Modules
Gather the following parts to complete this project.
Parts
| Part | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Top Controller Plate | 1 |
| Bottom Controller Plate | 1 |
| Vertical Spacing Plates | 2 |
| Thumb Joysticks | 2 |
| Base shield | 1 |
| 9 Volt Barrel Connector | 1 |
| Cables | 2 |
| Bag of Hardware | 1 |
Mounting the Arduino
The Arduino and black base shield must be separate for this step. Grab the Bottom Controller Plate, Arduino, three M3 10mm screws, and three M3 hex nuts. The Bottom Controller Plate should be facing up so you can see the L and R engravings. Place the Arduino on top of the Bottom Controller Plate so the mounting holes line up. Place a screw through one of the 3 mounting holes. Flip the Bottom Controller Plate and Arduino over and hand tighten a hex nut. Repeat for the remaining mounting holes. The top right hole makes the screw go in diagonal. This is normal.
Reattach the Base Shield
With the Arduino in place, reinsert the base shield into the Arduino. Line up the pins on the Shield with the headers in the Arduino and press down.
Attaching the Buttons
Grab the two Vertical Spacing Plates, two button modules, four M2 10mm screw, and four M2 hex nuts. Place a button on top of a Vertical Spacing Plate so that the mounting holes in the plate line up with the hole in the module. It does not matter what orientation the plate and board are in. Place an M2 screw through the module then through the plate. Hand tighten an M2 hex nut to the screw. Repeat for the other mounting hole. Repeat these steps for the remaining Vertical Spacing Plate and module.
Mounting the Standoffs
Grab the two 20mm standoffs and two M3 hex nuts. Place one standoff through one of the holes found in the hand grips on the Bottom Controller Plate.The standoff should be coming out of the side of plate with the engravings. Flip the Bottom Controller Plate over and attach a M3 hex nut to the threads of the standoff. Repeat for the remaining mounting hole and standoff.
Attaching the Vertical Plates
Grab the two Vertical Spacing Plates with buttons in them as well as two M3 10mm screws, and two M3 hex nuts. We will be inserting the Vertical Spacing Plates into the slots at the top of the Bottom Controller Plate. This time the orientation matters. We want the socket on the bottom with the button module facing out or towards the top. Place a hex nut in the t-slot near socket inside a Vertical Spacing Plate. The will be snug. Place the Vertical Spacing Plate into the Bottom Controller Plate. From the bottom of the Bottom Controller Plate insert a screw. It should line up with the hex nut in the t-slot. Tighten the screw but not too tight. Repeat this for the remaining side.
Mount the Joysticks
Setting aside what we just made. Grab the two joystick modules, the Top Controller Plate, six M2 10mm screws, and six M2 hex nuts. Place a joystick module in two one of the two cutoffs for it. Do this from the bottom through the plate. Add one M2 screw from the top down. Flip over the plate and hand tighten the nut. Repeat this for the remaining two screw holes. Then repeat for the remaining joystick module and other cutout.
Attaching the Top Controller Plate
Grab the Top Controller Plate, four M3 10mm screws, and two hex nuts. Place it on top of the standoffs and Vertical Spacing Plates. Place two screws into the standoffs and tighten. Slide a hex nut into a Vertical Spacing Plate's t-slot. Then add a screw and tighten. Repeat with the remaining Vertical Spacing Plate.
Wiring Up the Joysticks
Grab two cables. Place one end into the left joystick socket and the other side into A0. Take the remaining cable and place it into the right joystick socket and the other side into A2. The joysticks must be spaced out like this because they use two analog channels per joystick. Putting them into A0 and A1 would cause overlap and some directions wouldn't work.
Add the WiFi Module
Grab the WiFi module, a cable, and a piece of tape to secure it. We are using the tape instead of screws because with the positioning of the WiFi module using screws would dig into your hand when holding the controller. Tape the WiFi module to the Bottom Controller Plate under the right joystick. Using the cable, place one end into the WiFi module socket and the other into D8.
A Battery For Later
We'll be using a 9-volt battery to power the controller wirelessly. Plug the cable into the battery then attach a piece of tape to the battery. Tape it down like the WiFi module but under the left joystick.
