Simplest Sony control stick interface

I just finished a project interfacing the Sony control stick. It's a very simple design, only three small components! (not including connectors)



I fit the whole thing into the DB-9 shroud - very compact.

I put up a web page explaining everything, including pictures, schematics and source code so you can do it yourself.
Click here to see complete details.

Hmm... Even with my experience as a youngster with my Radio Shack 300-in-1 electronics kit, I'm not smart enough to build one of these. But it looks very cool.

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My 18gb blue Empeg is in Memphis, and I'm not. Woe is me.

Wow, I'm impressed. You're a sick puppy indeed - I mean, using a 0.1uF cap for you A/D. If I had a hat, I'd take it off to you at this point :)

Hugo

That looks a lot like a PC game port interface, and it's cool that you got the timing tight enough for serial comms using the internal oscillator. Any problems with driving RS232 with a TTL signal?

We're going to build one tomorrow!

Rob

That looks a lot like a PC game port interface

Yeah you're right it is similar to the way a PC game port reads a resistance. Luckily the resistors on the stick have values that are pretty far apart.

and it's cool that you got the timing tight enough for serial comms using the internal oscillator.

I was worried that the internal oscillator wouldn't be accurate enough, but it hasn't been a problem. The calibration value tunes it to within 4nS. When I did a web search I found a couple other people who were sending RS-232 using the IRC. I've been playing with it for a few days and used a number of different components, the only one I've had trouble with is the 0.1uF cap. I was using some surface mount caps that I picked up from Digi-Key and were lying around. It's a pain soldering those things so when I was at Radio Shack (Tandy) I picked up a couple of ceramic discs with nice long leads. When I tried them several of the buttons were reading incorrectly. I looked at the package and it said 20% tolerance - I thought "that doesn't sound good". I plugged them into my capacitance meter and they all read 0.125uF. uhh... doesn't sound within 20% to me! I plugged in one of my surface mount caps and it read 0.099uF, tried another 0.098uF.

Any problems with driving RS232 with a TTL signal?

No trouble at all. It's an old trick. I do it all the time. The only time you run into trouble is going through long pieces of cable. Not going over +5V is common, many laptops and other small devices do it. Not going below zero seems at first like it would be a problem, but if you think about it, if they put the threshold at zero they'd get false start bits from noise if the cable were unplugged and the processor would get constant interrupts. In reality they put the threshold above zero.

Any chance you'd be willing to sell pre-programmed PICs? I don't have the ability to program one, but would still like to build your interface.

-Trevor

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Mk 2, Green 12GB 080000349

I second that....

-Zeke

just say you weren't paying much attention...

Any chance you'd be willing to sell pre-programmed PICs?

I'd be willing to do that, I'm just not sure how much to charge. Any suggestions?

What's the bother worth to you? I figure I can do the other bits, but the programming is a major project for me. Don't do it if it's not worth your time.

-Z

just say you weren't paying much attention...

What's the bother worth to you? I figure I can do the other bits, but the programming is a major project for me. Don't do it if it's not worth your time.

I'm really not sure. Does $10 sound like too much?

In reply to:

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I'm really not sure. Does $10 sound like too much

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Sounds fair; how about 20 for the whole thing?:)
-mark

MK2: 36gb
Tivo: 90gb
CPU: 120gb
...I think drive manufacturers love me!

I see the smiley, but I'm not sure how serious you are. Do you mean $20 for all the parts needed, or do you mean the whole thing completely constructed?

Hi,

I just finished a project interfacing the Sony control stick. It's a very simple design, only three small components! (not including connectors)

Nice one, simple beyond belief! A couple of points to note: -

You may have problems with this design over the automotive temperature range, the RS232 timings may be a problem using the IRC, RS232 (from memory) about 5% tolerant on timing, the IRC over it's range is about +10/-15%, the unit may fail to communicate in extreme hot & cold conditions. The R/C timing ADC method may fall over again with temperature, capacitor selection, noise are all issues to be wary of. Still, a good low-cost solution that's cheap and easy to construct, well done.


Regards,


_________________________________________
John, (MK1 #114-20G, MK2 #15-36G).

I'm honestly not sure how much the parts cost; but personally be willing to pay 10-15$ over the cost of the parts for one of those..
-mark

MK2: 36gb
Tivo: 90gb
CPU: 120gb
...I think drive manufacturers love me!

$10 is reasonable to me.

How much would you charge to build the whole thing? I'd love to build it, just from the cool factor, but if John is worried about a lot of the tolerances, maybe I'd better leave it to someone who completed more than 4 classes in EE...

-Trevor

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Mk 2, Green 12GB 080000349

The stick controller is $60 ain't it?

Calvin

Funny you should say that. Hugo built one today but it doesn't run (very well). The internal oscillator doesn't appear to be stable enough for repeatable timing of the capacitor discharge, or for timing the RS232 bitrate.

Hugo's going to try fitting a small oscillator tomorrow, which will hopefully fix the problems. I think it'll still fit within a 9W D hood.

Rob

The internal oscillator doesn't appear to be stable enough for repeatable timing of the capacitor discharge, or for timing the RS232 bitrate.

Must be that dirty English electricity you've got over there that's screwing it up.

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Tony Fabris

The internal oscillator doesn't appear to be stable enough for repeatable timing of the capacitor discharge, or for timing the RS232 bitrate

I will agree that the design may have difficulty during temperature extremes (I haven't tested at anything but room temperature yet). But I've tried it with 8 different chips so far (both plastic and windowed bought at different times) and I haven't had any problems from variances in the internal oscillator.

If it is getting the buttons mixed up, I would say make sure you're using a precision capacitor. If you're having trouble with the RS-232 timing too, I would say check your oscillator calibration value. Put your programmed chip back in the programmer and read it. If value at address 01FFh (or 03FFh if you are using a '509) is 0FFFh then the calibration value got erased.

If you do end up trying an external oscillator you'll need to move the cap and stick off GP4. The only place you can move it is GP2, because all the other pins have internal weak pullups. I'm not sure how the fact that it's a schmitt trigger input will affect the timing. Be sure to change the out_pot constant to reflect your pin change.

If you have any questions, feel free to send e-mail directly, Rob should have my address.

I'd give $20 just for the programming alone, parts notwithstanding. However, I'd like to be sure the design's gonna work in the long haul. With all the huge brains around here I'm sure that all the pesky details discussed above will be sorted out. I'm really starting to want one as my drives home get darker and darker. The Kenwood remote tends to wander.

-Zeke

just say you weren't paying much attention...

If Hugo gets it working we're going to install one in our demonstrator. It will then get a lot of testing and use.

Rob

How about $30 shipped. I'll take one. Where do I send my money!

Just a "me too." I'd certainly pay a reasonable amount for this interface once the kinks are worked out. I'm not smart enough to do it myself. :)

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MkII 080000554

Hehe, maybe you should have sold your design to empeg and they could have marketed it.

DiGNAN