> Hi all,
>
> I would like to create a very simple circuit that takes input from a 4-way
> joystick and a handful of buttons (think arcade cabinet) and converts that
> to a USB packet (1.1 or 2.0 - I don't mind) which gets sent to the PC
> where it will be treated as input from a normal USB joystick.
>
> I suspect that I could buy something like this off-the-shelf, but I want
> to develop my PIC programming skills, so am keen to build it myself so I
> understand the whole process.  Googling around, I see that several others
> have done a similar thing using the Microchip PIC16C745.  Is that the
> right chip for me?  Are there others I should consider?
>
> My requirements are very simple... accept input from up to a dozen
> switches (and maybe a couple of POTs) and convert to a USB joystick
> message.  I have no qualms about writing the microcode in assembler (I am
> a software developer by trade) and I am reasonably competent with a
> soldering iron, but other than than that, I have never programmed a PIC
> before.
>
> Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.  Googling for PIC
> programmers drowns me with options... do I need anything special for this
> Microchip PIC?  Many thanks...

> Hi all,
>
> I would like to create a very simple circuit that takes input from a 4-way
> joystick and a handful of buttons (think arcade cabinet) and converts that
> to a USB packet (1.1 or 2.0 - I don't mind) which gets sent to the PC
> where it will be treated as input from a normal USB joystick.
>
> I suspect that I could buy something like this off-the-shelf, but I want
> to develop my PIC programming skills, so am keen to build it myself so I
> understand the whole process.  Googling around, I see that several others
> have done a similar thing using the Microchip PIC16C745.  Is that the
> right chip for me?  Are there others I should consider?
>
> My requirements are very simple... accept input from up to a dozen
> switches (and maybe a couple of POTs) and convert to a USB joystick
> message.  I have no qualms about writing the microcode in assembler (I am
> a software developer by trade) and I am reasonably competent with a
> soldering iron, but other than than that, I have never programmed a PIC
> before.
>
> Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.  Googling for PIC
> programmers drowns me with options... do I need anything special for this
> Microchip PIC?  Many thanks...
>
> --
> Craig Edwards
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.piclist.com
> View/change your membership options at
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist

> Alan B. Pearce <TakeThisOuTpiclistEraseMEspam_OUTmit.edu> wrote:
>
>> There are a number of 8051 based USB chips around, notably from
>> Texas Instruments. I am not sure what Cypress Semiconductor have
>> available, but Andrew warren may chime in and give advice there.
>
> Most of the world's mice have one of Cypress's USB microcontrollers
> inside; we have mouse and keyboard reference-designs available on our
> website, and maybe a joystick/gamepad, too.
>
> If we have a joystick reference design, it'd be written for one of
> our low-speed (1.5 Mbit/sec) parts that use a CPU called the M8;
> there are also full-speed (12-Mbit/sec) and high-speed (480 Mbit/sec)
> USB microcontrollers based on the 8051.
>
> The original poster seemed to want to learn PIC programming, though,
> and it would be dumb to throw a Cypress part AND a PIC into a
> joystick design that could really be handled by the Cypress part
> alone... Plus, this sounds like a one-off project, not something that
> will be built in any kind of volume... So I guess the PIC16C745 is
> the only choice, even though it isn't the part that most people would
> use in a real product.
>
> -Andy
>
> === Andrew Warren -- RemoveMEaiwTakeThisOuTcypress.com
> === Principal Design Engineer
> === Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
> ===
> === Opinions expressed above do not
> === necessarily represent those of
> === Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.piclist.com
> View/change your membership options at
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
>

> Harold Hallikainen wrote :
>
>> Another possibility is the Silicon Labs CP2101
>> (http://www.silabs.com/products/microcontroller/interface.asp).
>> It's kinda like the FTD part but does not require all the other
>> parts around it  (eeprom, etc.).
>
> But comes only in what's called a "28-Pin MLP" package.
> Not particular hobbyist-friendly...
>