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Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:52 am
by dataframe
Hello dear sudomoders,
as the title suggests, I got myself a Game HAT from waveshare - so far, Im really satisfied with the product and the easy installation process.
However, one thing which slighty dampens my happiness with the product are the A/B/Y/X/Start/Select buttons (they are pretty loud and clicky) - so I was thinking about replacing them with some kind of software tactile buttons (like the ones from adafruit:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101).
As Im pretty new to hardware-related work (being a software developer), Im curios if there are other ways or some recommended hardware for realising such a project - I'd love to install some kind of buttons like they were used in psx/xbox controllers (hard-shell buttons without clicking noises).
I think the downside of the soft tactile buttons are the missing button covers (like the current shells of the game hat).
Another component which I'd like to replace is the joystick because it is just too big (height) with a PSP 2-Axis analog thumb joystick (like this one here:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3103) - are these components compatible with each other?
Thank you all for the support and your time!
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:17 am
by HoolyHoo
dataframe wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:52 am
Hello dear sudomoders,
as the title suggests, I got myself a Game HAT from waveshare - so far, Im really satisfied with the product and the easy installation process.
However, one thing which slighty dampens my happiness with the product are the A/B/Y/X/Start/Select buttons (they are pretty loud and clicky) - so I was thinking about replacing them with some kind of software tactile buttons (like the ones from adafruit:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101).
As Im pretty new to hardware-related work (being a software developer), Im curios if there are other ways or some recommended hardware for realising such a project - I'd love to install some kind of buttons like they were used in psx/xbox controllers (hard-shell buttons without clicking noises).
I think the downside of the soft tactile buttons are the missing button covers (like the current shells of the game hat).
Another component which I'd like to replace is the joystick because it is just too big (height) with a PSP 2-Axis analog thumb joystick (like this one here:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3103) - are these components compatible with each other?
Thank you all for the support and your time!
Replacing the buttons is relatively easy and has been done. Replacing the joystick probably requires a little more work with the mounting and connection. Here is a link to a case that I made after I did the mod of the soft tactile switches so you see what is possible. I kept the joystick, however, I still use the same 12mm tact caps that come with the original Game Hat.
https://gumroad.com/l/GdONp
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:29 am
by dataframe
@HoolyHoo - thank you very much for your answer - so its possible to use the hard-shell caps on the soft tactile buttons?
I really like your case, I'll give it a try with my brothers 3d-printer!
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:20 am
by Hgoel89
HoolyHoo wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:17 am
dataframe wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:52 am
Hello dear sudomoders,
as the title suggests, I got myself a Game HAT from waveshare - so far, Im really satisfied with the product and the easy installation process.
However, one thing which slighty dampens my happiness with the product are the A/B/Y/X/Start/Select buttons (they are pretty loud and clicky) - so I was thinking about replacing them with some kind of software tactile buttons (like the ones from adafruit:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101).
As Im pretty new to hardware-related work (being a software developer), Im curios if there are other ways or some recommended hardware for realising such a project - I'd love to install some kind of buttons like they were used in psx/xbox controllers (hard-shell buttons without clicking noises).
I think the downside of the soft tactile buttons are the missing button covers (like the current shells of the game hat).
Another component which I'd like to replace is the joystick because it is just too big (height) with a PSP 2-Axis analog thumb joystick (like this one here:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3103) - are these components compatible with each other?
Thank you all for the support and your time!
Replacing the buttons is relatively easy and has been done. Replacing the joystick probably requires a little more work with the mounting and connection. Here is a link to a case that I made after I did the mod of the soft tactile switches so you see what is possible. I kept the joystick, however, I still use the same 12mm tact caps that come with the original Game Hat.
https://gumroad.com/l/GdONp
Can you please confirm the size of soft tactiles you used? A link is also fine.
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:27 am
by HoolyHoo
Hgoel89 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:20 am
HoolyHoo wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:17 am
dataframe wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:52 am
Hello dear sudomoders,
as the title suggests, I got myself a Game HAT from waveshare - so far, Im really satisfied with the product and the easy installation process.
However, one thing which slighty dampens my happiness with the product are the A/B/Y/X/Start/Select buttons (they are pretty loud and clicky) - so I was thinking about replacing them with some kind of software tactile buttons (like the ones from adafruit:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101).
As Im pretty new to hardware-related work (being a software developer), Im curios if there are other ways or some recommended hardware for realising such a project - I'd love to install some kind of buttons like they were used in psx/xbox controllers (hard-shell buttons without clicking noises).
I think the downside of the soft tactile buttons are the missing button covers (like the current shells of the game hat).
Another component which I'd like to replace is the joystick because it is just too big (height) with a PSP 2-Axis analog thumb joystick (like this one here:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3103) - are these components compatible with each other?
Thank you all for the support and your time!
Replacing the buttons is relatively easy and has been done. Replacing the joystick probably requires a little more work with the mounting and connection. Here is a link to a case that I made after I did the mod of the soft tactile switches so you see what is possible. I kept the joystick, however, I still use the same 12mm tact caps that come with the original Game Hat.
https://gumroad.com/l/GdONp
Can you please confirm the size of soft tactiles you used? A link is also fine.
I used the 8mm soft tactile buttons linked above from adafruit.
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:31 am
by Hgoel89
@hoolyhoo thanks for confirming. I will be getting the psp mini thumb stick and try to get it working. Will post it once it's done. I plan to
1) remove left speaker
2) remove tall stick
3) add breakout board for mini stick at speaker position, get the interfacing done.
4) put 4 tactile button with 3d printed dpad on top. This will be at current analog stick position
I will be using double sided foam tape for mounting.
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:28 am
by Hgoel89
HoolyHoo wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:27 am
I used the 8mm soft tactile buttons linked above from adafruit.
Hey Hoolyhoo,
I can confirm that the joystick below works directly with game hat.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/2765
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2019 11:54 am
by xaphor
Please post pictures when you do this! I'm really tempted to buy one of the Game Hats too!
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:59 am
by alf67
@HoolyHoo - thank you very much for that great design, which I downloaded a few days ago. Now I am just a little confused (sorry for the noob*ness - I am just wanted to improve my Game Hat, and I am not the best tinkerer) - am I right, when I say, the file "12mm insert.stl" are the buttons? I am just a little clueless, how they are going to fix in the case. - I have also ordered the soft tactile caps from adafruit. Could you help me in this? Would be great!
best wishes from austria!
Alf
Re: Waveshare Game HAT - replace buttons and joystick
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:11 am
by HoolyHoo
alf67 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:59 am
@HoolyHoo - thank you very much for that great design, which I downloaded a few days ago. Now I am just a little confused (sorry for the noob*ness - I am just wanted to improve my Game Hat, and I am not the best tinkerer) - am I right, when I say, the file "12mm insert.stl" are the buttons? I am just a little clueless, how they are going to fix in the case. - I have also ordered the soft tactile caps from adafruit. Could you help me in this? Would be great!
best wishes from austria!
Alf
Hi and thanks for the purchase. So the 12mm insert stl is what is needed to be able to use the plastic 12mm caps that come with the game hat. You will insert the 3D insert into the caps after you modify the caps by snipping the cap “legs” flush with the cap ring. The insert will allow for a flat surface to push against those adafruit soft buttons. Hope that makes sense. You can PM me if your still trying to figure it out. Thanks again.