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**blobfish** · Aug 02, 2010, 07:56 AM

Re: Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

I would try using cat and /dev/input/js0 in the terminal and verify the device is constantly sending a button press as you describe. The driver is in the kernel, so I am thinking you have the same driver now as you had on mandriva. Has this new joystick worked in any machine? I would try to prove out that the hardware is functioning correctly, but plugging it into another machine with a different OS if possible. Good luck. sounds like a fun project.

**oshunluvr** · Aug 02, 2010, 08:36 AM

Re: Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

My results are:

cat /dev/input/js0 - shows some output immediately, but also shows input from all other actions.
cat /dev/input/event5 - opens blank, but shows all new input.

I first noticed the "Button 9" issue in KDE Joystick calibrate. It shows "PRESSED" all the time.

I attempted to run "fftest" to test my force feedback - and I'm unable because that program uses any button press as the "bypass this this" indicator.

I haven't found a program that attempts to use the force feedback yet, but the joystick works fine otherwise.

I think as long as I exclude button 9 from any program setup, I'll be fine but I'd like to know if my force feedback works...

**blobfish** · Aug 02, 2010, 11:41 AM

Re: Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

fftest:
http://www.koders.com/c/fidF60D5962F...A8C58FB36.aspx

Code:

/* Ask user what effects to play */
	do {
		printf("Enter effect number, -1 to exit\n");
		scanf("%d", &i);
		if (i >= 0 && i < N_EFFECTS) {
			play.type = EV_FF;
			play.code = effects[i].id;
			play.value = 1;

			if (write(fd, (const void*) &play, sizeof(play)) == -1) {
				perror("Play effect");
				exit(1);
			}

			printf("Now Playing: %s\n", effect_names[i]);
		}
		else if (i == -2) {
			/* Crash test */
			int i = *((int *)0);
			printf("Crash test: %d\n", i);
		}
		else {
			printf("No such effect\n");
		}
	} while (i>=0);

what is your output of when you try to run fftest? Paste terminal output if necessary. I am guessing that it just says "No such effect". Would you be comfortable downloading some source and compiling? I think I could talk you through making some very small changes and getting this working for you.

cat /dev/input/js0:
I think normal operation of joystick would show nothing while not using. Is this the case? It would be nice if we knew if the controller was actually sending a button press all the time.

**oshunluvr** · Aug 02, 2010, 05:15 PM

Re: Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

Code:

stuart@office:~/.kde/share/config$ sudo fftest
[sudo] password for stuart: 
Force feedback test program.
HOLD FIRMLY YOUR WHEEL OR JOYSTICK TO PREVENT DAMAGES

Device /dev/input/event0 opened
Axes query: 
Effects: 
Number of simultaneous effects: 0
Upload effects[0]: Function not implemented
Upload effects[1]: Function not implemented
Upload effects[2]: Function not implemented
Upload effects[3]: Function not implemented
Upload effects[4]: Function not implemented
Upload effects[5]: Function not implemented
Enter effect number, -1 to exit

This is when I got from fftest. Then I did fftest /dev/input/js0 and I got

Code:

stuart@office:/usr/bin$ sudo fftest /dev/input/js0
Force feedback test program.
HOLD FIRMLY YOUR WHEEL OR JOYSTICK TO PREVENT DAMAGES

Device /dev/input/js0 opened
Ioctl query: Invalid argument
stuart@office:/usr/bin$

THEN I did fftest /dev/input/event5 and I GOT FEEDBACK! I was shocked. The events could use some fine-tuning, but I'm enthusiastic I can get it working. So I'm back to the idea that xorg.conf might be my path to success.

To answer your questions - compiling no problem, cat ...js0 shows so immediate output, but cat ...event5 does not. Both show output when joystick is moved.

Maybe just pointing the input path away from /js0 and substituting /event5 will fix it?

**blobfish** · Aug 03, 2010, 08:13 AM

Re: Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

Sounds like you are making some progress. I thought the constant button press was cancelling fftest which you just proved wasn't the case. One command that might interest you is.

Code:

cat /proc/bus/input/devices

this should give you a list of devices and handlers. I am curious if both event5 and js0 are on there for handlers. I have some experience with this but I am no expert, so danger ahead. I THINK the event5 is like a generic input event that get processed further into a joystick event. From what I have seen, programs/games will use /dev/input/js* for joystick communication. It feels strange to me that fftest uses the /dev/input/event* character device. I am sure it does because the code shows the default as "/dev/input/event0" and you saw that when you ran it without passing in a device.

usb input subsystem:
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6396
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6429

depending on what you want to do, will determine if you want to get xorg involved. If you are playing games, the game will open /dev/input/js* and read input from there (or maybe sdl will do it) and you won't want to get xorg involved. What are you working toward now?

**oshunluvr** · Aug 03, 2010, 08:42 AM

Re: Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

stuart@office:~$ cat /proc/bus/input/devices
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=05ef Product=020a Version=0000
N: Name="AVB Top Shot Pegasus"
P: Phys=
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.2/usb5/5-1/input/input7
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event5 js0
B: EV=a0000b
B: KEY=83db00000000 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=f00c3
B: FF=31f2f0000 3

I had mis-posted I believe - the extra button event was canceling the command line calibrate utility, not the fftest. Flightgear is veering to the left so I attempted to calibrate with the cli utility rather than the KDE GUI one.

I guess the next step is to determine if I can get ff action from a piece of software

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Joystick and Force Feedback issues...

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