Making my own usb joystick...have general usb question

[DannyITR]

Hello,

I'm having trouble finding out how to go about making a custom usb human interface gaming device. I've searched the net quite a bit but I cannot seem to piece together the process.

Specifically I'm looking to build a device that would function as an autopilot button stack Flight Simulator X. I could build a box with some switches and buttons and then what? Do I need a USB controller, a microcontroller, a circuit board diagram? I'm looking for a basic step by step that says something like

1. build the joystick or button device
2. wire the backs of buttons into a circuit board
3. install the (whatever brand) usb microcontroller on the board
4. wire it as such
5. log into the microcontroller and program how it is to fucntion with x program
6. plug into computer, install usb driver and assign button config on calibrate joystick page.

etc...

I just don't know the steps or the parts one would need.

Thanks

 

[ak22]

Hello,

I'm having trouble finding out how to go about making a custom usb human interface gaming device. I've searched the net quite a bit but I cannot seem to piece together the process.

Specifically I'm looking to build a device that would function as an autopilot button stack Flight Simulator X. I could build a box with some switches and buttons and then what? Do I need a USB controller, a microcontroller, a circuit board diagram? I'm looking for a basic step by step that says something like

1. build the joystick or button device
2. wire the backs of buttons into a circuit board
3. install the (whatever brand) usb microcontroller on the board
4. wire it as such
5. log into the microcontroller and program how it is to fucntion with x program
6. plug into computer, install usb driver and assign button config on calibrate joystick page.

etc...

I just don't know the steps or the parts one would need.

Thanks

Mhh never done this sort of work, but back at year on Uni I used Arduino board and Arduino Programming Environment not sure how you would work with your setup, as this was 1 1/2 years ago never tired in that module but still got 1st 😛 lol, but check the links and forums on Arduino hope this helps let me how it goes.

 

[mi1ez]

+1 to arduino. My friend does a lot of audio work that takes inputs from IR depth sensors and uses arduino to get the data over USB.

 

[bugmenot1983]

Arduino is a great and versatile platform, but it normally presents itself to the computer as a USB serial device.

The quickest, easiest and possibly cheapest ($18) way to make a custom device that acts as a USB HID game controller (or mouse, or keyboard) is the Teensy board. All the tedious parts of the programming are already done for you, all that's left is to connect your physical inputs directly to the board and write a minimum of "glue" code to translate their inputs. The worst thing I can say about it is that by simplifying the project so much, it doesn't leave you much opportunity to learn about how microcontrollers work.

Just look up "teensy tutorial" or "teensy joystick" online.


Edit: The joystick controllers at http://www.leobodnar.com/ also sound good, but they're at least double the price of a Teensy.