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Originally Posted by Xufer
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Just a warning - even though a joystick may physically have a 15-pin D-Sub Gameport connector, you shouldn't assume it's compatible with the Operator Interface. Some 15-pin joysticks, including the updated CH stick listed above, have numerous hat switches and pushbuttons and internal electronics that permit programmability of all the joystick features. The circuit board requires external power to operate, and since no such power is available or legal during a FIRST event, chances are, this kind of stick will not work with the OI without some internal rewiring to bypass the electronics. Unless I am mistaken, there is nothing in the Robot Rules, rule <R55> specifically, that forbids internal rewiring of game controllers this year, so you could try to bypass the circuit board completely and wire the joystick's throttle, x and y axes, and digital switches directly to the 15-pin connector to make the stick fully compatible with the OI.
Your best bet for a replacement joystick that "works" out of the box - if the joystick in question has a 15-pin connector and
at most four pushbuttons (a trigger, a top button, and up to two other buttons), with an analog throttle wheel and possibly an analog hat switch (like the Kit joystick has), you should be good to go. Remember, the OI supports a max of 4 analog inputs and 4 digital inputs on each port.
The key is to get the WHOLE TEAM to understand that you are designing and building a robot, which is a complete system - not just a collection of mechanical assemblies stuck together. - SteveGarward [more] 
30-01-2005, 08:14
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