Can I use any USB PC gamepad to control the RIOS? Or do I have to use a PS2 controller with a USB adapter?
Thanks
I believe RIOS allows you to setup the puttons for your style controller. But that assumes it can talk to it at all. Post info of the controller in question and we will ask Laurent to respond to this post.
I haven’t bought one yet. I was going to wait to see if there is a specific brand I should use, logitec?, or if I NEED the PS2 controller with USB adapter.
Hello evolution,
for now, RIOS is using the Windows joystick system, so, it can work with any joystick…but,
you can’t setup buttons<->function and axis<->moves with the current RIOS V1.04, so if the gamepad is very different than a PS2 controller, you could experiment some issues…
the next RIOS V1.05 will allow to setup buttons and axis but for now it’s better to use a PS2 controller with an USB adaptor.
i’m using a Madrics Superbox 3 Pro USB adaptor, i don’t know if you can found it in USA…anyway i think any brand will suit.
Thanks for the reply. The gamepad I was looking at appears to me the exact same layout as a PS2 (without the top buttons, R1,R2,L1,L2) and it’s a USB gamepad. Logitech makes a few that also look identical to a PS2 controller. And I know windows has a wealth of driver support for logitech products so I thought that would be my best bet. They are only $10 to $20 anyways so I’ll buy a cheap one, and see if it works.
All I want is the 2 analog joysticks to manually control the arm’s axis.
Left joystick,
up/down(Boom up and down),
left/right(Base rotate) and
Right Joystick,
up/down(Stick up and down),
right/left(hand up and down).
And then I need to assign a button:
to turn on/off a motor on the hand (5th channel)
To drive forward (6th channel)
To drive backwards (6th channel)
And 2 buttons to actuate the 7th and 8th extra channels on/off.
If I plug a UBS gamepad in, do I just open RIOS and hope the inputs show up on the program?
And when will 1.05V be released? Will I have to buy it or will it be a free upgrade?
Thanks alot.
Ok, just so everyone knows, the cheap Recoil Gamepad from WalMart works perfect with RIOS. They are usually $10 or less and have a retractable cable. Tested and fully functional.
Now what I’d give to be able to assign the buttons where I need them. 
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q253/gfisher2002/robots/recoilcontroller.jpg
One thing I found with the full sized analog joysticks is that one must deal with the stick spring return to a neutral position when released. In a small program I made I used a button to activate the stick control. I would press a button, position the servo where I wanted, then release the button. I could then let go of the joystick and the servo would hold its position.
Excellent idea.
In my case, I’m not actually using the gamepad. Well, sort of. I’m using the guts out of it as the controller board but I’m routing the buttons and joysticks to my own control panel. I’m custom making joysticks to replace the toggles and installing my own linear pots and buttons to replace the ones on the gamepad. So basically I’m just using the circuitboard and routing the button pins to my own inputs.
I just needed to find an interface (gamepad) that the RIOS would recognize.
P.S. Any idea how long before the RIOS update is released? Weeks, months, next year? Just curious.
I’m currently working on SEQ (Visual Sequencer),
I’m adding a Socket server to control SEQ from an external application
- a socket client to control the robot (from SEQ) other LAN or WWW, directly from TCP to TCP.
I’m adding a complete support for the SSC-32 new onboard GP sequencer with an hexa/ASCII editor, a GP Sequencer control panel and a Sequence viewer.
and many more cool things.
this version still needs some works, then it will be RIOS V1.05 turn,
RIOS V1.05 will include both socket (client and server), the assignable buttons for joystick etc…
i can’t tell you “when” exactly, but i can tell you the new SEQ version will be finished soon (i think in 3 weeks…but…) then RIOS V1.05 will need only 2 more weeks after that (as both sockets are already included in RIOS V1.05)
i was not going to allow assigning outputs control to Gamepad buttons…but yes, it’s a good idea, i will allow to do that too, with two modes (push->on, push again->off or keep pushing->on, release->off)
so i hope RIOS V1.05 will be out end of march…um ?..yes 2007 !
it will be a free update.
One thing more you might want to consider for joystick use is adding a current display of the joystick output and an adjacent (preferbly underneith) second display of the last output to the servos. In my program I had the joystick position displayed for testing. For use with an arm and such, the second display would allow a generally bumpless transfer when the joystick is reengaged to send output to the servos. For a larger arm the the current joystick output could be matched with the last output sent tothe servos so when the send button is pushed, the arm will not jump from being instantly sent a different position.
Now that the bugs are getting worked out of the new SEQ, do you think RIOS will be next?
I had another quick question. Being the customizing freak that I am, I love skinning everything. Programs that is.
Is there anyway for me to edit the image on RIOS? Stick in a different picture? I decompiled the exe and extracted the bitmap images but only found the icons and such. I’m guessing the Background image is a skin that was included in the original source code.
And why the heck can’t you maximize the window!!! It drives me CRAZY!! Every time I open it I go to click to maximize it and there’s no button for it. Every time. What’s up with that?
um, first be aware that editing the code of a copyrighted program is illegal…
extracting bitmap is illegal too…
modifying the code or graphics is illegal too…
on the legal part…what window do you want to maximize ?
and yes, i’m working on RIOS now 
Oh…well then forget I mentioned that. I’m not modifying it for an monetary gain, just for the sake of customizing for my own viewing pleasure.
When I open Rios the main window cannot be expanded to full screen. The three little boxes in the top right corner are there but only the minimize and close boxes are clickable. The one in the middle, to maxamize, is faded and not clickable. Same with all the other windows; moves, setup etc.
The SEQ is the same way, can’t maxamize any of the windows to full screen. Tried it on my 15" laptop and on my desktop with a 22" 16:9 LCD.
Is it supposed to be like that? It drives me bonkers.
Any updates on the new 1.05 update for RIOS? Just curious. I’m in dire need of assigning my own buttons.
I’m still working on RIOS V1.05, i’m not able to give a delay for now sorry 