DIY Hacks & How To's: Video Game Controller Mod

Find more at the Maker Shed: makershed.com
In this episode of DIY Hacks & How To's, Jason Poel Smith walks through a build to modify a video game controller with an Arduino to create pre-programmed combo buttons. The mod can up your score or add increased dexterity for those with limited mobility.
Read all about it on MAKE: blog.makezine.com/2013/06/17/d...
Here are the instructions on Instructables: www.instructables.com/id/Hack-...

[@Checkthisup]

I didn't know it was as complicated as that. Thank you for sharing.

[@TheEvilCowx]

Very clear explanation!

[@creativtea]

Nice work !

[@Tsukroff]

This reminds me of a programmable SNES controller that my brother bought back in the day when we were kids. Worked great for Street Fighter moves.

[@RyanFaeScotland]

Love it, so much potential with this. Got something similar going on in one of my own projects but I'm dropping the controller from the set up. Videos soon if anyone is interested ;)

[@watchzachrock6bt]

Hey, that's actually pretty cool!

[@5ShadowWolf]

Hmmm, I have seen other videos where they first have the Arduino read back to them the inputs it gets from the device, and then they use that to program outputs. I wonder if you could record the inputs from going through a level or a PvP match for some game & then play it back & re-live the whole match/level again.

[@JonathanCrider]

Next step: add a record mode so that you can capture your button presses while playing and re-"play" them, instead of having to type out the presses and delays manually.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Not like there in short supply, plus this is an aftermarket controller, which can be had for cheap on Ebay, or Amazon, and they are making new ones all the time.

[@zagan7428]

thank you

[@GaryKetchum808]

I still have that game!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome!!!!

[@Tenocticatl]

there's a link in the description to more elaborate instructions.

[@1337NoMad1337]

Nice. I recently took apart my old SNES controller to hook it up to an arduino (google snespaduino), and also plan to add such a controller emulator capability to my library. Is the pull-down on the arduino really necessary? Doesn't the arduino pin pull the controller's pin low properly?

[@SELG88]

everybody uses the duemilanove version of arduino? what is it so good about it

[@IsaacC20]

I don't understand the function of the ckt. Does the hack enable you to control signals to the controller's microctrlr input using an arduino? [1:42] I also don't fully understand the explanation for the use of a diode in the ckt. When the switch is open, would the microctrlr normally read high until the arduino outputs a low signal? When the switch is closed, the microctrlr input should always be low, regardless of arduino's output signal right? (the diode doesn't let unreg current to gnd)

[@IsaacC20]

[1:41] If the button is depressed, the mctrlr always reads low regardless of arduino's output. If the switch is open, the mctrlr normally reads high until the arduino outputs a low signal. The diode does not let unregulated current flow (from the arduino's output pin) when the button is depressed. Is this right?

[@mertcapkin7263]

does anyone know where to buy multicore wire like the original controller cable in this video?

[@TheBasherr91]

Saw it on Reddit, immediate subscription. Great work! Can you recommend any reading material to become for familiar with Arduino?

[@retroprogamer7009]

Thanks for not destroying an original controller. :)

[@PerfectCombetEVER]

dude plz can you make a video about "how to make a wired usb gamepad wireless" because i really want a wireless connection for my little sister and wireless controller are too costly

[@BlakePlayZGamez]

If the people are hand disabled how are they going to make it

[@RyanFaeScotland]

I'm a bit confused by your question, are you saying he should have bought a new controller instead of disassembling this one? What would that achieve? You have to open up at least one of the controllers to do this! Wouldn't do it with a genuine Snes one but you can get a cheap replica off eBay for £3 that does the job nicely ;)

[@AGOW100]

automatic difficult combo's for tekken like games, thats awesome

[@jogelhoper]

i like that word "arduino" its fun to say!

[@ScottPicton]

So why not use just one diode on the ground pin of the controller?

[@beduiini]

@TheBasherr91 , you should check out Matt Richardson's book about Arduino.

[@RyuuzakiJulio]

Get an arduino and find tutorials is so easy

[@DJAMO668]

he still does things but not big ones like this

[@lanceseidman]

Only works with HID Arduinos.

[@MrFathead]

How would you make the arduino activate the consoles joysticks? They are alot more complicated then the buttons.

[@PunakiviAddikti]

Not really, they're just potentiometers and one pushbutton under both stick. You can wire the potentiometers directly as a voltage divider and make the Arduino read the changes in voltage. When the stick is not moved the voltage should be constant. When the stick is moved, the voltage should be less or more than the constant voltage.

[@techpower1000]

Whoa! He used a SNES controller on an NES!!

[@Maashauu]

It was just 3rd party controller and was meant to nes.

[@MrCK900]

Imagine this with Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter Combos!! :O

[@Khether0001]

lol... love your channel! =)

[@CrispyCore]

This was pretty much 2 months in my school compressed into 3 minutes.

[@SummerFunMan]

Mind my curiosity? Why is there a stray apostrophe in "How[ - t]o's" there in this title and description? Why doesn't that just say the plural form of "how-to," which is "how-tos" (or, in title case: "How-tos")?

[@mouadl.9271]

i think it's easier to recognize the word with the apostrophe

[@SummerFunMan]

OK, well that's not what the apostrophe was designed for, so people just need to learn not to use it there but to recognize the word anyway.

[@thetayproducers]

New speed record here I come!

[@mortal4life173]

great video bro, how can I make my controller a turbo one ? I have Logitech gamepad I would love to mod turbo on it, because I play a lot street fighter alpha 3 on pc.

[@TheSliderW]

+mortal4life add another button and include it like the others except it will only be used in the arduino's code. The code should probably be something in the lines of : Define an array to store the buttons you will intercept with the turbo. Check If turbo button is pressed but not released. If so, then scan all other buttons ( except directional maybe ? ) and if any are pressed, remember them for later in the array defined earlier. If that turbo button is released and no other button was found pressed, then empty the button array ( because you will probably want to reset the turbo mode without having to turn off the arduino). Then add a condition that runs every "x" miliseconds depending on the speed you want and tell it to send the button presses in the array. You can also avoid inserting another button by making combinations like pressing both left and right at the same time to activate the turbo.

[@A-Raza2005]

I play mw2

[@GarretSamhain]

Finally! I will be able to do 112-hit combos in Soul Calibur VI!

[@Trevurie]

impress your friends on speedruning a game

[@doggieboy773a]

Water floats my boat. That's true for everyone.

[@ChlorideOG]

Ahhhh the NES

[@funnynerdyme]

ok that indeed explains it better. Thanks. but i will start off with a more easy project. This is still to hardcore for me ;)

[@Joshua-lf7tt]

Can I use a rapid fire mod for call of duty

[@PunakiviAddikti]

Actually yes, you can wire a 555 timer to your controller and send a high-frequency square wave to the "fire" button.

[@HonestJosh]

PunakiviAddikti +++

[@BigAdam2050]

But your icon is a roadrunner.

[@19zaidmrelyt19]

You just taught squeakers how to have burst fire on cod

[@smooooth_]

That's clever to program it to play a level of Mario

[@Shxwqie]

I really miss Kipkay

[@CW0513]

Anybody else thinking about Street Fighter combos of this?

[@FryDeFox]

Look up

[@spartan24891]

Program it to play Black ops 2 and get those dam Blood Thursty things!

[@BigAdam2050]

No, would like to see Wile E Coyote catch you some day.

[@GrippenTech]

What happened to that guy? (don't want to seem ignorant or anything)

[@xproDJx]

ummm.....i understand :(

[@gnamp]

gobble-gobble

[@OneLyfer]

Yoda?

[@funnynerdyme]

write some test code. seriously?

[@Khether0001]

that's nothing! I can do a paper airplane... ; )

[@adidasbooi]

no one ever did this after this video anyways.

[@romeodakins]

Ain't nobody got time fo dat!

[@hannanbeiken9490]

i know kipkay

[@ETG311]

2:38... Jonah Hill?? D:

[@jase23three]

haha

[@FryDeFox]

100th comment

[@raymie258]

kipkay:(

[@DJSweatJacket]

second

[@DJSweatJacket]

would be great for cheaters!

[@DingusDotCom]

MEH

[@wakaphwap]

dear make make something useful.

[@megaman616]

you lost me at "there are alot of.......

[@laqueeshous1813]

What's the point of this mod and honestly this really isn't even a mod

[@blt161996]

you had to mod your controller to do a fatality xD noob

[@sabanff]

i hate to say it but your videos are not the slightest bit informative or helpful to the layman, since there is no clear step-by-step instruction, and for the experienced people it also a waste of time b/c it not showing us anything we don't know already. so either start doing a step-by-step tutorial or just quit altogether and save everyone sometime especially yourself

[@PunakiviAddikti]

That was a step-by-step tutorial.

[@The8bitNerdd]

wast of time

[@OldClam5]

fuck off

[@jase23three]

haha