USB Wii Sensor Bar

[foobar2k]

Hey guys, I've written an article on how to construct a USB Wii Sensor Bar for using your Wiimote with your PC. All of the equipment needed is readily available and nice and cheap.

USB Wii Sensor Bar
http://www.modpulse.com/images/stories/foobar2k/usb-wii-sensor-bar/mountedt.jpg
(http://www.modpulse.com/articles/usb-wii-sensor-bar/)


Let me know what you think, and if any of you have tried this or are going to try!

-foobar

P.s, 200th post!

Edit: Sorry the link broke earlier, it should be working again now.

[dipswitch]

Thats pretty neat idea. I plan on doing something like that whenever I get around to getting a bluetooth thingy for my computer. I think I'll pick one up this weekend. I got a few remotes at home I can gut for the LEDs.

[foobar2k]

Thats pretty neat idea. I plan on doing something like that whenever I get around to getting a bluetooth thingy for my computer. I think I'll pick one up this weekend. I got a few remotes at home I can gut for the LEDs.

Cool, the IR LEDs in remotes should do fine. Make sure to check the forward voltage. If you can't salvage the LEDs from remotes then they are really cheap from a shop, eg Radio Shack or Maplin (UK).

[Steve-O 2006]

For the sensor bar you can also use the IR Transmitter thing used for Cordless IR Headphones :) (Thats what I do)

http://www.haggul.com/ProdImage/36%5C201339.jpg

[foobar2k]

For the sensor bar you can also use the IR Transmitter thing used for Cordless IR Headphones :) (Thats what I do)



Cool that's a good idea. Does the flashing not interfere with the Wiimote?

[Steve-O 2006]

Cool that's a good idea. Does the flashing not interfere with the Wiimote?

hhhmmm, What do you mean by flashing?

[Focused_Soul]

Indeed, my wireless headphone's base LED's stay static.

[foobar2k]

I thought that the IR LEDs flash to communicate with the headphones. Maybe they flash so fast it is undetectable.

[Steve-O 2006]

Mine are on all the time even with no audio source connected to them...

[foobar2k]

Interesting, sounds like a nice and easy solution then.

But I bet your "sensor bar" doesnt say Wii on it ;)

[dohclude]

your link seems to be not working anymore foobar :confused:

[foobar2k]

your link seems to be not working anymore foobar :confused:

Thanks for the headsup dohclude, for some reason my server decided to change the URL!

It is all fixed now, sorry!

[dohclude]

I've built one of these usb sensors similar to yours, but my problem is bluetooth related. I'm running Vista x64 and my cheapy $9 ebay bluetooth adapter is giving me the hardest time. It even crashed my computer twice and the Bluesoleil drivers installed a file "BThidmgr.sys" which caused my computer to stop booting up (until I booted off of another hard drive and DELETED the file.) What bluetooth adapter did you use, and with what software/drivers in Vista???

[Douglas_D]

I built a USB one as well... but I ended up using 4 IR LEDs and didn't need any resistors in my series. I ended up going series since the forward voltage on each ir LED was 1.2V/max of 1.6 each. The current rating on each one was .1A and a max of 1.2A... so I am not worried about them going dark either.

[hacktek]

Looks like i'm gonna be making this and if someone points me in the right direction quick enough, i might even go to radio shack right now :D

Can i use these resistors?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062339&cp=&sr=1&origkw=resistor&kw=resistor&parentPage=search

If not, which ones would i need?

And how about leds?

Would this one work? http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062565&cp=&sr=1&origkw=Infrared+LED&kw=infrared+led&parentPage=search

Thanks!

[hacktek]

I've built one of these usb sensors similar to yours, but my problem is bluetooth related. I'm running Vista x64 and my cheapy $9 ebay bluetooth adapter is giving me the hardest time. It even crashed my computer twice and the Bluesoleil drivers installed a file "BThidmgr.sys" which caused my computer to stop booting up (until I booted off of another hard drive and DELETED the file.) What bluetooth adapter did you use, and with what software/drivers in Vista???

Vista blows.

Get WinXP with Windowblinds and AeroGlassV5 :)

[Funkwheat]

Gotta say, that's pretty sweet :D

I also gotta say, damn you! Cause everytime one of you bastards posts something cool like this on here, I absolutely have to build it! And then my wife gets pissed cause I do all the soldering on the dining room table, and leave **** around everywhere :P

In all seriousness, I gotta try that soon, that's sweet. I briefly tried setting up my Wiimote with Bluetooph a few days ago and had no luck, but I'll try more better later :P

Thanks!

[foobar2k]

@hacktek

Well the formula is
R = (Vi - Vf)/I

Where Vi is the input voltage (+5v on USB), Vf is the total forward voltage and I is the current.

The total forward voltage is the sum of the forward voltages of the LEDs.

For example, I had 2 IR LEDs each with a 1.4v forward voltage.

R = (5 - 1.4 - 1.4)/I

As I had some 91ohm resistors from a previous project they were ideal. Check the operating current of the LEDs too to make sure you don't fry them. I have mine operating at about 25mA.

Also, Vista doesn't blow at all, it is considerably better than XP imo. Windowblinds is a slow as hell.

[foobar2k]

Gotta say, that's pretty sweet :D

I also gotta say, damn you! Cause everytime one of you bastards posts something cool like this on here, I absolutely have to build it! And then my wife gets pissed cause I do all the soldering on the dining room table, and leave **** around everywhere :P

In all seriousness, I gotta try that soon, that's sweet. I briefly tried setting up my Wiimote with Bluetooph a few days ago and had no luck, but I'll try more better later :P

Thanks!

Lol, the pictures in the article show my dining room table too! I need a workshop.

[hacktek]

@hacktek

Well the formula is
R = (Vi - Vf)/I

Where Vi is the input voltage (+5v on USB), Vf is the total forward voltage and I is the current.

The total forward voltage is the sum of the forward voltages of the LEDs.

For example, I had 2 IR LEDs each with a 1.4v forward voltage.

R = (5 - 1.4 - 1.4)/I

As I had some 91ohm resistors from a previous project they were ideal. Check the operating current of the LEDs too to make sure you don't fry them. I have mine operating at about 25mA.

Also, Vista doesn't blow at all, it is considerably better than XP imo. Windowblinds is a slow as hell.

Oh thanks man, so with the leds from the link (1.28 FV, 29 mA current rating) the formula ends up being

R = [5 - (1.28*2)]/0.029

which gives me a value of ~84.

Thing is the closest ohm ratings of the resistors radio shack carries are either 100 ohms or 68 ohms. I'm guessing i could use the 68 one without problems right?

Thanks man.

[foobar2k]

Oh thanks man, so with the leds from the link (1.28 FV, 29 mA current rating) the formula ends up being

R = [5 - (1.28*2)]/0.029

which gives me a value of ~84.

Thing is the closest ohm ratings of the resistors radio shack carries are either 100 ohms or 68 ohms. I'm guessing i could use the 68 one without problems right?

Thanks man.

Go for the higher value resistor just to make sure you don't blow anything. It will just mean your IR LEDs are slightly less bright.

[hacktek]

Go for the higher value resistor just to make sure you don't blow anything. It will just mean your IR LEDs are slightly less bright.

I guess i could algo get the 68 ohms resistor and a couple 10 ohm ones and piggyback them. The 100 ohms one would probably make the bar sucky.

[hacktek]

I actually have another question.

For the voltage, i need to substract the forward voltages of the LEDS from the 5 volts provided by the USB port but what about the current? If both leds have a current rating of 29mA, does that mean i have to add both of them, making "I" 0.058 (0.029*2) instead of 0.029? This is important for me to know since this halves the ohm rating of the resistor i would need.

Thanks bro!