G27 button box for GT5
- Thread starter razzerx
- 13 comments
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- 9,255
- United Kingdom
- neema_t
You need more than a pinout if you're thinking of replacing the shifter, there's three ICs in there too and I'm pretty sure one of them you can only get in SMD, I've looked and couldn't find the PTH version anywhere. It's not impossible, in fact it's not even difficult, but it's not as simple as wiring up some buttons to a DB9 connector either. As for the G27 shifter pinout, I can't remember it off the top of my head but I remember finding it with 5 minutes of Googling.
Oh and what are you playing? If it's a PC game you can easily make a button box with a cheap game pad controller (solder your own buttons up to one), buy a Leo Bodnar board or a premade button box like the ones Derek Speare makes. If it's for PS3 (specifically GT5 as I think it's the only game that lets you have a wheel as player one, a controller as player two but the controller can still control player one), break open a Dualshock 3 or Sixaxis and you can solder buttons up to one of those boards, or get a Cthulhu board.
Oh and what are you playing? If it's a PC game you can easily make a button box with a cheap game pad controller (solder your own buttons up to one), buy a Leo Bodnar board or a premade button box like the ones Derek Speare makes. If it's for PS3 (specifically GT5 as I think it's the only game that lets you have a wheel as player one, a controller as player two but the controller can still control player one), break open a Dualshock 3 or Sixaxis and you can solder buttons up to one of those boards, or get a Cthulhu board.
- 9,255
- United Kingdom
- neema_t
Yeah, but that also takes some work. If you take a PS3 controller apart, if it's recent enough you'll see that the membrane is connected to the main board by some simple contact pads, so you have to scrape the black stuff off with a knife (very carefully) and then solder wires to the pads. It's very difficult and very fragile, but you do end up with a wireless box which is definitely nice. A Cthulhu board would be a better option if you're not very confident with soldering because seriously, the pads are tiny and the risk of lifting a track is incredibly high. It's also worth it because you can have pressure sensitive controls (only really worthwhile for the handbrake and possibly look left/right in the G27's case, but for a DFGT it would've given you an analogue reverse control too) and it'll work with a PC too anyway with the right drivers. Oh and you can probably pick up a broken old PS3 controller on Ebay for relatively cheap, I got one for £5 once but a Cthulhu board is £35 or so.
IMHO, unless you're doing it for the aesthetics, I wouldn't bother with this if it's only going to be used for GT. There just aren't that many functions to map; I counted 16 (17 if you include Pause). On the G27 you have 6 buttons on the wheel itself, and a total of 12 on the shifter (the D-pad can be mapped to 4 functions). The 3rd red button on the shifter is Start and it can only be be Pause, but that still leaves a total of 17 that you can map how you like. So you could map everything and still leave a button open.
On the PC, however, it's a different story. There are lots of things that can be mapped, as you can have buttons for starter, ignition, calling for pit stops, chat and voting buttons, etc, plus keyboard keys for other stuff.
You don't have a PS button on the G27, so this box could provide that. However, bear in mind that if you want to use anything other than the PS button on another controller, you have to reassign the controller to 1 every time you start the game. The problem is that GT automatically assigns the wheel controller 1 and anything down the line isn't recognized within the game (although you can still use the PS button to access the XMB). I hope GT6 is better about this and allows us to use other controllers not assigned to 1.
If you make this, I would suggest using a wireless controller so it can power on the PS3.
On the PC, however, it's a different story. There are lots of things that can be mapped, as you can have buttons for starter, ignition, calling for pit stops, chat and voting buttons, etc, plus keyboard keys for other stuff.
You don't have a PS button on the G27, so this box could provide that. However, bear in mind that if you want to use anything other than the PS button on another controller, you have to reassign the controller to 1 every time you start the game. The problem is that GT automatically assigns the wheel controller 1 and anything down the line isn't recognized within the game (although you can still use the PS button to access the XMB). I hope GT6 is better about this and allows us to use other controllers not assigned to 1.
If you make this, I would suggest using a wireless controller so it can power on the PS3.
- 9,255
- United Kingdom
- neema_t
Wow, I've never seen that before, It's a shame it doesn't work with the newer controllers but that's a great idea. Please show off what you come up with, we don't see many PS3 button boxes here.
BTW, this may go without saying, but make sure you map the D-pad. You don't have to use an actual D-pad; it could be 4 buttons instead, but it would help if you arrange them in a way that you would understand the locations of up, down, left, and right.
The reason is that you'll need to reassign the box to controller 1 after you launch the game. The D-pad inputs need to come from the box itself to do that.
The reason is that you'll need to reassign the box to controller 1 after you launch the game. The D-pad inputs need to come from the box itself to do that.
- 56
- Synthbent715
- Synthbent715
That is an awesome idea. I am getting the urge to make one with a wireless controller. Do you guys think it'd be easier to use a 3rd party controller so all the connections are easy to get to? I had a similar idea when I made a DDR pad years ago and the official ps2 controler had the membrane, a 3rd part madkatz conroler had all the solder points neatly placed on top.
- 30
- Greenville
- Pirates-ECU
that sir is absolutely beautiful work... hmm i may have to make on of those, I hate the way reverse is handled with GT5.... just what I need, another excuse to start a project 
- 56
- Synthbent715
- Synthbent715
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