Issue configuring buttons/Logitech & any controller recommendations?

MortalWombat

Hey gang, so I've been unable to configure a button on my controller in Retropie, and wanted to see if anyone had had this issue w/ other controllers? (and if not, ask for recommendations for similar controllers?).

I've been using a Logitech F310, cuz I saw a few people on here before saying that they liked it. For those unfamiliar w/this model, it's similar to a PlayStation/Xbox controller, w/ the standard cross-shaped directional controllers, 2 thumb joysticks-- which is great for 2-joystick games like Smash TV & Robotron-- 4 index finger "trigger" buttons, X/Y/A/B buttons, and 3 additional central buttons, for Start, Back, and Mode.

So I've been able to assign 2 of these central buttons as the Start & Select buttons. The issue is the "Mode" button, which I've been trying to assign as "Hotkey Enable," but doesn't come up as selectable (all it does when you press it is a Green Light turns on).

Mitu suggested that it may be an Internal Gamepad Switch. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but have any of you had controllers that Retropie has been unable to assign commands to?

I just don't like not being able to assign a HotKey button (currently I have "Back"/Select doing both, nor paying for 3 buttons when I can only use 2 (I also wanna rule out if this button/the controller may actually be defective while I can still return it).

All that said, any of you have any other controllers like this that you can recommend? Thanks.

mitu

@mortalwombat said in Issue configuring buttons/Logitech & any controller recommendations?:

Mitu suggested that it may be an Internal Gamepad Switch. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but have any of you had controllers that Retropie has been unable to assign commands to?

It means it's used by the gamepad to set some internal configuration, just like the Xinput/Dinput switch on the back of the controller. The button doesn't actually produce any inputs, so you can't assign it.

Mode: Selects flight or sports mode. Flight mode: analog sticks control action and D-pad controls POV; Status light is off. Sports mode: D-pad controls action and analog sticks control POV; Status light is on.

You can test if the button produces any input by using jstest from the command line. Exit EmulationStation, make sure only the gamepad is plugged in/connected (if you another gamepad, disconnect it) and then run:

jstest /dev/input/js0

You can then see how many buttons are reported by the gamepad and press each button to see it registered. You can interrupt the test by pressing Ctrl + C.

MortalWombat

@mitu appreciate the tip. Well I had to have my keyboard plugged in to type up the latest prompt (unless there's a way to select alphanumeric commands in Linux 5.4.72 I'm not aware of?) then unplug it once I'd entered it, but here's what I found:
*Driver version 2.1.0 (not sure if there's a command I can run to update the driver, RetroPie's been great about always recognizing what type of controller this is, yet the "Mode" issue persists.).

*It did find all 11 buttons, including the questionable "BtnMode."

*Every button/direction pressed registered as a Button or Axes, EXCEPT for the bottom "trigger" buttons-- LT & RT-- which produced results under "Axes" when pressed (which was the same category that pressing the 2 thumbsticks fell into).
Admittedly the first couple of times I configured this controller, the directions of the thumbsticks themselves would NOT register (fortunately the last 2-3 times I've configured this controller, these directions have shown up), so I do find this a bit suspect.
In spite of that, the few games I've tried that required a secondary joysticks-- i.e. Robotron & SmashTV-- I was able to use at least ONE of the thumbsticks.

*Most importantly, in spite showing up as "BtnMode," pressing "Mode" produces no result-- not an "on," not anything-- under either "Buttons" or "Axes."

So what's the verdict? I do find the readings for the LT & RT Buttons and the issues configuring those thumbsticks a little suspect, but I dunno if that suggests that this is a bum controller. I just wanna get a similar one w/a third (ideally centralized) button that I can set as my HotKey button... and now I'm wondering if any in the Logitech line-- at least using that "Mode" button-- are capable of doing so. Currently guessing not.

Assuming you feel that's a correct guess, are there any other similar controllers you'd recommend?

I mean, maybe not having a HotKeys option is crucial to emulation, maybe I can get other controllers and resign this one to the 2nd/3rd player (I already expect to need at least one Bluetooth controller if I'm gonna get any 4-player games to work), I just no longer feel confident in this controller to wanna get a duplicate of it is all.

mitu

@mortalwombat said in Issue configuring buttons/Logitech & any controller recommendations?:

*Most importantly, in spite showing up as "BtnMode," pressing "Mode" produces no result-- not an "on," not anything-- under either "Buttons" or "Axes."

Then it means that there's no input associated with it, so it cannot be configured.

Assuming you feel that's a correct guess, are there any other similar controllers you'd recommend?

My recommendation is to keep the controller, it's perfectly fine - it has all the possble inputs on a regular controller.
If you really wish to have an additional button, I know the Dualshock controllers (PS3/PS4) have a working PS (extra) button, can't say much about other controllers.

YFZdude

I have these same controllers. I agree with @mitu that you should avoid trying to use the "mode" button as all it is meant to do is swap the D-Pad and left analog stick functions. What I did was use the actual "Logitech" button in the center of the pad for the hotkey.

The "Logitech" button is the logo FYI.

dankcushions

@mortalwombat said in Issue configuring buttons/Logitech & any controller recommendations?:

I just don't like not being able to assign a HotKey button (currently I have "Back"/Select doing both,

given that the hotkey button doesn't do anything unless in combo with other buttons, what's wrong with having it as back/select? this is the same setup as many (most?) retropie users, and is what we suggest in the docs: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Controller-Configuration/#hotkey

All that said, any of you have any other controllers like this that you can recommend? Thanks.

dualshock 4 controllers let you assign the playstation button - i use that as my hotkey.

MortalWombat

@yfzdude and @dankcushions , thank you for joining the discussion, and glad to have someone who is familiar w/this controller... geez I can't believe all this time that I didn't realize that the Logitech logo was a button as well(!!). I may have to do that controller test again to see what it comes up as, because somehow I missed it even there. So fortunately, I was able to assign it as the HotKey button, although it didn't actually show up the first couple of times I pressed it, which isn't entirely reassuring, but it seems to be working now.

So that said, I may wanna look into getting different controllers moving forward (including possibly that Dualshock that you mentioned), but for the moment this seems to get the job done and pause the game as I'd originally hoped, so yeah, doesn't look like I may wanna return this controller as I'd feared.

But yeah, re: that weird "Mode" button, you're right, it DOES seem to alternate you btwn/enable and disable the cross-shaped directional controls and the thumbstick one, and there'd been a few times during games when one control didn't seem to be working (when I'd pressed Mode without realizing it), and had to switch to the other directional option. Usually I'd end up just resetting the game to get it back to normal, but glad to know now what the purpose of it is.