Arduino RF NES Controllers

Introduction-

Sooooooo for a future project I want wireless controllers instead of the simplistic 'wired' + I've always wanted to get into RF design stuff. NES controllers seemed really nice and basic to use for this since this was my first time using RF modules. Also Only 4 Buttons are needed for my future project so it turned out really nice.

Knowledge Needed-

Gotta know what your doing with Arduino Libraries

PARTS-

2x Arduino Uno(Optional, used for RF Reciever but you could use another board)Extra one for breadboarding transmitter)

https://www.amazon.com/KEYESTUDIO-Board-Compatible...

Arduino Nano

https://www.amazon.com/ELEGOO-Arduino-ATmega328P-W...

RF Modules

https://www.amazon.com/ATmega328P-Microcontroller-...

NES Controllers

https://www.amazon.com/Mekela-Controller-Joystick-...

Breadboards

https://www.amazon.com/Elegoo-EL-CP-003-Breadboard...

Jumper Wire

https://www.amazon.com/Nano-Stranded-Flexible-Insu...

LEDs&Resistors(Optional, I chose to use LEDs to show me everything was working in the end)

https://www.amazon.com/Miuzei-Resistors-Assortment...

TOOLS NEEDED-

Soldering Iron

Hot Glue Gun(Recommended)

Screw Driver or Something else to open NES Controllers

Wire Cutters (Cutting and Stripping the Jumper Wire)

Pencil or Pen to wrap the Jumper Wire around to make an Antenna

Head over to RadioHead's website. Install the Library and look over the functions in the RH_ASK section to understand the code better.

http://www.airspayce.com/mikem/arduino/RadioHead/i...

Plug in your Arduino Boards and Upload the code below. Make one Arduino the receiver and the other the transmitter. Once they both have the uploaded code, wire them up on breadboards.

RF ANTENNAS-

Take jumper wire(Solid core)

Roll on a pencil or pen and get about 8 to 10 turns (For Receiver)

then solder to the back of the Module's BOTTOM RIGHT corner. There should be spot to solder.

Take the same type of wire and make it 4x the length as the receivers antenna then solder to the transmitter Module

There should be a hole to solder through in the front TOP RIGHT

BREADBOARD WIRING-

Data pins for both modules should be going to digital pin 2 of the Arduinos!

Observe the Serial monitor on the Receiver Arduino

(You could change the pins for them to go to with the RH_ASK driver() function. Its on the Radiohead site.)

Credits to Antony Cartwright for this modified library example code!

RECIEVER TEST CODE-

#include
#include // Not actually used but needed to compile

RH_ASK driver(2000, 2, 9, 10);

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600); // Debugging only

if (!driver.init())

Serial.println("init failed");

}

void loop() {

uint8_t buf[RH_ASK_MAX_MESSAGE_LEN];

uint8_t buflen = sizeof(buf);

if (driver.recv(buf, &buflen)){

int i;

String str = "";

for(int i = 0; i< buflen; i++){

str += (char)buf[i];

}

Serial.println(str);

}

}

TRANSMITTER TEST CODE-

#include
#include // Not actually used but needed to compile

RH_ASK driver(2000, 9, 2, 10);

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600); // Debugging only

if (!driver.init())

Serial.println("init failed");

}

void loop() {

const char *msg = "hello";

driver.send((uint8_t *)msg, strlen(msg)); driver.waitPacketSent(); delay(200);

}

Grab your screwdriver and open up the controller. Take a look at the PCB. Look at the button circuitry and spot the places to scrape and solder.

Plan where to put the Nano board. If you want to make the Nano's USB port accessible your gonna have to cut a little bit of the controller's casing. Then once your happy with the position of the Nano HOT GLUE it in place.

Look at the Transmitter code to REALLY know where everything is wired on the Nano board.

After scrapping a button output trace to expose the copper, just be careful not to accidentally rip the wire off after soldering, which would rip the copper traces off.

Scrape carefully and solder precisely then hot glue. Make sure the position of the wire does not fall under the button material (The 'rubber like' things under the Actual physical buttons)

I ONLY WIRED TO 4 BUTTONS CAUSE I ONLY NEEDED 4 BUTTONS

I just soldered the transmitter to where it was plugged into when it was on breadboard,

HOT GLUE IT WHERE EVER YOU WANT ON THE CONTROLLER

I wasn't able to put it on the inside then have the antenna just stick out cause the NANO was on the inside already.....

The antenna used in the pic is from an RC car controller. Jumper wire still works the same.

PLAYER 2 CONTROLLER-

So I wired the Nano's Ground to the second controller circuit board through the second controllers cable going into the player 1 controller(Controller with Nano is player 1). Then wired the rest to the button output traces which fed to the Nano analog/digital pins just like player 1.

#include <RH_ASK.h>
#include <SPI.h>

RH_ASK driver(2000, 9, 2, 10);

int inputY = A7;

int inputy = 6; // LOWERCASE = P2 PINS

int inputA = 3; // UPPERCASE = P1 PINS

int inputa = 7;

int inputZ = 4;

int inputz = 8;

int inputB = 5;

int inputb = 9;

int val = 0;

int Val = 0;

int vaL = 0;

int vAl = 0;

int aa = 0;

int bb = 0;

int cc = 0;

int vv = 0;

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600); // Debugging only

if (!driver.init()){

Serial.println("init failed");}

pinMode(inputY, INPUT_PULLUP); // P1 PINS

pinMode(inputA, INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(inputZ, INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(inputB, INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(6,INPUT_PULLUP); // P2 PINS

pinMode(7,INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(8,INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(9,INPUT_PULLUP); }

void loop() {

const char *a = "A"; // Different CHAR types for each Button

const char *msg = "Y";

const char *b = "B";

const char *Z = "Z";

val = digitalRead(inputy); // Reads LOW inputs from Buttons

Val = digitalRead(inputa); // P2 inputs

vAl = digitalRead(inputz);

vaL = digitalRead(inputb);

aa = analogRead(inputY); // P1 inputs

bb = digitalRead(inputA);

cc = digitalRead(inputZ);

vv = digitalRead(inputB);

if(val == LOW || aa <= 130){

driver.send((uint8_t *)a, strlen(a));

driver.waitPacketSent();

delay(200); }

if(Val == LOW || bb == LOW){

driver.send((uint8_t *)msg, strlen(msg));

driver.waitPacketSent();

delay(200); }

if(vAl == LOW || cc == LOW){ // Statements for each button when pressed

driver.send((uint8_t *)Z, strlen(Z));

driver.waitPacketSent();

delay(200); }

if(vaL == LOW || vv == LOW){ // Statements for each button when pressed

driver.send((uint8_t *)b, strlen(b));

driver.waitPacketSent();

delay(200); }

}

So i took the casing the modules came in, in the mail, and sawed it in half then gorilla glued it over the transmitter.

I wanted a casing that would show the transmitter, A CLEAR CASING, and its kinda strong so it turned out good.

Breadboard according to the code, wire up some LEDs to the OUTPUT pins!

#include <RH_ASK.h>

#include <SPI.h>// Not actually used but needed to compile

RH_ASK driver(2000, 2, 9, 10); // ESP8266 or ESP32: do not use pin 11 or 2

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600); // Debugging only

if (!driver.init()){

Serial.println("init failed");}

pinMode(7, OUTPUT); // P1 6-9

pinMode(6, OUTPUT);

pinMode(8, OUTPUT);

pinMode(9, OUTPUT);

pinMode(10, OUTPUT); // P2 9-13

pinMode(11, OUTPUT);

pinMode(12, OUTPUT);

pinMode(13, OUTPUT); }

void loop() {

uint8_t buf[RH_ASK_MAX_MESSAGE_LEN];

uint8_t buflen = sizeof(buf);

if (driver.recv(buf, &buflen)) {

int i;

String str = "";

for(int i = 0; i < buflen; i++){

str += (char)buf[i]; }

Serial.println(str); // Simple if statements for Reciever to OUTPUT depending on the RF Data messages

if(str == "Y"){

digitalWrite(6, HIGH);

delay(50);

digitalWrite(6, LOW); }

else{

digitalWrite(6, LOW); }

if(str == "A"){

digitalWrite(7, HIGH);

delay(50);

digitalWrite(7, LOW); }

else{

digitalWrite(7, LOW); }

if(str == "Z"){

digitalWrite(8, HIGH);

delay(50);

digitalWrite(8, LOW); }

else{

digitalWrite(8, LOW); }

if(str == "B"){

digitalWrite(9, HIGH);

delay(50);

digitalWrite(9, LOW); }

else{

digitalWrite(9, LOW); }

}

}

Modify the code and experiment !