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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: Think on Wed, 28 March 2012, 13:30:23
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Hey there!
New mod in progress, based on saitek pro gamer command Unit.
Long story short :
I'm used to play on saitek pro gamer command unit for soo long... tried few other device kinda like it, but it never feel as good as the saitek...
Saitek stoped the production for this device... and it start to be hard to find some "used but working" one.
Anyway, after reading few posts here (Cherry black nostromo mod...lego-datahand, all the wiki and info about mechanical switch, etc...)
I finaly decide to start to mod my first saitek.
A plan :
-replace the matrice with Cherry Red
-replace the analog thumb stick with a better one (biger and more accurate one)
B plan :
-try to position the switch kinda like datahand unit (maybe using microswitch for the side button...)
C plan :
-change the electronic part for a teensy 2.0++ (less restriction, more customisation)
D plan :
-make my own design
-3D print it in alluminium (or plastic depending on price of service)
...
Z plan :
-conquere the world
Well right now, let's start with A plan, we'll see how far it goes.
DONE :
-Cherry MX Red ordered (at start I had low profile switch in mind, but after all I've read here, I feel like Cherry Red match my needs)
-Old thumb stick unsoldered (10kohm)
-New thumb stick unsoldered from a joypad. (10kohm)
TODO :
-order/buy wire for the spaghetti party ^^
-get a more accurate pin for my soldering tool (dont know the word...)
-get a dremel to adapt all the plastic part for the Cherry switches
-order few rgb leds
-order some cherry compatible keycaps matching the proper size
Ah btw, excuse my poor english ^^"
What I have in mind for B plan :
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Welcome to GeekHack! Good luck with the mod.
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yeay my mx red has arrived, i can start the work o//
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any idea where i could find some keycap cherry mx compatible but not standard size (for a thik F-row same width, same detph, but less height) 18mm*13mm instead of 18*18
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well... i definitly don't have the soldering skill required... so the little "cms" thing I tried to solder on ended in a mess...
anyway i'm just gonna jump to the C plan, that's more the kind of thing that match my skills (less soldering, more programing)
Here are few random thought and idea that crossed my mind :
[ATTACH=CONFIG]48561[/ATTACH]
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seems my post got deleted with the last rollback so let's post it again.
I didn't post any news for few weeks, but I did lots of progress on my mod, which is actually not based on the saitek anymore so not really a mod anymore.
So, since my last post, I received the teensy 2.0++ and bought few tools and electronic things...
I've done all the electronic part (soldering etc...)
I've done the programation part (programing the teensy)
I've done a temporary support to make it usable.
So here it is :
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/elec/1.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/elec/2.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/elec/3.jpg)
Things to do :
-I'm still waiting for my keycaps (ordered on wasd)
-design an ergonomic structure with a 3D soft (need to figure out which soft)
-send the design to a 3D printing service
-rebuild it all on the final structure.
Side thing to do :
-figure out a way to have the switch and microswitch as a datahand (without much space between each finger), if I end in a working solution I'll design the structure to make it possible.
Actual caracteristics :
-response time 0.5ms (I can still lower it to 0.1)
-you can press 6key + 4modifier key (shift, alt, ctrl, gui) at same time (yea you'll need your 2 hands and your nose or foot to reach the limit) in keypad mode, no limite in joypad mode
-2 mode possibles : keypad (with keybind) or joypad (with button activation), you can switch to each of them instantly with a 2 position switch
-analog thumbstick (like a playstation thumbstick)
-autofire mode possible : working in both keypad and joypad mode, you can activate it instantly with a 2 position switch
-22key (could add more but didnt see the point)
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just received my keycap :
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v1_1.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v1_2.jpg)
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I made two design, just to see how it would be, i might end doing one of thoses :
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/design/d1.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/design/d2.jpg)
need a better soft, that one is not accurate enough on small dimension
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trying different mats to model the design and egro :
[ATTACH=CONFIG]53278[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53277[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53276[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53275[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53274[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53273[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53280[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53279[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]53281[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53282[/ATTACH]
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today's work :
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_1.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_2.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_3.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_4.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_5.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_6.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_7.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_8.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_9.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_10.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_11.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_12.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_13.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_14.jpg)
(http://www.orazur.free.fr/pad/proto/v2_15.jpg)
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This thing is seriously so awesome. make me one! :D
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This thing is seriously so awesome. make me one! :D
Actualy it's not that hard to do, you need a few mx switches, few keycaps mx compatible, a teensy, few wires, some soldering tool, some clay, wood, few tools and time ^^
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pictures are back o//
still need to work on the 2 thumb button, but not much time lately
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This... is so cool!!! I've always wanted a joystick for my keyboard hand! I wasn't even aware that the saitek model existed. What do you use your joystick for? I want one for map scrolling in games and some productivity stuff.
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This is really nice you absolutely must post more pictures! :)
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well, once you get your hand on a teensy, it's just super easy to build, just need a lil bit of knowledge in C programation, but there are plenty of tuto and exemples of drivers programe for the teensy.
The hardest part is to find the proper mats to build the structure to hold all ur switches. At first I was thinking about 3D printing, but I figured out you need to make some prototypes with clay, wood, lego, whatever mats, to test the ergo before all. Coz 3D printing is still kinda expensive.
So this is definitly not my final version, but as I said, not mutch free time to work on it lately, so, for now I use it like that.
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Yeah, I have no problem with the electronics or the programming but I have no crafting skills whatsoever. :)
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same for me, but clay is definitly a good mats to start with. Easy to model, and easy to modify once dried.
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New feature in progress :
I'm working on an Air app to allow user to define binds, save/edit/load profile etc...
Right now, I'm figuring out how to call shell script from Air to be able to write directly the c program file from actionscript, and compile it/flash the teensy all in command line lanuched from the air app.
Once that done, it will be easy for the other part of the app.
I'll post some progress soon