Saitek Joystick through RS-232

We want to use a Saitek Joystick connected to a Windows XP laptop to control our vehicle. We are using a RoboteQ 2850 with optical encoders, closed loop speed control, and mixed-mode operations.

With the RoboRun software, we cannot change which thumb-stick (left or right) the software uses, or which channel is associated with which direction the joystick is moved. Currently, moving the left joystick up and down (Y axis) turns the vehicle left and right. Moving the left joystick right and left (X axis) controls forward and backwards.

If we hold the Saitek rotated 90 degrees clockwise, then the vehicle drives intuitively, but this is not a very satisfactory solution. Does anyone know what are the alternatives?

In particular, has anyone written a separate program that can access COM 7 and will associate any arbitrary joystick move with an !a00/!b00 type speed command?

Conversely, is there a way to fool RoboRun into thinking that the Saitek axes are different from what they are? (We have actually considered taking a Saitek apart, unsoldering the joystick, and jumpering it to the 90 clockwise contacts.)

Thank you,

We have just recompiled the roborun with the joystick ch2 and ch1 swapped. It has not been tested but it should work given the simplicity of the change.

File is at <A href="dev.roboteq.com/dev1/download/roborun-saitek.zip" target=_blank>www.roboteq.com/download/roborun-saitek.zip. Unzip the file in the Program Files:Roboteq folder and double click on it to run.

Well, that's better. The axes are correct, but the direction of the Command 2 axis is wrong. If I push forward on the joystick, the vehicle moves backwards. Is there anything we can do to fix it, or do you need to do something on your end?

Try this version with the channel 2 value multiplied by -1

<A href="dev.roboteq.com/dev1/download/roborun-saitek-negch2.zip" target=_blank>www.roboteq.com/download/roborun-saitek-negch2.zip

Wrong axis. Now it turns the wrong way too. I said "Command 2" axis, based on the label in the "Run" screen within RoboRun. I was not certain which channel that was. I guess Command 2 is actually Channel 1. (That seems confusing.)

Can you put Channel 2 back the way it was and flip Channel 1 with a -1?

Sorry for my confusion, and thanks.

<A href="dev.roboteq.com/dev1/download/roborun-saitek-negch1.zip" target=_blank>www.roboteq.com/download/roborun-saitek-negch1.zip