Taiko Drum Controller - Arduino Pro Micro (ATmega32U4)

An open-source hardware project to build your own Taiko no Tatsujin arcade controller for PC gaming.

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About this Project

This project guides you in creating a custom Taiko no Tatsujin controller to enjoy the arcade experience at home.

Note: This project is for personal and non-commercial use only.

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Materials Needed

To assemble your Taiko drum controller, you'll need:

1. Arduino Micro/Leonardo (with ATmega32U4 microcontroller)
2. 4 piezoelectric sensors
3. 4 100kΩ resistors
4. Essential electronic components (e.g., breadboards, jumper wires)
5. Wood planks and cutting tools (only if building the drum from scratch).

   If you have an aftermarket Taiko Force Lv5, you can use it directly.

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Steps to Build the Controller

1. Prepare the Drum
   Construct the drum and securely attach the 4 piezoelectric sensors to it. See the diagram below for recommended sensor placement.

   

2. Connect Components
   Wire the piezoelectric sensors and other components to the Arduino as shown in the schematic below.

   Note: Polarity doesn’t matter for the piezoelectric sensors. This setup is designed for Arduino Micro; if using another board, refer to its documentation.

   

3. Flash the Firmware
   Upload the firmware to the Arduino board. You may need to adjust parameters such as SAMPLE_CACHE_LENGTH, HIT_THRES, RESET_THRES, and sensitivity as described below.

4. Enjoy!
   Once configured, your controller is ready to use.

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Parameter Tuning

1. Hit and Reset Thresholds
   Set DEBUG 1 to disable keyboard output and monitor signal values via the serial port. Roll across one of the drum’s 4 zones, visualizing the output graph from the serial monitor.

   • Hit threshold: Should be lower than your hardest hit.
   • Reset threshold: Should be above the low point between hits (trough) and below the hit value.

   Repeat this process for each drum area to find optimal thresholds.

   

2. Sampling Length
   In cache.h, set SAMPLE_CACHE_LENGTH to a power of 2 (e.g., 2, 8, 16, 32). A value of 16 is optimal for Arduino, but if you’re using a faster microcontroller (sampling at 4000Hz or more), you can set it to 32 for a smoother signal.

3. Sensor Sensitivity
   Sensor output can vary. Use the sensitivity parameter to normalize discrepancies. For example, if the right-don zone outputs higher values, adjust sensitivity to {1.0, 1.0, 0.5, 1.0} to balance the response.

   

   Proper sensor installation is critical. Ensure sensors are securely attached to the drum.

4. Launch the Game
   With tuning complete, start the game and enjoy your custom Taiko controller!

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