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[Orayn]

Are you going to have molds on the backface or is it going to be a flatback? Flatback will suck.

It's flat at the moment but I could give it some simple contours like the SNES/Genesis controllers that inspired it. We're presenting on Tuesday, so there's not really enough time to do a whole lot more than that.

Future revisions, yes, definitely. One shape I want to experiment with is something like an Xbox 360 controller with the chat-pad attached.

(Minus the battery pack and seams, obviously.)

 

[outunderthestars]

I'd love to see controllers offered in different sizes.

 

[Orayn]

I'd love to see controllers offered in different sizes.

Yep, this is another consideration for future efforts. If this ever goes commercial/crowdfunded, I've got some ideas for an interactive controller builder that would let people choose their shell, button layout, triggers, d-pad, etc. and turn that into a list of model files for me to stitch together. That's probably a ways off, but yeah, definitely interested in making both flat-ish 16-bit controllers and big ergonomic ones.

 

[outunderthestars]

Yep, this is another consideration for future efforts. If this ever goes commercial/crowdfunded, I've got some ideas for an interactive controller builder that would let people choose their shell, button layout, triggers, d-pad, etc. and turn that into a list of model files for me to stitch together. That's probably a ways off, but yeah, definitely interested in making both flat-ish 16-bit controllers and big ergonomic ones.

Awesome.

 

[Steel]

How about a controller that can work as a keyboard replacement to be used in concert with a mouse? All you'd need is a series of digital buttons, keep it small so you can use it one handed.

 

[Marky Mark]

It's flat at the moment but I could give it some simple contours like the SNES/Genesis controllers that inspired it. We're presenting on Tuesday, so there's not really enough time to do a whole lot more than that.

Future revisions, yes, definitely. One shape I want to experiment with is something like an Xbox 360 controller with the chat-pad attached.

(Minus the battery pack and seams, obviously.)

You're on the right track here. I used to leave the chatpad attached even if I didn't need to use it since it was more comfortable with it attached. When I mentioned molds that is actually exactly what I was thinking of.

 

[MarkMan]

Wow cool thread. I was actually the product manager and helped design a few of the controllers mentioned in this thread. OP: If you have any questions on design or production please feel free to contact me.

 

[Orayn]

It lives! They messed up my print order and I'm missing a shoulder button, but other than that it turned out pretty well.

 

[shockdude]

It lives! They messed up my print order and I'm missing a shoulder button, but other than that it turned out pretty well.

Nice.
That Logitech Mode button is gonna be super useful. It allows the DPAD to be compatible with pretty much every game with controller support.

 

[PseudoKirby]

THUMBSTICK IN THE DEFAULT POSITION.




thumbstick takes the priority not D-pad.

 

[Khaz]

Isn't it missing C and Z buttons?

 

[Orayn]

Good news: I presented my controller to the class and got a glowing reception. My instructor thought it was great, and offered to help me improve it and make new ones in the future.

I plan to keep doing this. My next goal is to deliver on some of the promises I initially made in this thread: A Saturn-style d-pad, Arduino (or maybe Teensy) based electronics, and a more ergonomic shell.

This brings me to an important question: What type of switches should I use for the buttons and d-pad on my next controller?

• Membrane switches go about 1-2mm and have a relatively high operating force that decreases over time as the rubber wears out. That number is flexible because the silucobe makes it possible to press them down a little further than the actuation point, and you can design the actual button to sit in a partially-pressed position so the distance to actuation is lower.
• Keyswitches like in a mechanical keyboard have a max travel of a bit less than 4mm, and the press registers after about 2mm. You can potentially decrease this distance with dampeners or specially designed caps.
• Standard clicky tact switches, like the ones used on 360/XB1 bumpers, are in the neighborhood of 1mm.
• Metal domes like the face buttons and d-pads on portable devices are even lower, usually less than 1mm.

So yeah. I guess the main choices are clicky vs. silent, soft vs. snappy, and short travel vs. long.

Other considerations include the way the button itself is mounted; it's possible to attach the button directly to the plunger for key switches and some larger tact switches, which simplifies the design of the upper housing since you don't need tabs to keep it from rotating.

 

[Ashes]

It lives! They messed up my print order and I'm missing a shoulder button, but other than that it turned out pretty well.

Controller looks pretty slick. More pics would had been nice though.

 

[GorillaJu]

You presumably paid a lot of money for your education and it's all culminating in a final project that you aren't fully designing yourself? What's he point then?

 

[BudokaiMR2]

It doesn't matter if people read up down, left right, backwards forwards or whatever. X at the top, B at the bottom, Y to the left and A to the right is the correct layout. End of. There's no argument against it so you needn't bother.

Yeah, I think people are going off the deep end with the reading order idea.

It's pretty common sense when you think about the ergonomics of the controllers and the fact that it was a very new industry/hobby in those days.

Having your primary button in the inside of the controller means you may accidentally press the other button with another part of your finger when reaching for it.

This may sound silly to us but you have to take into account that a large majority of the people they were designing the NES and SNES for had never held a controller like that before.

At least, this is the reason I always imagined for the backwards order.

 

[TI82]

Seems like you already have your ideas in mind. But still I thought I'd share what I consider to be the best controllers of all time:

• Genesis 6 button controller
  This DPad is GOAT, 6 buttons all easy to access. Especially good for fighters

• Saturn controller
  Built upon the Genesis controller in every way. Greatness

• Gamecube controller
  Ridiculously comfortable. Only thing really wrong with this controller is the lack of an L1 and the weird dpad.

• 360 controller
  again, ridiculously comfortable and very good stick quality, triggers are superb as well. Main problem again is the dpad.

• PS4 controller
  Again, ridiculously comfortable. The DPad is also top level, almost better than the Genesis controller

 

[televator]

21st Century version of this

That would be going backwards my friend. Clearly this... emmm... thing is from the future.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel controllers are too symmetrical.I'd try and make a controller that has the left side slightly raised vertically above the right side. Or you should make a left handed controller for our lefty brethren. Put dpad on the right and face buttons on the left.

 

[televator]

Man, there are some terrible suggestions in this thread...

Good thing I'm here now OP. I'll tell you the controller design that will make you mega rich.

Seriously though I'd suggest starting off with the controller that was on the pathway to perfection...

Saturn 3D controller. Now evolve it with better ergonomics, put modern shoulder buttons on the top, replace the top left directional input with a stick, and put another stick on the right. Then you'll have the ultimate hybrid 2D/3D controller of the forever!

Step 5: Profit.

 

[Orayn]

Pictures: Yes. More pics.

You presumably paid a lot of money for your education and it's all culminating in a final project that you aren't fully designing yourself? What's he point then?

This was the final project for one of my electives, and a fairly easy 3-credit one at that. My actual final project for my major was a lot more detailed, thorough, and not as much fun.

 

[Khaz]

- How did you get the rubbers? Did you made them yourself? Custom order?

- Wouldn't an arduino add too much of input lag?

- Isn't an arduino overkill for this project? retrousb.com sells chips that take whatever input and translate it to USB HID inputs. I'm not saying you should use his chips, but you could design your own with the same principles.

 

[Orayn]

- How did you get the rubbers? Did you made them yourself? Custom order?

- Wouldn't an arduino add too much of input lag?

- Isn't an arduino overkill for this project? retrousb.com sells chips that take whatever input and translate it to USB HID inputs. I'm not saying you should use his chips, but you could design your own with the same principles.

The PCB and membranes came from a Logitech F310 for this project. This kinda limited my options in terms of layout, but it's the best I could do given my timeline.

Regarding the PCB for my next iteration: At the moment I'm leaning more toward Teensy or the MSP430 with Launchpad, since it sounds like implementing HID on Arduino would be a bit more difficult than I previously thought.