FTDI’s USB Interface Chips FT232R Can Be Integrated into Gaming Controller

PublishTime： 2024-09-25 Article Source：FTDI CHIP Official Website

A gaming controller is an input devICe used to interact with video games. It typically includes buttons, joysticks, triggers and input mechanisms to provide precise control over game actions. Gaming controllers can connect to gaming consoles, PCs and mobile devices via wired or wireless connections.

Key Components of a Gaming Controller

• Buttons

Used for various in-game actions (e.g., A, B, X, Y, Start, Select)

• Joysticks / Thumb Sticks

Analog sticks that provide multi-directional input

• D-Pad

Digital pad for directional control

• Triggers and Bumpers

Additional buttons often used for specific game functions

• Haptic Feedback

Motors that provide vibration feedback

• Communication Interface

Can be wired (e.g., USB) or wireless (e.g., Bluetooth)

Using an FTDI USB Device with a Gaming Controller

FTDI provides USB interface chips that can convert various types of communication protocols to USB. These devices can be used to interface gaming controllers with a PC or other host devices. One popular FTDI CHIP is the FT232R, which is a USB-to-UART interface.

Example Application: Custom Arcade Controller

Suppose you want to build a custom arcade controller that uses a traditional arcade joystick and buttons. You can use an FTDI USB device to interface this custom controller with a PC.

FTDI products can be integrated into various applications to allow for:

• Port expansion

• USB charging

• USB connectivity to phone or PC

• Data download

• Synchronization to application software either on PC or system with USB Host

• Firmware updates

• Configuration and more!

FTDI IC’s have the following key features making it an ideal candidate for the application:

• USB Full / High / SuperSpeed connectivity depending on the application requirements

• Multiple data interfaces including UART, RS232, RS485, RS222, SPI, I²C, FIFO and GPIO

• Entire USB protocol handled on the chip. No USB specific firmware programming required.

• EEPROM for customization

• Data transfer rates (up to): UART (12Mbaud), SPI (52.8Mbps), I²C (6.66Mbit/s), FIFO (40MBps for USB2.0 and 400MB/s for USB3.0)

• Integrated receive and transmit buffers for high data throughput

• FTDI’s royalty-free drivers eliminate the requirement for USB driver development in most cases

• Battery Charger Detection which may be used by mobile devices to detect the presence of a charger on the USB port to enable higher current / faster charging of batteries

• Low operating current and USB suspend current

• Extended operating temperature range: -40℃ to 85℃ (Industrial), -40℃ to +105℃ (Automotive)

• Available in various compact Pb-free from as small as 12 Pin DFN package (RoHS compliant)!

The block diagram below shows at a high level how FTDI’s IC can be integrated into the application.

The USB port of the application can be connected to a phone, PC, tablet or embedded processor. The application software controls the FTDI IC which may be connected to a processor inside the application and communicates via one of the supported protocols (UART, RS232, RS485, RS222, SPI, I2C, FIFO and GPIO). This could allow for configuration, data download, firmware updates, etc.

Another typical use case to integrate FTDI ICs into the application is to host the FTDI ICs with an MCU or embedded system which has a USB Host Controller allowing for port expansion and other various communications paths:

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