Nice! thanks for the write up. I found one pretty cheap on eBay and plan to give it a shot.
- Thread starter Mitsurugi-w
- Start date
Brivs Mekis
Beginner
Brivs Mekis
Beginner
Ok, so here's my effort with the Dreamcast steering wheel. I used the European version HKT-7430, make sure you check which version you have as the wires are different colours on the 9 pin connector compared to HKT-7400.
There is alot of room to work with inside, so I took advantage of this and screwed a DB25 breakout board onto the right hand side stand of the original PCB.
I'm useless at soldering so prefer terminals and I had a spare cable to use.
Another thing, if you want to check the wiring inside the actual wheel, only 4 of the screws around the centre circle on the front are real and need to be removed (along with the ones around the back of the wheel itself.) The rest in the middle are decorative only.
I wired the buttons:
A - Service
B - Test
Minus - P1 down
Plus - Aux2
Start - Start
I used dupont cables on the helper from Aux2 (plus button) to P2 SW1, that is for boost in Sega race tv and also RTuned.
I also put a dupont cable from P1 Down (minus button) to P2 Up. I didn't cut any traces.
This allows you to use the minus button to change view in OR2, and in initial D it moves on the menus where you choose car and colour etc, same with RTuned and then during a race in RTuned it changes the view (without messing up the gears)
For the main steering pot, I didn't remove the 5v and Ground, I just switched them over when connecting to the terminals.
I play all the racing games with auto transmission.
Hope this helps someone.
There is alot of room to work with inside, so I took advantage of this and screwed a DB25 breakout board onto the right hand side stand of the original PCB.
I'm useless at soldering so prefer terminals and I had a spare cable to use.
Another thing, if you want to check the wiring inside the actual wheel, only 4 of the screws around the centre circle on the front are real and need to be removed (along with the ones around the back of the wheel itself.) The rest in the middle are decorative only.
I wired the buttons:
A - Service
B - Test
Minus - P1 down
Plus - Aux2
Start - Start
I used dupont cables on the helper from Aux2 (plus button) to P2 SW1, that is for boost in Sega race tv and also RTuned.
I also put a dupont cable from P1 Down (minus button) to P2 Up. I didn't cut any traces.
This allows you to use the minus button to change view in OR2, and in initial D it moves on the menus where you choose car and colour etc, same with RTuned and then during a race in RTuned it changes the view (without messing up the gears)
For the main steering pot, I didn't remove the 5v and Ground, I just switched them over when connecting to the terminals.
I play all the racing games with auto transmission.
Hope this helps someone.
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Logan McCloud
Student
Really nice and very clean mod, congrats.
PaulWoodpross3r
Enthusiast
Great mods here. I have a general question about these old school console wheels though. Can a 3rd-party PS1 racing wheel be used for Naomi or Sega Model 2/3? I read those normally run on 3.3v as opposed to the Dreamcast controllers' 5v, but some of those actually have potentiometers for the steering instead of encoders.
I had a Pelican Rally 2 racing wheel for Dreamcast that I later chucked cuz I was doing some ridiculous conversion, but that controller has a very clean wiring diagram inside the base with all the connections marked, so maybe it's ideal for modding. Pelican released a couple wheels for PS1 with the same generic mold, including the GT2 (likely to coincide with Gran Turismo 2's release), so I bought one of those to see if the wiring's any similar. These controllers are dirt cheap on eBay btw; you can easily snag them for $24-30 including shipping.
I had a Pelican Rally 2 racing wheel for Dreamcast that I later chucked cuz I was doing some ridiculous conversion, but that controller has a very clean wiring diagram inside the base with all the connections marked, so maybe it's ideal for modding. Pelican released a couple wheels for PS1 with the same generic mold, including the GT2 (likely to coincide with Gran Turismo 2's release), so I bought one of those to see if the wiring's any similar. These controllers are dirt cheap on eBay btw; you can easily snag them for $24-30 including shipping.
Voltage doesn't matter, because you're bypassing all of the electronics and just wiring straight to the pots and buttons. As long as it has pots for the wheel and the pedals, it will more than likely work.
PaulWoodpross3r
Enthusiast
PaulWoodpross3r
Enthusiast
Also curious to know... has anyone been able to attempt connecting Gameport-based controllers to the Naomi or M3 without modifying the internals?
The pinouts apparently have the connections for the 5v, grounds, 4 analog signals, though only 4 digital buttons. I opened up a NASCAR Charger wheel from '98 once and IIRC its steering potentiometer only has two posts. From my experience a lot of older console wheels are more trouble than its worth attempting to modify pots, as they mostly use cheap 10KB pots and are a pain to solder back on. I would especially love to try using an old Gameport-wired flight stick for Star Wars Trilogy on M3S2! For Jambo Safari on Naomi a wheel using the same connection would be PERFECT imo.
The pinouts apparently have the connections for the 5v, grounds, 4 analog signals, though only 4 digital buttons. I opened up a NASCAR Charger wheel from '98 once and IIRC its steering potentiometer only has two posts. From my experience a lot of older console wheels are more trouble than its worth attempting to modify pots, as they mostly use cheap 10KB pots and are a pain to solder back on. I would especially love to try using an old Gameport-wired flight stick for Star Wars Trilogy on M3S2! For Jambo Safari on Naomi a wheel using the same connection would be PERFECT imo.
Need a better look at how you connected your controls.
Player 1 breakout board is just analog for my steering wheel, and pedals at the moment I haven't finished mapping out all the buttons. Player 2 is just standard control stick and buttons to use to test out, but can't get anything either. My wheel, and pedals work on my other generic Capcom IO when hooked up to a super gun, and Saturn joystick in player1 controller port; however I can only play crazy taxi fully for driving games due to my Saturn controller 2 port not working anymore on my super gun so I couldn't control parts of jambo safari, and 18 wheeler, and don't currently have a snk controller to test.
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It should click once on power up. If it randomly clicks while powered up there is a power issue.
Clicking means it's not solid. Like a bad connection. When this happens the i/o will go unresponsive until reset.
PaulWoodpross3r
Enthusiast
(Editing as of 2/13/22):
PSA for anyone who plays the few great motorcycle games on Naomi/Model 2&3: If you happen to have the PS2 version of the Thrustmaster Freestyler Bike, it WILL work with arcade stuff with very little modification, but if for any godforsaken reason you plan to open the controller up and take it apart, you need to be EXTREMELY careful!! There is very narrow space between the wires, the main handle of the controller, and mechanisms. I had moments where the brake spring flew right off even on the 2nd attempt. It would be excellent if someone brave enough would make a teardown video of the controller if one was planning to replace the pots once they start to go bad.
Anyways, to wire up the Thrustmaster you need to do the following:
1.) There are a total of 4 screws you will need to get out with a standard Phillipshead screwdriver. Take the two screws on the back of the silver body, which hold the main bar assembly. When you pull those bars out, you will have to unscrew the two tall screws from where the legs where, to gain access to the motherboard and all the connectors.
2.) Unhook all the connectors from the motherboard. Both handlebar grips have their own connectors, so you can plug Dupont cables directly into them to get your controls working without cutting any of the cables off, which I strongly don't recommend for such rare controller.
3a.) Each wire is color-coded differently but in a unique fashion. For the left handlebar grip, I only wired the Triangle & Square buttons for shift-up and shift down on games like Harley-Davidson LA Riders because I'm a lefty and prefer playing manual transmission in that game.
- Triangle (use for Shift Up) = Yellow
- Square (use for Shift Down) = Orange
(^ worst case scenario they are swapped)
- Ground (digital inputs) = Two tied brown wires
3b.) For the right handlebar grip I wired these buttons:
- R1 (I use this for Start but you can wire it however you'd like) = Grey
- Gas/brake VCC = White
- Gas/brake GND = Black wire with white stripe. It is on a tied connection with another black wire used for another ground. If you want to swap +5V and GND to pots I STRONGLY recommend cutting the other ground off so you do not short anything by accident.
- Gas signal = Yellow with black stripes
- Brake signal = Orange with black stripes
- Circle (I use for H-D Music Selection) = Red
- X (Use for H-D View Change) = Orange
- Ground (digital inputs) = same as on 3a
3c.) There is additionally a 4-pin JST SM connector for the main handlebar that also goes to one of the motherboard connectors, with two signals for the "GP" and "Cross" modes. Luckily I had some more of those connectors lying around already to fashion.
My Thrustmaster Freestyler Bike and connectors are soldered to a DB15 cable and works great but I haven't wired the LEDs yet. On Model 2A Manx TT Superbike, the GP pot is too sensitive and the game does not have manual calibration in the menus. I reckon it would be perfect for the Sega JVS-based bike games like Wild Riders and Harley King of the Road using the S-JIHP. Just take major caution if you DO take this wheel apart and can get the brakes and gas to spring back in place.
PSA for anyone who plays the few great motorcycle games on Naomi/Model 2&3: If you happen to have the PS2 version of the Thrustmaster Freestyler Bike, it WILL work with arcade stuff with very little modification, but if for any godforsaken reason you plan to open the controller up and take it apart, you need to be EXTREMELY careful!! There is very narrow space between the wires, the main handle of the controller, and mechanisms. I had moments where the brake spring flew right off even on the 2nd attempt. It would be excellent if someone brave enough would make a teardown video of the controller if one was planning to replace the pots once they start to go bad.
Anyways, to wire up the Thrustmaster you need to do the following:
1.) There are a total of 4 screws you will need to get out with a standard Phillipshead screwdriver. Take the two screws on the back of the silver body, which hold the main bar assembly. When you pull those bars out, you will have to unscrew the two tall screws from where the legs where, to gain access to the motherboard and all the connectors.
2.) Unhook all the connectors from the motherboard. Both handlebar grips have their own connectors, so you can plug Dupont cables directly into them to get your controls working without cutting any of the cables off, which I strongly don't recommend for such rare controller.
3a.) Each wire is color-coded differently but in a unique fashion. For the left handlebar grip, I only wired the Triangle & Square buttons for shift-up and shift down on games like Harley-Davidson LA Riders because I'm a lefty and prefer playing manual transmission in that game.
- Triangle (use for Shift Up) = Yellow
- Square (use for Shift Down) = Orange
(^ worst case scenario they are swapped)
- Ground (digital inputs) = Two tied brown wires
3b.) For the right handlebar grip I wired these buttons:
- R1 (I use this for Start but you can wire it however you'd like) = Grey
- Gas/brake VCC = White
- Gas/brake GND = Black wire with white stripe. It is on a tied connection with another black wire used for another ground. If you want to swap +5V and GND to pots I STRONGLY recommend cutting the other ground off so you do not short anything by accident.
- Gas signal = Yellow with black stripes
- Brake signal = Orange with black stripes
- Circle (I use for H-D Music Selection) = Red
- X (Use for H-D View Change) = Orange
- Ground (digital inputs) = same as on 3a
3c.) There is additionally a 4-pin JST SM connector for the main handlebar that also goes to one of the motherboard connectors, with two signals for the "GP" and "Cross" modes. Luckily I had some more of those connectors lying around already to fashion.
My Thrustmaster Freestyler Bike and connectors are soldered to a DB15 cable and works great but I haven't wired the LEDs yet. On Model 2A Manx TT Superbike, the GP pot is too sensitive and the game does not have manual calibration in the menus. I reckon it would be perfect for the Sega JVS-based bike games like Wild Riders and Harley King of the Road using the S-JIHP.
Just take major caution if you DO take this wheel apart and can get the brakes and gas to spring back in place.Attachments
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I succeeded to play Afterburner with the modified joystick :
- I moved the blue wire to the outside free pin on the pots
- I placed the brown, green and orange wires on the middle of the pots.
- I cut the yellow ground wire and daisy chain on the other outside pin of the pots.
- I moved the blue wire to the outside free pin on the pots
- I placed the brown, green and orange wires on the middle of the pots.
- I cut the yellow ground wire and daisy chain on the other outside pin of the pots.
Good stuff. You should take a pic and post it.
