NFGworld! News http://nfgworld.com/mb/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:40:12 GMT FeedCreator 1.8.0-dev (info@mypapit.net) Nintendo / Seta Aleck64 Sticks http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/622
Twist: Digital!

Twist: Analogue!

It has six buttons plus start for each player, and a 3-wire output to the Aleck64 PCB that I'm guessing is N64-compatible.  I'll find out tonight if they work or not, and if so, I'm probably going to put them to good use on the ol' N64. 

Pics coming soon. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:59:03 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/622 Neo Geo Joystick Mech http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/580 (read the review) bundled with it.  The internal mechanism was so solid and reliable that it was used again for the Neo Geo CD stick, and for several other joysticks from other manufacturers (and probably arcades as well).

The mechanism of this stick seems to be a Seimitsu part, though the exact model is unknown.  It shares basically the same base as Seimitsu's LS-22 stick, and LS-30 rotary joystick, and some design elements are similar to Seimitsu's newer LS-32 stick.  It's not likely to be a clone, unless it's a very very good one: in addition to being the same high quality in appearance and function, it uses the identical screws as the Seimitsu parts.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Seimitsu-NeoGeo-1.jpg]
The NeoGeo and LS-32 baseplates are very similar.
(click for larger)

There's nothing in this joystick that's unlike every other joystick but it has a very short shaft, which results in a short-throw movement that I find very appealing.  It has a square gate, which I don't really enjoy as much as a nice 8-way gate, but in pretty much every other respect it's a superb joystick.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Seimitsu-NeoGeo-2.jpg]
The NeoGeo and LS-32 baseplates are very similar.
(click for larger)

There are several other joysticks that use the same or a similar mechanism.  Shown below are two, a Sigma 2200-TB and an ASCII Stick II Turbo (AS-5599-MX).

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Seimitsu-Sigma-1.jpg]
(Internal view)

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Seimitsu-ASCII-1.jpg]

As is normal for sticks as old as these, they could do with a good cleaning and lubing now and then, but otherwise they're maintenance-free.  They're nigh impossible to break, and the switches are usually name-brand and unlikely to ever need replacing.

Special thanks to MKL for the info, Sigma stick and comparison pics!
]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:50:18 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/580 Anatomy of a Joystick http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/487 Anatomy of a Joystick, the first in a series of articles about controls (I hope!).

Enjoy, and let me know if there's anything that might need to be changed. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:02:07 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/487 Nintendo's N64 Pad - What's Inside? http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/447 Sega's magnets however they went for a complicated but elegant optical encoding wheel assembly.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/N64-3D-4.jpg]
the notched arc mated with the encoder wheel

It works the same as a mouse or trackball: the player moves the input device, which rotates the thingy, which is connected to a geared arc, which spins a notched wheel which passes through an infra-red sensing assembly...  OK, it's less elegant and more complicated, but it works really well.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/N64-3D-3.jpg]
both wheels and their IR readers

That the N64 sticks tend to wear out is not a fault of the nifty optical encoding assembly, but rather a poor choice of materials for the stick itself.  Were it not made of soft, unlubricated plastic it'd probably outlast most of the people playing with it.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/N64-3D-2.jpg]
one notched arc and the encoder wheels and PCB

The stick mechanism is a self-contained block, screwed shut to prevent the spring-loaded return-to-centre stick from exploding all over the place.  It's full of little parts: The stick, two swinging armatures, a spring, a bowl/frame, two encoding wheels, a small PCB with the IR sensors, and a spring retainer.  It's just mad, really: simple, but complex!  Argh, whatever.  Moving on!

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/N64-3D-1.jpg]
a self contained unit

Ultimately it's a very clever solution, though I really cannot fathom why they went this route instead of using two potentiometres like the Playstation, Xbox, MegaDrive, Nintendo's own GameCube and Wii, and nearly every other 3D stick ever made as well.  This device is durable, reliable and functional, but they're damned weird.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/N64-3D-5.jpg]
two notched arcs, one for each axis

Probably cheap though: except for the tiny PCB it's almost entirely made of plastic parts.  A 'normal' potentiometer-based unit would be comprised of a lot of metal components...  My guess is, despite this design's functionality, it was probably less durable than competing designs, and hence was never re-used.

All 3rd party N64 pads used normal potentiometre-based stick mechanisms. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:25:56 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/447 Sega Saturn 3D Pad - What's inside? http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/446 magnets!

Sega is the only controller maker to use Hall Effect sensors.  These tiny black boxes sense the proximity of the magnets in the pad inputs and vary their voltage throughput accordingly, then the controller's chip converts this voltage to a signal the console can work with.  It's a simple and functional design, with fewer mechanically linked parts to wear out or break down. 

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-3D-nipple-1.jpg]

The nipple is basically an inverted bowl with a magnet attached to it.  As the bowl is tilted in any direction the magnet moves closer to one sensor at the same time it moves farther from another.  The nipple spring assembly is clipped to the PCB, but has no electrical or mechanical contacts to the sensors.  A spring returns it to center, the same way the spring in an arcade joystick does.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-3D-nipple-2.jpg]

Despite its large size Sega's nipple actually has less travel from one side to another than the 3D sticks used in the N64, Playstation or Xbox pads. 

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-3D-nipple-4.jpg]

Like the N64, it has no particular preference for the up/down/left/right compass points.  Where the Playstation and Xbox use two sensors, one for vertical and one for horizontal movements, each with its own return-to-centre spring, the Saturn 3D pad has a single spring for all directions.  Without this twin mechanism design the nipple moves with the same ease in any direction.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-3D-nipple-3.jpg]

The Saturn 3D pad also uses hall-effect sensors in the analogue triggers.  A single magnet attached to the swinging end of the analogue trigger arm moves past two sensors mounted on a vertical sub-PCB.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-3D-trigger.jpg]

The Dreamcast uses the same mechanisms, though it replaces the nipple with a more traditional analogue mushroom stick. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:55:36 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/446 Hacking the GC Hori Pad http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/414
And this was it.  In a somewhat sacriligeous move I hacked up a Hori GC pad, not knowing that years later they'd be somewhat rare.

...Actually I probably wouldn't have cared.  =)

This image was for my own benefit: where to cut, without wiping out any components I needed, and what trace on the PCB was for what button.  It was easier to do it this way than try to figure it out after cutting the PCB...  In hindsight I could just as easily have made notes on a piece of paper...

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/technical/GC_padhack1.jpg]

I was quite lucky that every necessary component of this pad was in a small cluster.  Once cut, I had only to run a handful of wires from this central area to the DB15 connector...  Presto!  Instant NeoGeo -> GameCube adaptor.

The final touch was, of course, to shove the entire contents into a gutted Dreamcast 3rd-party memory card...  It fit remarkably well.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/technical/GC_padhack2.jpg]
]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:52:02 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/414 Prototype Saturn Pad http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/413
Sega really had a winner with this unit, and the Saturn pad didn't stray far from this formula: aside from the new shoulder button it was, in fact, very similar indeed.

Apologies for the pictures, I don't have this pad any longer and can't make new ones.  Nor can I clean it - the previous owner was a bit of a slob, it would appear.  Eew.

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-Proto-Pad-1.jpg]

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-Proto-Pad-2.jpg]

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-Proto-Pad-3.jpg]

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/Saturn-Proto-Pad-4.jpg]
]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:21:32 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/413 Sony Playstation Pad: Two Manufacturers http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/404 ALPS and Mitsumi.

Mitsumi, you might recall, is the electronics company responsible for Nintendo's SNES controller, the first Xbox pad and many, many others.  They're the single biggest unknown name in video game pads, and their design experience is, IMO, completely unmatched.

ALPS, however, doesn't know a lot about pads. 

Both companies made PS1 controllers that were identical at first glance, however the ALPS pad is distinctly inferior, and it all comes down to the d-pad.  The Mitsumi d-pad is comfortable and pliant, where the ALPS-made d-pad is stiff, with a rougher texture to it, resulting in sore and blistered thumbs with any kind of extended play.

I'm secretly convinced that a lot of peoples' negative opinions of the PS1 d-pad are a result of playing with the ALPS pad: if it was your first experience, you'd have probably disliked it.  The problem never really went away either: where Mitsumi's pads would quickly reach a friendly broken-in stage, the ALPS d-pad was always stiff, and you could never really play it long enough to hate it less. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:07:18 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/404 Controller Patents http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/389
Nintendo Wii Nunchuk
Nintendo Wii gun attachment
Nintendo portable touch-screen system - the DS, obviously.  Interesting image.
rotation-sensing cartridge for GBA - used in Yoshi Topsy Turvy, and others I think.
Too much detail on the Wiimote expansion plug
The Wiimote

While not strictly a controller, these are interesting:
UV-sensing GBA cartridge, likely used for Konami's Boktai RPG.
The GameBoy Micro

What other interesting controller patents are out there? ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:31:46 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/389 Nintendo's d-pad patents http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/388
Here's an image from their d-pad patent:

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/dpad.png]

The thing about patents is they are supposed to be precise.  While modern patents can be intentionally vague, in order to seek financial relief from anyone who comes anywhere near a similar concept, it seems that Nintendo was very specific about the description and functionality of their d-pad, leaving the door open for Sega and other companies to make functionally similar but non-infringing controllers.

Maybe.

Nintendo's patent is very specific about the cross-shaped mechanism:

Quote by patent:
The character moving switch (8) is formed in the shape of a cross

Is this the loophole used by other companies when they released their own controllers?  It seems obvious on some level that Sega, NEC, 3DO and everyone else went with round d-pads for some reason, but was it the patent or did they have other reasons?  It's possible, though I think unlikely, that they were trying to be different for the sake of it, or genuinely thought they had a better plan (yeah, right).

Most other d-pads were less player-friendly: Sega's Master System-era pads were terrible, with large square d-pads.  They only started to get it right with their 6-button MegaDrive/Genesis pads.  NEC had a winner with their round TurboGrafx/PC Engine pad, 3DO totally failed with theirs, but they all seemed to wish they had cross-shaped pads as, square or circular, they all had cross-shaped raised sections to aid the player.

I have another question: Nintendo's patent didn't expire until 2005, according to Wikipedia, which means that the Dreamcast - released in 1999, should have infringed with its cross-shaped d-pad.  How did they get away with it, another loophole?  It doesn't seem plausible that Nintendo would license the idea to a competitor, and certainly not at rates Sega could afford at the time.

So Nintendo invents the cross d-pad, and everyone else is stuck using discs.  Sony, of course, broke their cross into four pieces, side-stepping very nicely the Nintendo patent, and some third parties - notably Hori - either licensed the Nintendo IP or simply operated with some level of impunity or disregard for the patent.

The patent listed several other components as well, though these were effectively ignored, and included in every other pad.  Specifically the fulcrum/lever mechanism of the d-pad, the springy rubber pads underneat the d-pad, and the way they contact the electrodes on the PCB.  Since every other pad included every other part of this patent but the shape of the d-pad, I have to wonder why.  I have three theories:

  • a trial reduced the unique component to the cross alone,
  • nintendo licensed everything but the cross to prevent going to trial while retaining some unique elements, or
  • a gentlemen's agreement to the same end

I doubt I'll ever know the truth for sure. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:31:13 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/388 Xbox 360 Pad Mod: Use Atari Sticks! http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/387 may have read, the Xbox 360 pad is really terrible for playing PacMan CE.  Neither the execrable d-pad nor the analogue stick were up to the high-speed accuracy required for the game, so I had to take matters into my own hands:

[Image: http://gamesx.com/grafx/360atari/Finished2.jpg]

This mod allows the use of all Neo-Geo sticks and - with an additional dongle - all Atari, MSX, X6800, FMTowns (etc etc) sticks as well.  Even better, the pad itself is 100% functional, so it works perfectly when your friends want to join in.

You can read all about the mod on the GameSX forum. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:30:02 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/387 X68000 dual-d-pad controller - XPD-1LR http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/386
I dunno how they managed to release a pad with a cross-shaped d-pad, perhaps the patents Nintendo held didn't apply in Japan... 

You can read a little more about it on the GameSX.com wiki, but here's the fun part:

[Image: http://nfgcontrols.com/grafx/X68000-CCpad.png]

[Image: http://gamesx.com/grafx/X68000-CrazyClimberPad.png]

It uses the same 74157 chip found in the Genesis/MegaDrive pads, the TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine pads, FM Towns Marty 6-button pad etc. ]]> no_email@example.com (NFGworld.com - NFG) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:28:34 GMT http://nfgworld.com/mb/386