Steering wheel issues
 

I'm experimenting with a Thrustmaster Formula T2 steering wheel, and the feedback I'm getting in Dashboard (using the default code) is not what I would expect. When the wheel is centered, I get a value of 0 from p1_x. All the way to the left is 255. Turning to the right does nothing. p1_y stays stuck on 0 when I push the pedals. I'm getting the impression that perhaps the wheel has a non-standard pinout, but I'm not entirely sure. I know the wheel works just fine otherwise, because I've tested it with racing games on my computer. Has anybody else had this trouble programming a steering wheel to drive their robot?

Re: Steering wheel issues
 

I did a little experimenting with a multimeter, and it looks as though the pinout is standard. It even behaves as a standard joystick in Windows (rather than using the custom driver). I still can't figure why I get no feedback from the pedals, and only in one direction on the wheel when I attach it to the OI.

Re: Steering wheel issues
 

Joey,
I was not able to find the pinout for this device but what you describe sounds like the interface is using some of the other +5 volt pins in addition to just pin 1. The OI only feeds +5 on pin 1. I would suspect from your description that there is a second pot for right hand turns and that the pedals are also not getting +5 volts. You will need to check all pins with a multimeter. There are a number of places on the web to obtain gameport pinouts. Use one of those as a starting point. There is also the possibility that this is a MIDI device and as such is incompatible with the OI. Many modern audio cards have MIDI enabled game ports.

Re: Steering wheel issues
 

Al,
I didn't realize that the OI didn't properly set up the other +5 and ground pins. In light of this, since pins 8, 9, and 15 are supposed to be +5, and pin 5 is supposed to be ground, I set Pwm1_green, Pwm1_red, and Pwm2_green high, and Pwm2_red low. This should accurately simulate the appropriate voltages in the wheel. I still only get feedback when turning the wheel to the left. However, I am now getting feedback from the gas pedal. When no pedals are depressed, I get 0. I can ease the gas pedal up over 200, and pressing the brake brings it back down to 0. Pressing the brake by itself does nothing. This seems to be a mirror of what's going on in the wheel. I will be making an adapter to connect pins 5, 8, 9, and 15 appropriately, but this should help me troubleshoot until then. Based on this new info, what's your hypothesis?

Re: Steering wheel issues
 

I need more input. I am guessing from your description of throttle-brake that they are mechanically interconnected. Pressing the brake when you have not run up the throttle would do nothing. I am more in favor of making an adapter box where the +5 from the OI gets wired over to the four supply pins and the other wires go straight through then to modify the OI porting. A small box, two 15 pin connectors and a little wire should do it. You might also add in a "Y" adapter so that you can get to two joystick inputs on the OI. I am also more inclined to open the wheel and see what's inside than most people so that would be where I would go next.

Re: Steering wheel issues
 

There is only one potentiometer inside the wheel. The wiper is connected to +5 (pin 1), and one of the sides is connected to the x-axis (pin 3). Also connected to the wiper is a 12.5k resistor connected to a gray wire, but I haven't been able to determine where that leads to yet. When I test the pedals in Windows, pushing the gas by itself is like pushing a stick towards +y. Pushing the brake by itself is like pushing a stick towards -y. I can't really reach the actual contacts of the two potentiometers inside the pedals, but testing the connector indicates that they get their power from pin 15. I assume that's why they work now that I'm putting +5 to that pin. However, I do indeed plan to build an adapter like you described.