Odd but urgent request for help...

N

Neeyik

Homo ergaster
Veteran
Instead of reviewing stuff for Dave, I'm desperately trying to finish off some articles for Physics Education magazine (an Institute of Physics journal). To cut a long story short, I need some original images of the following:

> contact switches inside a console controller
> internal images of the analogue sticks of a console controller

If anyone can help out, can you post or link the pix here, or email them to me at nick@beyond3d.com - the sooner the better as (a) the articles need to be done by Friday and (b) Dave's going to hack my head off if I don't finish some reviews pronto!

Oh, the pics don't need to be very big (max. 800 x 600) but they do need to be of a good quality, preferably taken with a light background. Just to repeat: they must be original too (ie. they're your images but you're giving me and the IOPP permission to use them). Credit will be given where appropriate.

Any due thanks are been given in advance now!
 
Nick,

I've just dismantled a dreamcast joypad and found out something interesting - it seems that the should-pad analogue triggers and there are no direct connections. It seems that the level it is pushed is measured by having a magnet on the trigger and some small component on the otherside of the circuit board which must measure the magnetic field.

You interested in pics of these?
 
Ooooh yes please! Although it'll mean a few more lines to cover in the articles, they'll be well worth putting in. Thanks boss!
 
Dam, I had a broken xbox controller there only a few weeks back. I had taken it apart to try and fix it too no avail. My significant other threw it out. I even have a digital camera..
 
Sabastian said:
I have a very old super Nintendo controller I could take pics of if that would be appropriate.
Click to expand...

digitalwanderer said:
I got some old busted ps1 gamepads laying around I could do that with if it'd help.
Click to expand...
Yes to both, please chaps. Close up shots of the contact pads or microswitches are particularly welcome.
 
Neeyik said:
Sabastian said:
I have a very old super Nintendo controller I could take pics of if that would be appropriate.
Click to expand...

digitalwanderer said:
I got some old busted ps1 gamepads laying around I could do that with if it'd help.
Click to expand...
Yes to both, please chaps. Close up shots of the contact pads or microswitches are particularly welcome.
Click to expand...

heh, I will try. Don't have a heck of a lot of time. Have to work in 50 min.
 
Sending them now. Hope they are what you are looking for. There really isn't much to look at in these old controlers though so.. Anyhow good luck.

EDIT:Just had a chance too look at them. Awfully blurry I don't know but the battery was just about totally dead in the camera. Didn't realise the pics would be so blurred. Anyhow at least I tryed.
 
Those are great shots Sab...apart from the blurriness! If do you get chance at all to redo them, I'd appreciate it but many thanks for trying anyway. The pictures were fine in terms of what I was after though.
 
Neeyik said:
Those are great shots Sab...apart from the blurriness! If do you get chance at all to redo them, I'd appreciate it but many thanks for trying anyway. The pictures were fine in terms of what I was after though.
Click to expand...

Yeah sorry about that. I don't have any more time for this though I have to get changed and stuff. I think also the low battery power effected the shots but I am not sure.
 
DaveBaumann said:
I've just dismantled a dreamcast joypad and found out something interesting - it seems that the should-pad analogue triggers and there are no direct connections. It seems that the level it is pushed is measured by having a magnet on the trigger and some small component on the otherside of the circuit board which must measure the magnetic field.
Click to expand...
Edit: Scrapped my previous rambling nonsense. The sensors are hall probes - the stick and triggers have magnets which induce a voltage in the sensor; the size of the output is interpreted by the logic chip.
 
Yeah, I've retaken some shots in less of a rush. They are better but not as nice as I would have liked. Seems the camera has difficulties with close ups which is something I hadn't noticed before. Also it helps if there is less movement of course which is something that I didn't have in mind yesterday being in the rush. Anyhow I think you will find these shots more appropriate. They are in your mail.
 
Got them, thanks. Unfortunately they're just a bit too fuzzy for me to use them - the article will go into a printed journal as well as an online section, so image quality has to be pretty sharp. The editing team are pretty good so if they want some images, I'll pass them on and get you credited properly. Thanks for trying again!
 
 
I wrecked a PS2 DualShock2 controller sometime back while trying to pry it open (after unscrewing all the screws I could find... apparently there are 2 screws inside the controller holding the two portions together... can anyone explain to me how to safely open a PS2 DualShock2 controller?). I still have it and I'll try to grab some pics for you if you want.
 
Thanks for those shots MuFu - can you PM me your real name, so I can properly credit you in the article. I've got more than I need now, so a big BIG thank you to everyone; just working on the final bits and bobs. What's the betting that it'll be edited to about 236 words ;)
 
Paul Toler is my real name.

What's the article about, or will we have to wait and see? :D
 
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