a time with it. It's all wired up and working correctly, but getting the damn case closed with the pad there is proving tricky, as is making it behave with enough sensitivity.

 

[bacteria]

I'll tell you this much, installing a D-Pad on your own is no easy job. I'm doing all the electrical aspects and soldering and a friend of mine who is much better at mechanical work than me is doing cutting, gluing and fitting things together-- and we're still having a hell of a time with it. It's all wired up and working correctly, but getting the damn case closed with the pad there is proving tricky, as is making it behave with enough sensitivity.

True if you are trying the approach of an internal D-pad option. It is racked with mounting and construction problems. The perfect solution is an EXTERNAL D-pad, you don't need to cut the case, remove the joystick from the motherboard, closing the case or be concerned about mounting precision, etc. You do however need to make an external D-pad flat and reasonably attractive!

It works, I use it. It is not hard to make one, or connect it up. B)

 

[Epicenter]

Something that sticks up from the unit really is uncomfortable, though. The machine's size and shape are similar to that of a classic GBA, and my hands try to match their old memory for it-- but they can't due to the huge stick .. sticking .. up. It'd be similar with an externally mounted D-Pad, unfortunately.

 

[DaveC]

Craig has told me GPH won't be changing the stick to anything else. He says there is no problem with it because he can play Battle Squadron for MD/Genesis effectively. It makes lots of other games difficult if not impossible to play, however. This isn't a good approach to the situation; by and large, the GP2X community does not care what one distributor thinks of the stick-- they care if it's a widespread problem with many users, and it is.

I don't understand his stubborness about the d-pad be he has told me the same thing. I would think a d-pad would be CHEAPER than that $6.00 crap stick that is in there. All it would be are the same membranes that they already use for the buttons only with a plastic cap.

I have finished the board designs though for my pad kit. It will be fairly easy to install. Just de-solder the stick, put my module in its place and use the included metal template to cut the hole. The hard part will be getting a hold of Radek's chip as he doesn't seem to be around much. The problem is that I can never make enough. Maybe someone will take my kit and really mass produce it (Craig?) as I will make all plans public domain.

 

[Epicenter]

The same functionality Radek's chosen microcontroller provides could be replicated with some logic; probably just a couple of gates would get the job done. Or even just transistors! He used it, I believe, because he wanted to add more functionality to it via the programmability of the chip. Maybe autofire or a Stick Push function, who knows. If you chose to omit it, I can't think of one application that'd be affected though. The only program that I can think of that won't see "UP and LEFT" as "UP-LEFT" for example is Gngeo2x, and I think it was recently fixed to support that.

Looking forward to seeing what you've cooked up; in the meantime I hope I can get my d-pad solution rigged up. It all works from an electronic standpoint, now it's just a matter of getting the little bastard mechanically stable.

 

[EvilDragon]

I have finished the board designs though for my pad kit. It will be fairly easy to install. Just de-solder the stick, put my module in its place and use the included metal template to cut the hole. The hard part will be getting a hold of Radek's chip as he doesn't seem to be around much. The problem is that I can never make enough. Maybe someone will take my kit and really mass produce it (Craig?) as I will make all plans public domain.

You can be sure I'll offer modifying the unit for all the guys who are afraid of doing this by themselves.
Great work

 

[DaveC]

The same functionality Radek's chosen microcontroller provides could be replicated with some logic; probably just a couple of gates would get the job done. Or even just transistors! He used it, I believe, because he wanted to add more functionality to it via the programmability of the chip. Maybe autofire or a Stick Push function, who knows. If you chose to omit it, I can't think of one application that'd be affected though. The only program that I can think of that won't see "UP and LEFT" as "UP-LEFT" for example is Gngeo2x, and I think it was recently fixed to support that.

Looking forward to seeing what you've cooked up; in the meantime I hope I can get my d-pad solution rigged up. It all works from an electronic standpoint, now it's just a matter of getting the little bastard mechanically stable.

You can probably use a few gates but the space for the chips is too much I think that is why Radek used his chip.

Well the good news is that I designed my module to be able to work with or without the chip.

If used without the chip all you have to do is solder bridge a few pads to enable it to work without it.

 

[Dzz]

You can probably use a few gates but the space for the chips is too much I think that is why Radek used his chip.

Well the good news is that I designed my module to be able to work with or without the chip.

If used without the chip all you have to do is solder bridge a few pads to enable it to work without it.

Ok, instead of pursuing my own Dpad project I hereby volunteer to pitch in and help with yours. I will order a bunch of the chips, get a chip programmer, learn how to program it, and write the code. It shouldn't take me TOO long, most of the time will be spent waiting for stuff to be delivered, then learning to program PICs.

The chips will cost about $2 each.

Just to reconfirm -- the chip he was using is the PIC 16F627A, right?

How long do you think it would be before you could make kits available to people? In other words, what sort of "deadline" am I looking at?

I would like to get hold of one of your boards so I can test it. I have the QD pad already.