PCSensor's Crummy Foot Switch Swapped Out

Don't get me wrong, I like the electronics!

What is it? It's basically an USB composite device, a mouse, keyboard, and joystick 3-in-1 USB composite device.

You get to download a program, ElfKey, and graphically program the foot switch to either output a key, mouse button, or a joystick button, or record a macro. Then, you download the "programming" to the USB device.

The MCU is most likely located in the oversized USB plug, completely embedded inside the plug. Not that it can prevent me from opening it up, but I am too lazy to even bother with this trivial thing.

The one shown below is an upgraded version with so the called electro-optical switch. It's simply a pair of IR emitter/receiver with a couple of passive elements to 1. drive the IR emitter using a simple resistor as a current source, and a pull down resistor, and 2. a diode, for cascading up to 3 such PCBs (3 pedal set), using just 4 wires instead of 5. The later part I really do not like. I mean, all you need is 5 lines, 1 for power, 1 for ground, and 3 for signals. What's the f'ing point of trying to save one wire and then having to add 3 diodes? That's just stupid. KISS doesn't mean act stupid, you know?

Anyway, the electronics is not that bad, and the MCU is programmed adequately. It even has a USB polling rate of 1kHz, the way I like it! Whether it internally has 1ms latency is a different story. But seeing they are using an optical switch, it might be (no way you can do that with a mechanical switch, just the debounced time is way over 1ms). BUT..... the plastic foot switch is simply atrocious! See the two black foot switches on the right. Yikes!



So, of course I am hacking it by replacing the whole thing with the cast aluminum foot switch on the left.You can buy these cheap on Amazon made in, of course, china. It's so cheap (USD $36) that it's not even worth my effort to design/prototype, and print.


What in the hell are you using these for?????


Well... in Arc Raider, I got a problem, old age.

The regular FPS WASD, shift, and space bar are all assigned, and I am not willing to change those. Of course, E, Q, Z, X, , and C and assigned to other functions. The trouble is... there is an important technique for swapping weapon (mouse wheel up or down), then you dodge roll (left Alt). If you issue weapon swap command first, and then you dodge roll, then when you finishes the dodge roll, your weapon swap is also completed. This allows you to dodge somebody's shots at you, while you swap weapon (say, your first weapon just run down the magazine and requires lengthy reload).

The trouble is... you best dodge roll forward/left/backward/right, and even run (shift) simultaneously when performing a dodge roll. This allows you to dodge roll into that direction. Now, the only finger on your left hand that is available for it is the thumb to press that dodge roll button. That's why it's by default assigned to left alt key. Not only it's awkward to get to.... you better not accidentally hit the Windows key next to it or you would flip out of the full screen game into Windows desktop! You sure will get killed with a mistake that big! I have been practicing practicing practicing this maneuver... and I suck at it, not to mention I worry about twisting my left thumb.

Also, there is yet another problem. The default weapon change is the mouse wheel down (technically, next weapon, but since there are only two weapons, no need to assign previous weapon). What if you scroll two clicks, instead of one click? Well, you swap back to the original weapon.... Damn, a lengthy NoOp! That'd surely get you killed too! Can you program it so that it only "click" once? No can do! Not in a reliable manner. Trust me, in the heat of battle, you can't precisely control only roll the wheel just one click. Two will get you killed, three will not, and four will get you killed again. Not a great roll of the "whee!"

So, what if I program a foot pedal to output a mouse wheel down, and then a left Alt? It... actually works. And it's very reliable!

What about adding another pedal to output a left Shift + left Ctrl, that will get me a sliding action? Without a pedal, I am able to do this by using my pinky finger to press the left Shift, and then roll the pinky down to also press the left Ctrl consistently. But, it's nice to be also able to do this easily with yet another foot pedal. Why not?


Third pedal??? Well... I could, but let me think about it. I'd like to avoid confusion under the table. Shall we?






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