Update on my console expansion unit; wireless keyboard mouse

[Macabre]

Tested and confirmed*

*on my system, which has had the controller port resistors removed & their connections bridged.

Pictured is a wireless IR keyboard with a built in trackball & 2 button mouse, that has a pair of old (pre-usb) ps/2 plugs.

When using that with the two "Total Control 5" adapters (pictured small plugs in the dreamcast), the receiver of the keyboard/mouse combo functions normally, and I was able to play Unreal Tournament with the unit successfully.

I sucked at it, because the mouse was spread across the keyboard, and the arrow-keys on this particular keyboard are stiff/sucky.

But, confirmed that it works.

There doesn't seem to be any power drain issues, as I played with a stock official controller in port 4 - for vmu access to the game, and played for over 30 minutes. The normal power drain issues didn't occur (vmu's not being registered, or random power-down of the system), but I'll be using this keyboard with PSO online play for a while to re-evaluate its long-term usage.



A slight update on my overall progress - the idea of using the two wireless xbox logitech controllers was a great accomplishment, but now that I have two, and tested to see if there was a power drain issue when using two, I found that neither worked. Further investigation finds that nothing else will function if even just one of the xbox logitech wireless controllers is plugged in the system.

Verdict = my system will, and all dreamcasts that have had their resistors removed/bridged, can support one and only one xbox wireless controller, and nothing else at the time.

So, instead of having a pair of controllers like I originally planned, I perused this topics idea; wireless mouse/keyboard combo to be used when the xbox controller isn't plugged in. (the 4th controller port is for a vcd receiver)



I have a pair of USB to PS/2 adapters coming in the mail shortly, and will be testing to see if current generation USB mouse / keyboards function normally, as I'm not happy with the stiffness of this Earthwalk keyboard. I read a report that someone had an optical mouse working with that "Total Control 5" adapter, and am curious to see if it can be replicated.



What I would really like to do is gut the transmitter out of the Earthwalk Keyboard and somehow put it in the japanese clear official dreamcast keyboard, and add the necessary power supply, so that its a semi-official wireless dreamcast keyboard. I then want to take a sega Saturn mouse shell, and build in the optical components out of a mouse, and if possible make it wireless, or possibly wired to the keyboard (a more likely scenario).




*note, the TC5 adapter is damn rare and hard to find, I had to order old stock from this website. It was an odd transaction, as I had to email the site for purchase information and shipping totals, then submit paypal payment without any sort of official forms. I spent almost $60 to have two adapters shipped to me in the United States.

[Macabre]

It actually just occurred to me that this dumb built-in mouse on the keyboard doesn't even have a scroll wheel, which the dreamcast mouse does. I might have to find a completely different wireless keyboard for this idea to even work, or just ignore the mouse part of the keyboard and pursue USB stuff or other wireless PS/2 mouse options.

[TeamXlink]

That is awesome!

[Favrenation]

Maybe use a bluetooth mouse instead of IR? http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless ... 384&sr=8-2 http://www.amazon.com/IOGear-Bluetooth- ... 449&sr=8-1

[mazonemayu]

great job, although it looks like frankensteins monster

[Macabre]

If the USB to PS/2 plug has USB mice working threw the TC5 adapter, then yes I'll definatly be looking for some nifty non-IR hardware.

Good lord think of how fun it would be to get bluetooth stuff working on the dreamcast. A pointless idea as its just controller stuff (controller mouse keyboard), which we already have a pile of stuff to work with - but having more options is always fun.

Xlink this means I'll probably be sending you a new dreamcast mouse, as I'll be shopping for parts soon!

[TeamXlink]

If the USB to PS/2 plug has USB mice working threw the TC5 adapter, then yes I'll definatly be looking for some nifty non-IR hardware.

Good lord think of how fun it would be to get bluetooth stuff working on the dreamcast. A pointless idea as its just controller stuff (controller mouse keyboard), which we already have a pile of stuff to work with - but having more options is always fun.

Xlink this means I'll probably be sending you a new dreamcast mouse, as I'll be shopping for parts soon!

Awesome, thank you!

[Anthony817]

Very impressive! One question though, how would you gut the KB to fit insice the smaller Japanese kb? The keys don't even line up, but shit bro, this is such a nice setup you have there! Imagine if you could make the reciever internal! Is this reciever radio or IR?

[Macabre]

Anthony, my "expansion unit" is so far a bundle of adapters & wireless receivers that are all going inside a dreamcast karaoke shell (painted to match my dreamcast pictured in the "my setup" thread.

Instead of doing a lot of complex mods to a single dreamcast, that will eventually break down, I wanted to do the modifications in a "unit" that the dreamcast (any dreamcast that is) will plug in to.

So far, it will have;
1.) one dedicated wireless xbox logitech remote
2.) one wireless keyboard
3.) one wireless mouse
4.) one wireless vcd remote (possibly the only wireless infra-red item)
5.) graphical output of 720p (vga box to hd converter, could be put out to 1080i, but 720p seems to be just...prettier...with the games i've tested)
6.) bba
7.) sd-card reader
8.) one hardwired vmu port

All of the plugs are black dreamcast sports edition controller cords, so that it will all match.

The entire unit is very near completion, I'm just having a power drain issue with the xbox controller.

And I'm going for more vanity than functionality really, its important to me that it looks very good. For instance, instead of having 5 A/V plugs coming out of the back from the component cables, I've found the pin-outs on an xbox original A/V plug, and wired it up so that the unit will accept an xbox original component cable (1 hole instead of 5).


I've been having fun with wireless controllers for a bit, i've made a few custom recievers out of crazy taxi toys, and am wanting to make a set of sonic characters for the controllers. Since the controllers won't be using a right analog stick, I got a few tiny 3" sonic, metal sonic, and shadow figures that I'll be chopping their heads off and fitting into the controllers, + whatever tidbits I can think of. But for the dedicated controller to this unit, I don't want it to have any sonic theme. I do have a 3" eggman toy that came with the metal sonic one, and am considering putting his head on top of the dreamcast lid (where the dreamcast logo is, since the system & expansion will be matching black & red), as make it look like one of those eggman logo's... but maybe not - I'm not 100% sure i'll like tiny look later.

I've also considered putting a "cap" of sorts over where the controller port is and all the plugs come out of the expansion unit, as having 4 plugs might not look as good as having a squared off black cap.



edit; also the main reason for doing this; consider what all those components would look like when just normally attached to a dreamcast.


edit edit; forgot your question - I'm just wanting to take the transmitter part out of the wireless keyboard, and hack it into the official keyboards plug (internally). I'll have to add a power supply to the keyboard, but I'm more focused on getting the receiver and the rest of this unit finished before i fiddle with the controllers more.

[Macabre]

Here and here are two shots of a dreamcast expansion shell. Anyone know of any good methods of vacuum sealing cord ports? I want to make the lower part where the four cords are coming out look more...professional, but am not sure how? (other than using black hot glue )