Fixing the over-sensitivity of "gamecube style" Nintendo 64 replacement sticks.

As the title says.

These sticks feel fantastic but just tweaked too high; playing Goldeneye is infuriating. I was thinking of maybe putting in 2 variable resistors so I could adjust the sensitivity to what I needed.

Has anyone done this? If not, does anyone have a pinout for the N64 sticks?


These are the sticks I'm talking about.

 

I just found this diagram, hopefully I can attempt a simple mod with trial and error on the X and Y pins using a variable resistor (though whether this approach could even work is nothing more than a guess, I admit I haven't researched into this much).

 

http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3574.0

 

Thanks, hopefully I don't have to do anything that complicated - maybe I'll have a look inside the GC-style stick and see if there's anything to modify in there.

 

Sensitivity tuning:

Source: http://kyorune.com/modding/article.php?id=27

Pictures from inside:

Source: http://www.konsolenhal.de/?p=417


Source: http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?PHPSESSID=87kn75bv8s0m4p9hl1h7lmmup1&topic=3574.120

 

Id buy a premodded stick if someone managed to get the sensitivity down to next-to-normal levels

 

Wow, thanks a LOT for your post. Will post back if and when I figure anything out. The only thing I'm slightly fearful of is that after modifying in this way there may be a reduction in the maximum range achievable. I -think- this shouldn't be a problem though because it appears that a full press is recognised at a bit below 100% of the maximum physical range.

 

I like the feel of the replacement stick a lot but I agree. It is way too sensitive. It would be great to find a way to fine tune it.

 

Maybe you should take a look at the Hori Mini Pad, expensive but a solution to your problem, no?

 

I think the best solution would be to figure out what chip is used in those replacement sticks and then use the already existing code from the nfggames link to reprogram it if possible.

I emailed the manucfaturer about the problem some weeks ago but they never replied.

 

Have you managed anything with it these past few weeks? I'm very curious as to if we can get those sticks working how they should for FPS games.

 

The replacement thumbsticks are compatible with this mod:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga8rLSz64XQ

Here is a quick tutorial:
1) Download the source code & manual from above link
2) Buy an Atmega8 or Attiny and some resistors and build the Chip together like in the manual from above
3) Download Bascom and compile the source(again see manual)
4) To program it, buy all necessary parts to build this programmer or buy a ready to use programmer on ebay (see manual for more info on what programmer to buy and how to use it):

5) If you decided to build it yourself download avrdude from here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V3UGAC0K and a Gui from here: http://www.brischalle.de/avr8_burn-o-mat_avrdude_gui/avr8_burn_o_mat_avrdude_gui.html
6) Install the install_giveio service from the avrdude package
7) In the avrdude gui, set the links to avrdude.exe and avrdude.conf and set the programmer to mega8isp with Com1 as port.
8) Burn the compiled *.hex file you created with Bascom
9) Still in the avrdude gui application go to the Fuses menu and set the clock to 8Mhz then burn the fuses.
10) Solder the Atmega to the Thumbstick(you need to remove all the part in the replacement thumbsticks such as resistors ad capacitors.)

 

Agree. :033:

Anyway, you can get them for cheaper. You just have to be patient.

 

Thanks sanni, I haven't had much time to try anything yet but it seems that my idea of adding in / replacing resistors might be unrealistic and something like this is the way to go.