A game character moves after you release the stick, or a button seems not to respond. Before changing a game's settings, inspect the input exposed by the controller in a separate window.
Pad Lab displays button values, stick axes and recent stick movement. It also provides a short resting-center measurement. These observations can help you describe a problem; they do not calibrate the controller or repair stick drift.
This walkthrough explains the controls in Pad Lab 1.0.0. Device mappings and vibration support vary. It does not report a tested drift value or certify a particular controller model.
Connect and select the controller
Open Pad Lab in Aelrox. Connect your controller, click the tool's window, and press a button on the controller. Keep the window focused while checking it.
Choose the device in Controller if several are available. If the selector says No controller exposed yet, the app has not received an accessible device. Check the connection and system recognition rather than interpreting blank readings as zero input.
The diagram follows a standard Xbox-style browser mapping. A controller with another layout may use different labels, and a non-standard device may expose raw button indices. Read the values alongside the diagram rather than assuming every label matches the physical controller.
Test buttons individually
Press and release each face button, shoulder button and stick button. Watch the corresponding diagram and Button values section. A green marker records that a button was pressed during the session.
Values range from zero to one; analog triggers may show intermediate values as you squeeze them. Not every device exposes every feature. A missing or differently mapped control needs further investigation before you conclude that its hardware has failed.
Inspect stick movement and release
Move each stick in a full circle, then release it without touching it. The plots show recent movement; the crosshair marks zero and the ring represents full scale.
Review X, Y and Radius with your hands off the sticks. Select Measure center · 3s and leave the controller still for the measurement. Repeat the observation if you accidentally touch a stick during the interval.
| Observation | What it can tell you |
|---|---|
| Stick trail | Where reported input moved during the session |
| Resting axes | Whether the exposed values remain away from zero |
| Center measurement | A short sample of input while the stick is released |
A small nonzero reading does not by itself establish a fault. Drivers, device behavior and game deadzones affect interpretation. Pad Lab does not change the game's deadzone or apply a calibration.
Check vibration when available
If enabled for the connected device, Test vibration · 0.5s requests a brief vibration. An unavailable control or unsuccessful request does not prove that the motor is broken; the device or runtime may not expose that function.
Use Reset session for a fresh observation, and repeat the check in the game where you noticed the issue. Open Pad Lab when you need to see the input clearly, without treating the tool as a repair utility or a universal compatibility test.