IntelliStick - Development Thread

[+fdr4prez]

OK, after a much-needed break recovering from some health issues, i can start to move this project a bit further along.

 

I noticed that the fake thumbstick in this unit is a bit taller than the standard analog thumbsticks, so an analog thumbstick mounted to the main board will be a bit lower in the housing.

 

That is no good.

 

so now I have to have the analog thumbstick be on its own board, so i can mount it at the proper height.  But now there needs to be a big hole in the main board so the thumbstick pins don't contact the main board.

 

Here are the 3D printed boards:

 

Having the thumbstick on its own board adds a bit of complexity to the build, but that's just part of the fun.

 

I need to move a couple of the mounting holes and reprint.

 

doing 3D prints of the boards before i get real ones made is quite a perk.

 

Once i get the boards designed with the correct mounting hole locations, then i can get the real boards made.

 

Using the 3D printed boards i can also try and finetune the mounting height of the little board so the stick is mounted correctly and securely.  But that may need to wait until the real boards are made and delivered.

 

[+fdr4prez]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:59 PM, Lathe26 said:

Just don't say it entered a "quiet period". 

"quiet period" is over - at least for now 

 

Time has flown by.

 

I definitely like doing 3D printed boards.  I've needed to move a few things around a little bit.

 

The analog thumbstick and mounting holes are now in the correct locations:

 

 

As I've previously mentioned, the actual thumbstick is shorter than the thing's fake thumbstick:

 

So, after some 3D prints of some spacers, I've tentatively determined that the analog stick board will be needing about a 4mm spacer:

 

Now the thumbstick is at the correct height:

 

I'll just have 5 pins jumping between the two boards.  

 

On the actual unit, the fake thumbstick is mounted directly to the upper cover of the case, so those mounting holes can't be used for board support - they are too far above the board.  

 

That area of the main board doesn't really have much support in that area, so there is a little bit of flex when pushing on the thumbstick.

 

Some of that is the flexibility of the plastic "board" compared to what a real PCB will have, but I think I will need to work on some extra board support in that area of the case.

 

I may need to work on an upper spacer, to go above the little stick board, so I can use those two mounting locations near the thumbstick for board support.

 

 

At this point I just need to recheck the schematic and if all looks good, then I think i am ready to get a real board made for a prototype.

 

 

Once i get a set of real boards, then I can determine if additional support will be needed.  

 

It would be much easier if I bothered to learn a CAD software to help with these designs 

[carlsson]

On 4/1/2022 at 7:39 PM, fdr4prez said:

my $dayjob$ has been quite busy

Yeah, $DAYJOB tends to be a double-edged matter. On one hand it cuts down on the time available for fun hobby projects, on the other hand it earns money for those hobby projects (or buying crates of new homebrew games).

[Rickster8]

So FDR is this project still a GO? 👍

 

The project looks awesome. 😮

 

What would you do about the number pad issue? Meaning how would you replicate buttons 1-9, 0, CLEAR and ENTER..... 

[+evg2000]

1 hour ago, Rickster8 said:

So FDR is this project still a GO? 👍

 

The project looks awesome. 😮

 

What would you do about the number pad issue? Meaning how would you replicate buttons 1-9, 0, CLEAR and ENTER..... 

 

[+fdr4prez]

8 hours ago, Rickster8 said:

So FDR is this project still a GO? 👍

Well, the prototype is slowly moving along.

 

[+fdr4prez]

i just remembered i didn't confirm the two switch locations and those hole diameters 

 

I suspect one switch will be OK because it is an add-on to my concept and I am using the manufacturer specs in the design, but the existing ON/OFF switch i am going to remove from the old board and repurpose for switching between D-pad and analog stick (so both will not be active at the same time).  I need to confirm that i placed those holes in the right location and are the correct diameter.

 

so I now know what i'll be doing next week once i return home from my current business trip.

 

 

[+fdr4prez]

Switches are now confirmed in the design.

 

i'll now purchase components and do a dry fit of everything.

 

Once i receive all the components and if all is well, then I'll order a set of boards.

[Crash7]

I'm in 

[+fdr4prez]

Look what my 3D printer spit out:

 

 

Curiously it doesn't fit into the Intellivision 25 case, so this isn't part of this IntelliStick development.

 

hmmm, i wonder what it does fit into.

 

I may need to start a new development thread for this one.

[Rickster8]

14 hours ago, Crash7 said:

I'm in 

Me too... This look pretty SWEET..... 👍

[+fdr4prez]

15 hours ago, Crash7 said:

I'm in 

 

1 hour ago, Rickster8 said:

Me too... This look pretty SWEET..... 👍

 

Thanks guys...

 

This is just a development dialog thread

 

Right now, there isn't anything to be "in" on.

 

If this doesn't work well in real play, then so be it and that'll be the end of it.

 

we shall see how things work out.

 

The lack of alternative controllers is just a small driving motivation.  It is mostly because I like to tinker around with things, and as such these projects of mine sometimes need to take to the backburner due to real life demands.

 

While this IntelliStick project thread started in July of 2020, this really has been in development since mid-2019.  I should really start a thread just for that project.

 

my original proof of concept that I made in 2019 seemed to work OK, but it was something that was piecemealed together and wasn't suitable for real hard-core playing in real life.

 

And, as mentioned (and largely alluded to) in earlier posts, this may be available only as a build-your-own since I don't have a lot of time available to make many of these for a bunch of people.

 

so if that turns out to be the case, then you should start to learn how to solder  

[+cmart604]

13 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

Look what my 3D printer spit out:

 

 

Curiously it doesn't fit into the Intellivision 25 case, so this isn't part of this IntelliStick development.

 

hmmm, i wonder what it does fit into.

 

I may need to start a new development thread for this one.

I feel like of all the people posting in this thread you're the one who should know what it does fit into. 🤔😂

[+fdr4prez]

1 hour ago, cmart604 said:

I feel like of all the people posting in this thread you're the one who should know what it does fit into. 🤔😂

One would think that'd be the case. 

 

These fang-dangled machines these days... They're taking over, I tell ya! 

 

Let me do some digging around and see what I can cobble together 

 

Edit: actually, there are a few peeps around here that do know what that it is, but they don't realize that they know what it is. 

 

I don't recall if you saw it at PRGE 2019

[+evg2000]

I know what it is I don't even need 3 guesses

[+fdr4prez]

3 hours ago, cmart604 said:

I feel like of all the people posting in this thread you're the one who should know what it does fit into. 🤔😂

Now look at what you've gone and made me do  

 

 

[+fdr4prez]

I have ordered the components needed for the board and they'll be here this week.  Although I am going to be traveling for work, so I'll have very limited time at home for the next few weeks to do my dry fit of components on the 3D printed board to see how things actually fit into the case.

 

But I have not ordered the boards, and it is a good thing that I didn't order the boards because I just found a mistake in the schematic.   It is odd that I didn't see this mistake before because I've looked at the schematic a number of times recently.

 

It would have been an easy fix/patch on the actual board, but now that i see the mistake I will fix it in the design.

 

So while I am traveling, i'll spend some time scouring the schematics over and over again. 

 

Once i am comfortable with the schematic and the board layout, then I'll get a couple boards built.

[+fdr4prez]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned, so far, is the need to reuse the existing power LED.

 

There are at least two internal revisions done during manufacturing that I have seen so far in these units.

 

One revision has the LED with long leads that lifts the LED up into the hole in the housing.  So if I reuse it from the old board, then it is already the correct length and diameter.  No need look for a suitable replacement when the existing one is just fine.

 

Another revision has the LED glued in the upper housing, and there are two wires going down from the LED to the board.  This will make assembly a little more fun due to working with short wires between the two.  Replacing the wires with longer ones will make assembly work a little easier.

[+fdr4prez]

On 8/31/2023 at 9:07 AM, fdr4prez said:

Switches are now confirmed in the design.

 

i'll now purchase components and do a dry fit of everything.

 

Once i receive all the components and if all is well, then I'll order a set of boards.

unfortunately, the switch I sourced to replace the ON/OFF switch that will function as the selector switch between the DPAD and analog stick won't work.

 

I've made a command decision to reuse the existing switch.

 

It is easy to pull of the old board.

 

problem solved.

 

Once I finish the schematic mistake/correction and relay out those traces, and once I get home from these business trips, then I'll do a few final checks before I order a real board.

[+fdr4prez]

Schematic has been corrected, as noted in the IntelliGamepad thread.

 

I have just ordered a set of boards for the IntelliStick.

 

This will take some time to get, and I have some travel/business trips planned, so as soon as I get the boards and I get the time, then I will assemble the prototype IntelliStick.

 

I will confirm that the IntelliStick is assembled, test, and working, before I continue the board design work on the IntelliGamepad.

[Crash7]

Good luck Mr. President! 

[+evg2000]

apparently some one is doing an intelli-stick

[wolfy62]

2 hours ago, evg2000 said:

apparently some one is doing an intelli-stick

I saw that,but it is another 8 way stick and not a 16 directional stick like the Intellivision really needs.

[+fdr4prez]

Not sure if I'll change my project's name. 

 

Or maybe I'll splack the work real in front of it and use "The Real IntelliStick" 

 

Anyone get that reference? 

 

 

[Crash7]

Or Super Pro Intellistick 

 

Or Intellistick Arcade 

 

 

 

Herb knows....it's always about presentation. 🐍

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Crash7