Hardware [HELP] Convert the original Wii Sensor Bar to USB ??

[T-Rex]

I have the original Wii Sensor Bar spare and need to convert the original plug to USB, because i have the one installed and pasted in my TV and dont want to remove/reinstall again in each travel... it's too much work for me. Then, the idea is how I want to take advantage of what I have to change in USB to connect in the Wii or PS4 or TV or any device with USB entry, without need to buy another sensor bar (please don't insist me to buy other).

Simply, i want to cut the original plug and utilize the wires of the USB cable in disuse to unite, but i don't have more technical knownledge, just to splice the wires.

Simple and easy, short and direct.

To begin with, anyone help me to explain how??

 

[Rodrigo Mafra]

You have to know the voltage of your sensor bar. Look at the leds through a camera and count how many.

A Wii sensor bar made during the first few years of the Wii have 2 simple 5-led IR series connected, with a total of 7,5v. For this one you'll need an extra battery or a separate USB plug.

In a sensor bar made lately, four of the LEDs have been removed internally, meaning there are only three IR emitters on each side of the sensor bar, it should be able to get by with anywhere from 4.5 to 7 volts. As such, a stock usb line will work.

 

[T-Rex]

You have to know the voltage of your sensor bar. Look at the leds through a camera and count how many.

A Wii sensor bar made during the first few years of the Wii have 2 simple 5-led IR series connected, with a total of 7,5v. For this one you'll need an extra battery or a separate USB plug.

In a sensor bar made lately, four of the LEDs have been removed internally, meaning there are only three IR emitters on each side of the sensor bar, it should be able to get by with anywhere from 4.5 to 7 volts. As such, a stock usb line will work.

Thanks for useful information!!! I will trying to verify and will post here, ok.
Then... you said "a separate USB plug." means the USB Y cable? Or need two USB cables??

 

[jt_1258]

Would doing this also allow it to work with dolphin?

 

[Rodrigo Mafra]

Thanks for useful information!!! I will trying to verify and will post here, ok.
Then... you said "a separate USB plug." means the USB Y cable? Or need two USB cables??

A USB Y cable.

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Would doing this also allow it to work with dolphin?

In theory, yes. It's the wii remote that will track the IR Leds from sensor bar, if the dolphin detects the wii remote so i do not see why it might not work.

EDIT: The Sensor bar works in conjunction with the wiimote, the conversion to Usb only serves for power. Your PC still needs Bluetooth to connect a WIIMote.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

You have to know the voltage of your sensor bar. Look at the leds through a camera and count how many.

A Wii sensor bar made during the first few years of the Wii have 2 simple 5-led IR series connected, with a total of 7,5v. For this one you'll need an extra battery or a separate USB plug.

In a sensor bar made lately, four of the LEDs have been removed internally, meaning there are only three IR emitters on each side of the sensor bar, it should be able to get by with anywhere from 4.5 to 7 volts. As such, a stock usb line will work.

An Y-cable won't increase the voltage or really do anything to help.
I think the 7.5V sensor bar would be able to run off 5V, but it could be dimmer (it should still be plenty bright)
LEDs don't need much power at all to start lighting up.

 

[DaTank45]

Found this article

http://rolandtapken.de/blog/2017-07/mod-wii-sensor-bar-usb-power-supply

Also found a usb one on amazon for $10

https://www.amazon.com/Nextronics-Sensor-Bar-USB-Wii/dp/B001UAAX60

 

[Rodrigo Mafra]

An Y-cable won't increase the voltage or really do anything to help.
I think the 7.5V sensor bar would be able to run off 5V, but it could be dimmer (it should still be plenty bright)
LEDs don't need much power at all to start lighting up.

I've never done this conversion, I'm just guessing. I figured two USB ports at the same time would serve that extra voltage needed

 

[Mikemk]

This won't let you use the connect the wiimotes to dolphin, you need Bluetooth for that. This just creates lights for the wiimote camera to use to determine pointed position

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I've never done this conversion, I'm just guessing. I figured two USB ports at the same time would serve that extra voltage needed

With an Y-cable you're just doubling the current limit, not the voltage. Otherwise if you plugged an Y-cable into a USB device that wasn't designed for it it would fry the device, which would be bad.

 

[T-Rex]

An Y-cable won't increase the voltage or really do anything to help.
I think the 7.5V sensor bar would be able to run off 5V, but it could be dimmer (it should still be plenty bright)
LEDs don't need much power at all to start lighting up.

Hmm... then the USB Y doesn't help?
If will i put the simple USB in the charger with 7.5v? Maybe work or not??

 

[Rodrigo Mafra]

This won't let you use the connect the wiimotes to dolphin, you need Bluetooth for that. This just creates lights for the wiimote camera to use to determine pointed position

When I said that it works, I took into account that the pc using dolphin already had bluetooth and already had the wiimotes connected.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hmm... then the USB Y doesn't help?
If will i put the simple USB in the charger with 7.5v? Maybe work or not??

I've never seen a USB charger that supplies 7.5v, but even if you did that the charger wouldn't be able to negotiate a higher voltage with the device so it would stay at 5V.
But like I said, chances are it will work with 5V.

 

[Rodrigo Mafra]

With an Y-cable you're just doubling the current limit, not the voltage. Otherwise if you plugged an Y-cable into a USB device that wasn't designed for it it would fry the device, which would be bad.

Got it...

 

[T-Rex]

EDIT: I see five LEDs in each side in my sensor bar... then, i need the extra batteries? If yes... how make? Or i need the USB Y cable or no? Or what??

This won't let you use the connect the wiimotes to dolphin, you need Bluetooth for that. This just creates lights for the wiimote camera to use to determine pointed position

I will not use for dolphin.
Just for practicality of USB in the any device with USB entry. Because, i play wiimote on the PS4, then the PS4 have USB... so i avoid the need of turning the Wii, even more than Wii is far from PS4.

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I've never seen a USB charger that supplies 7.5v, but even if you did that the charger wouldn't be able to negotiate a higher voltage with the device so it would stay at 5V.
But like I said, chances are it will work with 5V.

Okay... i will try with conventional charger with 5v like my smartphone's power supply.

 

[jt_1258]

A USB Y cable.

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In theory, yes. It's the wii remote that will track the IR Leds from sensor bar, if the dolphin detects the wii remote so i do not see why it might not work.

EDIT: The Sensor bar works in conjunction with the wiimote, the conversion to Usb only serves for power. Your PC still needs Bluetooth to connect a WIIMote.

Hold on, I know this is a whole new world of jank but...Say I plugged my wii in near my computer, plugged the censor bar into it, and turned the wii on, would that allow using that censor bar for wii remotes on my pc(assuming it's actually connected to the pc itself via bluetooth) for dolphin?

 

[Friendsxix]

Hold on, I know this is a whole new world of jank but...Say I plugged my wii in near my computer, plugged the censor bar into it, and turned the wii on, would that allow using that censor bar for wii remotes on my pc(assuming it's actually connected to the pc itself via bluetooth) for dolphin?

Yes, this would work absolutely fine, though it's hardly an elegant solution.

 

[nl255]

Hold on, I know this is a whole new world of jank but...Say I plugged my wii in near my computer, plugged the censor bar into it, and turned the wii on, would that allow using that censor bar for wii remotes on my pc(assuming it's actually connected to the pc itself via bluetooth) for dolphin?

Yes, the sensor bar doesn't actually sense anything and the plug is just for power. In fact you can replace the sensor bar with two candles in the right position and it will still work.

 

[3DSPoet]

I actually bought a replacement "wireless" sensor bar made by Nyko some years back. It simply runs on 4 AA batteries. No wires, no rigging, just pop in the batteries, push the power button, and go I also picked up a new "Wii U" wireless sensor bar on clearance at Wal-Mart last year. I don't remember what brand it is, though, as it's packed away with my Wii U.

As someone stated previously, the "sensor bar" doesn't actually sense anything. It's just a light blaster that the WiiMote picks up using it's camera (The WiiMote uses a low-grade 1mp camera to capture the IR beams put out by the sensor bar).

The candle method mentioned "works", but it's not only 2 open flames near your gear, it's also somewhat unreliable

 

[jt_1258]

cool, though I wish there was a simpler means then rewiring a sensor bar cord to plug it into a pc