GIMX Adapters and Accessories

Sadly, I had to stop producing and selling GIMX adapters, because it was taking too much time away from my other projects. However, I am leaving this blog up as documentation. The good news is that you can get up and running with GIMX these days without any soldering, or grueling Linux or Windows setup work. You can buy a USB adapter directly from the maker of GIMX, then buy a Raspbery Pi, burn my image on it, and be up and running in no time. Instructions are here: Build your own Plug n Play GIMX emulator using Raspberry Pi

This is how you build a GIMX emulator using a Raspberry Pi that you can simply plug your wheel and your console into, and play, without the need for a PC in the middle:

1. Buy or build a GIMX adapter: https://blog.gimx.fr/product/gimx-adapter/
2. Buy a used Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+, a 2 or a 3: Amazon
3. Get a 4GB or larger Micro SD Card: Amazon
4. Burn the image gimx_dietpi.img on the SD card using Win32 Disk Imager
5. Plug everything in according to this diagram, and you’re ready to go (G27 on PS4).

Note: this will only work out of the box with the G27 wheel on PS4. If you need it to work for something else, make sure you order the gimx adapter with the right config for your device, or flash it yourself according to Matlo’s instructions. Then follow my instructions to update the Rpi for your specific device: http://www.steve-marton.com/gimx/?p=237

Extra Points:

1. You can buy a cheap raspberry pi case from Ebay
2. You can build a small switch and LED on prototype board from Radio Shack. This gives you a status LED to tell you when gimx is up and running, and a power button to shut down the Rpi safely without corrupting the SD card. However, this is not essential, because in the event that your sd card gets corrupted, you can always easily burn the image again. You can look at the pics here for ideas on building the board (I just twist the leads of the components together on the back of the board, then solder): http://www.steve-marton.com/gimx/?product=power-button-with-status-led-for-raspberry-pi . You can glue this to the case if you’d like.

Read my other blog posts if you run into issues, and of course the super helpful docs and forums at gimx.fr.

Due to logistical issues, I can only offer one flash for the Arduino, and one image for the Raspberry Pi. However, both can be changed relatively easily to support anything that Gimx supports.

To flash the DIY adapter, follow this link. You can unplug the usb adapter from the Rpi and plug it into the PC as normal to flash it.

To change the config xml file, log into the Rpi. NOTE: all instructions assume you are using the latest gimx_dietpi.img image. Write this image to your sd card using Win32DiskImager if you want to follow along exactly, otherwise your steps might vary some.

[Skip this if you know how to log into the Rpi] You can connect the Rpi to a TV and use a mouse and keyboard. The login is the default Dietpi login (user: root, pw: dietpi). You can also connect via ssh from a PC, using a program like PuTTY. In order to get the IP address of the Rpi, you can boot it up with a TV connected, and Dietpi will print out the IP address. If you can’t connect a TV but need to find out the IP address, you can simply connect it to your router with an Ethernet cable, and look up the DHCP lease of the Rpi in your router setup (Ex: on Asus it’s found under System Log\DHCP Leases – the Rpi will have a recognizable name like DietPi or RaspberryPi). Once you have the IP address, ssh into the Rpi using PuTTY, and log in.

Once logged in, list all the config files:

./gimx_list_configs.sh

Then pick the xml you want and run gimx_change_config.sh with your xml file. Ex:

./gimx_change_config.sh LogitechG27_G29.xml

The script will copy the new xml over .gimx/config/active.xml and restart the gimx service to use the new config.

Of course, you can also create new config files in the .gimx/config folder and set them as active with gimx_change_config.sh. You can also edit active.xml directly and restart the service or reboot to take effect.

Debugging issues with Gimx

If Gimx doesn’t appear to be working correctly, you can get the console output that might point to were the problem is:

Once you have access to the rpi command line (see above), stop the gimx service, so it doesn’t try to start gimx over and over in the background, where you cant see what it’s doing.

sudo systemctl stop gimx

Then you can start gimx manually:

/usr/bin/gimx -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -c LogitechG27_G29.xml --nograb

You should see some console output, that should indicate why gimx is not succeeding. Ex:

global option -c with value 'Logitech G27_G29.xml'

grab flag is unset

USB adapter detected, controller type is G29 PS4.

No controller was found on USB buses.

gimx.c:208 main: no adapter detected.

Here is the image I put on all of the Raspberry Pi plug n play packages I sell:

gimx_dietpi.zip

Just unzip, and burn to an sd card 2gb or larger using Win32 Disk Imager.

It’s made for Raspberry Pi, and it emulates G27 as G29 by default. It auto-starts GIMX and takes advantage of a status led and shutdown switch if available, like so: http://gimx.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1617

As far as I can tell, the image works equally well on Raspberry Pi Model B+, as well as Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, and I assume everything in between. It’s pretty easy to switch to emulate something other than G27 – see link. It’s based on DietPi, which means it is command line only, no GUI.

I have an older Raspbian image that has a GUI, but it is larger and less conveniently set up. Find it here: rpi_gimx.zip.

I finally completed my full fledged emulator package centered around a Raspberry Pi. I’ve been using this setup as my personal setup for a little while, and it’s now ready for public consumption.

This is the most convenient setup I know of, that offers the lowest latency emulation, and exposes all of the features of the G27 wheel, most notably force feedback! If anyone knows of a better setup, let me know in the comments section.

The package includes absolutely everything you need to get up and running with the convenient RPi system, cutting the clunky old PC out of the equation. The RPi comes pre-loaded with Raspbian on a 4GB SD card, set up to load GIMX on startup and activate the status LED and power button. It comes packaged with said status LED and power button board. The DIY adapter is the same old adapter, pre-flashed to emulate G29. All the assembly required is plugging in a couple of connectors, and you’re up and running. The latest RPi 3 has 4 USB ports, removing the need for a separate USB hub to fit all of the necessary USB connections (3 of them, as illustrated in the above image).

I tried to make this package as convenient as possible. Putting it all together on your own is a task only a masochist could love, and you’d be hard pressed to save any money in the end. My meager profit hardly covers the time I’ve put into this project. I just hope to save the community the trouble, if possible. Most importantly, I hope this cuts the barrier to entry for those who don’t have the skills or patience to hack together the hardware and software for an emulator. They just wanna play, but they can’t, because Logitech screwed them… This package should let anyone play out of the box with minimal effort. The only thing not included is a case. I don’t personally use a case, and I don’t have any ideas currently for a low cost case. Shoot me ideas if you have them.

If you need to emulate hardware other than the G27 on PS4, you’ll need to read a few tutorials and get down and dirty, but the knowledge is out there. If you are inclined to replicate this setup on your own, or modify it, here are the references I used:

DIY Adapter: https://gimx.fr/wiki/index.php?title=DIY_USB_adapter#Using_the_Arduino_Builder_tool

RPi setup: https://gimx.fr/wiki/index.php?title=RPi

I will eventually set up purchase options that allow you to mix and match components and combine shipping (for example, skip the RPi if you already own one). I also need to streamline the SD card image a little more, and it will be ready for download soon. An instruction video is also forthcoming, as soon as I find the time to record it.

Without further ado, if you are interested in the full package, you may order it here: http://www.steve-marton.com/gimx/?product=plug-n-play-emulator-for-logitech-g27-racing-wheel-on-ps4-using-raspberry-pi-3-running-gimx

As promised, I finally made a few prototypes of RPi power button/status LED combo boards. See this forum post for the idea: http://gimx.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1617

The boards are a bit rough, snapped out of a prototype board and kinda botched together, but they serve the purpose. It’s what I use currently, and it’s super helpful. Really useful to know when GIMX is booted and ready to go, and the peace of mind of shutting down the RPi without corrupting the SD card is nice. Find it on the Shop page, or directly on the product page: http://www.steve-marton.com/gimx/?product=power-button-with-status-led-for-raspberry-pi.

As you probably know if you’re on this page, Logitech wisely decided to not support any of their old racing wheels on PS4, only their new G29. If you have a G25, G27 or DFGT, you’re out of luck.

The answer, the big “screw you!” to Logitech, is GIMX. You just need to make a USB adapter and run the GIMX emulator on your PC or Raspberry Pi.

I’ve spent way too much time in the past couple of months setting up my G27 wheel on my PS4, including running GIMX on a Raspberry Pi to take the laptop out of the loop. I decided this was way too much hassle for most people to go through, and I could make up a bunch of adapters relatively easily (yeah, right). So here’s my “hello world” website where you can finally buy this adapter!

Note that you can pay directly with a credit card through the PayPal link even if you don’t have a PayPal account.

I will not have time for support questions, so please read the GIMX wiki and forums for help. Hopefully soon I will also post Rpi images to get you off the ground quicker with Rpi, and I’ll probably also sell the little circuit board with a power button and status LED as described here, because it’s quite handy.

Enjoy your old wheel on your PS4!

[UPDATE]

Power button and status LED now available: http://www.steve-marton.com/gimx/?p=99

Full plug n play rpi package now available: http://www.steve-marton.com/gimx/?p=101