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A joystick is a mechanical device which has 2 potentiometers which operate at 90 degrees to each other. This are used to measure the user input for the Forward/Back direction (Y) and Left/Right direction (X).
The schematic below shows what the joystick looks like electrically. The signals yJS and xJS are connected to the Pico Controller and use the analog input ADC0 for the x value and ADC1 for the y value.
The pot is centered in the middle of the resistive element when the joystick is released to its neutral position. This will give a value of about ½ of the full scale value of 1023 or roughly 512. As the joystick is moved it will either read higher (pushed Forward or Right) or lower (pulled Back or Left).
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