hiya,
have you tried the linux joystick teleop tutorials they have some tests for linux joysticks and debug buttons/axis to the console i'm using a saitek av8r -02 which on a pc windows uses an xbox360 driver and none for linux. alot of hid keyboards/ joysticks adhere to a config file, and then get tailored and/or extended.
try http://www.ros.org/wiki/joy/Tutorials/ConfiguringALinuxJoystick
plug in, ls -l /dev/input/js*
note the number, my mousepad on the laptop appears as a joystick js0 that threw me for a bit, but js1 is my device
what was good
ls -l /dev/input/jsX where x is the number you noted from above, also you might need to change permissions on that device file ....see the guide
the jstest in the above guide will give you a good idea of what buttons/ axis do and what they map too, also very dirty cat /dev/input/jsX ....watch some dirty characters come up I think you can redirect them into a hex app ....but jstest is better
the ros drivers topics etc also give good debug data if you can get that far.
do n't forget to run that rosparam setting in the guide for the ros
I'm running a custom teleop on this joystick via virtualbox hosted on windows 7 so it may well be doable
goodluck
Dave
