Control Your Projects with Arduino and Analog Joystick

What is an Analog Joystick?

An analog joystick is a simple controller that provides analog signals for two axes (X and Y) and a digital signal for button press detection. It allows for smoother and more precise control than simple buttons.

Price

Analog joysticks are affordable and can be found for approximately €0.75 on online platforms like eBay and AliExpress.

Assembly Diagram

To connect the joystick to Arduino:

• Connect Vcc and GND to Arduino's 5V and GND.
• Connect VRx and VRy to two analog inputs.
• Connect SW to a digital input for button detection.

Code Example

The following code reads the joystick's analog values for the X and Y axes and the button's digital state, then displays the readings via the serial monitor:

/*
GND - GND
Vcc - 5v
VRx - A0
VRy - A1
SW -  D9
*/

const int pinLED = 13;
const int pinJoyX = A0;
const int pinJoyY = A1;
const int pinJoyButton = 9;

void setup() {
  pinMode(pinJoyButton , INPUT_PULLUP);  // activate pull-up resistor 
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  int Xvalue = 0;
  int Yvalue = 0;
  bool buttonValue = false;

  // Read values
  Xvalue = analogRead(pinJoyX);
  delay(100);  // A small pause between analog readings
  Yvalue = analogRead(pinJoyY);
  buttonValue = digitalRead(pinJoyButton);

  // Display values via serial
  Serial.print("X: ");
  Serial.print(Xvalue);
  Serial.print(" | Y: ");
  Serial.print(Yvalue);
  Serial.print(" | Button: ");
  Serial.println(buttonValue);
  delay(1000);
}