ALoGeNo’s BLOG en Sceners.org

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Demo

Circuit

This is the schematics for a PIC USB gamepad that I have built in a steering wheel shell. The code for the firmware was written in PicBasic Pro and it implements a HID USB device with 2 axes and 4 buttons (only 2 buttons connected in the prototype). The device is detected by Windows XP/Vista as a standard USB gamepad and can be used with many games and applications.

I am using a 2 Axes Buffered ±2g Accelerometer from DIMENSION ENGINEERING, it has a built in voltage regulator that allows powering the accelerometer dirrectly from the USB bus (5V):

http://www.dimensionengineering.com/DE-ACCM2G.htm

I highly recommend this accelerometer as well as other great Dimension Engineering products, check out their website: www.dimensionengineering.com !

Note: Optionally you can connect 2 more buttons to RB2 and RB3.

Code

Below is the PIC Basic code that works both on 18F4550 / 18F2550. (There are other requirements to build USB firmware including the HID header, see compiler documentation).

DOWNLOAD HEX FILE FOR PIC 18F2550 (You will need a PIC Programmer to transfer it to the chip, I’m using PICKit2):

18F2550_Gamepad.hex

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please disconnect any Microchip Devices (including the PICKit2 programmer) before plugging this device since it’s using same HID VENDOR /PRODUCT ID provided in Microchip sample files.
If you plug 2 devices with same VENDOR/PRODUCT ID you might get a hardware conflict and the devices might not work.

—————————————————————————————-
Define OSC 48
‘CONFIGURATIONS ARE IN /PBP/18F2550.INC , YOU MIGHT WANT TO EDIT THEM

‘ADC
DEFINE ADC_BITS 10 ‘ Set number of bits in result
DEFINE ADC_CLOCK 6 ‘ Set clock source Fosc/64 => TAD => 1.34uS
DEFINE ADC_SAMPLEUS 50 ‘ Set sampling time in uS

TRISA.0 = 1
TRISA.1 = 1

ADCON1 = %00001101 ‘ sets AN0,AN1 to analog mode

ADCON2 = %10101110 ‘
‘bit 0-2: ADCS ,OVERWRITTEN BY ADC_CLOCK, 110: Fosc/64 => TAD => 1.34uS
‘bit 3-5: Aquisition time: 101: 12 TAD => 16uS
‘bit 6: not used
‘bit 7: Right justify for 10-bit

x VAR WORD
y VAR Word

INTCON2.7=0 ‘RBPU =0 , TURN ON PORTB PULL-UPS

bt1 VAR PORTB.0
TRISB.0 = 1
bt2 VAR PORTB.1
TRISB.1 = 1
bt3 VAR PORTB.2
TRISB.2 = 1
bt4 VAR PORTB.3
TRISB.3 = 1

‘USB
buffer Var Byte[3]
USBInit

main:
ADCIN 0,x ‘read AN0
ADCIN 1,y ‘read AN1

‘x,y experimental measurments: ~512 @center / ~365 @ -90deg / -655 @ +90deg

x = (x >> 2) << 2 ‘ clear last 2 bits
y = (y >> 2) << 2 ‘ clear last 2 bits

‘convert x,y from range [384..512..639] to [0..128..255] with edge clipping
x = ((x MAX 384) MIN 639 ) – 384
y = ((y MAX 384) MIN 639 ) – 384

buffer[0] = y ‘gamepad’s x-axis is accelerometer’s y axis
buffer[1] = x ‘gamepad’s y-axis is accelerometer’s x axis
buffer[2] = PORTB ^ %00001111 & %00001111 ’separate and reverse first 4 bits

USBService ‘ Must service USB regularly
USBOut 1, buffer, 3, main ‘ Send buffer to endpoint 1

GOTO main ‘ Do it forever

—————————————————————————————-

Here is how it is detected by Windows XP. Please note that if you don’t change the USB HID Vendor ID and Product ID code this device might conflict with other microchip HID devices using same indentification, including the PICKIT II USB programmer (you can’t have them plugged in both at the same time).

Construction

If using an existing USB cable , the wire coding is VDD red, VSS black , D+ green , D- white.

Second prototype using PIC18F2550 chip.in a cheap Wii steering wheel shell. (Look for them on EBay they sell for about $1.45).

First prototype “THE BRICK” , using PIC18F4550 chip, accelerometer removed.

It can work as a motion MOUSE too !

With a slightly different firmware and the same hardware you can build a USB Motion (Tilt/Pan) HID Mouse, source code is here:

http://code.google.com/p/hidmouse/

SVN Trunk:

http://code.google.com/p/hidmouse/source/browse/#svn/trunk/%20hidmouse

For those that don’t have a PIC programmer preprogrammed chips are now available in my ministore .

by ///starlino/// at : http://starlino.com

Popularity: 7% [?]

This project uses a head-mounted-display that has sensors for detection of orientation so that the user can be placed into a Google StreetView scene and can look around freely. For movement through the map, an exercise bike used to estimate forward movement using a simple reed switch that counts the number of revolutions of the wheel.

Pragmatically explained, it means that I don’t have to sit in the darkness or stare at my garage door while I’m huffing away. Hopefully once this is done, I’ll be able to spend a few nights a week pedalling away downstairs and work my way across the US or Australia over the course of the year. The irony of this project is, well, while it’s supposed to help me entain myself while using the exercise bike, the project itself has been keeping me from exercising. Oh well.

It is also a project that I would be thrilled if someone took the idea and made a decent implementation out of it. Make it user focused and reliable and I’ll be the first to use it.

Source: http://bako.ca/streetview-riding/

Popularity: 3% [?]

The EyeWriter project is an ongoing collaborative research effort to empower people who are suffering from ALS with creative technologies.

It is a low-cost eye-tracking apparatus & custom software that allows graffiti writers and artists with paralysis resulting from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to draw using only their eyes.

More info: http://www.eyewriter.org/

The Eyewriter from Evan Roth on Vimeo.

Source: Hackaday

Popularity: 4% [?]

After nearly five years of loyal service, Mininova disabled access to over a million torrent files when it partly shut down its website. Starting today, only approved publishers are able to upload files to the site, but luckily there are plenty of alternatives and potential replacements BitTorrent users can flock to.

With an impressive 175,820,430 visits and close to a billion page views in the last 30 days, Mininova set a record that they will be unable to break in the near future. Last August a Dutch court ruled that Mininova had to remove all links to ‘infringing’ torrent files, with disastrous consequences.

Since it is technically unfeasible to pre-approve or filter every potentially infringing torrent file, the Mininova team decided to throw in the towel and only allow torrents to be submitted by approved uploaders. This move resulted in the deletion of more than a million torrents, many of which were not infringing any copyrights at all.

Thankfully, there are still plenty of alternatives for those BitTorrent users who are looking for the latest Ubuntu, OpenSUSE or Fedora release.

Below we provide a random list of public torrent sites that are still open, but there are of course hundreds more sites we could have included. If your personal favorite is missing, feel free to post it in the comments below – preferably with your reasons why it should be included in any upcoming lists.

1. Torrentzap

2. Vertor

3. ExtraTorrent

4. KickassTorrents

5. BTjunkie

5. Monova

7. isoHunt

8. yourBitTorrent

9. The Pirate Bay

10. ShareReactor

Update: The owner of Monova, told TorrentFreak that he has reserved all Mininova usernames for people who want to make the switch to his site. The account names can be claimed here. Also, we replaced some sites in the original top 10 because they went down or started to serve trojans,or viruses.

Fuente: Torrentfreak

Popularity: 6% [?]

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Build Wi Fi Signal Amplifier In The Home Of Low-cost Ivent Recyl – The best bloopers are here

Popularity: 5% [?]

DIY Hydrogen Generator 101 – Free videos are just a click away

Popularity: 5% [?]

Homemade Levitron – Watch a funny movie here

Popularity: 5% [?]