Wii Nunchuk help, making a 1.5 handed controller

Cyan09 · Post by **Cyan09** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:00 pm

I was hoping someone might be able to help me. I am hoping to build a one-handed controller for my friend. my plan is to move the two buttons from the nunchuk to the wiimote, and leave the motion sensing and analog stick in a separate housing that can be attached to his arm that has limited use. I want the analog stick to be mounted upside down so that he can place it on his knee to move it since he does not have the use of that hand. I think a project similar to this has been discussed here before.

What i need is help with the analog stick. I cannot figure out what portion has the motion sensor, so I can only assume it is on the circuit board with the analog stick since it has some extra chips and things. since that needs to remain in the correct orientation i will have to desolder the analog stick, but once it is upside down i need to reverse either the up/down or left/right directions (only one of them, doesn't matter which) in order for it to not be inverted in one direction when used on his knee. Can anyone tell me which of the pins i would need to switch in order to achieve this?

I have access to a laser cutter which is how i plan to make the casings and buttons, i just need some help with the wiring. Thanks.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:35 pm

i don't see that working.

Imagine playing a game like Metroid Prime 3. You need to aim with your IR sensor, and you move with your joystick...except your joystick is mounted to your wiimote...

Cyan09 · Post by **Cyan09** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:42 pm

you either didn't read my post or i didn't explain it well enough. only the c and z buttons will be on the remote.

Cyan09 · Post by **Cyan09** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:59 am

Ok, I have another question here. How important is the ground wire in the nunchuk cable? I was planning on using a longer cable, and it doesn't look like the ground is even attached to anything inside the nunchuk, so i was just hoping for some advice on this before I fry something.

Speaking of frying something, I still have no idea how to reverse the up/down direction on the analog stick, so I guess I am going to wing it and hope I don't kill my chuk

Bigmac · Post by **Bigmac** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:42 pm

Cyan09 wrote:Ok, I have another question here. How important is the ground wire in the nunchuk cable? I was planning on using a longer cable, and it doesn't look like the ground is even attached to anything inside the nunchuk, so i was just hoping for some advice on this before I fry something.

Speaking of frying something, I still have no idea how to reverse the up/down direction on the analog stick, so I guess I am going to wing it and hope I don't kill my chuk

I am a total n00b at this, but for reversing the stick, couldn't you just switch the up/down's connectors to the circuit board? I have no idea if that will work, but I don't want you to fry your controller.

tyromaniac · Post by **tyromaniac** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:31 pm

if you guys want a cool idea for a wii controller, consider this:

The sensor bar could become the controller

The wiimote is stationary, but simple leds are put on your finger tips. So instead of the wiimote creating the motion, you physically move your fingers so you can develop a way to point and click.

My friend tried it out with bluetooth hack and he said it worked perfectly.
With a LCD screen, he was able to move his finger up and down (using a simple LED flashlight keychain, although I think he had the led on the backs of his fingers.........I assume) and he was physically moving the cursor

One hand= leds on fingers, or the fire button goes on your pointer finger, so you can point and click.
- A super awesome Power Glove mod you could say -
2nd hand= buttons and controls, or the fire button goes on your pointer finger, so you can point and click.
As long as the wiimote sensor that senses the sensor (if that makes sense) is stationary.....then this should work beautifully.

Valium · Post by **Valium** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:32 pm

The ground is very important, nothing works without ground.

And for reversing for analog stick, you have to solder the pins from the potentiometers of each side to the corresponding direction on the opposite side, you'd still have to switch left and right too, wouldn't you?

Doesn't really make sense for for right to be on the left side..

Cyan09 · Post by **Cyan09** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:31 pm

well as for the ground, here is why I was inquiring about that. Since I needed to run the three wires that connect the c+z button circuit board down to the connector end of the nunchuk, i needed 8 wires instead of the 5 found in the normal cord. I am using cat5 cable, and in the original one of the 5 wires does not have a plastic coating, and therefore comes into contact with what looks like shielding wires that go around all the others. Cat 5 does not have this shielding, and I can connect the exposed wire to a wire in the cat5 cable, but it will not be exposed and I was just making sure that this would be acceptable. That was my concern, I will certainly make sure to have all of the wires connected, ground included.

Also, yesterday I figured out which two contact points on the analog stick I needed to reverse in order to reverse up/down. I do not believe i will need to reverse left and right, and here is why. think about holding a nunchuck upside down and resting the joystic on your knee. When you move the nunchuk left, the joystick actually moves in the directin that would be right were you holding it upright. However, when you move it forward it would actually be pressing in the direction that would be down when held correctly.

As long as the cat5 cable will work I should be able to finish my soldering and laser cut the case

Cyan09 · Post by **Cyan09** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:53 am

UPDATE: I got a late night/early morning boost of energy and just finished up all the wiring. Pretty simple job really, just took a little time and care. Everything is working perfectly, now I just need to finish designing the case and I will hopefully have it laser-cut and built within a week or so.

HazmatB · Post by **HazmatB** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:35 pm

tyromaniac wrote:if you guys want a cool idea for a wii controller, consider this:

The sensor bar could become the controller

The wiimote is stationary, but simple leds are put on your finger tips. So instead of the wiimote creating the motion, you physically move your fingers so you can develop a way to point and click.

My friend tried it out with bluetooth hack and he said it worked perfectly.
With a LCD screen, he was able to move his finger up and down (using a simple LED flashlight keychain, although I think he had the led on the backs of his fingers.........I assume) and he was physically moving the cursor

One hand= leds on fingers, or the fire button goes on your pointer finger, so you can point and click.
- A super awesome Power Glove mod you could say -
2nd hand= buttons and controls, or the fire button goes on your pointer finger, so you can point and click.
As long as the wiimote sensor that senses the sensor (if that makes sense) is stationary.....then this should work beautifully.

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awjPUkB ... re=related
and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid ... re=related