USB Joystick adapter is here!

[slickguy2007]

Very nice Mike. What it says in my title applies to more than one person in your family.

[Mike Copioli]

Originally Posted by slickguy2007

Very nice Mike. What it says in my title applies to more than one person in your family.

This product was created by Omar Zrien and myself. I cannot accept sole credit for it's creation. And don't get to excited. You have not seen the price yet.

[Adam Richards]

Originally Posted by Mike Copioli

This product was created by Omar Zrien and myself. I cannot accept sole credit for it's creation. And don't get to excited. You have not seen the price yet.

Would this price be in the few hundred range, or thousand-plus range?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by Mike Copioli

And don't get to excited. You have not seen the price yet.

I thought you were going to give them away to your friends. Wink, Wink, Nod, Nod.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

I thought you were going to give them away to your friends. Wink, Wink, Nod, Nod.

I read it as one of two ways:

1) It's gonna be pricey, given the rather short runs that come with a FIRST-oriented product these days.

2) FIRST knows about these items, is planning on introducing them to the KoP for 2007, and CtRE will sell more (and spares) to teams, similar to the way that almost everyone places an order with IFI shortly after Kickoff for more Victors. (Could this also mean the return of the CH Flightstick to the kit?)

[ChuckDickerson]

Originally Posted by Mike Copioli

A device that converts the operator interface 15pin joystick ports, into a USB host, now exists. The device is called USB_chicklet. Check it out at www.crosstheroadelectronics.com. Also please provide feedback about our new website.

All I can say is THANK YOU!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

[Mike Copioli]

Originally Posted by Adam Richards

Would this price be in the few hundred range, or thousand-plus range?

None of the above.

[fimmel]

less than $100?
/forest


btw i hope to get some for the green team....

[Stuart]

I want 2 . . mabe 3 . . dont know just yet.

[Mike]

Consider yourself emailed, Mr. Copioli.

[AdamHeard]

These... Are... Awesome...

I was planning on working with some teamates rewiring xbox controllers into pure analog and digital. I liked the idea of xbox controllers, but didn't like the idea that they would be heavily modified and would be difficult to replace. This solves that problem.

Also, that usb/sd card for changing code is awesome.

[Astronouth7303]

Originally Posted by Mike Copioli

This will not be an issue.

It varies based on the layout of the stick, although with the number of channels available in HID, I'd think it's not a problem.

Can you configure how it maps the 30+ (?) analog/digital channels in HID to the 4&4 on the OI?

Is the power jack compatible with common battery packs?

Do we have any idea if FIRST will allow an externally-powered device?

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

Is the power jack compatible with common battery packs? ...

From the photo it looks to be compatible with a wall mounted power supply; e.g., Digikey T313-P13P-ND (5V, 550mA, $4.85) or similar. The 5V connector appears to be a 1.7mm receptacle with center positive. Mike, please correct this if I'm wrong about the connector.

Whatever the connector, you should be able to get one easily and fit it to whatever you want to use to power the USB device and the Chicklet.

The more important question on changing <R78> remains to be answered:

Originally Posted by 2006 Manual

<R78> All equipment connected to the Joystick Ports of the IFI Operator Interface must be powered solely through the power available through the port. External power sources of any type are not permitted on any equipment connected to the Joystick Ports. Portable computing devices may not be connected to Joystick input ports on the Operator Interface. Power-passive devices (e.g. joysticks that draw their power solely through the IFI Operator Interface joystick port) are permitted.

It would not be sensible to simply delete the rule; to minimize hazards FIRST will probably want to restrict the type of external power supply allowed. Or maybe they'll just keep the "power-passive" requirement as it has been.

Obviously I'm just speculating here -- if anyone has actual knowledge of FIRST's intentions, they probably should keep it quiet until kickoff.

[Mike Copioli]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

It varies based on the layout of the stick, although with the number of channels available in HID, I'd think it's not a problem.

Can you configure how it maps the 30+ (?) analog/digital channels in HID to the 4&4 on the OI?

Is the power jack compatible with common battery packs?

Do we have any idea if FIRST will allow an externally-powered device?

The Chicklet is a USB host. Without diving deep into USB protocol, I will say that it will support ALL device functionallity. However one must understand that the device is broken down into two major sections.

1. The USB hosting section

2. The analog/digital interface section

The O/I port consists of 4 digital and 4 analog channels. Apply math and anyone can conclude that it is not possible to interface more than 4 digital I/O if all four analog channels are being used. This is a limitaion of the O/I not the Chicklet itself. However if one were to use a USB joystick, or any other device with only 2 analog channels, the interface can support up to 10 digital I/O's.

[Mike Copioli]

Originally Posted by Richard

From the photo it looks to be compatible with a wall mounted power supply; e.g., Digikey T313-P13P-ND (5V, 550mA, $4.85) or similar. The 5V connector appears to be a 1.7mm receptacle with center positive. Mike, please correct this if I'm wrong about the connector..

The connector is a 2.1mm center positive. The supply is included with the device.

Originally Posted by Richard

The more important question on changing <R78> remains to be answered:It would not be sensible to simply delete the rule; to minimize hazards FIRST will probably want to restrict the type of external power supply allowed. Or maybe they'll just keep the "power-passive" requirement as it has been.

This is the important question indeed. We are working to find a way to power it off of the O/I. A possibility is powering it from the competition port.
As far as the rule is concerned, I am not even going to begin to speculate weather or not FIRST will change this rule. I will say that it would be dissapointing to not be able to use this technology because of a rule that was created before it existed. We were aware of the necessity of a rule change prior to developing the device. That is the risk you take in bussiness I guess this is similar to what Dean Kamen must have gone through when he created the segway. I know some City's don't allow segways on the streets or sidwalk's. It is a shame to see such technology get restricted.