One Response to “V-Stick – How does it work?”

1. admin says:

   July 8 at 2:20 pm

   Andrew McDonald <ma…@ihug.co.nz> wrote in article
   <34217ddb.8090…@newsource.ihug.co.nz>…

   > Does anybody know how the V-Stick works?

   > I assume it emulates the keyboard controller and sends the correct key
   > code the PC via serial transmission and uses something like 4066 quad
   > select between the keyboard and joysticks/buttons?

           Well…Nick can tell you more of the details, but essentially each control
   on the V-Stick triggers a key, just like hitting a key on the keyboard.
   (The left joystick is wired to the arrow keys, for example.)  This is why
   you can’t reconfigure the V-Stick’s controls; all reconfiguration would
   have to be done on the software side.  (Rumor: somebody offered to write a
   Windows 95 interface for the V-Stick so you could reconfigure it, but I
   don’t know anything more about that.)

   I’m sorry if my response here is irrelevant or ignorant; I myself am
   irrelevant and ignorant.  ;-)

   > Thought about looking into emulating the keyboard with something like
   > a PIC uProcessor, to send certain codes to the PC. But then off course
   > it far easier to wire your switches etc in parallel on an old
   > keyboard, isn’t now.

           Evidently.  I do know that Nick has to gut a keyboard in order to make
   one…and that he had to create some sort of special interface in order to
   allow both "keyboards" (the V-Stick and the keyboard) to be active
   simultaneously.

   It works, though.  ;-)

   > What have others done to connect joysticks & buttons  via the keyboard
   > interface?

   > Any thoughts most welcome.

           I just wanted to mention that the V-Dial, his next project, will NOT
   involve attachment to the keyboard.  The V-Stick and the V-Dial will be two
   separate items and you won’t *have* to have them both in order to use
   either…if that makes sense…I’ve been reading Microsoft training
   material all day, so simple English phrases may be beyond me at this point.

   Anyway, more details SHOULD be forthcoming on Nick’s web page:
   http://www.alpha1.net/~v-stick

   Lee "The Claw" Bentley