Has anyone experience connecting >=2 (actually I want 4) usb gamepads and controlling them separately and totally independently with one computer? I am planing to make a interactive installation and it would be nice to know before I buy them. Also does anybody know about the USB cable length issues? Would it work with 5 meter cable?

Thanks in advance

Hi skatias,

Just verified on OSX that it is possible to capture two gamepads independently, using a [hid] instance for each gamepad. Four gamepads may work in a similar way.

On which OS are you? [hid] works slightly different on Linux, and on Windows you'd need another object. I can check these if you want.

Couldn't you use wireless gamepads? They need not be expensive and work at distances beyond 5 meter, no wire spaghetti. Only point is, they get inactive if not used for a couple of minutes, so you have to press one specific button to reactivate.

Katja

Thanks for the reply Katja!

I am on Mac-OSX. How expensive are the weirless? I have found in ebay (with cable) X4 30 Euro witch I think is a good price.

I bought a Qware wireless pc gamepad for ~20 euros. A picture of it is on this page:

http://www.katjaas.nl/slicejockey/slicejockey.html

Gamepads with PS2 layout have two analog controllers. Some other (cheap, wired) types don't have analog sticks at all, they are way not so useful to control Pd.

Katja

i've used this logitech ps2-like model with great success.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/441/288