ziro
.
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- Oct 10, 2018
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I am looking to make long running and potentially in wall console controller extensions, my console shelf is far from my shelf and daisy chaining extensions across the floor could be a potential hazard to others or the consoles themselves. The gamecube would be a good starting point because the work will also be applicable to the wiis gamecube controller ports and it could be easily adapted to the n64 because it's a similar protocol with even less pins in use. Everything is still in the concept stage but due to my currently inadequate electrical engineering skill level I am still trying to figure out the best practices for going about this. Below I will list some of my challenges that I will need to solve before this project can get somewhere and if I have any potential solutions. Any feedback, thoughts or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
1. Data signal integrity over run. I don't have an exact length I am targeting but since the data signal is like 3.3 volts I expect to run into issues with it after around 3 or so meters + the original length of the controller cable.
Potential Solution: Boost the voltage of the signal across the run and drop it back down at the end of the extension where the controller plugs in with a logic level converter?
2. Number of wires I will need to extend. There are only like 6 wires in the gamecube controller and only 4 of them are important. The less wires I need to extend means less overall conductors. I would like to minimize conductors over the run because if I am eventually doing this for all of my consoles then that will be a lot of cables ran.
Potential solution: Dont run the 5v and 3.3v power conductors and power them locally at the end of the extension( I dont know if this will introduce other issues)
3. What multi conductor cable do I use? Something preferrably inexpensive and with a good amount of wires so I can run 2-4 controllers per cable.
Potential solution: I already have a spool of CAT7 that has been sitting around for a while and that has 8 wires but I am unsure it will be suitable for the usecase.
Note: I am unsure what to label this thread as because I am asking questions but also intend for this to be a project in which I log throughout the different milestones so please let me know if this is an issue being labeled a worklog so I can rectify it.
1. Data signal integrity over run. I don't have an exact length I am targeting but since the data signal is like 3.3 volts I expect to run into issues with it after around 3 or so meters + the original length of the controller cable.
Potential Solution: Boost the voltage of the signal across the run and drop it back down at the end of the extension where the controller plugs in with a logic level converter?
2. Number of wires I will need to extend. There are only like 6 wires in the gamecube controller and only 4 of them are important. The less wires I need to extend means less overall conductors. I would like to minimize conductors over the run because if I am eventually doing this for all of my consoles then that will be a lot of cables ran.
Potential solution: Dont run the 5v and 3.3v power conductors and power them locally at the end of the extension( I dont know if this will introduce other issues)
3. What multi conductor cable do I use? Something preferrably inexpensive and with a good amount of wires so I can run 2-4 controllers per cable.
Potential solution: I already have a spool of CAT7 that has been sitting around for a while and that has 8 wires but I am unsure it will be suitable for the usecase.
Note: I am unsure what to label this thread as because I am asking questions but also intend for this to be a project in which I log throughout the different milestones so please let me know if this is an issue being labeled a worklog so I can rectify it.