[kbenson]

The testing and verification is key. It might even be they were trying to lean on some work done by the navy on the Xbox 360 controller and that got switched along the line for the Logitech, losing one of the main reasons for using the original choice.

In any case, I would hope they brought a spare (or had an alternative method to drive, even if cumbersome), as easy spares is one of the selling points of COTS parts (and long as you verify it's the real part and isn't a revision that looks the same invalidating your testing).

[danbolt]

I wonder if using an XInput controller has a perk in that it’s relatively straightforward to find a second source if needed. Or, if one manufacturer isn’t working for them, they have a specification for controlling the periscope.