Newbie looking for help to make a Windows game controller device

[Peirof]

Hi, its my first post

Let me introduce myself, my name is Manuel, I am from Spain (English is not my native language) and I have joined the forum looking for help.

 

My profile is that of a maker with very little programming experience (an AI maker). AI helped me a lot to make the programs

 

I’m migrating a project from Arduino to an STM32 Blackpill; I managed to get it working on Arduino.

Sim racing pedals

The pedals are a potentiometer (for the accelerator) and a loaded cell (for the brake).

 

Well, what I thought would be the hardest thing to do—getting the STM32 Blackpill to “read” those sensors—I’ve managed to do. I press buttons on the console and see the changes… but what was easy on Arduino—turning it into a game display for Windows—I’m not being able to do on the STM32… the libraries that Gemini recommends are either missing or don’t work…

 

I’m looking for help getting Windows to recognize my STM32 as a gaming device. I thought this part would be easier; the Blackpill model is supposed to communicate well with Windows via USB… but so far I haven’t been able to.

 

Can anyone recommend a resource to help me get Windows to recognize the STM32 Blackpill as a game device? Libraries, tutorials, anything.

 

Thanks in advance.

[FBL]

Hi @Peirof & welcome to ST community !

ST resources are dedicated to supporting genuine ST products (not black pill ...) . We are not committed to ensuring that clones/fakes work properly with the firmware we provide.

[Ozone]

> ST resources are dedicated to supporting genuine ST products (not black pill ...) . We are not committed to ensuring that clones/fakes work properly with the firmware we provide.

I would be careful with beating (new) posters with the "fake chip" club over the head before you have any proof.

I have a few Blackpill boards as well, and everything works fine, including debugging with a ST-Link V3MINIE.

[Ozone]

> Can anyone recommend a resource to help me get Windows to recognize the STM32 Blackpill as a game device? Libraries, tutorials, anything.

I think first you need to determine what kind of USB device your game(s) expect as input.
See a list of options e.g. here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Device_classes
Probably either 00, 03 or 05 ("unspecified", HID or PID).
Then I would look for an appropriate example to use as starting point.
From my (superficial) point of view, the best option would be a device covered by a standard driver, e.g. from Microsoft.You probably would not want to write your own host driver, and get it through the MS signing procedure ...

I am not really experienced with USB stuff, though.

[Andrew Neil]

Welcome to the forum.

As you're already familiar with Arduino, note that there is an Arduino core for STM32:

https://www.stm32duino.com/

https://docs.arduino.cc/libraries/stm32duino-examples/

https://github.com/stm32duino

 

As already noted, the Black Pill is not an ST product, and adds a number of unknowns in your path.

 

Therefore, as a newbie, I would strongly suggest that you (at least) start with a genuine ST board; eg, the following have STM32F4s with USB:

NUCLEO-F412ZG, NUCLEO-F413ZH, NUCLEO-F439Z, NUCLEO-F446ZE

via: https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/stm32-nucleo-boards/products.html

These are fully supported by ST, have ready-to-go examples, and come complete with a built-in ST-Link.

 

Also, USB is quite advanced - not really a beginner's project.

It would be best to spend some time on the basics:

https://community.st.com/t5/stm32-mcus-products/for-better-learning-stm32-programming-and-debugging/m-p/719485/highlight/true#M260696

 

Some STM32 learning references:

https://community.st.com/t5/stm32-mcus-products/for-better-learning-stm32-programming-and-debugging/m-p/719468/highlight/true#M260690

 

Good luck!

[Vidar]

What are you trying to achieve exactly? Something local, that only your machine recognises it as a gaming device, or that any machine does it. Also which MCU are you using.

You need us to provide with more infos, also if you will build a client for your machine or not.

[Andrew Neil]

---

@Vidar wrote:

 which MCU are you using.

---

Black Pills are generally based on STM32F401 or F411, although it does seem that F103 "Black Pills" also exist:

https://stm32-base.org/boards/STM32F103C8T6-Black-Pill.html

 

@Peirof This is another risk with the "Pill" boards - there are many variations, and no guaranteed consistency of supply.

So, if you do use one, please post photos of the one you actually have, and give a link to where you bought it.

How to write your question to maximize your chances to find a solution

[Vidar]

Werent there issues with blue pill boards a couple of years ago where the specifications of the product sheet didnt match the actual MCU?

 

Anyways, @Peirof you might come to the point where you question your sanity, and in those cases a proper device directly from ST can save you from paranoia that the hardware is faulty (I have been there). They arent that expensive also.

For extra tips and shortcuts, you might want to check out jjsploit script fisch to get some inspiration!

 

 

Hi Manuel, welcome to the forum! It’s great that you’ve already got your sim racing pedals working on Arduino that’s a big step, especially coming from a maker background with limited programming experience. Moving to the STM32 Blackpill can give you more performance and flexibility, especially for handling the load cell with better ADC resolution and faster processing. Just like some users explore tools such as pc executor roblox or discuss Delta Executor to expand functionality in their own projects, upgrading from Arduino to STM32 is your way of unlocking more advanced capabilities. Don’t worry about your English you explained everything clearly, and you’re definitely on the right track!

 

 

 

If you’re building a Windows game controller device, testing it with fast-paced fighting games can really help fine-tune input response and combo timing. I’ve been experimenting with custom mappings using Shadow Fight 2, since its combat relies heavily on precise directional controls and quick attack combinations. It’s useful for checking latency and button sensitivity during intense fights. I tried it through an emulator setup with the modded version https://getshadowfight2apk.com/shadow-fight-2-mod-apk-pc/ just to unlock everything and focus purely on mechanics. Games like this make it easier to see how well your controller handles rapid inputs and defensive moves.

If you’re building a Windows game controller device, testing it with a fast-paced fighting game can really help fine-tune responsiveness and button mapping. Titles like Shadow Fight 2 are great for checking combo timing, directional input accuracy, and latency under pressure. I’ve seen a breakdown of the game’s mechanics and features here https://getshadowfight2apk.com/ which gives a good idea of how movement, weapons, and special attacks work. Using something with varied combat styles should make it easier to evaluate how well your controller handles quick transitions and complex inputs.

Welcome to the forum, Manuel! It’s impressive that you’ve successfully migrated your sim racing pedal project from Arduino to the STM32 Blackpill. For Windows recognition as a gaming device, you might want to explore USB HID implementations using STM32Cube or the TinyUSB stack, which many developers have found reliable. As someone passionate about gaming technology, I also share similar insights and resources on my website https://x99game.org/. Wishing you the best with your project!