Abstract:
A user input device, such as a joystick, includes a wiper and a contact plate imprinted upon a printed circuit card. An arm, movable about at least one axis of motion is provided. Movement of the arm about an axis imparts relative movement between an associated wiper and the contact plate. The contact plate includes a plurality of conductive sub-regions. The relative movement of the wiper and the contact plate causes the wiper to sequentially form electrical contact with an individual sub-region, then two adjacent sub-regions, then an individual sub-region, comprising the other of the two adjacent sub-region. A microprocessor decodes an encoded pattern output generated by leads operably attached to the conductive sub-regions.