Today, I’m going to talk about building a joystick, specifically, a thing I call “wyattsticks”. It all started because I got really into this arcade game, and let me tell you, the joysticks in the arcade were just terrible. They were loose, unresponsive, and just not fun to use. So, I thought, “Why not build my own?”
First, I had to gather all the parts. I went online, did some digging around the usual shopping places, and ordered a bunch of buttons, a joystick mechanism, and a microcontroller board. I also needed some wires, connectors, and a sturdy box to put everything in. I found an old wooden box in my garage that seemed like it would do the trick. I figured it could give it a cool, retro look, too.
Starting to build
Once I had everything, I started by drilling holes in the box. This was for mounting the buttons and the joystick. I had to measure everything out carefully to make sure they were spaced correctly. Trust me, you don’t want to mess this part up. Getting the layout right is super important for comfort and playability. I used a pencil to mark out the spots and then just used a regular drill to make the holes.
- Drilling holes: Measure and mark, then drill carefully.
- Button mounting: Push buttons into holes, secure with nuts.
- Joystick mounting: Align joystick mechanism, screw into place.
Next up was mounting the components. The buttons just popped into the holes, and I secured them with some nuts on the inside of the box. The joystick was a bit trickier. I had to align the mechanism with the hole and then screw it in from the bottom. This took some finagling, but I eventually got it in there nice and snug. It’s important that the joystick feels solid and doesn’t wobble around when you’re using it.
Dealing with the Wires
Then came the wiring. Oh boy, the wiring. This was the most time-consuming part. Each button and the joystick needed to be connected to the microcontroller board. I followed a wiring diagram I found online, but it was still pretty tedious. I had to strip the ends of the wires, solder them to the connectors, and then plug them into the right pins on the board. It was a real mess of wires, let me tell you.
- Wiring: Follow diagram, connect buttons and joystick to the board.
- Soldering: Strip wire ends, solder to connectors.
- Connecting: Plug connectors into correct pins on the board.
After what felt like forever, I finally finished the wiring. I double-checked everything to make sure I hadn’t made any mistakes. One wrong connection and the whole thing might not work, or worse, I could fry the board. Luckily, I’m pretty meticulous, so I was confident I had done it right.
Finishing Up
The last step was programming the microcontroller. This was actually pretty straightforward. I found some open-source code online that someone else had written for a similar project. I just had to tweak it a bit to match my specific button layout. After uploading the code to the board, it was time to test it out!
- Programming: Find open-source code, tweak for your layout.
- Testing: Connect to computer, try out each button and direction.
I plugged the joystick into my computer, fired up the game, and… it worked! All the buttons were responsive, the joystick felt great, and I was finally able to play the game the way it was meant to be played. It was such a satisfying feeling to see my creation come to life. It wasn’t perfect, of course. I made a few minor adjustments to the button layout and the code, but overall, I was really happy with how it turned out.
Building this joystick, my “wyattsticks”, was a fun and rewarding project. It took some time and effort, but it was definitely worth it. Now I have a custom-built joystick that’s perfect for my needs, and I can finally enjoy that arcade game without wanting to throw the joystick across the room. Plus, I learned a lot about electronics and woodworking along the way. It wasn’t easy, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
If you’re thinking about building your own joystick, I say go for it! It’s a great way to learn new skills and create something truly unique. Just be prepared to spend some time on it, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll figure it out. Good luck!
