Build a simple USB adapter for the Logitech Driving Force Shifter with Arduino

Build a simple USB adapter for the Logitech Driving Force Shifter with Arduino

Arduino Team — June 30, 2022

Logitech's Driving Force Shifter is a very common piece of kit for those who love racing games, as it connects to a Logitech Racing Wheel and allows the player to control their car more realistically. However, the DB-9 connector for this accessory must be connected to a proprietary base in the racing wheel or it will not work. In order to circumvent this annoying problem, Dave Madison of Parts Not Include created his own custom adapter, which translates shifter signals into commands through a USB port on the host PC.

To start this venture, Madison bought a DB-9 connector with the rear wires exposed, and after quickly modifying them, plugged the X/Y axis wires into the analog input pins and connected the binary reverse pin into a digital input pin on the Arduino Leonardo. In terms of software, this setup requires both the Arduino Joystick library and the Sim Racing library. The latter converts X/Y values ​​to shifter positions to determine the current gear, while the former communicates with the host as an emulated HID device.

To learn more about this project, you can read Madison's blog here.