Engineers Assemblllllle! - Creating an I-PAC2/Ghetto Keyboard for Super Friendship Jam (and awesome)
Hi everyone!
Following the last super friendship jam and A MAZE there is conversation about doing another jam sometime in the upcoming month. At A MAZE we did an awesome custom controller workshop where we got to hook up and solder together buttons, controllers and generally interesting input devices (anyone remember the hammer controller? :D ).
A vital piece of equipment was the I-PAC 2, put simply this plug into your computer via USB like you would a keyboard, you plug wires into the other end and completing the connection (using a button, joystick, or hammer) will trigger a specific key press. This allowed for fast prototyping of custom controllers and no need for specialised software (at most a keypress swizzler app was needed to redirect input).
I-PAC 2s are not available in South Africa and they cost about R500 each (and will probably be another R500 to ship, if not more). So I want to organise a team of people to build something like the I-PAC that we can use at the next super friendship arcade.
Don't know if we'll do a big get together or maybe something more ad-hoc to build these (assuming we get people who can) but I know this is possible since we've done something similar for Kick in the Door.
So who is keen?
The end goal is to create or obtain an I-PAC2 like device so
I would ideally like to find out what parts we need, get hold of them and have a hack/jam day (err, a hack-a-jam) to build these up. I'll put down the weekend of the 10th/11th October (2 weeks away) but this is flexible.
So any engineers or electrically savy/interested parties, please respond with your thoughts, or better blueprints. In our community of programmers, artists, writers, marketers, and everyone else I'd love to see the engineers come out to play too ^_^
[EDIT: This is physically located in Cape Town btw! But if anyone else has advice/info/goodwill send them through!]
Following the last super friendship jam and A MAZE there is conversation about doing another jam sometime in the upcoming month. At A MAZE we did an awesome custom controller workshop where we got to hook up and solder together buttons, controllers and generally interesting input devices (anyone remember the hammer controller? :D ).
A vital piece of equipment was the I-PAC 2, put simply this plug into your computer via USB like you would a keyboard, you plug wires into the other end and completing the connection (using a button, joystick, or hammer) will trigger a specific key press. This allowed for fast prototyping of custom controllers and no need for specialised software (at most a keypress swizzler app was needed to redirect input).
I-PAC 2s are not available in South Africa and they cost about R500 each (and will probably be another R500 to ship, if not more). So I want to organise a team of people to build something like the I-PAC that we can use at the next super friendship arcade.
Don't know if we'll do a big get together or maybe something more ad-hoc to build these (assuming we get people who can) but I know this is possible since we've done something similar for Kick in the Door.
So who is keen?
The end goal is to create or obtain an I-PAC2 like device so
- a) Easy to connect custom controllers via wires, bit of solder is alright but those wire clamp things should be cheap, no?
- b) Plug and play so any modern computer plugging it in needs no additional setup (this was something that was holding some people back at the last super friendship jam)
- 1) Fork out and import I-PACs
- 2) Print PCB (green electronic board thing), cheap micro-controller, solder, win
- 3) Get a R40 keyboard, strip it down, build it up again, attach wire clamps and we are away
I would ideally like to find out what parts we need, get hold of them and have a hack/jam day (err, a hack-a-jam) to build these up. I'll put down the weekend of the 10th/11th October (2 weeks away) but this is flexible.
So any engineers or electrically savy/interested parties, please respond with your thoughts, or better blueprints. In our community of programmers, artists, writers, marketers, and everyone else I'd love to see the engineers come out to play too ^_^
[EDIT: This is physically located in Cape Town btw! But if anyone else has advice/info/goodwill send them through!]
Comments
Like the 2 button arcade controller I built for the last SFA: you can make an IPAC equivalent with an Arduino Uno, some resistors and a screw shield (http://www.communica.co.za/Catalog/Details/P2234383221) for less money, and all the parts are locally available. Plus you get an arduino out of the deal. Key presses were handled by a very simple Processing sketch. All of this involves a fair bit tech, but it's really simple if you have programming chops. Happy to share my files but won't have much time to teach anyone the ropes. (the Arduino Leonardo suggested by Ben is probably a better option).
The slightly more advanced version is actually programming a microcontroller (the brain of an arduino - you can buy these separate for a lot less) to be a USB keyboard device. This is your plug an play option. This is also essentially what Tim did for the Rakete pedals. It shouldn't be too hard to repurpose the design into an IPAC like device and get a small run of PCB boards printed.
But, hacking a keyboard is a fun project, and requires a lot less know how. So probably not a bad option ;)
I did something similar for an Arduino Duemilanove this past week, and I think it turned out fairly well. My solution requires me to run a small script on my PC, but the Leonardo wouldn't. The Leonardo also allows you to emulate a mouse if that strikes your fancy.
I would advise against printing your own PCB. I'd guess a custom PCB will only work out to be cheaper if doing a dozen or so, largely because it could take a fair bit of circuit design, but also because PCBs usually need an iteration or two to get right. I don't feel like the numbers we're talking about will be enough to make this a good route.
Stripping a keyboard can work, but remember that most cheap keyboards can only handle a small number of simultaneous inputs, so they won't work for all designs. This could work out to be the cheapest option though, and with a little help I'd guess almost anyone can do this.
So I feel like the best option is either an Arduino Leonardo or a cheap re-purposed keyboard. The Arduino route is probably lower risk for the average person, and allows for future expansion, but the cheap keyboard route might be cheaper in the short term.
Keeping an eye on this thread, sounds like a grand idea.
So I reposted this on Facebook and there was a lot of buzz there https://www.facebook.com/richard.baxter/posts/10152466306352746?comment_id=10152466317502746¬if_t=like (that should be publicly viewable, let me know if it is not)
So:
I want to organise a hardware jam for the weekend of the 10th, so two weekends away. What I need from you is: a show of "I'll be there", part lists that I can pick up at communica and what you can supply yourself, probably a soldering iron.
If you all just vomit your ideas and specs here I'll compile everything in to a public spreadsheet (or combine it with a SFA one we have running) and make an event.
So the event won't be a game jam, it's making hardware and the proto-hardware for the game jam (so that we enable the game makers to do their shit easier)
GOGOGOGOGOGOGO!
Otherwise we'll have to scramble for a location
Also might have a workshop lined up for our use :D I want as many people to come so the date is flexible :)
Has anyone looked at Open Hardware to see if there's already a design for an I-PAC2-like device?
I'm a big fan of the Arduino and played with some custom inputs (I'm sorry I missed the AMAZE workshop); but I feel like this is already a solved problem. I'll do some digging.
Did you know there already is a Build-Your-Own-Arcade-Controls community?
It's Facebook official! Please join in there! https://www.facebook.com/events/298201333698077 it *should* be public but let me know if not
http://www.instructables.com/id/Keyboard-encoder-for-MAME-arcade/?ALLSTEPS
I discovered that our arcade machine at home actually has an even hackier thing going on, it uses an older kb that actually still has a greenboard in it and each button is soldered directly to a key :') so beautiful.
it also has spiders.
If you keen on joining please sign up on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/298201333698077/?fref=ts
Also need to find a place that rents out tables and chairs (the workshop we are using doesn't have many). Does anyone know places in CT to rent cheap tables and chairs?
http://www.gdconf.com/news/altctrlgdc_needs_your_one-of-a.html
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=725675527520644
(can we embed Facebook videos?)
[Edit, can do vimeo, we are saved \o/ ]
No, I haven't added support for FB videos. I didn't know you could have videos directly from FB.