It is possible to slip or misstep and become injured while using the Pubby Pad. To reduce the risk, wear shoes during play and ensure that the pad is securely attached to the floor. Do not play in locations where falling is a threat to you or others.
To ensure a long life of the Pubby Pad, follow these tips:
Because these pads are homemade, each pad is different and may have its own quirks. Some pads have a chip or two in the laminate, while other pads are cut less accurately. Please understand that this is the nature of these pads at this price point.
When plugged into a computer, the Pubby Pad should identify as a generic video game controller and not require the installation of any new drivers. Software for changing the pad's sensitivity can be found on Github. You can also find the pad's firmware there.
Because the Pubby Pad is made of engineered wood, it is susceptible to water damage, especially between the cracks. Try to avoid using water if necessary. However, if you insist, use only a slightly damp cloth when cleaning the white laminate surface and dry it quickly. Avoid the cracks!
It is not recommended to disassemble the Pubby Pad often as there is a risk of damaging the pad when doing so.
To disassemble, first unscrew the bolts from underneath the pad. Once removed, the center panel can be removed. The remaining panels are attached using velcro and can be pried off.
Although the pad was not designed for custom panel heights, it is possible by taping a thin piece of foam or cardboard beneath the panels. It is usually possible to do so without modifying or reattaching the velcro.
If you need a replacement part, feel free to email with what you need, and you'll receive a quote on the cost and guidance on how to install them.
Most of these parts can be bought elsewhere too, and the sections below will list them.
The Pubby Pad uses 2mm thick foam, which can be bought at craft stores such as Michaels. Simply rip up the old foam, scrape off any glue residue, and replace the foam by glueing it in. Only a small amount of glue is necessary, and either PVA glue or hot glue will work.
The Pubby Pad uses 16mm wide velcro, which is purchased from AliExpress. The velcro needs to be very thin; name-brand Velcro may be too thick.
To replace, rip up the old velcro and attach your own. Sometimes a bit of wood chips off, which can either be discarded, or glued back on.
New 300mm FSR sensors can be purchased from Interlink Electronics. Installing them is a matter of cutting and stripping the old wires, removing the old sensors, then soldering the new sensor on. The new sensor can be adhered to the velcro, and a bit of electrical tape will ensure that no bare wires touch.
One must be careful when soldering a FSR sensor, as getting it hot can melt the plastic. A good approach to soldering these is to tin the wire and the sensor tabs separately, which is done by melting solder onto the iron and brushing it over the metal. Next, hold the the tinned wire over the tinned sensor tab and touch the iron to both for about a second. This will melt the solder again and connect the two.
The USB wire is not easily replaced, but it is possible with several caveats. The steps are listed below.
To install new firmware, first disassemble the pad and plug the USB wire into your computer. To reset the control board's memory, follow these steps in order:
When complete, the pad will now act as a USB mass storage device, akin to an ordinary flash drive. You can open up this storage directory now. To finish installing the firmware, copy the firmware's ".uf2" file into this directory, which will automatically load it into the pad.