Aswald
03-31-2007, 03:10 PM
Well, the circuit design works. And constructing the paddle controller for Super Breakout was easy enough.
The problem was the fact that, unlike a normal controller, there is no such thing as "no value" with an analog controller. The 5200 has, in effect, 2 paddle controller; one for vertical, and one for horizontal. Moving the stick just turns them.
There was the problem. Any design of mine always had 2 out of the 3 values.
Then, I realized that a SPDT switch would work.
This doesn't have an on/off, but rather a choice of two circuit-paths. There is a constant going through it (the "center" or "neutral" value), and when extra resistance in the circuit is needed, a regular switch just adds a resistor in series. Easy enough.
However, when LESS resistance is needed, you activate the OTHER circuit path in the SPDT switch. This puts the normal resistance into a parallel circuit; doing this reduces the resistance.
Thus, all 3 needed values are accounted for.
All I have to do now is figure out how to properly modify a regular controller to take the 2 SPDT switches. And, I might as well add the extra fire buttons.
What you'd see is a regular 5200 controller, with two cables and a switch where the joystick used to be. One cable goes to the paddle, the other to the new joystick. The switch is to go between the paddle potentiometer (variable resistor) and the equivalent for the joystck; both cannot be connected at the same time. For one of my projects, it doesn't look too bad.
I'm also much closer to the CV slow-fire module. The first prototype does sort of cheat, but it does work. I'll probably go with it, because it is 100% safe for any CV.
Odd. I've had absolutely no luck with emulators (software), but quite a bit with hardware.
The problem was the fact that, unlike a normal controller, there is no such thing as "no value" with an analog controller. The 5200 has, in effect, 2 paddle controller; one for vertical, and one for horizontal. Moving the stick just turns them.
There was the problem. Any design of mine always had 2 out of the 3 values.
Then, I realized that a SPDT switch would work.
This doesn't have an on/off, but rather a choice of two circuit-paths. There is a constant going through it (the "center" or "neutral" value), and when extra resistance in the circuit is needed, a regular switch just adds a resistor in series. Easy enough.
However, when LESS resistance is needed, you activate the OTHER circuit path in the SPDT switch. This puts the normal resistance into a parallel circuit; doing this reduces the resistance.
Thus, all 3 needed values are accounted for.
All I have to do now is figure out how to properly modify a regular controller to take the 2 SPDT switches. And, I might as well add the extra fire buttons.
What you'd see is a regular 5200 controller, with two cables and a switch where the joystick used to be. One cable goes to the paddle, the other to the new joystick. The switch is to go between the paddle potentiometer (variable resistor) and the equivalent for the joystck; both cannot be connected at the same time. For one of my projects, it doesn't look too bad.
I'm also much closer to the CV slow-fire module. The first prototype does sort of cheat, but it does work. I'll probably go with it, because it is 100% safe for any CV.
Odd. I've had absolutely no luck with emulators (software), but quite a bit with hardware.