Hall Joysticks On Switch Pro Controller

[NeoHoth]

Hi there!

Just a thread about my attempt to install hall effect joysticks on Switch Pro Contoller in addition to "Xbox Elite" D-Pad and Thumbstick swap.

I have found a copycat of Gulikit Electro-Magnetic Hall Effect Joysticks, those use standard pinout and can be a soldered in place of standard joysticks. Magnetic potentiometers still use 3-pin connection, and based on that I hope they would play nicely with the Pro Controller's motherboard.

Of course, I have also ordered some drift compensators so to calibrate center position of each joystick with a hardware method.

Will let you know how will it turn out when the whole kit arrives.

P.S. I do know that I could have just bought GuliKit King Kong 2 Pro or 8BitDo controller, but I like modularity and customization possibilities of Pro Controller better.

 

[binkinator]

Hi there!

Just a thread about my attempt to install hall effect joysticks on Switch Pro Contoller in addition to "Xbox Elite" D-Pad and Thumbstick swap.

I have found a copycat of Gulikit Electro-Magnetic Hall Effect Joysticks, those use standard pinout and can be a soldered in place of standard joysticks. Magnetic potentiometers still use 3-pin connection, and based on that I hope they would play nicely with the Pro Controller's motherboard.

Of course, I have also ordered some drift compensators so to calibrate center position of each joystick with a hardware method.

Will let you know how will it turn out when the whole kit arrives.

P.S. I do know that I could have just bought GuliKit King Kong 2 Pro or 8BitDo controller, but I like modularity and customization possibilities of Pro Controller better.

Looks like a fun little hardware project. Here’s to your success! Best of luck. Looking forward to your results.

 

[emcintosh]

Just a thread about my attempt to install hall effect joysticks on Switch Pro Contoller in addition to "Xbox Elite" D-Pad and Thumbstick swap.

I have found a copycat of Gulikit Electro-Magnetic Hall Effect Joysticks, those use standard pinout and can be a soldered in place of standard joysticks…Of course, I have also ordered some drift compensators so to calibrate center position of each joystick with a hardware method… Will let you know how will it turn out when the whole kit arrives.

Following : ).

I fixed drift on my Elite series 1 controller by replacing the carbon rings with ones from replacement standard sticks that best matched the relative resistances of the originals, as Microsoft don't have a user-accessible method to recalibrate the board to a new stick. I am hoping that it will not be necessary to add the drift fix board too, so look forward to hearing how you get on.

The Elite controller board has a thick ground plane that sucks heat from components, so desoldering the stick is a real pain. So I will probably only attempt this upgrade if I get drift again, rather than doing it preemptively.

 

[victorstk]

I'm also interested to see the outcome o this, keep us updated!

Post automatically merged: Jan 19, 2023

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV18d4y1N7hJ/?vd_source=27070f7ec9131e34611b460b6c8dc255
it seems that these will indeed work as the sensors are located in the side compartment and not in the board!

 

[NeoHoth]

Thanks for info! Chinese sources are full of great things to learn!

And yet again, it has become 100% clear that K-Silver is the leading producer of Hall Effect Joysticks for GuliKit, while GuliKit is a resale brand for it's own custom-designed or co-op products they are ordering from K-Silver factory.

K-Silver just made it possible for new mods to appear by making hall effect joysticks those can be retrofitted on old controllers, WOW!


To all the followers of this thread, here is the proof of working concept:
Video 1
Video 2
(Looks like these retrofit joysticks have hall sensors those output voltage instead of signal, which makes them so compact without needing analog to digital converter chip that seems to be installed on GuliKit Joystick daughter boards for Steam Deck)

Getting my used Pro Controller from eBay in a week and in 2 weeks going to receive those Hall Effect joysticks after Chinese New Year. Will get this project rolling from then.

Not to mention the Xbox Elite Thumbstick and D-Pad mod, I am also planning on printing side shell where USB-C is located in order to accommodate built-in attachments for Fixture S1/HotFix X1 mechanism, so not to rely on cradle mechanism alone, which scratches the controller and makes it impossible to have any controller protective cases installed.

I'm also interested to see the outcome o this, keep us updated!

Post automatically merged: Jan 19, 2023

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV18d4y1N7hJ/?vd_source=27070f7ec9131e34611b460b6c8dc255
it seems that these will indeed work as the sensors are located in the side compartment and not in the board!

 

[NeoHoth]

Just received a genuine used Switch Pro Controller in perfect condition for 40$. Hall joysticks have not been shipped out of China, yet...
Well, while waiting, I may make some STLs for Fixture S1/HotFix X1 attachments built into side shell of the controller

 

[halfashark]

The drift compensator... how does it work?

My concern is that they just apply an equal amount of force in the opposite direction of the drift in which case wouldn't that reduce overall joystick sensitivity?

 

[NeoHoth]

The drift compensator... how does it work?

My concern is that they just apply an equal amount of force in the opposite direction of the drift in which case wouldn't that reduce overall joystick sensitivity?

Yes, you are right. This happens if you do no modification to these compensators, because straight from the factory they have bad incorrect variable resistors installed, those give you a range of adjustment up to 50kOhm resistance, whereas, it is ideally to have up to 500kOhm adjustment range. I will soon post a guide on how to choose the correct variable resistors, so that the range of stick's travel will not be restricted after adjustment.

 

[Retro2Modern]

I'm new to this stuff right now, and I have just read this last night, and I would like to know if the k-silver rockers actually have a certain hall effect sensor that mimics the potentiometer rockers. It could actually be perfect to use if we knew what kind it was. Also I might try these custom rockers without a drift fix mod.

 

[NeoHoth]

I'm new to this stuff right now, and I have just read this last night, and I would like to know if the k-silver rockers actually have a certain hall effect sensor that mimics the potentiometer rockers. It could actually be perfect to use if we knew what kind it was. Also I might try these custom rockers without a drift fix mod.

Sure, and this thread is just right for what you are inquiring. K-Silver joysticks have a built-in analog to digital converter in the compartment at the base, where you would normally find connections of the potentiometer.

And there is a proof of concept, as well as installation videos on PS5 controller above in this thread on BiliBili source.

This mod might even be more battery conservative compared to traditional potentiometer-driven joysticks.

 

[Retro2Modern]

Cool! I might have to find out if there are any of those electromagnetic rockers in stock somewhere. And who knows? if it's possible to find the microcontrollers (if they have the three pins like the pots do), and if somebody does reverse engineer that specific MCU to actually display the DAC code publicly, I would totally save some money getting the blank 3 pin MCU's (Which type or brand was it since I forgot to ask, and how many pins solder pads or pins does it have too?) with something to program the DAC in, and maybe making custom rocker housings in Blender as DIY pieces to sell on Etsy too.

 

[NeoHoth]

Cool! I might have to find out if there are any of those electromagnetic rockers in stock somewhere. And who knows? if it's possible to find the microcontrollers (if they have the three pins like the pots do), and if somebody does reverse engineer that specific MCU to actually display the DAC code publicly, I would totally save some money getting the blank 3 pin MCU's (Which type or brand was it since I forgot to ask, and how many pins solder pads or pins does it have too?) with something to program the DAC in, and maybe making custom rocker housings in Blender as DIY pieces to sell on Etsy too.

The link for purchasing these joysticks was provided in the first post of this thread. There is no need to reverse engineer only if you are not planning to make it an open-source project

Once I get these sticks, I will try to report the MCU model number, if there will be any imprinted.

Everything is already thought out and ready do be just soldered onto the board, because these hall effect sticks follow the same 3-pin design as the traditional potentiometer-driven joysticks. Please see videos in BiliBili within this post with real-time translator if required.

 

[Retro2Modern]

The link for purchasing these joysticks was provided in the first post of this thread. There is no need to reverse engineer only if you are not planning to make it an open-source project

Once I get these sticks, I will try to report the MCU model number, if there will be any imprinted.

Everything is already thought out and ready do be just soldered onto the board, because these hall effect sticks follow the same 3-pin design as the traditional potentiometer-driven joysticks. Please see videos in BiliBili within this post with real-time translator if required.

I just got the same sticks to at least try on one of my Switch Pro Controller which I modded with a different shell (based on the Super Famicom or European SNES yet am getting a better one with an octogonal gate), and I have to wait for a month to get mine so I can do a stick replacement for my Pro controller by desoldering the entire sticks from the modules. If it happens to work without Helder's Drift Fix Mod, then we're definitely going to need drop-in replacements from Gulikit (IF they can make them the same as K-Silver's sticks with the 3 pin hall effect rockers). I would totally buy more of those and save money from having to buy new controllers instead (unless I wanted to do 8 players for my games of course).

 

[victorstk]

Bad news everyone
I just got the sticks and drift compensators, and it does not work, it has the same problem as the K-Silver sticks on joycons,
they are off centered and you cannot calibrate it, the drift compensator board also doesn't work as a way to center the sticks and calibrate them properly.

I'll make a video and post here

 

[NeoHoth]

Bad news everyone
I just got the sticks and drift compensators, and it does not work, it has the same problem as the K-Silver sticks on joycons,
they are off centered and you cannot calibrate it, the drift compensator board also doesn't work as a way to center the sticks and calibrate them properly.

I'll make a video and post here

Looking forward to watch the video asap. Can you please share the link to the joysticks you have purchased? Because there are 2 different models:
1. Self-contained model without a calibration chip;
2. Joysticks with programmable chips installed on daughter boards.

 

[victorstk]

Looking forward to watch the video asap. Can you please share the link to the joysticks you have purchased? Because there are 2 different models:
1. Self-contained model without a calibration chip;
2. Joysticks with programmable chips installed on daughter boards.

I bought the one of your link

they have additional chips for calibration even though the photo doesn't show it

Post automatically merged: Feb 8, 2023

they're like this

https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/1005005061321728.html
I'm not sure how the guy got it working on ps5, probably they are uncentered on ps5 too

 

[Retro2Modern]

Bad news everyone
I just got the sticks and drift compensators, and it does not work, it has the same problem as the K-Silver sticks on joycons,
they are off centered and you cannot calibrate it, the drift compensator board also doesn't work as a way to center the sticks and calibrate them properly.

I'll make a video and post here

Luckily, I had the Gulikit versions from Amazon and installed them on two pairs of my Joy Cons, and they didn't need any calibration whatsoever. As for the K-Silver sticks you got, I haven't gotten mine so IDK.

 

[NeoHoth]

Luckily, I had the Gulikit versions from Amazon and installed them on two pairs of my Joy Cons, and they didn't need any calibration whatsoever. As for the K-Silver sticks you got, I haven't gotten mine so IDK.

This one is offtopic, since @victorstk is explaining having full-sized hall joysticks from K-Silver (Steam Deck replacements) installed on his Pro Controller.

It is unusual to see that these K-Silver joysticks have run out of stock recently. Maybe GuliKit took over and will be releasing replacement of full-size joysticks eliminating this off-center issue. It has to be noted that the same situation happened to K-Silver joy-con joystick availability and weeks later GuliKit stepped in with their replacements Not sure how viable would it be for them to sell just parts for full-sized controllers, as I guess they have a primary interest to sell their own accessories, such as gamepads, other than simple parts.

I had my K-Silver Steam Deck joysticks ordered for the sake of the project explained in this thread, and the seller confirmed they are coming without a chip preinstalled. Fingers crossed

 

[Nephiel]

These new modules from Gulikit have been popping up on Aliexpress recently.

Bad news, these also have additional components on the board. But the IC looks different from other modules.

Here's to hoping self-contained sticks for a straightforward swap still become available.

 

[Lamcza]

These new modules from Gulikit have been popping up on Aliexpress recently.

Bad news, these also have additional components on the board. But the IC looks different from other modules.

Here's to hoping self-contained sticks for a straightforward swap still become available.

That 5 points on the top are interesting because this is exactly how many tracks that joysticks should use wonder if they are actually use all of the tracks from that ribbon or if they just use 5 and choose it because of convenience/price instead of making their own ribbons or it is required to use for that touch sensors in analogs caps if they are using 5 for just joystick and you can fit this board inside of the controller plus the legs of the joystick shell are fitting in pro controller board it should be doable even with this gulikit unit but there are a lot of ifs and a lot of additional wires, desoldering and soldering

My theory is that you could desolder the joystick from this board, solder some wires to the potentiometers of it and the button then mout boards below or anywhere it fits in pro controller(if it fits) then solder your potentiometer wires and button 1-1 to the board of the hall unit next secure the point of potentiometer with some isolation tape solder joy in place on the pro controller board(just the legs of the case) then from that 5 point again wires and soldering to the pro controller potentiometers and button points this time to the other side of the board.

That's a lot of work and a lot of guessing so before that testing those 5 pins by soldering to the empty slot of pro controller joystick socket will be a good idea. And desoldering these potentiometers is a bit tricky i quack up my black ds4 once