How to Connect a Defender Steering Wheel to a Computer
A group of control devices is united by a common term: gaming devices. The name of the group is due to the fact that these devices are used mainly to control active gaming programs.
A typical example of a gaming device. joystick. Joysticks are mainly used to control aerospace transport.
Joysticks also include gamepads (gaming tablets) and steering kits.
Gamepads are usually used to control sports simulators (football, hockey, basketball), and steering systems are used to control car simulators.
Installing gaming devices
The joystick. the most typical gaming device. consists of a movable handle and several buttons. In the gamepad, instead of the handle, a swinging plate (“remote control”) is used. The joystick is usually an analog device (the degree of impact depends on the angle of the handle deviation), and the gamepad is digital.
Initially, gaming devices were connected to the computer via a 15-pin connector (game port), usually included with a sound adapter (it is also used to connect musical MIDI devices). Most modern computers do not have a separate game port. Modern gaming devices use a USB connector.
For devices with a connector, a “hot plug” is possible. That is, you can connect the device when the computer is already turned on. The device will be immediately detected.
In most cases, USB devices work fine without installing any drivers. This is due to the fact that the USB bus is considered by the operating system as one single device. The operating system provides the operation of everything that is connected to it, with one standard driver. However, in cases where the device does not work exactly as we would like, or when the standard driver does not allow to implement all the functions of the device, you can install a specific driver that comes with the device.
The gaming device must be registered with the operating system. Open the Control Panel (Start. Control Panel) and double-click on the Game Devices icon.
The Game Devices dialog box lists available game devices. If the connected device is not listed, click the Add button. A dialog box opens in which you can specify the type of device.
If the model of your device could not be found, you can connect a standard gaming device. In the Add Game Device dialog box (Start. Control Panel. Game devices. Add), scroll through the entire list of Game devices. After specific models, it contains descriptions of sets of control elements. Choose the one that best suits your model.
What to do next?
If there is nothing suitable here, click on the Other button. the Special gaming device dialog box opens. In it, you can describe your device by elements. After the parameters are selected, set the name of the gaming device in the Controller field. This name is included in the Game Devices list in the Add Game Device dialog box. After that, the specified device can be selected in the usual way. On the Features panel, select the type of device: joystick, airplane control wheel, steering wheel.
The number of degrees of freedom is the number of mutually independent control actions. So, for example, the joystick handle usually has two degrees of freedom: back and forth and left and right. If the handle can rotate around a vertical axis, they say that the joystick has three degrees of freedom.
than three degrees of freedom do not give one control element, so as not to immensely complicate the design. But the device can have several controls and, accordingly, additional degrees of freedom. For example, a handle (pedal) for gas control can give a fourth degree of freedom. than four degrees of freedom are usually not used, so as not to complicate the management.
The buttons of the gaming device are approximately the same as the buttons of the mouse: they serve to issue individual control actions (for example, “jump”, “fire” and others). The simplest joystick models have just two buttons. Modern gaming devices often have six, eight or more buttons. In the dialog box, a special gaming device can be set to no more than four buttons. This is a serious limitation. If four buttons are not enough, you will have to install the specific device driver received with it. It is also useful to visit the site of the joystick manufacturer and make sure that the received driver remains up to date.
This is a point-of-view (POV) switch. Sometimes referred to as HAT. Used in games as a means of simulating the rotation of the head of the pilot / driver. Allows you to control the situation not only in front, but also around the character. This small digital switch is usually mounted directly on the joystick handle. There are four position and eight position view switches. For all-round visibility, some joysticks may have several view switches. Devices with this control also require a specific driver.
Calibration and Verification
The free position of the handle (remote control, steering wheel) of the gaming device is considered neutral. It corresponds to the absence of control actions. Control devices return to this position automatically, usually under the action of a spring.
Since models and even instances of joysticks can significantly differ in electrical characteristics, it is important to notify the operating system about the physical position of the joystick is neutral. it is from it that the deviation values will be counted. This alert is performed during an operation called calibration. In addition to “zero registration” during calibration, the operating system also defines the maximum deviations of the joystick along the main axes. Calibration should be performed immediately after installing the gaming device on the computer. If the calibration is unsuccessful, then you need to check your computer for viruses, because due to malware, the joystick may not work. In this case, you must first remove the viruses and only then proceed to re-calibration.
Gaming device calibration
- Open the Game Devices dialog box (Start. Control Panel. Game Devices).
- Make sure that the installed device is listed in the Installed gaming devices list. This suggests that it is connected and operational.
- Select the device in the list and click the Properties button, the device properties dialog box opens.
- Click the Settings tab and click the Calibrate button.
- The calibration program works in the wizard mode. To move between steps, you need to press one of the buttons of the gaming device. At the first stage, the neutral position of the gaming device is set, at the next, the maximum deviations along the main axes are determined. After that, the additional joystick axes are calibrated, if any.
After calibration, you should check the joystick and make sure that the commands (the deviation of the handle and pressing the buttons) are perceived correctly. Special means of verification are needed, because in the operating system the gaming devices are not used. To test a gaming device, open its properties dialog box (Start. Control Panel. Game devices. General. Properties) and select the Scan tab. The composition of the dialog box that opens in this case depends on the specific device model. The controls change their appearance when exposed to the device. Here you can check both individual commands and combinations of actions.
