linux/Documentation/input/joydev/joystick.rst
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   1.. include:: <isonum.txt>
   2
   3.. _joystick-doc:
   4
   5Introduction
   6============
   7
   8The joystick driver for Linux provides support for a variety of joysticks
   9and similar devices. It is based on a larger project aiming to support all
  10input devices in Linux.
  11
  12The mailing list for the project is:
  13
  14        linux-input@vger.kernel.org
  15
  16send "subscribe linux-input" to majordomo@vger.kernel.org to subscribe to it.
  17
  18Usage
  19=====
  20
  21For basic usage you just choose the right options in kernel config and
  22you should be set.
  23
  24Utilities
  25---------
  26
  27For testing and other purposes (for example serial devices), there is a set
  28of utilities, such as ``jstest``, ``jscal``, and ``evtest``,
  29usually packaged as ``joystick``, ``input-utils``, ``evtest``, and so on.
  30
  31``inputattach`` utility is required if your joystick is connected to a
  32serial port.
  33
  34Device nodes
  35------------
  36
  37For applications to be able to use the joysticks, device nodes should be
  38created in /dev. Normally it is done automatically by the system, but
  39it can also be done by hand::
  40
  41    cd /dev
  42    rm js*
  43    mkdir input
  44    mknod input/js0 c 13 0
  45    mknod input/js1 c 13 1
  46    mknod input/js2 c 13 2
  47    mknod input/js3 c 13 3
  48    ln -s input/js0 js0
  49    ln -s input/js1 js1
  50    ln -s input/js2 js2
  51    ln -s input/js3 js3
  52
  53For testing with inpututils it's also convenient to create these::
  54
  55    mknod input/event0 c 13 64
  56    mknod input/event1 c 13 65
  57    mknod input/event2 c 13 66
  58    mknod input/event3 c 13 67
  59
  60Modules needed
  61--------------
  62
  63For all joystick drivers to function, you'll need the userland interface
  64module in kernel, either loaded or compiled in::
  65
  66        modprobe joydev
  67
  68For gameport joysticks, you'll have to load the gameport driver as well::
  69
  70        modprobe ns558
  71
  72And for serial port joysticks, you'll need the serial input line
  73discipline module loaded and the inputattach utility started::
  74
  75        modprobe serport
  76        inputattach -xxx /dev/tts/X &
  77
  78In addition to that, you'll need the joystick driver module itself, most
  79usually you'll have an analog joystick::
  80
  81        modprobe analog
  82
  83For automatic module loading, something like this might work - tailor to
  84your needs::
  85
  86        alias tty-ldisc-2 serport
  87        alias char-major-13 input
  88        above input joydev ns558 analog
  89        options analog map=gamepad,none,2btn
  90
  91Verifying that it works
  92-----------------------
  93
  94For testing the joystick driver functionality, there is the jstest
  95program in the utilities package. You run it by typing::
  96
  97        jstest /dev/input/js0
  98
  99And it should show a line with the joystick values, which update as you
 100move the stick, and press its buttons. The axes should all be zero when the
 101joystick is in the center position. They should not jitter by themselves to
 102other close values, and they also should be steady in any other position of
 103the stick. They should have the full range from -32767 to 32767. If all this
 104is met, then it's all fine, and you can play the games. :)
 105
 106If it's not, then there might be a problem. Try to calibrate the joystick,
 107and if it still doesn't work, read the drivers section of this file, the
 108troubleshooting section, and the FAQ.
 109
 110Calibration
 111-----------
 112
 113For most joysticks you won't need any manual calibration, since the
 114joystick should be autocalibrated by the driver automagically. However, with
 115some analog joysticks, that either do not use linear resistors, or if you
 116want better precision, you can use the jscal program::
 117
 118        jscal -c /dev/input/js0
 119
 120included in the joystick package to set better correction coefficients than
 121what the driver would choose itself.
 122
 123After calibrating the joystick you can verify if you like the new
 124calibration using the jstest command, and if you do, you then can save the
 125correction coefficients into a file::
 126
 127        jscal -p /dev/input/js0 > /etc/joystick.cal
 128
 129And add a line to your rc script executing that file::
 130
 131        source /etc/joystick.cal
 132
 133This way, after the next reboot your joystick will remain calibrated. You
 134can also add the ``jscal -p`` line to your shutdown script.
 135
 136Hardware-specific driver information
 137====================================
 138
 139In this section each of the separate hardware specific drivers is described.
 140
 141Analog joysticks
 142----------------
 143
 144The analog.c driver uses the standard analog inputs of the gameport, and thus
 145supports all standard joysticks and gamepads. It uses a very advanced
 146routine for this, allowing for data precision that can't be found on any
 147other system.
 148
 149It also supports extensions like additional hats and buttons compatible
 150with CH Flightstick Pro, ThrustMaster FCS or 6 and 8 button gamepads. Saitek
 151Cyborg 'digital' joysticks are also supported by this driver, because
 152they're basically souped up CHF sticks.
 153
 154However the only types that can be autodetected are:
 155
 156* 2-axis, 4-button joystick
 157* 3-axis, 4-button joystick
 158* 4-axis, 4-button joystick
 159* Saitek Cyborg 'digital' joysticks
 160
 161For other joystick types (more/less axes, hats, and buttons) support
 162you'll need to specify the types either on the kernel command line or on the
 163module command line, when inserting analog into the kernel. The
 164parameters are::
 165
 166        analog.map=<type1>,<type2>,<type3>,....
 167
 168'type' is type of the joystick from the table below, defining joysticks
 169present on gameports in the system, starting with gameport0, second 'type'
 170entry defining joystick on gameport1 and so on.
 171
 172        ========= =====================================================
 173        Type      Meaning
 174        ========= =====================================================
 175        none      No analog joystick on that port
 176        auto      Autodetect joystick
 177        2btn      2-button n-axis joystick
 178        y-joy     Two 2-button 2-axis joysticks on an Y-cable
 179        y-pad     Two 2-button 2-axis gamepads on an Y-cable
 180        fcs       Thrustmaster FCS compatible joystick
 181        chf       Joystick with a CH Flightstick compatible hat
 182        fullchf   CH Flightstick compatible with two hats and 6 buttons
 183        gamepad   4/6-button n-axis gamepad
 184        gamepad8  8-button 2-axis gamepad
 185        ========= =====================================================
 186
 187In case your joystick doesn't fit in any of the above categories, you can
 188specify the type as a number by combining the bits in the table below. This
 189is not recommended unless you really know what are you doing. It's not
 190dangerous, but not simple either.
 191
 192        ==== =========================
 193        Bit  Meaning
 194        ==== =========================
 195         0   Axis X1
 196         1   Axis Y1
 197         2   Axis X2
 198         3   Axis Y2
 199         4   Button A
 200         5   Button B
 201         6   Button C
 202         7   Button D
 203         8   CHF Buttons X and Y
 204         9   CHF Hat 1
 205        10   CHF Hat 2
 206        11   FCS Hat
 207        12   Pad Button X
 208        13   Pad Button Y
 209        14   Pad Button U
 210        15   Pad Button V
 211        16   Saitek F1-F4 Buttons
 212        17   Saitek Digital Mode
 213        19   GamePad
 214        20   Joy2 Axis X1
 215        21   Joy2 Axis Y1
 216        22   Joy2 Axis X2
 217        23   Joy2 Axis Y2
 218        24   Joy2 Button A
 219        25   Joy2 Button B
 220        26   Joy2 Button C
 221        27   Joy2 Button D
 222        31   Joy2 GamePad
 223        ==== =========================
 224
 225Microsoft SideWinder joysticks
 226------------------------------
 227
 228Microsoft 'Digital Overdrive' protocol is supported by the sidewinder.c
 229module. All currently supported joysticks:
 230
 231* Microsoft SideWinder 3D Pro
 232* Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro
 233* Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel
 234* Microsoft SideWinder FreeStyle Pro
 235* Microsoft SideWinder GamePad (up to four, chained)
 236* Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro
 237* Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro USB
 238
 239are autodetected, and thus no module parameters are needed.
 240
 241There is one caveat with the 3D Pro. There are 9 buttons reported,
 242although the joystick has only 8. The 9th button is the mode switch on the
 243rear side of the joystick. However, moving it, you'll reset the joystick,
 244and make it unresponsive for about a one third of a second. Furthermore, the
 245joystick will also re-center itself, taking the position it was in during
 246this time as a new center position. Use it if you want, but think first.
 247
 248The SideWinder Standard is not a digital joystick, and thus is supported
 249by the analog driver described above.
 250
 251Logitech ADI devices
 252--------------------
 253
 254Logitech ADI protocol is supported by the adi.c module. It should support
 255any Logitech device using this protocol. This includes, but is not limited
 256to:
 257
 258* Logitech CyberMan 2
 259* Logitech ThunderPad Digital
 260* Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital
 261* Logitech WingMan Formula
 262* Logitech WingMan Interceptor
 263* Logitech WingMan GamePad
 264* Logitech WingMan GamePad USB
 265* Logitech WingMan GamePad Extreme
 266* Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital 3D
 267
 268ADI devices are autodetected, and the driver supports up to two (any
 269combination of) devices on a single gameport, using a Y-cable or chained
 270together.
 271
 272Logitech WingMan Joystick, Logitech WingMan Attack, Logitech WingMan
 273Extreme and Logitech WingMan ThunderPad are not digital joysticks and are
 274handled by the analog driver described above. Logitech WingMan Warrior and
 275Logitech Magellan are supported by serial drivers described below.  Logitech
 276WingMan Force and Logitech WingMan Formula Force are supported by the
 277I-Force driver described below. Logitech CyberMan is not supported yet.
 278
 279Gravis GrIP
 280-----------
 281
 282Gravis GrIP protocol is supported by the grip.c module. It currently
 283supports:
 284
 285* Gravis GamePad Pro
 286* Gravis BlackHawk Digital
 287* Gravis Xterminator
 288* Gravis Xterminator DualControl
 289
 290All these devices are autodetected, and you can even use any combination
 291of up to two of these pads either chained together or using a Y-cable on a
 292single gameport.
 293
 294GrIP MultiPort isn't supported yet. Gravis Stinger is a serial device and is
 295supported by the stinger driver. Other Gravis joysticks are supported by the
 296analog driver.
 297
 298FPGaming A3D and MadCatz A3D
 299----------------------------
 300
 301The Assassin 3D protocol created by FPGaming, is used both by FPGaming
 302themselves and is licensed to MadCatz. A3D devices are supported by the
 303a3d.c module. It currently supports:
 304
 305* FPGaming Assassin 3D
 306* MadCatz Panther
 307* MadCatz Panther XL
 308
 309All these devices are autodetected. Because the Assassin 3D and the Panther
 310allow connecting analog joysticks to them, you'll need to load the analog
 311driver as well to handle the attached joysticks.
 312
 313The trackball should work with USB mousedev module as a normal mouse. See
 314the USB documentation for how to setup a USB mouse.
 315
 316ThrustMaster DirectConnect (BSP)
 317--------------------------------
 318
 319The TM DirectConnect (BSP) protocol is supported by the tmdc.c
 320module. This includes, but is not limited to:
 321
 322* ThrustMaster Millennium 3D Interceptor
 323* ThrustMaster 3D Rage Pad
 324* ThrustMaster Fusion Digital Game Pad
 325
 326Devices not directly supported, but hopefully working are:
 327
 328* ThrustMaster FragMaster
 329* ThrustMaster Attack Throttle
 330
 331If you have one of these, contact me.
 332
 333TMDC devices are autodetected, and thus no parameters to the module
 334are needed. Up to two TMDC devices can be connected to one gameport, using
 335a Y-cable.
 336
 337Creative Labs Blaster
 338---------------------
 339
 340The Blaster protocol is supported by the cobra.c module. It supports only
 341the:
 342
 343* Creative Blaster GamePad Cobra
 344
 345Up to two of these can be used on a single gameport, using a Y-cable.
 346
 347Genius Digital joysticks
 348------------------------
 349
 350The Genius digitally communicating joysticks are supported by the gf2k.c
 351module. This includes:
 352
 353* Genius Flight2000 F-23 joystick
 354* Genius Flight2000 F-31 joystick
 355* Genius G-09D gamepad
 356
 357Other Genius digital joysticks are not supported yet, but support can be
 358added fairly easily.
 359
 360InterAct Digital joysticks
 361--------------------------
 362
 363The InterAct digitally communicating joysticks are supported by the
 364interact.c module. This includes:
 365
 366* InterAct HammerHead/FX gamepad
 367* InterAct ProPad8 gamepad
 368
 369Other InterAct digital joysticks are not supported yet, but support can be
 370added fairly easily.
 371
 372PDPI Lightning 4 gamecards
 373--------------------------
 374
 375PDPI Lightning 4 gamecards are supported by the lightning.c module.
 376Once the module is loaded, the analog driver can be used to handle the
 377joysticks. Digitally communicating joystick will work only on port 0, while
 378using Y-cables, you can connect up to 8 analog joysticks to a single L4
 379card, 16 in case you have two in your system.
 380
 381Trident 4DWave / Aureal Vortex
 382------------------------------
 383
 384Soundcards with a Trident 4DWave DX/NX or Aureal Vortex/Vortex2 chipset
 385provide an "Enhanced Game Port" mode where the soundcard handles polling the
 386joystick.  This mode is supported by the pcigame.c module. Once loaded the
 387analog driver can use the enhanced features of these gameports..
 388
 389Crystal SoundFusion
 390-------------------
 391
 392Soundcards with Crystal SoundFusion chipsets provide an "Enhanced Game
 393Port", much like the 4DWave or Vortex above. This, and also the normal mode
 394for the port of the SoundFusion is supported by the cs461x.c module.
 395
 396SoundBlaster Live!
 397------------------
 398
 399The Live! has a special PCI gameport, which, although it doesn't provide
 400any "Enhanced" stuff like 4DWave and friends, is quite a bit faster than
 401its ISA counterparts. It also requires special support, hence the
 402emu10k1-gp.c module for it instead of the normal ns558.c one.
 403
 404SoundBlaster 64 and 128 - ES1370 and ES1371, ESS Solo1 and S3 SonicVibes
 405------------------------------------------------------------------------
 406
 407These PCI soundcards have specific gameports. They are handled by the
 408sound drivers themselves. Make sure you select gameport support in the
 409joystick menu and sound card support in the sound menu for your appropriate
 410card.
 411
 412Amiga
 413-----
 414
 415Amiga joysticks, connected to an Amiga, are supported by the amijoy.c
 416driver. Since they can't be autodetected, the driver has a command line:
 417
 418        amijoy.map=<a>,<b>
 419
 420a and b define the joysticks connected to the JOY0DAT and JOY1DAT ports of
 421the Amiga.
 422
 423        ====== ===========================
 424        Value  Joystick type
 425        ====== ===========================
 426          0    None
 427          1    1-button digital joystick
 428        ====== ===========================
 429
 430No more joystick types are supported now, but that should change in the
 431future if I get an Amiga in the reach of my fingers.
 432
 433Game console and 8-bit pads and joysticks
 434-----------------------------------------
 435
 436These pads and joysticks are not designed for PCs and other computers
 437Linux runs on, and usually require a special connector for attaching
 438them through a parallel port.
 439
 440See :ref:`joystick-parport` for more info.
 441
 442SpaceTec/LabTec devices
 443-----------------------
 444
 445SpaceTec serial devices communicate using the SpaceWare protocol. It is
 446supported by the spaceorb.c and spaceball.c drivers. The devices currently
 447supported by spaceorb.c are:
 448
 449* SpaceTec SpaceBall Avenger
 450* SpaceTec SpaceOrb 360
 451
 452Devices currently supported by spaceball.c are:
 453
 454* SpaceTec SpaceBall 4000 FLX
 455
 456In addition to having the spaceorb/spaceball and serport modules in the
 457kernel, you also need to attach a serial port to it. To do that, run the
 458inputattach program::
 459
 460        inputattach --spaceorb /dev/tts/x &
 461
 462or::
 463
 464        inputattach --spaceball /dev/tts/x &
 465
 466where /dev/tts/x is the serial port which the device is connected to. After
 467doing this, the device will be reported and will start working.
 468
 469There is one caveat with the SpaceOrb. The button #6, the one on the bottom
 470side of the orb, although reported as an ordinary button, causes internal
 471recentering of the spaceorb, moving the zero point to the position in which
 472the ball is at the moment of pressing the button. So, think first before
 473you bind it to some other function.
 474
 475SpaceTec SpaceBall 2003 FLX and 3003 FLX are not supported yet.
 476
 477Logitech SWIFT devices
 478----------------------
 479
 480The SWIFT serial protocol is supported by the warrior.c module. It
 481currently supports only the:
 482
 483* Logitech WingMan Warrior
 484
 485but in the future, Logitech CyberMan (the original one, not CM2) could be
 486supported as well. To use the module, you need to run inputattach after you
 487insert/compile the module into your kernel::
 488
 489        inputattach --warrior /dev/tts/x &
 490
 491/dev/tts/x is the serial port your Warrior is attached to.
 492
 493Magellan / Space Mouse
 494----------------------
 495
 496The Magellan (or Space Mouse), manufactured by LogiCad3d (formerly Space
 497Systems), for many other companies (Logitech, HP, ...) is supported by the
 498joy-magellan module. It currently supports only the:
 499
 500* Magellan 3D
 501* Space Mouse
 502
 503models; the additional buttons on the 'Plus' versions are not supported yet.
 504
 505To use it, you need to attach the serial port to the driver using the::
 506
 507        inputattach --magellan /dev/tts/x &
 508
 509command. After that the Magellan will be detected, initialized, will beep,
 510and the /dev/input/jsX device should become usable.
 511
 512I-Force devices
 513---------------
 514
 515All I-Force devices are supported by the iforce module. This includes:
 516
 517* AVB Mag Turbo Force
 518* AVB Top Shot Pegasus
 519* AVB Top Shot Force Feedback Racing Wheel
 520* Logitech WingMan Force
 521* Logitech WingMan Force Wheel
 522* Guillemot Race Leader Force Feedback
 523* Guillemot Force Feedback Racing Wheel
 524* Thrustmaster Motor Sport GT
 525
 526To use it, you need to attach the serial port to the driver using the::
 527
 528        inputattach --iforce /dev/tts/x &
 529
 530command. After that the I-Force device will be detected, and the
 531/dev/input/jsX device should become usable.
 532
 533In case you're using the device via the USB port, the inputattach command
 534isn't needed.
 535
 536The I-Force driver now supports force feedback via the event interface.
 537
 538Please note that Logitech WingMan 3D devices are _not_ supported by this
 539module, rather by hid. Force feedback is not supported for those devices.
 540Logitech gamepads are also hid devices.
 541
 542Gravis Stinger gamepad
 543----------------------
 544
 545The Gravis Stinger serial port gamepad, designed for use with laptop
 546computers, is supported by the stinger.c module. To use it, attach the
 547serial port to the driver using::
 548
 549        inputattach --stinger /dev/tty/x &
 550
 551where x is the number of the serial port.
 552
 553Troubleshooting
 554===============
 555
 556There is quite a high probability that you run into some problems. For
 557testing whether the driver works, if in doubt, use the jstest utility in
 558some of its modes. The most useful modes are "normal" - for the 1.x
 559interface, and "old" for the "0.x" interface. You run it by typing::
 560
 561        jstest --normal /dev/input/js0
 562        jstest --old    /dev/input/js0
 563
 564Additionally you can do a test with the evtest utility::
 565
 566        evtest /dev/input/event0
 567
 568Oh, and read the FAQ! :)
 569
 570FAQ
 571===
 572
 573:Q: Running 'jstest /dev/input/js0' results in "File not found" error. What's the
 574    cause?
 575:A: The device files don't exist. Create them (see section 2.2).
 576
 577:Q: Is it possible to connect my old Atari/Commodore/Amiga/console joystick
 578    or pad that uses a 9-pin D-type Cannon connector to the serial port of my
 579    PC?
 580:A: Yes, it is possible, but it'll burn your serial port or the pad. It
 581    won't work, of course.
 582
 583:Q: My joystick doesn't work with Quake / Quake 2. What's the cause?
 584:A: Quake / Quake 2 don't support joystick. Use joy2key to simulate keypresses
 585    for them.
 586