I’m currently working on a revision of the PCB to correct issues with the first version, notably

  • Lack of RC circuit on RESET/DTR line which prevents the Arduino IDE from properly resetting the MCU and loading new firmware. I was able to get around this with the V1.0 board by adding a resistor on the back side and putting a capacitor in series with the reset pin going to the FTDI adapter.
  • Changing the sockets for the GPS module. I had originally planned on just soldering pin headers onto the Inventeksys GPS module itself, but they were a weird spacing (1.9mm) and it didn’t work out so well.  The new design will replace the 10-pin 2mm headers with standard size XBee socket.  This will allow you to use an XBee or a (to be designed) GPS module board in either socket, one with hardware serial and one with software serial.
  • Adding LED(s) for GPS and XBee link status
  • Connecting GPS power control to MCU to enable power-saving functions
  • Other minor improvements including better RF coil for GPS antenna to improve sensitivity. Previous one had a low Q value at the L1 frequency and was self-resonant below that frequency.

I’ve seen people hook up Wii Nunchucks to Arduino boards to control RC cars, robots, LEDs, etc.  They all connected the wire at the end of the Nunchuck to their Arduino boards (sometimes using an adapter) to read the I2C data coming from the accelerometers and buttons.  I didn’t like the wire so I decided to see if I could make it wireless.  I stuffed an Arduino Pro Mini along with a LiPo battery and an XBee radio inside the Nunchuck controller itself.  The Arduino interfaces to the I2C coming off the Nunchuck circuit board and the XBee provides a wireless link to another XBee which is connected to another Arduino board.  The result? Wireless Wii Nunchuck.

Components include:

  • Wii Nunchuck (cable removed and body modified to remove some of the internal plastic ribs to make room for my additions)
  • Arduino Pro Mini @3.3V
  • XBee radio w/ chip antenna
  • SparkFun XBee breakout board
  • SparkFun 100mAh LiPo (which stopped working and subsequently got all puffy after it accidentally was punctured by one of the pins I added to the Arduino board for programming)
  • NKK illuminated toggle switch

Some pictures:

Wireless Wii Nunchuck - P1010346.JPG
Wireless Wii Nunchuc...
Wireless Wii Nunchuck - P1010347.JPG
Wireless Wii Nunchuc...
Wireless Wii Nunchuck - P1010348.JPG
Wireless Wii Nunchuc...
Wireless Wii Nunchuck - P1010349.JPG
Wireless Wii Nunchuc...
Wireless Wii Nunchuck - P1010350.JPG
Wireless Wii Nunchuc...
Wireless Wii Nunchuck - P1010351.JPG
Wireless Wii Nunchuc...
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