TH8RS, DSD, etc. to Fanatec Adapter - BasherBoards SFA1

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mrbasher

mrbasher

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mrbasherman
Here is my newest creation...

This is the SFA1 Shifter Adapter:
SFA1_sm.jpg


Some details:

This simple device allows you to use USB shifters with your Fanatec wheel. That's all there is to it! Power for the device can be provided directly from your Xbox or PS3 console.

These are designed and hand built by myself, using only high quality components. Each one is fully tested before it goes out the door.

The SFA1 includes a 6 Foot USB A to USB B cable for powering or updating the adapter

Supported Shifters -

  • Thrustmaster TH8RS: Both gated and sequential modes work properly. The adapter switches automatically between gated and sequential modes.
  • DSD Pro Sequential and DSD Bent Rod GT.
  • Lightning SST
  • TSW Gated shifter support coming soon.
  • ... More to be added soon through firmware updates.

Supported Fanatec Wheels -

  • ClubSport Wheel (with RJ12 to PS2 cable)
  • CSR Elite(with RJ12 to PS2 cable)
  • CSR
  • Porsche 911 GT2
  • Porsche 911 GT3 RS
  • Porsche 911 Carrera
  • Porsche Turbo S
  • Essentially any Fanatec wheel that can use the Fanatec 6 speed or sequential shifters

I hope to post a video showing it's use in the near future. The first batch of these sold out in under 3 days... I will have more in about 1 week.

If you own one, feel free to post about your experience with the adapter. :D
 
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Ah, what the heck... I changed my mind. Post all you like. :) It'll give me an indication of interest if nothing else.
 
mrbasher
Ah, what the heck... I changed my mind. Post all you like. :) It'll give me an indication of interest if nothing else.
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Interesting to follow your development here. It is always nice if something good grows out of a need of a community into a nice business. I wish you all the best with this and am excited, how your adapters can make sim racing and cockpit building so much better (now options for console racers with wheels, pedals and shifters are a lot more open).

I am looking forward, to finally race Forza 4 production cars with a proper H-shifter and elevate my GT5 experience by the same equipment, coming from a creaky Logitech G25 before.

I like, that you kept pricing affordable for many enthusiasts and your professional attitude and great communication about all this - a lot of potential here 👍
 
BLACK86
can you not make this a g25/27 adapter aswell....all in one?
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Technically, yes... However, people would lose the buttons that are on the G25 and G27 shifters. Because of this, I have a something slightly different in mind for that adapter.

As well, the G25 and G27 shifters have some "fiddly" stuff going on that make them incompatible with the SFA1.
 
mcfizzle
7 + Reverse.
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I thought so. I suppose the Fanatec just doesn't recognise this gear

Quick question to the brain boxes out there.

The G25/7 pedals have a D plug connector ( not sure of the proper term ). Is it possible to get a male to female cable that would work?

I have my g27 hard mounted to a WSP. In order to remove pedals it's a bit of a hassle unscrewing.

If I had a short cable with a female connector hanging out the front of my wheel I could quickly unhook my pedal set.

My GT2 is hard mounted to a WSP. It would take only seconds to drop My GT2 + Mount into my G27 pedals, if and when needed.

Do I make sense?
 
Spagetti69
I thought so. I suppose the Fanatec just doesn't recognise this gear
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When using the TH8RS and my adapter, 7th gear works on the Fanatec wheel. ;)


Spagetti69
Quick question to the brain boxes out there.

The G25/7 pedals have a D plug connector ( not sure of the proper term ). Is it possible to get a male to female cable that would work?

I have my g27 hard mounted to a WSP. In order to remove pedals it's a bit of a hassle unscrewing.

If I had a short cable with a female connector hanging out the front of my wheel I could quickly unhook my pedal set.

My GT2 is hard mounted to a WSP. It would take only seconds to drop My GT2 + Mount into my G27 pedals, if and when needed.

Do I make sense?
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Like this? http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=10212&cs_id=1021201&p_id=442&seq=1&format=2
 
Ah Thank you MrB.

DB9 extension cable is what's called for. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Great news on a 7 speed shifter for the Fanatec too. Not even Thomas provides that yet.
 
Spagetti69
Ah Thank you MrB.

Great news on a 7 speed shifter for the Fanatec too. Not even Thomas provides that yet.
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Regarding the current Fanatec Porsche and CSR 6 speed + reverse shifters and 7th gear (Not the SFA1 Adapter); you can go up from 6th to 7th and then back down via the paddle shifters.

Its seamless, and when you come back down from 7th to whatever gear you select, the next time you depress the clutch for gear change it switches back to H shifter manual clutch.

Regarding the SFA1 Adapter: As per the SFA1 web page:
Thrustmaster TH8RS: Both gated and sequential modes work properly, as does 7th gear. The adapter will automatically switch between modes on the fly when changing the shifter plate on the TH8RS.
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But I think that the majority of real cars with 7 gears are probably equipped with paddle shifters.
 
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From what I can gather. The latest Porsche 911 and Cheverolette Coverette cars come with 7 speed manuals. Also BMW will have them in the future.

So yeah... it's still very rare, 7 speed manual transmissions.
 
Thanks for the edit JogoAsobi. ;)

Something interesting to note... In GT5, the 7 speed cars that I tested don't actually use a clutch "per say." The way you can tell this is that when you shift with the H shifter, there is no neutral. The gears still work as expected, but the clutch isn't necessary. I'm assuming this is because the game is just auto-clutching like the real car might. Out of curiosity and since I'd like to test it, does anyone know of any cars in GT5 that do NOT do this?

Oh and 7 speed manual BMW... I wouldn't mind having one of those :D
 
mrbasher it's people like you that keep me loving sim racing... Thank you for creating this adapter, I'll be looking in this.
 
CTstryk
mrbasher it's people like you that keep me loving sim racing... Thank you for creating this adapter, I'll be looking in this.
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It's people like you that keep me wanting to make this stuff! :D It's an amazing feeling to have made something people enjoy using, truly.
 
Got mine today. Uber fast shipping! Thank you Mr.Basher! My shifter should be here in 2 weeks. I'll be ready.
 
Received my SFA1's today. As LostRacer said shipping was VERY fast, and units were well packed and secured.

The unit is very professional looking and unobtrusive, unlike some home-brewed designs which may be functional but have bare pcb's and wires hanging out. If the aesthetics of your rig are important and you can't hide the SFA1 it will not look tacky on your rig.

Followed the directions that are included and plugged the TH8RS into the SFA1 along with the USB to the pc for power. Connected the adapters (which are the weak link)from the CSW to the SFA1 and checked the game controller.

Connected to the CSW the TH8RS calibrated perfectly!! I can now use the TH8RS connected to the CSW with the PS3 👍!

Another big benefit to me is being able to free up USB devices. Most of the Sims I play (GAMESTOCK CAR, rFactor etc.) will only register 3 usb devices. Forcing you to use X-padder or something similar. With BasherBoards SFA1 I can free up 2 usb devices and have all my gear connect and work with the sims I play.

Needed to contact BasherBoard for an issue I was having and instantly got a response to my question and he made sure I was happy.

Thanks for your efforts Basher, anyone needing one (or two) of these things grab'em, they work! :)
 
Let's see how long it takes for mine, to ship around the world ;)
Btw, awesome idea with the firmware updates, to include future features.
 
Cheeba
Received my SFA1's today. As LostRacer said shipping was VERY fast, and units were well packed and secured.

The unit is very professional looking and unobtrusive, unlike some home-brewed designs which may be functional but have bare pcb's and wires hanging out. If the aesthetics of your rig are important and you can't hide the SFA1 it will not look tacky on your rig.

Followed the directions that are included and plugged the TH8RS into the SFA1 along with the USB to the pc for power. Connected the adapters (which are the weak link)from the CSW to the SFA1 and checked the game controller.

Connected to the CSW the TH8RS calibrated perfectly!! I can now use the TH8RS connected to the CSW with the PS3 👍!

Another big benefit to me is being able to free up USB devices. Most of the Sims I play (GAMESTOCK CAR, rFactor etc.) will only register 3 usb devices. Forcing you to use X-padder or something similar. With BasherBoards SFA1 I can free up 2 usb devices and have all my gear connect and work with the sims I play.

Needed to contact BasherBoard for an issue I was having and instantly got a response to my question and he made sure I was happy.

Thanks for your efforts Basher, anyone needing one (or two) of these things grab'em, they work! :)
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Thanks for the mini-review Cheeba! :D You have fun with it last night?

I checked my shipping and the average US shipping time from order to delivery has been 2.5 days which isn't too bad really... This includes a 9 day shipping time, which was quite odd and a 5 day because of a Monday holiday situation. Otherwise the rest have been 2 or 3 day. I'm pretty pleased with the USPS so far.

The issue Cheeba had, as he said, was the cable he had. I was afraid of this possibly being an issue for some people... The cable in reference is supplied with some of the Fanatec wheels and some of the Fanatec pedals. It is about 18 inches long and has a a male RJ12 on one end and a female PS2 on one end. In my experience these are extremely hit or miss cables. I made up two cables this morning to send Cheeba today. These can go directly from the SFA1 to the CSW or CSR Elite and are 3' long:

cables.jpg


Is this something that some of you might be interested in? I would likely just make it as a option when ordering. They are cheap for me to make, therefore cheap for you to obtain. ;)
 
Spike125
Let's see how long it takes for mine, to ship around the world ;)
Btw, awesome idea with the firmware updates, to include future features.
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Well Spike, you ordered Express mail so it had better get there quickly! :)
 
Dude, just want to say you are a long-overdue breath of fresh air, there is a big-time pent up demand for this stuff.

Unfortunately for various reasons, some marketing, some profit-driven, some political... there is no common shared protocol that allows mix and match use of differing manufacturers' wheels, pedals, shifters on consoles, although this is in most part addressed on PCs via USB.

So its great to see this here, after all, last time I checked this forum's primary focus is a console-centric game.

There are quite a few console users who don't have the space, resources or other circumstances to do PC sims, and would like to be able to do mix and matching of components like USB on PCs allows.

I keep having these dreams about using a T500 with my CSPs that just won't go away....
 
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JogoAsobi
Dude, just want to say you are a long-overdue breath of fresh air, there is a big-time pent up demand for this stuff.

Unfortunately for various reasons, some marketing, some profit-driven, some political... there is no common shared protocol that allows mix and match use of differing manufacturers' wheels, pedals, shifters on consoles, although this is in most part addressed on PCs via USB.

So its great to see this here, after all, last time I checked this forum's primary focus is a console-centric game.

There are quite a few console users who don't have the space, resources or other circumstances to do PC sims, and would like to be able to do mix and matching of components like USB on PCs allows.

I keep having these dreams about using a T500 with my CSPs that just won't go away....
Click to expand...

Funny, I have the same dream, T500 with CSPs on a PS3.
 
mrbasher
Is this something that some of you might be interested in? I would likely just make it as a option when ordering. They are cheap for me to make, therefore cheap for you to obtain. ;)
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Would be a good option idea during purchase because speaking as a CSR E owner it does not ship with a PS/2 cable included.....it only comes with a female adapter to plug a PS/2 cable into the shifter port on the CSR E........I imagine the same applies to the CSW.
 
thehawk05
Would be a good option idea during purchase because speaking as a CSR E owner it does not ship with a PS/2 cable included.....it only comes with a female adapter to plug a PS/2 cable into the shifter port on the CSR E........I imagine the same applies to the CSW.
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:( Do you have a PS2 cable? Let me know, I have several and can send you one at cost. They are cheap.

I think I need to add options to ship cables with these...
 
I purchased the parts necessary to make the required cables and will be adding them to my site as an option before the next back of SFA1's are ready... My apologies to those that ordered if you are stuck without the proper cables. Please let me know if this is the case and I will do my best to get you sorted out. :)
 
My csw shipped with 2 fanatec shifter cables, but they are about 1 foot long so it makes them pretty worthless if you use them shifters. Luckily I use a th8 on pc so doesnt matter, but a 1 foot cable is just plain rediculous.
 

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