- The Teardown
- Some Wireless Specifications
- Wii-mote, Nunchuk and IR
- Summary
Wii-mote, Nunchuk and IR
As we previously discussed, the most unique and attractive quality of the Wii is the way the user interacts with the games. This section will outline the components used and provide some internal shots for your viewing pleasure.
Wii-mote
The first item we took apart was the Wii-mote. This is fairly easy to disassemble. You first must remove the battery door, take out the batteries, and then unscrew the four Triwing screws keeping the Wii-mote together. Once the screws are out, you will have to pull the top and bottom of the remote apart with significant force. Be careful not to let the pieces fly everywhere if the parts suddenly disconnect.
The following images shed some light as to what you can expect to find.
)
Wii-mote circuit board highlighting one of the XL330 chips that handle the movement detection
)
Wii Nunchuk
The second item on our list of peripherals is the nunchuk. This component is an add-on to the Wii-mote and adds some extra motion/interaction aspects to select games. The following figures detail what is inside this controller.
)
)
Wii Sensor Bar
Without taking this bar apart you would not have much of an idea how it works. However, after looking at the insides, it appears as if the bar uses an array of IR emitters to send InfraRed light out to the sensor in the Wii-mote. As you move around, the sensor in the Wii-mote determines where you are pointing based on the IR signal it is detecting. As pointed out by several readers (thanks to all who sent in your comments), the sensor bar is not really sensing anything – it should be called an IR LED bar. Due to the limited distance of IR, you have to be within a certain range of the sensor bar or it will act goofy. In addition, things like sunlight and fluorescent lights can interfere with the signal.
)