Playstation Controller Support?

[BotB]

Hi.

I'll bet this has been asked before but does anybody know if it is possible to hook up a playstation controller to the inputs of a PICAXE? presumably it would be possible for the new USB controllers?

I've seen videos of people controlling RC Hellicopters via the controller and it'd make a good controller for use in many PICAXE applications in my opinion...

 

[hippy]

Connecting a PSX controller should be possible. It seems to basically be SPI, the host (PICAXE) sending out the clock and the controller churning the data back. This should be easily bit-banged. There seems to be a higher level protocol layered on top of that but it doesn't look overly complicated.

As for USB controllers; I'd say no. The PICAXE cannot handle USB - download via USB is actually the PC handling the USB.

 

[xtech007]

Hi... Maybe I can Help!

Hellow I had Experimented with some controllers.
And used the picaxe chip to interface.
First what would you be controlling?
do you want to interface the conroller to other devices ?

 

[Wrenow]

There is already a 6 channel controller out there that works pretty nicely (well, as well as those controllers can handle - they are not that precision). The C6c from http://www.cheapcontrolsystems.com/. They work with either tethered or wireless. Keep in mind that the range is limited.

I do have one. It is really handy for working on projects where you want to make sure RFI is not the issue (using a tethered controller), like at Maker Faire, etc.

Cheers,

Wreno

 

[alband]

I agree with hippy.
I've taken some old PS1 controllers apart and made joystick out of them they are so simple.
You need to find out there serial protocol. One detail to look for is if they use a parity bit. The PICAXE doesn't and this can't be changed (this is one of the problems with USB). The other possibility is to have the individual buttons' wires going down the main cord; Take out the circuitry gubbins and then you just have 15 buttons and four pots (for the analogue controllers), you could then turn those inputs into serial data with two PICAXE's taking the raw data and sending it to you main PICAXE.
If the serial data from the controller is PICAXE compatible then it should be fairly easy. You could even try going wireless with a pair of RF modules.