Toy manufacturers are releasing children's toys which mimic items a child may see in later life. Often in bright colors with smiley faces, they are so cute! But they're usually not functional other than for novelty. Why not make them work as their more functional counterparts?
This guide will show you how to turn a Fisher-Price sensory toy into a fully-functional USB controller compatible with Nintendo Switch, as well as devices supporting XInput and DirectInput USB controllers. You'll only need basic soldering skills and the ability to drag-and-drop a file to program the microcontroller.
The Adafruit KB2040 microcontroller, running a custom build of the open-source GP2040-CE firmware, is used here to bring this controller to life.
Fisher-Price conveniently provided easily solderable test points for every button on the PCB, making it seem as if this pretend controller was destined to become a real one.
Features
- Selectable USB input modes: XInput, DirectInput, and Nintendo Switch.
- Standard button mapping: D-pad, plus five buttons (A, B, X, Y, and Start).
- Simulated analog: Front switch sets the D-pad to be left analog stick.
- Speaker Muting: A rear switch modification is used to mute the speaker.
Materials & Tools
- Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Game Controller
- An Adafruit KB2040 microcontroller
- 10 x 6in jumper wires (Thin 30 AWG wire wrap recommended)
- Heat shrink (optional)
- A soldering iron and solder
- A hot glue gun with glue stick
- A drill and 9/64 in drill bit (3.57mm)
- Flush angled cutter pliers
- 3D printed cutting jig (optional)
- A multimeter (optional)
- Phillips screwdriver
- USB-C cable
If needed/desired:
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