Asked by: Baptiste
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Description
This is a self-centring spring-loaded analogue thumb-slide joystick, very similar to those found on the PSP1000. These compact joysticks are different in that they have a very interesting ‘slide’ feeling which makes it easier for the user to feel how far they've moved.
This thumb slide joystick is rated for 5V but we have noticed no issues when used at 3V as with the BBC micro:bit, with just a few blocks of code you can use the microbits LED matrix to track the movement of the joystick which makes for much more interesting gameplay possibilities than just using the A and B buttons on the BBC micro:bit.
The rubber thumb pad is removable if you desire. The solder pads on the reverse are spaced by 2mm and the two mounting holes are the right diameter for M2 Machine Screws.
The X & Y axis pads on the underside of the joystick output an analogue voltage, you can code the microbit to monitor and read these voltages and translate that into an action. In the example further down the page, we used the Microsoft Block Editor and made use of the 'map' block to read the output voltages from the X & Y Axis and convert them into a value from 0 to 4 so that the position of the joystick can be tracked using the LED matrix on the micro bit.
Note:
For wiring this part; if you look at the device from the bottom, the pin out goes:
Pin 4 is the pin closest to the 2 mounting tabs found on the rear side of the device. You can expect a range of about 128 to 775 on each axis, though you will need to experiment as the range may vary slightly from joystick to joystick.
Features:
- X & Y axis analogue voltage output.
- Self-centering spring-loaded analogue joystick.
- Similar to the controls found on a PSP 1000.
- Ideal for use with the BBC micro:bit.
- The mounting holes suit M2-size screws.
Contents:
- 1 x Self centering spring-loaded analogue joystick.
Video:
Dimensions:
- Length: 19mm.
- Width: 19mm.
- Height: 9mm.
Requires:
- 2 x M2 Machine Screws.
SparkFun Stock Code:
- COM-09426.
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Q:
Can you (somehow) use the joystick to control a MOVE mini buggy?
A:
Hi Baptiste, Yes this should be possible. On the product page you will see a video where we control one of the LEDs on the micro:bit and move it with the joystick, the code for this is then shown below. You should be able to adapt this so that it is used to drive the buggy.
Answered by: Michael Lockhart
20-Apr-18
Q:
Will this work with the Picaxe and Genie chips?
Asked by: Fergal Murphy
A:
Hi Fergal, Yes this should work fine with both PICAXE and Genie, it is rated to 5V’s however we used it with the BBC micro:bit which uses 3V’s and it worked fine.
Answered by: Michael Lockhart
12-Dec-16
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