Using the joystick with Arduino

A joystick is a type of controller typically used for video games and other applications that involve navigating or controlling movement in a virtual environment. It typically consists of a stick that can be moved in multiple directions, along with one or more buttons for additional inputs. Joysticks can be used to control movement in a variety of different ways, depending on the specific game or application. Some joysticks also include additional features such as vibration or force feedback to provide a more immersive gaming experience.

Using a joystick with an Arduino microcontroller is a simple process that can be accomplished by connecting the joystick‘s potentiometers (or « pots ») to analog input pins on the Arduino board. The potentiometers on a joystick are typically used to measure the position of the stick in the X and Y axes. By reading the values of these potentiometers, the Arduino can determine the position of the stick and use that information to control various aspects of the application.

To use a joystick with an Arduino, you’ll need to connect the potentiometers to the analog input pins on the Arduino board. The specific pins you’ll use will depend on the type of Arduino board you’re using. The Arduino can then read the values of the potentiometers using the analogRead() function and use them to control aspects of the application.

Additionally, the joystick may have additional buttons that can be connected to digital input pins of the Arduino board. By reading the state of these buttons, you can use them as inputs to control different aspects of the application.

Purpose of this tutorial:

In this tutorial we will see how to display the direction of the joystick controller on an LCD I2C 1602 Display with Arduino:

• When the user points the joystick to the right, the word « Right » is displayed.
• When the user points the joystick to the left, the word « Left » is displayed.
• When the user points the joystick controller forward, the word « Forward » is displayed.
• When the user moves the joystick to the rear, the word « Backward » is displayed.
• When the user presses the joystick button, the word « pressed button » is displayed.

Necessary components 

Arduino UNO

The Arduino UNO is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P. It has 14 digital input/output pins, 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz quartz crystal, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It is the most popular and widely used board among the Arduino boards.

The Arduino UNO can be programmed using the Arduino programming language, which is based on C++. It uses a simple and intuitive programming environment, making it easy for beginners to get started with microcontroller programming.

The Arduino UNO can be connected to various sensors and actuators to control different devices and perform different tasks. For example, it can be used to control motors, read data from sensors, display information on an LCD screen, and communicate with other devices via serial communication protocols such as I2C and SPI.

The Arduino UNO can also be powered by a USB cable or an external power supply, making it easy to use in a wide range of projects and applications. It’s compatible with a wide range of shields (expansion boards) that adds functionality to the board, such as Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth, and it’s widely supported by a strong and active community, which provides a lot of tutorials, examples and libraries to help users to get the most of the board.

Joystick

A joystick is a type of controller typically used for video games and other applications that involve navigating or controlling movement in a virtual environment. It typically consists of a stick that can be moved in multiple directions, along with one or more buttons for additional inputs. Joysticks can be used to control movement in a variety of different ways, depending on the specific game or application. Some joysticks also include additional features such as vibration or force feedback to provide a more immersive gaming experience.

The joystick is composed of two mechanically coupled potentiometers placed in such a way as to detect the horizontal and vertical components of the joystick. Thus the resistance values ​​of the potentiometers vary independently according to the position of the joystick. There is usually a push button that activates when you press the joystick.

LCD I2C 160A display

An LCD I2C 160A display is a type of liquid crystal display that uses the I2C communication protocol to interface with a microcontroller, such as an Arduino. The « 160A » in the name refers to the size of the display, which is typically 160×128 pixels. The LCD I2C 160A display is a monochrome display, which means it can only display text and graphics in one color.

To use an LCD I2C 160A display with an Arduino, you will need to install a library that provides functions to control the display. These libraries usually include functions for initializing the display, setting the contrast, and printing text and graphics on the screen.

To get started with the LCD I2C 160A display, you will need to connect the SDA and SCL pins of the display to the corresponding I2C pins of your Arduino board, as well as connecting the power supply and ground. Once the display is connected, you can use the library functions to control it and display text and graphics on the screen.

connecting wires

Connecting wires are used to connect various components in an electronic circuit. They allow for the transfer of electricity, data, or signals between different devices and components.

When connecting wires to an Arduino or other microcontroller, it is important to pay attention to the correct pinout. The pinout refers to the arrangement of pins on the microcontroller and the corresponding function of each pin. The Arduino pinout can be found in the documentation provided by the manufacturer, or in various resources available online.

Mounting

To make the assembly we connect:

For joystick :

•  5V pin to 3.3V pin of Arduino

• GND pin to GND pin of Arduino

• VRx pin to A0 pin of Arduino

• VRy pin to A1 pin of Arduino

• SW pin to pin 2 of Arduino

For LCD display:

• VCC pin to 5V pin of Arduino

• GND pin to GND pin of Arduino

• SDA pin to A4 of Arduino

• SCL pin to A5 pin of Arduino