Beacon Manual

Introduction

This guide will help you get acquainted with your Beacon controller and its features.

The Beacon uses GP2040-CE firmware, which has a ton of advanced capabilities and features. This guide covers the important functions, but you can view the in-depth documentation on the GP2040-CE website.

Gameplay Controls

Depending on which console you're using, some of these button names will change. For example, on Nintendo consoles, A/B and X/Y have switched positions. But the basic layout will stay the same regardless of which console you select.

On PC, the Touchpad button is not used. So don't be concerned if it doesn't do anything!



Selecting your Console

By default, your controller will arrive set to "Xinput" mode. Xinput is the standard controller library for PC games. Your controller also supports other consoles. If you want to play on a different console, hold down these buttons as you plug in the controller: 

  • A: Nintendo Switch
  • B: PC/Xinput
  • X: PS3/DirectInput
  • Y: PS4/PS5*
  • R1: Xbox One/Xbox Series*
  • R2: Keyboard

If you are using an older PC, or you are having trouble getting "XInput" to work correctly, you might try "DirectInput" mode. DirectInput is an older standard library for PC controllers, and has better compatibility with older hardware.

* If you want to play on PS4, PS5, or Xbox, you will need a USB passthrough device, or you will need to upload PS4 keys to the controller. Refer to the following section for more information.

PS4, PS5 and Xbox Compatibility

Sony and Microsoft use a form of encryption to prevent you from using unlicensed controllers on their platforms. While your Granola controller can connect to PS4,  PS5 and Xbox, it needs to be authenticated or else it will automatically disconnect after a few minutes. 

There are two ways to get the authentication:

PS4 Keys Method

If you have a valid license key file for the Dualshock 4 controller, you can upload this file via the Web Configurator to use the controller on PS4. There are instructions below to help you access the Web Configurator. From there, browse to "Settings -> Input Mode Settings" and change input mode to PS4, then set the authentication setting to key files. Upload the required files and click "Verify & Save."

We are not legally allowed to host, distribute, or help you locate these files. Please don't ask us where to get them.

USB Passthrough Method

You can also get authentication to Sony and Microsoft consoles using USB Passthrough. USB Passthrough is a feature of GP2040-CE that allows your controller to use the authentication provided from a separate device. You simply need to plug in a separate USB device to the passthrough port on your controller. The passthrough port is the USB-A port located on the top of your controller:

Passthrough mode is already enabled on your controller, so once you insert an appropriate passthrough device, just switch to the console mode you wish to play and enjoy!

Which devices are compatible with USB Passthrough?

The following devices are confirmed to authenticate to PS4 and PS5:

  • Mayflash Magicboots PS4 v1.1 converter/adapter
  • Brook Wingman FGC

The following devices are confirmed to authenticate to Xbox One and Xbox Series:

  • Mayflash Magicboots Xbox One converter/adapter
  • Mayflash Magic-X Bluetooth USB adapter
  • Mayflash Magic-S converter 

The following devices should work, but have not been tested directly:

  • Licensed PS4 Arcade Sticks
  • Licensed PS4 Driving wheels

If you have one of these devices and you confirm they do or do not work, please let us know on the Granola discord or by email!

Please note that regular PS4, PS5 and Xbox controllers do not work as passthrough devices. These controllers do not authenticate to the console with a method that your controller can understand.

Which games work with USB Passthrough?

When using USB Passthrough on PS4 and PS5, your controller will be recognized as a licensed PS4 arcade stick. The game you play needs to be compatible with PS4 arcade sticks. This includes most fighting games and arcade games.

On Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, all games are supported, but many are not properly playable without an analog stick. You will again mostly be limited to fighting games and arcade games.

Direction Button Settings

There are a few shortcuts on your controller that you can use to change how the direction buttons behave.

SOCD Settings

Simultaneous Opposite Cardinal Direction (SOCD) settings change how the controller handles your inputs when you press two opposite directions at the same time (up and down, or left and right together). By default, this is set to "neutral priority," meaning that when you press opposite directions, the controller sends no inputs to the PC/console. You can use the following shortcuts to change your SOCD priority while your controller is connected:

 Priority type Shortcut Description
Neutral Select + Home + Down When opposite directions are pressed, send no input.
Up Select + Home + Up When UP and DOWN are pressed, send UP.
Last Wins Select + Home + Left When opposite directions are pressed, send the most recent input.

Please note that many tournaments and events have rules about SOCD settings - changing this setting may disqualify you from competing in certain events. Check your tournament rules or ask your organizers for clarification.

D-Pad Settings

Your controller only has one direction input, but many controllers on different consoles have multiple analog sticks and d-pads. By default, your controllers direction inputs will operate the left analog stick. You can use the following shortcuts to change which d-pad your controller is operating while it is connected:

 Directional input Shortcut
Left Analog Start + Select + Left
Right Analog Start + Select + Right
D-Pad Digital Start + Select + Down

If your direction buttons aren't working but the rest of the buttons are, you probably need to change your D-Pad settings.

Accessibility inputs

Your controller has additional ports that you can use to connect external buttons, like foot pedals or other fully customized controls. To use these ports, you will need:

  • TRS cable with stereo splitter
  • Switch or pedal that can connect to the TRS cable

Full guide on this coming soon!

Advanced Settings

GP2040-CE has a wealth of additional features and settings that you can access using the built-in web configurator console. You can use the configurator to create profiles, macros, install add-ons, re-map buttons, upgrade your firmware, or do all sorts of other things. It's very powerful, so use it at your own risk!

 To access the web configurator, hold "Start" as you plug in your controller to your PC. Then visit http://192.168.7.1 in your web browser.

Changing Button Mappings

Thanks to the advanced magnetic switches on the Beacon, you can customize the mapping and sensitivity of each individual button using the web configurator. Start by browsing to Configuration -> Add Ons Configuration in the browser:

Then scroll down to Hall Effect Trigger:

You should not modify the pin settings or the multiplexer channels. The Hall Effect Action Assignment section contains your button mappings. You can use the dropdown in the top right of the screen to change the button names to your preferred console, or use the image below to help with remapping:

Each button has two numbers associated with it, the multiplexer and its channel. For example, the top left menu button is marked 0x0, meaning it is multiplexer 0 channel 0. You can find it is mapped to S1 or Select by default. Use the dropdown to change the button mapping if you want. You can also use this table to help:

 Multiplexer Channel Default Mapping
0 0 Select
0 1 L3
0 2 Left
0 3 Start
0 4 Down
0 5 Home
0 6 Right
0 7 Touchpad
1 0 X
1 1 A
1 2 Up
1 3 R3
1 4 L2
1 5 Y
1 6 B
1 7 R2
2 0 R1
2 1 L1

 

The remaining channels on multiplexer 2 are not used. Be careful updating pin mappings! You can potentially lock yourself out of accessing the web configurator this way (by reassigning the S2 button). Don't worry though, you can always re-upload a fresh copy of the firmware to fix it.

Updating Button Sensitivity

Click the magnet button next to each button to change its sensitivity.

On the first page of the wizard, you'll see the button's idle reading. This is the voltage reading when the button is not being pressed. Press Calibrate Idle to continue to the next page.

On the next page, press the button all the way down and hold it, then click Calibrate Pressed to continue:

Finally, use the slider or the text input to set the voltage where the button activates. You can play with the button here to figure out what you want, and when you're happy, click Finish:

You can do this for individual buttons, or click "Calibrate All" to calibrate all buttons on the controller at once.

Updating Firmware

To update or change the firmware, you need to put the controller in BOOTSEL mode and then upload a firmware file. to the controller. In the Web Configurator, click "Reboot" and then "USB (BOOTSEL)" and the controller will reboot into BOOTSEL mode.

In BOOTSEL mode, your controller will appear as a drive on your computer called "RPI-RP2" - you can drag a .uf2 file into this drive and the controller will accept the new firmware. You can download new builds of GP2040-CE from their website.

If you can't access the Web Configurator, there are other ways to access the BOOTSEL mode.

  1. First, try holding down Start + Select + Up while plugging the controller in. The controller should boot into BOOTSEL mode.
  2. If that fails, while the controller is plugged in, hold down Select + X + Y for 10 seconds. The controller should reboot into BOOTSEL mode.
  3. If that does not work, locate the small button labeled "BOOTSEL" on the PCB. You can see the button by looking inside the top of the controller, near the accessibility ports. If you press this button while plugging the controller in, you should access the BOOTSEL mode. Watch out not to damage the electronics which are close to this button. 

Taking the Beacon apart

You can take the Beacon apart without any tools. You can start by gripping the controller on both sides and sliding out the middle piece out from the frame:

From here, you can pull the PCB from the back to perform repairs or replace it. If you want to add custom art to the controller, you need to remove the button caps from the controller and then slide the acrylic layer down and pull it off of the front. Then you can add your artwork and replace the acrylic layer, insert it back into the frame.

Custom Artwork Templates

You can find the templates for custom artwork hosted here:

I am working on a partner program to recommend artists and print services. In the meantime ask on Discord for recommendations if you need them!

Care, Wear and Tear

What do I need to watch out for?

The case and button caps are printed from PLA Pro plastic. They should be plenty durable, but cannot survive high temperatures (above ~130°F/~55°C). So don’t leave your controller in a hot car, it will warp.

How do I clean my controller?

I recommend isopropyl alcohol (70% or higher concentration) and paper towels to wipe down the surfaces.

This manual is a work in progress!

Your controller has many capabilities and features not listed in this guide. We encourage you to visit the GP2040-CE website, join the OpenStickCommunity Discord and learn as much as you can about the firmware and your controller. We will continue to update this guide over time, and if you need help, don't be afraid to reach out via email or the Granola Discord. Thanks!