My homemade 5200 controller

[eegt97]

 

Hi, can you share a pic of your cable modification? thanks.

 

Sure, nothing complicated, just going around the 4 sides with a cut off wheel and don't take out the pins. Let's just say it's not my most accurate hack job, but it works

[amiman99]

 

Hi amiman99, I sent you a PM, thanks.

Replied

[+DrVenkman]

 

Sure, nothing complicated, just going around the 4 sides with a cut off wheel and don't take out the pins. Let's just say it's not my most accurate hack job, but it works

 

I've actually thought about using "hot snot" (e.g., a bead of hot glue) around the outer edge of the controller connector jack and then inserting the Console5 extension and seeing if it holds it more securely.

Edited March 17, 2019 by DrVenkman

[eegt97]

 

I've actually thought about using "hot snot" (e.g., a bead of hot glue) around the outer edge of the controller connector jack and then inserting the Console5 extension and seeing if it holds it more securely.

 

Something like that would have probably solved the intermittent issue with the pots I was having before cutting, but I had another issue with the #,0,* key row. That was constant, and I finally realized that the common pin for this row was ever so slightly recessed even more than the others in the extension cable. Then I cut the shell, and everything worked and is secure, no issues. I wished I had done that from the beginning, probably would have saved some unnecessary solder re-flow.

 

BTW, I have already damaged the thumbstick. It gets stuck down sometimes and doesn't come back to center. I wonder if without a case I move it more than it is really meant to move. At any rate, I'm going to see if I can find something a little more robust to replace with.

 

-Brian

[+DrVenkman]

I *finally* had a chance to meet up with my pal Jarrod (the 3D hobbyist who runs a side business printing stuff for folks). He designed a new shell from scratch using the example controller I made for him, and he wanted to drop off the finished product. The shell is PLA, the translucent buttons are resin. The thumbstick already works very well. In a proper shell, it’s darn near perfect! 

 

I sat down to give JOUST a run through - no warmups, no practice, and damn if I didn’t set what is I think a personal high score!

 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by DrVenkman
Add photos

[+sramirez2008]

Looks great!  Thanks for sharing.

[David Alexander]

I was wondering if anybody new if someone had made a case for the SM Baker PS2 Controller to 5200 adapter which in my opinion is superior as it allows you to use a PS2 Controller which is pretty robust and allows you to use its two analogue sticks at the space time for Robotron and Space Dungeon.

[TrekMD]

2 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

I *finally* had a chance to meet up with my pal Jarrod (the 3D hobbyist who runs a side business printing stuff for folks). He designed a new shell from scratch using the example controller I made for him, and he wanted to drop off the finished product. The shell is PLA, the translucent buttons are resin. The thumbstick already works very well. In a proper shell, it’s darn near perfect! 

 

I sat down to give JOUST a run through - no warmups, no practice, and damn if I didn’t set what is I think a personal high score!

 

 

 

Those look awesome!

[+DrVenkman]

4 hours ago, TrekMD said:

Those look awesome!

Thanks but the work on the case and the high-resolution optical resin printed buttons are all the work of my friend (note the printed-in numbers/symbols on the keypad!). He made me the gray and black, then provided me red and green translucent buttons sufficient to make two more, but silly me I assembled the buttons out of order - they get dropped in face down, you snap the case halves together then screw it all tight. I realized what I had done as I went to go screw stuff together and when I unsnapped the case halves to reorder the buttons, things got jolted, pieces went flying and hilarity ensued. Poor green number "6" is MIA somewhere in, on, around or under my work bench and 20 minutes of searching did not turn him up. Alas. That's okay - I have a third PCB to assemble, but I don't have the parts yet anyway. I'm sure I'll find that missing button in 3 years or so ...

[amiman99]

The buttons looks very nice!

[+DrVenkman]

So anyone interested in a case, my friend is willing to sell them for $25 plus shipping. Not sure of his current resin stocks for button colors - the shell is PLA but the buttons are printed with his laser resin printer for higher resolution. I can get his email/contact info for folks to contact him directly if there's interest. 

[TrekMD]

I'd love to get two!

[+sramirez2008]

I'd like to buy one please.

[0078265317]

16 hours ago, TrekMD said:

Those look awesome!

Agreed

[the Goat]

On 8/10/2019 at 11:13 PM, DrVenkman said:

So anyone interested in a case, my friend is willing to sell them for $25 plus shipping. Not sure of his current resin stocks for button colors - the shell is PLA but the buttons are printed with his laser resin printer for higher resolution. I can get his email/contact info for folks to contact him directly if there's interest. 

I'm interested in one.

[the Goat]

I did not read the entire thread (please don't kill me).  Is somebody selling these controller boards either assembled or as a kit?

[Shawn]

5 hours ago, the Goat said:

I did not read the entire thread (please don't kill me).  Is somebody selling these controller boards either assembled or as a kit?

 

Bare PCB only from smbaker. You have to buy the parts and assemble yourself. Well worth it. These are great controllers.

[+DrVenkman]

9 hours ago, the Goat said:

I did not read the entire thread (please don't kill me).  Is somebody selling these controller boards either assembled or as a kit?

I’ve been talking to Scott re a bulk buy of boards to make a batch to sell. Nothing set in stone yet but it’s a possibility. 
 

I’ll post more if/when I have something worked out. 
 

[the Goat]

3 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

I’ve been talking to Scott re a bulk buy of boards to make a batch to sell. Nothing set in stone yet but it’s a possibility. 
 

I’ll post more if/when I have something worked out. 
 

Outstanding.

[smbaker]

Just wanted to let folks know that I do currently have plenty of bare pcboards on hand. You can find them from me on eBay, or you can order directly from here on the forum ($10 per bare pcboard plus shipping here on the forum). 

 

Yes I am talking to DrBenkman about supplying him with a quantity of boards that he could use to fabricate completed controllers for people. This would be a great service to the community as I know there is a demand.

 

Scott

[vtadave]

These would be amazing.  I'd certainly buy at least one.

[+DrVenkman]

Still working on things with my friend (the case designer). He's been round and round with eBay - he created a new account in the name of his business, but that triggered some anti-scam-bot, because he now had a second account associated with his email. He got them to reinstate the account and restore his listing, but then the same bot killed it again and deleted his listing entirely. I honestly don't know where he stands on it currently, but he was trying to get it straightened out the other day when we spoke last.

 

In the meantime he's made me a new white case and some different colored buttons. Once he finally gets that stuff figured out (so we will have a working "storefront" to handle PayPal, shipping, etc), I will coordinate with Scott on the final details to buy a batch of boards, then Digi-Key or whomever for parts. Final pricing is therefore still very much up in the air at this point, but I'm willing to make at least a batch or two of boards and we'll see how it goes after that. I'm likely to see about buying boards and parts in batches of 10 - 12 and just see how fast they sell, how fast I can keep up with building/testing, etc. I normally do my hobby electronics purely for fun and my own enjoyment. I really don't want it to feel too much like a job. 

 

But please be aware that timing is also still likely a few weeks off. My clothes washer just died this weekend so "MrsVenkman" has deemed that next (holiday) weekend will be spent shopping for the matched set of washer/dryer she has been wanting for a few years now and we'll be re-arranging the laundry room, installing a laundry sink and a few other things. That will kill not only my time, but also my hobby money budget for a few weeks while we absorb the impact. While I expect to price the boards to cover my cost for parts and at least a bit for time it will take me to build each one and test it, buying 10 - 12 boards and then the parts from a reputable supplier is not something I can do this week unfortunately, and not until I get the home infrastructure bits taken care of. And before anyone offers, no thank you - I do not intend to take money up front on these. I will only sell them as I've gotten them built and absolutely ready to go. Read up on the $#@Jshow that is the XM thread in the 7800 forum to know why not.

 

I hope you all understand, but with luck and not too terribly much longer I will have good news to share.  

 

[onemoretime]

I definitely like the new case. About your washer..... I got a really nice set of matching red steam washer and dryer on pedestals at the garbage dump a few years ago. 100 bucks worth of parts and they where as good as new. I actually had a pretty good deal going on. The guy at the dump would hold all of the high end appliances for me, I would give him 10 bucks a piece for his effort, then I would fix them,try them, and sell at really cheap prices.  It s how I got my kitchenaid ice machine and mixer too.

[the Goat]

Can somebody give step by step instructions for programming the ATTINY85 with a TL866?  The instructions on Github state, "Make sure to program both fuses.hex to the fuses, and 5200controller.hex to the program memory."  But when I load the .hex files in the MiniPro software I don't see options for fuses or program memory.

 

There is a "To Region" selection with three options:

• Code Memory
• Data Memory
• CONFIG

Is code memory == fuse memory?  Data memory == program memory?

[+DrVenkman]

2 hours ago, the Goat said:

Can somebody give step by step instructions for programming the ATTINY85 with a TL866?  The instructions on Github state, "Make sure to program both fuses.hex to the fuses, and 5200controller.hex to the program memory."  But when I load the .hex files in the MiniPro software I don't see options for fuses or program memory.

 

There is a "To Region" selection with three options:

• Code Memory
• Data Memory
• CONFIG

Is code memory == fuse memory?  Data memory == program memory?

Got no idea how to do it with a MiniPro but here's step-by-step instructions for using a cheap USBasp, from way back in October 2018 in this very thread.