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https://github.com/BleuLlama/Scrollytroller

A crank-based controller for use with PlayDate's Pulp web player development tool
https://github.com/BleuLlama/Scrollytroller

Last synced: 16 days ago
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A crank-based controller for use with PlayDate's Pulp web player development tool

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# Scrollytroller

Scrollytroller is a crank-based USB controller, initially inteneded for use with Playdate's Pulp web-based game development tool.






This is a USB controller that lets you try out your Playdate Pulp games with a more accurate 

user interface, compared with using your keyboard.



# Function

The controller generates keyboard presses and mouse scroll wheel events so that the 

Pulp web player will interact with it properly.  (I added more buttons and the LEDs because I 

had the space and thought they might be useful.)



The current mouse+keyboard configuration is:



- Crank generates mouse scroll wheel events

- D-Pad generates keyboard arrow key press events

- A and B buttons - generate keyboard 'a' and 's' events

- C button (in the middle) - not used 

- D and E bottom buttons - generate 'cmd'-'s' to save and 'cmd'-'b' to toggle between the player and the editor



In general use, just the green LED will be lit.

You can switch it into "joystick" mode by pushing in the crank button.  The red LED will light up.

While in this config mode, you can turn the crank to reset it, to match the web player.

You can also press the A and B buttons to switch output modes.  The green LED should be off after

you first power up the unit.  This indicates that you're in keyboard+mouse mode.  Press the B button

to switch to Joystick mode.  The green LED will be lit.



The current joystick configuration is:



- D-Pad generates output on axis 0 (x) and axis 1 (y)

 - Range sent is from -1 to +1, with 0 being the "middle"

- A,B,D,E buttons will generate presses on buttons 0,1,2,3 respectively

 - These send 0 when idle, 1, when pressed

- Crank will output on axis 2, and the range of the axis corresponds to one full revolution of the crank.

 - This sends a value from 0..360, and loops around when a full revolution occurs in either direction



Note: The code defines the full revolution based on a couple factors that are specific to the rotary encoder that I'm using.  Mine has 20 detents per full revolution, and each detent sends a cycle of all 4 gray-code encoder phases.



# Arduino Code



The code is written with the Arduino tools, and requires the Encoder library from PJRC, and the

joystick library from Matthew Heironimus. The urls for these libraries can be found in the source

code, and may be able to be installed through the Arduino Library manager.



This project requires an Arduino board with an ATmega 32u4 chip - Leonardo, Pro Micro, or in

my case, I used the "SS Micro" clone board because I like the formfactor.






The connection details are in the Arduino source code.  But the short of it is that 

all button io is configured using the 32u4's internal pullups, so none are needed

in the external wiring.  All connections go directly to the buttons.  The "other pin" 

on the buttons go to a common ground.  LEDs are wired up in a "source" configuration

where a HIGH from the Arduino will turn the LEDs on.  I used a 510 ohm resistor on each

to keep the current (and brightness) down quite a bit.



# Printable Model



The 3D model started out as the Adafruit "[USB Crank Controller](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3685130)" model on Thingiverse.  I widened

it, and created the D-Pad and buttons, as well as mounting standoffs so that it can

be screwed together.  



My version, seen above, started with that model, but I took it in [Tinkercad](https://tinkercad.com), chopped it up, and made a squareish version, with space for a D-Pad and buttons



# Links

- [Playdate](https://play.date)

- [Playdate Pulp](https://play.date/pulp)

- [Scrollytroller on Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5215011)

- [Adafruit's USB Crank Controller](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3685130)