Ddr ps2-controller

Dance-Dance-Revolution PS2 Controller

Kevin Cuzner

Introduction

This is my attempt at a low-cost, but high quality DIY DDR controller which is compatible with the Sony PlayStation 2.

The firmware is based loosely on my Pop-N-Music PS2 Controller. though I've rewritten it to be closer to my current style.

Although it would be cool to use an STM32 or other advanced ARM controller, that is overkill for what this is. Turns out, a $0.60 AVR microcontroller can meet all the digital requirements without even needing a 3.3V regulator. To that end, here is the main featureset:

• ATTiny20 microcontroller (QFN package, 12 I/O). There are two personalities:
  • The PSX bus interface. This takes input from up to 6 buttons and operates the upstream PSX bus to the PlayStation 2.
  • The switch controller. This takes input from up to 4 foot switches and produces a single output which is cabled to the PSX bux interface board.
• Single PCB which fits both personalities.
• Edge-facing LEDs for pad illumination.
  • Strangely enough, it was cheaper to just use a constant-current controlled LED driver than to use a discrete MOSFET of an appropriate size.

Project Status

• This project has not been fully assembled or tested. But:
• Firmware builds and installs on both board personalities.
• The LED/Switch boards work great! Mostly. Some quirks with the LEDs always being partially on, but whatever.
• With a USB-PS2 adapter I've verified on an oscilloscope that the controller board can be polled and that it appears to send back the correct responses. So the PSX bus implementation is at least superficially correct.
• The switch boards can connect to the controller board and on an oscilloscope I've verified that everything toggles.

Some things still remain I can think of off the top of my head:

• I need to test it with an actual PS2. Now to convince my wife to let me touch her PS2...
• I need to verify that the button/switch mappings are correct for a dance pad. I unfortunately didn't mark the PCB silkscreen in any way for that, so I'm going to have to resort to colored tape, paint, or something else to keep the myriad cables straight while wiring this up.
• I need to actually construct the wood/metal/plastic enclosure for this. I have a plan, but it's not posted here.

References

• http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/psx_adaptor/Playstation.txt
• https://gist.github.com/scanlime/5042071
• https://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/PS2/
• https://blog.nearfuturelaboratory.com/2008/06/19/playstation2-logic-analysis/