need some help with a control pad mod

I need to build a control pad that works on a mac, via the usb slot and each of the gamepad buttons corresponds to a keyboard key... if that makes sense.

The plan is to take apart a USB keyboard, take the wires from the specific keys and solder them to the relevant buttons in the control pad then screw it together. Seems simple enough.

Question is what console's pad would you guys suggest i use, I'm sure i can pick them up cheaply from ebay, and would i need to worry about voltage etc, like sticking in resistors. Cheers folks electronics isn't really my forte to be honest.

(By the way this is for an art exhibition where my game will be shown off see off topic...)

the xbox is already usb compliant you splice the cord and match the colors and leave the extra one hanging. you still nead a driver though. as far as making your own button relay's probably any controller will work just as long as you put part of the keyboard in it. and just get windows to recognize it has some sort of hot-swap keyboard. or just make the cord real long and half way down leave the rest of the keyboard. chances are you'll need it anyway, ie changing weapons, grabbing a grenade, stuff like that. but if you do get this mod up and running as well as looking good with some style let us know. or seing if you can daisy chain the buttons to the controller. that way you could use either the keyboard for you w,a,s,d, buttons or the joystick that sticks out of the keyboard. you could even make it detachable. anyway if this helps or hurts let me know and keep me at least posted on this.

let me rewrite this


Recently I need more cooling power in my PC and the store is an hour from here so I took apart an old power supply and hooked the fan up as a regular case fan. works great, but has no information relay. just runs but it's quite. and beside the xbox controller and various stereos, trailer lights, mod chips, fixing nes controllers, and wiring homes, I really don't have any OFFICIAL expertise in this kind of stuff.

proposed tools-
1 keyboard -intact-
2 joystick of choice -possibly gutted except for buttons-
3 keyboard key pad parts (for putting under the joystick buttons)
4 soldering iron, solder (or tape)
5 1/8" drill bit (for running a wire out of the keybord to the joystick) - or a screwdriver, a stove, and some determination.
6 some telephone line wire would probably work.
7 various screw drivers and such
8 heat shrink tubing-electrical tape
8 orange soda - the cheaper the better-(could be substituted for creme soda)

propose order of operations

1 get a degree from MIT, lol
2 open the keyboard and find out how and where the board gets the signal from various keys.
3 see if it's possible to "daisy chain" the desired keys by just adding another key to it somehow. if not you have to cut it out, extend the leads and put it in the controller somehow -good luck-
which ever is decided step four and five are the same.
4 put a hole in the keyboard somewhere close to the user. run the wires out of the hole. you might want to start taping them up now.(or use heat shrink tubing(mcdonalds straws can also work if you are careful))
5 Hook up the keyboards keystroke leads to the corresponding joystick buttons.
.......................................help

something else that would be cool would be to add a trackball on the d-pad side. *with the finished product having a controll similiar to perfenct dark for the n64.

okay here we go again

tools

1 mouse -intact- the smaller the better
2 joystick preferably a psd1/2 or a gravis gamepad. *but due to space constraints an xbox, genesis or sidewinder. with the afore mentioned mod
3 screwdriver/s
4 phone wire
5 an understanding wife and kids lol

allright let's see what's up

1 take apat mouse and joystick

2 trying and hypthosize how much space is going to be need to secure the mouse ball, and electronics.

3 shave/melt *some joystick plastic. don't screw up now

now what we plan to do essentially is put the mouse in the joystick upside down. so we have to flip the sensors. just think about that for a while. and chances are is that the mouseball isn't going to like being subjected to gravity in this way and since smoothness of operation is paramount in fast paced games this is definitly going to have to be worked out. I propose some kind of riser that doesn't create a lot of friction. *but maybe it won't be neccasary

4 secure the mouse x,y *rollers accordingly making sure that you have thought about which way to "flip" them.

5 make the sure the mouse ball is secure, centered and won't fall out. *try and use the mouse "door" we'll call it.

6 wire the mouse left and right buttons to the L1 L2 buttons (ps,gravis only)

7 if it's a wheel mouse try and move that too. it'll come in handy in games like max payne and such.

8 I would suggest that if you added the mouse->joystick mod to the keyboard-> joystick mod that you run the mouse cord from the joysick to to the keyboard via the same cord you already have add an extension and run both the keyboard and mouse cords via zip ties to the pc. *

man this is tough but worth it. *

someone get me a patent
before pelican and mad catz completly ruin it by putting out shoddy controllers (as always)

ps adjust sensitivity when you are playing games.

yeah i figured i was gonna just have to solder wire to the board under the buttons and then wire that to the buttons on the pad... it won't be pretty but it'll have to do i guess. Thansk for all your help there :)