Pairing a sixaxis controller with your computer (bluetooth)

[machinelou]

This might be old news to some but searching google on this topic turns up very little so, it's possible that many people here would be interested in this but simply do not know how to do it.

I found two pages that describe the bluetooth pairing procedure between a computer and the sixaxis controller. So far, the technique has only been implemented in Linux and OS X. I am referencing them here so that more people will understand how the procedure works.

Here are the links-
OS X:
http://lists.apple.com/archives/Bluetooth-dev/2007/May/msg00007.html

Linux:
http://www.pabr.org/sixlinux/sixlinux.en.html

The linux version contains some actual code.

Basically, the problem is that the sixaxis controller does not accept incoming bluetooth connections. When used with a PS3, the procedure is to first connect it via USB. When this happens, the PS3 tells the controller the bluetooth id of the PS3 and when the user presses the P button, a connection gets established.

This explains why several people have reported an inability to pair the device with their computers.

Why would someone want to connect a sixaxis to their computer in the first place? Here are some potential reasons.
1. You get a wireless controller to play PC games.
2. Developers can create software that takes advantage of the accelerometers and gyros in the sixaxis which would likely be innovative, interesting, and entertaining.
3. For my own purposes, a handheld wireless accelerometer package with 6-degrees of freedom (unlike the wimote's 3 degrees of freedom) is more or less a holy grail for studying movement. Typically, something like this might cost tens of thousands of dollars to a researcher like myself so, if there's anyway to make $50 controller do the same thing, that would be amazing.

Given this, would anyone know if it is possible to port such a thing to windows? If so, what would be involved?

[mdeininger]

sweet... yeah i used to buy ps2<>usb converters because the ps2 controllers were just too awesome, but this is even better =). thanks for the heads up .
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[bunder]

but it's got no dualshock... who wants a controller without that?
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[Zepp]

I was never a big fan of the playstation controllers. But this is still pretty cool.