Building a dance pad. Technical advice needed.

FirstClass · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Location: London, UK

Hi,

First of all, I am new here and let me take this chance to say hello to everyone. I have played StepMania for a few months now and I am seriously considering building a dance pad. I studied D&T back in school and I am somewhat competant at DIY/woodworking, and to a certain extent electronics.

Having had a look at various home made pads and rip-tide's videos I feel that I am up for a job and have done some designs (mostly on paper), however I have a few questions which hopefully someone will know the answer to.

1. Which sensor layout is better? The sensors are made from copper tapes which can be soldered (instead of screws to reduce noise). The first one has a sensor in the middle and the second one has sensors on the side. ( I am thinking that the second design is better as you dont always hit the exact centre of the arrow).

2. The blue section in the middle of the pad is an electrical terminal block. I am thinking of having 2 controllers in one, so therefore the wires branch off the terminal block, one going to the PC controller and another going to the PS2 controller (The arrangement is shown in design one). Will this arrangement fry to PS2 board when its plugged into the PC and vice versa?

3. (Slightly Off topic) Where can I buy sheet metal from in the UK? Homebase, Wickes and B&Q doesnt seem to sell them.

infamous360 · Trick Member Joined: 06 Mar 2007

it woul be easier to buy a cobalt flux
_________________

proud owner hacked itg2 dedi running openitg

PUMP PRO FX,

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

design #2 using matrix sensors.

aka, the most arcade-like sensors that you build yourself.
all it is are 2 mending brackets, 2 screws, and a mousepad.
_________________

FirstClass · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Location: London, UK

Thanks for the reply, I thought design number 2 was better as well. BTW, pardon the ignorance, but whats matrix sensors?

Re infamous360: No thanks, Im looking to build one.

Marq(uistadorous) · Trick Member Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Location: Arvada, CO

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

*just so you know, i'm a very picky person when it comes to ddr pads, and the blueshark is the ONLY pad that i would recommend to anyone who doesnt want to make their own..
the BS pads are around 300-400 dollars, and you can build 2 for that price, IF you want to.

the thing is, homepads take a bunch of time and effort put into them in order to build a pad that will rival the BS.

that being said, matrix sensors are the most arcade like sensors without buying real ones.
here is a link to his site: http://members.shaw.ca/lluk/ddrpad/

those are the best sensors that i have used, and ive tried pretty much all of the normal ones.
i also am working on a modified version of that to make it even MORE arcade-style..

and if you need help, AIM/PM me..i might be gone, but i should be able to get back to you
_________________

FirstClass · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Location: London, UK

devout · Trick Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Location: the atl

Your design looks fine. I think the second version will work better. (For that matter, the more intricate you can make the pattern the better... If i recall correctly this is exactly how softpads work.) Matrix sensors are cool and all, but there's nothing magical about them. Their main virtue is that they're hard to screw up. If you're confident in your diy skills you should be fine with your own design.

Polystyrene and Acrylic in general have very similar properties, and I dont think it really matters which you use, (unless you know exactly what brand/product number you're buying, then you can look up more specific properties) But I would suggest you get the thickest sheets you can... you'll probably find that two 4mm sheets are disappointingly flimsy. High impact shouldn't be necessary as long as you make sure any holes you drill in the acrylic are sufficiently larger than whatever screws are going through them. (Even without this, I still don't think high impact would make a noticeable difference.)

If you cant find what you're looking for, you might give www.mcmaster.com a try. They are a very reputable seller and should have all the parts you need to make a pad except the wood. (but they're based in usa, so I'm not sure what oversees shipping is like)

I dont know about the controller frying business... I guess you'll just have to try it and see. I set up my pads to have the circuit boards on the outside so I can swap them in and out.

As a last bit of advice, you'll probably find that the most critical aspect of the pad is what provides the "bounce" in the steps to keep them up when you're not stepping on them, but make them go down easily when you do. Regardless of the circuitry setup, this is what's going to make or break your design.
_________________

the world's most refined homepad: devout stealth

Almost-finished non-Stealth homepad for sale, just add sensors! see here: http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=8921579#8921579

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

FirstClass · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Location: London, UK

Thanks guys,

I've decided that I am ordering the 6mm thick acrylic sheets on Ebay as the polythene panel are too flexible. For the controller, I think a more practical way to do it is to simply use a ps2 controller with a ps2-usb adaptor hen using it on stepmania.

I have bought some 0.6mm galvanised steel sheets today for the solid panels. I would like to know whether its possible to cut them using a normal jigsaw as I never really cut sheet metal before (well yes I have, but it was very small pieces and was done using a hacksaw).

kev0 · Trick Member Joined: 25 Aug 2007

Yes, it's possible.
I've cut sheet metal with the jigsaw. Just use a metal-jigsaw bit. It might be a bit hard, since the metal keeps flapping and my F-Clamps keeps falling down (Got no G- ones).
Once you go offcourse it's very hard to get a jigsaw to get it back on-course.
And in the end the cut was also pretty rough, and I ended up with uneven metal strips. Nevertheless, it still worked.

But then it might be because I used a cheap saw-bit. (Since I'm only probably gonna use it once for the project)

devout · Trick Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Location: the atl

FirstClass · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Location: London, UK

Thanks for the reply.

I already have a pair of snips, so I will do a test cut to see how well those cuts it, if its good, then I will use them for the main panels. Thanks for the idea.

After some thoughts, I have decided to go for 5mm polycarbonate for the arrow panels as they are not too much expensive compared to acrylic. The acrylic sheets are not available in convenient sizes so therefore I will need to buy a larger sheet, with high wastage, wheras the polycarbonate sheets are available in convenient sizes (A2 size, which means I can cut 2 arrow panels from one). As polycarbonates are much stronger, I will not need to double up the sheets, leaving more room for the sensors.

I am in the process of buying a controller now. I do not want to spend too much on the controllers just in case I mess up, so I am thinking of getting a second hand one off Ebay. Can someone recommend a ps2/ps1 controller I should use? I heard that some does not solder well and some do not use copper tracks for where the buttons are!

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

a few tips:

use the tin snips if you have one, and can get it to cut: if you can use it, WEAR GLOVES...i cut myself SO many times because i didnt.

buy a cheap controller that DOESNT HAVE the stupid turbo/programmable buttons.
do NOT get one with it. just find a cheap one though, or buy a cheap softpad because they are easier to work with.
(i use gamestop brands for about 7-10 bucks each, used)
_________________

FirstClass · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Location: London, UK

Whats wrong with the ones that has a turbo button? All the cheapest ones at my area seems to have a turbo button.

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

i always had trouble with the ones with turbo.
it is also much harder to trace the circuits that way too.

if you can find the stupid dance drum thing for cheap, get that.
the circuit board is really small and easy to solder to.

the best thing is to just get a soft pad, and use the circuit board from that.
_________________