NeGcon
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| Manufacturer | Namco |
|---|---|
| Type | Video game controller |
| Generation | Fifth generation era |
| Retail availability | 1995 |
| Connectivity | PlayStation controller port |
The neGcon ("neh-gee-con", from the Japanese "nejiru", 捻る, "to twist") is a third-party controller for the PlayStation manufactured by Namco.
The neGcon was an unusual design in that the left and right halves of the controller were connected by a swivel joint and thus the halves could be twisted relative to each other. The full extent of this twist was available to the console as an analogue measurement.
Also unusual for its time were the buttons. The regular PlayStation controller of the time featured all-digital controls with a D-Pad on the left; R1, R2, L1, and L2 shoulder buttons; triangle, circle, square, and X buttons on the right; plus select and start buttons in the center area of the controller. The neGcon removed the L2 and R2 buttons as well as the select button. The neGcon replaced the digital circle and triangle buttons with digital A and B buttons, and also replaced the R1 shoulder button with a digital R shoulder button. The neGcon featured the digital D-Pad as one area similar to competing console's controllers and unlike the plus-shaped configuration of the official PlayStation controller.
The remaining buttons received more elaborate treatment. The X and square buttons were replaced with analogue Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. These buttons were in a recessed well and had approximately 7mm of travel. The user's thumb could be rested on the edge of the well, with the tip reaching over the edge to press the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. This allowed the tip of the thumb to be accurately pivoted to depress the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons varying distances. This allowed very precise control with little learning. The L shoulder button was also analogue, with about 5mm of travel. The R shoulder button had a 5mm throw like the L shoulder button but activated only a digital sensor.
The neGcon worked by means of gears turning the shafts of potentiometers. This system greatly reduced the logic required in the controller (important at the time) compared to a quadrature encoder-based system by removing the need for self-calibration and converting relative position to absolute position. The center pivot of the neGcon utilized a ring-gear driving a pinion on the shaft of the potentiometer, while the 3 analogue buttons each employed a rack driving similar pinions. These systems were large, with two potentiometers in the left half of the controller for the L shoulder button and center pivot and two potentiometers in the right half of the controller for the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. Lack of space inside the unit precluded an analogue R shoulder button. However, extended use caused the swivel joint to wear.
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