Calling hardware gurus - can we make a USB translator between Les Paul and Strat?

[filterban]

Everyone is facing guitar compatibility issues on the Playstation 3. Les Paul doesn't work with Rock Band (despite Harmonix's efforts). Strat doesn't work with Guitar Hero III (despite a lot of complaints to Activision).

What I'm envisioning - and I saw this on another thread earlier - is a USB device that has a USB input on it and a USB output, a switch (to perform a different type of translation), and a microcontroller controlling the signals.

Then, I plug my Strat into this device, flip the switch to "Guitar Hero Compatibility Mode", and off we go to the races in GH III. Or, I plug my Les Paul in, flip to "Rock Band compatibility mode", and pow, it winds up working in Rock Band.

What we'll need is:

1) Someone smart enough to wire together the hardware aspects.
2) Someone to do the translation in code (I can help here as I am a software engineer by trade)
3) Someone to coordinate manufacturing and sale of the device online. (Profit?)

I know that I'd be willing to pay $15 for one of these adaptors. Since we know there's not going to be a patch in the foreseeable future, is anyone up for giving this a whirl?

[Bakkster]

It's certainly possible, although not cheap or easy to start. If this doesn't blow over by the time I start my next semester, I'd be willing to put some brain-power behind it. It would likely delay the signal a little, but it's worth a shot if nothing else works.

[0tj]

That would be nothing short of awesome. Probably every RB player that has a Les Paul would buy one.

[pntbllrspdr]

I'd buy one just to rub it in Activision's face!

[filterban]

It would likely delay the signal a little, but it's worth a shot if nothing else works.

Actually, you've pointed out my one concern. However, the delay shouldn't be noticeable if this is done right.

While this endeavor wouldn't be cheap, there's money to be made here! Look at all the upset consumers. All you have to do is make this less than the cost of a stand-alone guitar and people will probably buy it.

[Xero314]

I am a programmer and a hardware hacker with some CE/EE knowledge. Producing the hardware to handle a patch between two USB devices is a simple task and not at all expensive. Dual USB PIC Microcontrollers are pennies each, and the only hardware necessary (assuming they have a client/host configured option). At the very worst this would require a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a couple IC packages for the IO translation, which could cost as high as $20 total to produce in low volume.

Even though this is a simple and cheap endeavor to take on (We could have a work prototype in a weekend with the right people which I certainly know) I suggest that NO ONE work on this. Activision does not deserve our time and effort to allow them to sell additional products. Rather than get our existing guitars to work we should sell them to the used market. This will help us recoup some of our costs and flood the market with used copies which will force many retail stores to not purchase new copies.

If you really want to work on a hardware project (which I have every intention of doing) then we should work with Harmonix to release the spec for their guitar so that we can put up a site for homebrew peripherals (which would take no more than $10 to make or as high as you want depending on he quality you are looking for).

Edit: The delay would be unnoticeable on a reasonable microcontroller, FPGA or individual ICs, we are talking nano seconds.

[filterban]

Activision does not deserve our time and effort to allow them to sell additional products.


You bring up a really good point. I didn't think of it this way. I wasn't really suggesting this as a "F YOU" to Activision but instead more of a "Hey, let's give customers what they want" project.



If you really want to work on a hardware project (which I have every intention of doing) then we should work with Harmonix to release the spec for their guitar so that we can put up a site for homebrew peripherals (which would take no more than $10 to make or as high as you want depending on he quality you are looking for).

Edit: The delay would be unnoticeable on a reasonable microcontroller, FPGA or individual ICs, we are talking nano seconds.

I like this idea. But I don't see why these two ideas would need to be mutually exclusive. If Harmonix publishes their instrument specs for homebrew controllers, that information would be applicable both to a USB translator and to a homebrew instrument, right?

[zoso15]

lol?
well my gh3 controller works for my rb....

[Credge]

lol?
well my gh3 controller works for my rb....

And you've got a 360 version of the game.

[BearFan51]

It's certainly possible, although not cheap or easy to start. If this doesn't blow over by the time I start my next semester, I'd be willing to put some brain-power behind it. It would likely delay the signal a little, but it's worth a shot if nothing else works.

Hey, maybe THEN it will line up with the microphone!:D:D:D Two instruments down, one to go!

[CRCError]

Well - from my experience the best way to do this would not to be to make a direct translator. What you need to do is make a universal dongle that will accept connections from both guitars for both systems and send out the appropriate signal for what console/game you happen to be playing.

You would also need a programable chip with an additional USB input for flashing the hardware to deal with future patches and software titles.

Since both the Strat and the LP use 2.4Ghz to communicate it should in theory be possible.

I would have a PS3/360 selector switch to tell the dongle which system it's being plugged into, short of it autosensing.

I would have a button that when pressed would cycle through receive modes for both guitars.

Lastly, there would be a button that would cycle through game emulation modes that would use an LED or two for visual feedback on what game was being emulated (Leaving the dongle open to flashing for support for future games that use guitar controllers.)

I'm not a programmer or electrical engineer, but I'm not bad at brainstorming.

[filterban]

Well - from my experience the best way to do this would not to be to make a direct translator. What you need to do is make a universal dongle that will accept connections from both guitars for both systems and send out the appropriate signal for what console/game you happen to be playing.

You would also need a programable chip with an additional USB input for flashing the hardware to deal with future patches and software titles.


Well, this is an interesting idea - a dongle that replaces the existing one. I like it; however, this seems to me to be unnecessary complexity.

1) There should be no need for a programmable chip. You're emulating something - the GHIII Les Paul and the RB Strat - that don't ever change. No software patch will ever update those guitars to be something that they are not right now, so you won't have to worry about future software either. The only thing you'd gain is being able to support future hardware iterations, and since both HMX and Activision are most likely going to make their games backwards compatible (respectively) it won't be an issue.

2) While both controllers use 2.4 ghz, you don't really know what protocol they're using, and a wireless receiver + usb port + usb cable is going to be more expensive to make than a translator + USB port + usb cable.