So you think you want an accelerometer

[Dave Flowerday]

Originally Posted by John Gutmann

Not to be calling anybody out but it would have been legal any year as long as wireless devices go....Who said you must use the blue tooth.

It seems to me that there is no way to talk to a Wii Remote other than Bluetooth right now. Since the CPU and Bluetooth radio are all implemented on the same IC good luck removing the Bluetooth while retaining any of the rest of the functionality. I guess you could theoretically write new code for the 8051 core and burn it into the EEPROM, but that's a lot of work given my next piece of information below:

EDIT: Or better yet......Just take the sensors out. unless they have that weird hard thermal plastic stuff on it. And even if it is SMD just do hot air rework on it. You can easily make your own PCB.

Just buy this instead which is the exact same accelerometer that is used in the Wii Remote, ready to interface to, and cheaper ($35).

All that said, I do think that interfacing to this remote is a nifty non-competition project, though. I've been toying with the idea of picking one of these up for a while now just to play with it.

[Pavan Dave]

Originally Posted by Dave Flowerday

It seems to me that there is no way to talk to a Wii Remote other than Bluetooth right now. Since the CPU and Bluetooth radio are all implemented on the same IC good luck removing the Bluetooth while retaining any of the rest of the functionality. I guess you could theoretically write new code for the 8051 core and burn it into the EEPROM, but that's a lot of work given my next piece of information below:

Just buy this instead which is the exact same accelerometer that is used in the Wii Remote, ready to interface to, and cheaper ($35).

All that said, I do think that interfacing to this remote is a nifty non-competition project, though. I've been toying with the idea of picking one of these up for a while now just to play with it.

EVERY time I walk into an store I spend about 20 minutes around the controllers. I pick them up, walk around, and decide I don't want them, and pick them up and the cycle continues...I have planned [as I did the last 5 visits] that I will pick one up and leave with one next time I leave the store. If only I can follow through... lol.

[JesseK]

Fantastic find Dave, I'll research a bit into it.

[John Gutmann]

Wow, I guess I was wrong! I didn't even know the CPU and the Blue tooth transmitter were on the same IC. I never even knew they made ICs like that. Well You could still probably take out the sensor. But I guess you can disregard my previous post all together! I guess maybe I should start asking the Daves before I post (yes more then one Dave)

-John

[Gdeaver]

I believe the wii uses a ST Micro chip and not a Analog Devices. If I got the right chip, the output is digital SPI or I2C. Not good for our current RC or OI. Freescale, Analog devices, STM have analog 3 axis chips that would be of more use to our current electronics. There are several break out boards available from the manufactures or third parties. Most of the new chips are not in very friendly surface mount packages. Also most are lower voltage devices. Another problem to overcome.

[Dave Flowerday]

Originally Posted by Gdeaver

I believe the wii uses a ST Micro chip and not a Analog Devices.

The guys at Spark Fun tore one apart and identified it as the ADXL330. I suppose it's possible that Nintendo changed to a different vendor at some point but I doubt it.

[Gdeaver]

I based my statement on a press release from ST Micro. Maybe there are more than one version and supply for the wii controller accelerometer or ST was ditched at the last minute. Any way the board Dave posted would be easier to work with than hacking a controller.
ST does sell a development kit and break out boards for their 3 axis accelerometers. It might be worth the investment for serious development. Software is included to display capture and filter the output by a usb connected PC.

[fimmel]

Originally Posted by Dave Flowerday

Just buy this instead which is the exact same accelerometer that is used in the Wii Remote, ready to interface to, and cheaper ($35).

i thought the wiimote did direction and rotation. according to this it does http://www.wiili.org/index.php/Motion_analysis

just thought i would bring that up

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by fimmel

i thought the wiimote did direction and rotation. according to this it does http://www.wiili.org/index.php/Motion_analysis

That page clearly says that the Wii remote contains only a 3-axis accelerometer, and does not directly measure rotational motion. It does explain how one may infer angular orientation to some extent based on the constant force of gravity, and maybe you misinterpreted that to mean it has actual rotation sensors.

[fimmel]

ah....ok. thanks for the information

[Pavan Dave]

http://www.nintendowiinews.net/Blogs.../blr_4292.aspx

That link verifies Dave's earlier post. Unfortunately that post was made in 2006. SOOOOOO I resorted to Wikipedia... *sigh* I've been trying to cut back */sigh* anyways they verify Dave's post as well, and if people browse Wikipedia as much as I do, the page would be changed within seconds of any announcement or notice in change of the part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote

[JesseK]

If the Wii remote is anything like the original Xbox, there are several manufacturing plants and not all of them use the exact same parts. Look up "hacking the xbox" to see how S/N-dependant installing Linux on an Xbox really is. The serial number not only tells you the date, but also the place, mfg. assembly line #, etc, which also infers to which DVD reader you have, PIC16F encryptor algorithm, etc.