Joystick Recommendations

[Travis Hoffman]

Does anyone who has used a joystick other than the CH joystick included in the kit have any good recommendations? We've been using the same Saitek joystick for three years and are looking into some alternative solutions.

Thanks,

[Jeremy_Mc]

just make sure it's an 8 axis and not a 32 axis joystick...it can really confuse the controller/OI.

look on some of the gaming sites...they usually have some good reviews of joysticks.


*jeremy

[rbayer]

I think he means four axis/eight button. While DirectX supports up to 8 axis/32 buttons, the OI only supports the old-style one-pin-per-function style.

--Rob

[Rickertsen2]

O have seen alot of really cool joysticks, only to realize that they are not very well suited for this application beacuse they are specifically designed for the right hand.

Check your local radio shack...they have those cheap junky radio shack brand joysticks (or at least they used to...its been awhile since I have been there) but I have been told they work as a good alternative to the flightstick

[Josh Hambright]

If anyone saw the team 461 controls last year... We had digital joysticks that were either directx or usb...and then we rewired the whole thing so it was compatabil with the IF controller...quiet a task and credit to one of the people on the programming team who did it all!

It can be done but it is quiet a pain.

[Rickertsen2]

is it legal to buy USB joysticks and rewire them?

[Jeremy_Mc]

Originally posted by rbayer
I think he means four axis/eight button. While DirectX supports up to 8 axis/32 buttons, the OI only supports the old-style one-pin-per-function style.

--Rob

oops sorry about that haha...

late nights...not paying attention to posts/books doesn't help the situation


*jeremy

[Justin Stiltner]

Ive submitted the question to first asking why we are allowed to make our own joysticks, but not allowed to rewire ones we already have,

I mean if they trust us enough to make a totally custom job... why would they object to us just adding an extra switch?

This one sounds like the old wheel rule to me.

[rust710]

Originally posted by Rickertsen2
is it legal to buy USB joysticks and rewire them?

To me this seems all in the gray area. Rule C1 in Section 4.2 of the Robot says that Joysticks and other controll items may not be tampered with, modified or ajusted in any way. As this joystick is oviously not included in the kit and is not being refered to in this rule I am not sure if this applies. Page five of the Operator Interface manual says Other joysticks may be used (except during
FIRST competitions). I think that as long as your Joystick is within the money constrates you should be fine. I also think I recall reading somewhere that USB joysticks where not allowed at all, but that might have been last years manual.

[sanddrag]

I do recall it saying that only standard (15 pin?) joysticks were allowed. I couldn't tell you what rule it was though.

[Joe Ross]

Originally posted by sanddrag
I do recall it saying that only standard (15 pin?) joysticks were allowed. I couldn't tell you what rule it was though.

Restricted hardware list

[n[ate]vw]

Originally posted by rbayer
I think he means four axis/eight button. While DirectX supports up to 8 axis/32 buttons, the OI only supports the old-style one-pin-per-function style.

--Rob

Some joysticks (like my Virtual Pilot) have more than 4 buttons, and to send the extra buttons seem to close multiple pins. For example -- these specific values are in no way correct -- if you press button number 5, it might close the pins for button number 1 and number 4. (I am not sure what they do when multiple buttons are pressed simultaneously.) So the robot control software, like some joystick driver software, could potentially deal with more than 4 buttons.