How to Use a Keyboard to Joystick Mapper with an 8Bitdo Controller

When it comes to playing classic games on modern devices, one of the biggest challenges is finding ways to map keyboard controls to joystick inputs. This is especially true for retro gaming enthusiasts who want to play their favorite childhood games on platforms like Retroarch and EmulationStation.

One tool that can help with this problem is the Linux Joystick Mapper (LJM), a Windows application that allows users to remap any input from devices such as keyboards, mice, joysticks, racing wheels, eye trackers, and more. In this article, we'll explore how to use LJM to map a keyboard to a joystick using an 8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller.

Getting Started with LJM

Before we dive into the mapping process, it's essential to understand that LJM is a complex tool that requires some technical knowledge. To get started, you'll need to download and install the latest version of LJM (version 0.3.1 at the time of writing).

Once installed, launch the LJM application and follow the instructions in this post to set it up on your system.

Mapping a Keyboard to a Joystick

To map a keyboard key to a joystick button using LJM, you'll need to create a mapping file that specifies the keyboard key and the joystick button you want to map. In our example, we'll map the '1' key on our keyboard to a button on our 8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller.

Here's an example of what this mapping file might look like:

```

button vendor=0x3820 product=0x0009 src=3 target=kbd button='1'

```

This line tells LJM to map the '1' key on our keyboard to a button on our 8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller (vendor ID 0x3820, product ID 0x0009).

Loading and Running the Mapping File

Once you've created your mapping file, it's time to load and run it using LJM. To do this, simply run the `loadmap` command followed by the path to your mapping file:

```

$ sudo /home/pi/joymap/loadmap /home/pi/joymap/keyboard-8bitdo.map

```

This will start the mapping process, and you should see output indicating that LJM has found both our 8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller and a virtual device called JOYMAP Code Device.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues during this process, here are some common troubleshooting tips to keep in mind:

* Make sure that your 8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller is properly connected to your system.

* Check that the mapping file is correctly formatted and specifies the correct keyboard key and joystick button.

* If LJM fails to find your controller or virtual device, try restarting the application or reinstalling it.

In this article, we've explored how to use the Linux Joystick Mapper (LJM) to map a keyboard to a joystick using an 8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller. With these instructions, you should be able to set up LJM and create custom mappings for your favorite retro games. Happy gaming!

Keyboard to joystick mapper