Question How Would I Use DSI Buttons For a Raspberry Pi Portable?

[ZELDAGUY]

How would i use dsi buttons in my project? how would i design the shell to fit them?

 

[ZELDAGUY]

I'm going to use a teensy 4.1 (maybe 4.0) to send the input to the RPi, and i would be using switch joysticks.

 

[Y2K]

I'm going to use a teensy 4.1 (maybe 4.0) to send the input to the RPi, and i would be using switch joysticks.

Teensy 4.1 would be extremely overkill here, especially for the price. I'd recommend picking up an RPi Pico for $5 (which even this is overkill but RPi Picos are a really good price and are very widely available), or even an Arduino Pro Micro or any AVR board that can do USB HID. Would be much more appropriate for that kind of thing.

 

[Stitches]

How would i use dsi buttons in my project? how would i design the shell to fit them?

You'll need a basic caliper to measure the exact external diamaters and heights of the buttons so that you can create suitably sized holes for them to fit into your case. If you're designing your case in CAD software, you can basically just make holes in the inside face of the shell that match those measurements (with a bit of margin for error). If you're frankencasing, then your best bet is to buy a cheap replacement DSI front plate and cut the button sections out of it to glue into the case.

 

[ZELDAGUY]

You'll need a basic caliper to measure the exact external diamaters and heights of the buttons so that you can create suitably sized holes for them to fit into your case. If you're designing your case in CAD software, you can basically just make holes in the inside face of the shell that match those measurements (with a bit of margin for error). If you're frankencasing, then your best bet is to buy a cheap replacement DSI front plate and cut the button sections out of it to glue into the case.

im probably going to get a replacement button circuitboard, cut off the extra snd solder to that

 

[CrazyGadget]

You could go that route (Señor Avacado did that for their GC- Build), or you could recreate the pad in KiCAD and make a simple button breakout board. I did that a couple years ago, and it uses replacement dome stickers to get an OEM feel:

 

[Stitches]

im probably going to get a replacement button circuitboard, cut off the extra snd solder to that

As CrazyGadget mentioned, there are some existing solutions for this. There's a publically available set of ABXY and dpad breakout boards in this thread that you could use. You can submit the gerber files to JLCPCB or PCBWAY for manufacturing (make sure you get the gold contact plating or they won't work properly), and you'll need a set of the DS-Lite silicone conductive button pads to use with it. Afaik the DSI button spacing is the same as the DS-Lite, the DSI buttons themselves are just a bit flatter, so it would probably be the simplest solution to mount and use.

 

[ZELDAGUY]

thanks! this will help alot

As CrazyGadget mentioned, there are some existing solutions for this. There's a publically available set of ABXY and dpad breakout boards in this thread that you could use. You can submit the gerber files to JLCPCB or PCBWAY for manufacturing (make sure you get the gold contact plating or they won't work properly), and you'll need a set of the DS-Lite silicone conductive button pads to use with it. Afaik the DSI button spacing is the same as the DS-Lite, the DSI buttons themselves are just a bit flatter, so it would probably be the simplest solution to mount and use.

would this work with the DSL button pcb?

 

[Stitches]

thanks! this will help alot

would this work with the DSL button pcb?

As long as you get the gold plated contacts when ordering the PCBs, yes. Plain copper doesn't work with the silicone pads very well.

 

[ZELDAGUY]

As long as you get the gold plated contacts when ordering the PCBs, yes. Plain copper doesn't work with the silicone pads very well.

would i be able to order these from pcbway? with the gold contacts?

 

[Stitches]

I have no experience with PCBWAY, but I assume they'd offer ENIG (gold and nickel) contact plating as an extra addon like other fab houses do