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Interesting discovery

M

MiranoPoncho

Golden Member
It was not too long ago when I grew bored with my computer and decided to tinker.
I had out my sega paddle, and noticed it had 9 pins with which to connect. my atari 2600, the same. I put the two togeather, but have not tried it. Anyone know if this is possible?
 
No they're not serial interface. They just happen to use the same plug, mechanically.

Google the pinouts if you want to learn more - and it seems you got a lot to learn ... not everything that plugs together works together.
 
Originally posted by: CrispyFried
you might be able to wire a custom adapter that would let it work on joystick port but not a serial port.
Click to expand...
Actually you have to do it through the parallel port.

The problem is the way Genesys/etc. controllers transmit data. Rather than digital, as serial ports do, Genesys controllers transmit data via analog signal. To get the ports to work you have to implement a hardware converter to get the signal from analog to digital (not as complex as it sounds, just a bunch of resistors) then input it into something which can take that many inputs. Serial ports don't work for reasons I can't quite understand (speed I think) but the parallel port works just fine. You can even use multiple controllers hooked up to the same port and most emulators will recognize them individually.

Alas, I don't have the converter schematics anymore. You can try googling it, but I came up with nothing.
 
Originally posted by: yukichigai
Click to expand...
Actually you have to do it through the parallel port.

The problem is the way Genesys/etc. controllers transmit data. Rather than digital, as serial ports do, Genesys controllers transmit data via analog signal. To get the ports to work you have to implement a hardware converter to get the signal from analog to digital (not as complex as it sounds, just a bunch of resistors) then input it into something which can take that many inputs. Serial ports don't work for reasons I can't quite understand (speed I think) but the parallel port works just fine. You can even use multiple controllers hooked up to the same port and most emulators will recognize them individually.

Alas, I don't have the converter schematics anymore. You can try googling it, but I came up with nothing.[/quote]

youre sure? the PC joystick port (game port) has 4 analog inputs and 10 digital inputs already. joysticks are just potentiometers and switches. the pinouts are different but they are all the same electrically. (not modern usb sticks and such however).
 
PC joystick ports expect the X and Y motion in analog, only the buttons are digital.

Old console joysticks (including 8-bit, Atari, Amiga joysticks, same thing) do the motion in digital too.

Interfacing the latter to the former is not possible without hacking of the joystick's internal wiring, adding analog circuitry to make voltage levels out of switch positions.
 
Interesting footnote - Sega based their SMS controller pinout on the A2600, they just added one more pin for the second fire button. Sega lost a patent-infringement claim/suit(?) from Atari because of this. Their Genesis controller pinout is similar, except that they multiplex some of the buttons/directions. You can plug a Genesis controller into a SMS and use it though, for most of the games.

You can also use a TG16 power supply for a SMS, or a SMS power supply for a NES, but you cannot use a NES power-supply for either of the others, because the wall-brick outputs AC, and the other two output DC.
 
MiranoPoncho is going to cry himself to sleep tonight. All he wanted was some applause for his unfortunately inaccurate discovery.
 
Originally posted by: CrispyFried
youre sure? the PC joystick port (game port) has 4 analog inputs and 10 digital inputs already. joysticks are just potentiometers and switches. the pinouts are different but they are all the same electrically. (not modern usb sticks and such however).
Click to expand...
I'm not entirely sure on the reasons why it doesn't work if you hook it up to the serial port, but I am very clear on how you make the adapter for the controllers. It definitely involves a few resistors (no specific resistance required) across some pins coming out of the controller, which implies some kid of digital<=>analog conversion. Which way... I'm inclined to say analog to digital, but I'm not sure. Regardless, I do know that the only sucessful way that's been found to hook them up involves going through the parallel port.

Do a check of some emulator sites; they should have the schematics somewhere.
 
Originally posted by: yukichigai
I'm not entirely sure on the reasons why it doesn't work if you hook it up to the serial port, but I am very clear on how you make the adapter for the controllers. It definitely involves a few resistors (no specific resistance required) across some pins coming out of the controller, which implies some kid of digital<=>analog conversion. Which way... I'm inclined to say analog to digital, but I'm not sure. Regardless, I do know that the only sucessful way that's been found to hook them up involves going through the parallel port.

Do a check of some emulator sites; they should have the schematics somewhere.
Click to expand...

yep, youre right, most adapters use the parallel port (one used diodes, not resisters) although there are adapters for serial and usb ports also. The serial and usb adapters are more complicated. Also I was wrong about the number of digital inputs on the PC joystick port, there are 4, not 10, plus the 4 analog inputs.

So MiranoPoncho, yes you can use them on the serial port buts you need to build a fairly complicated adapter. I couldnt find the schematic for it though and Im not sure how its used.

But you cant just plug it directly in.
 
Originally posted by: MAW1082
MiranoPoncho is going to cry himself to sleep tonight. All he wanted was some applause for his unfortunately inaccurate discovery.
Click to expand...

There are more painful ways of finding out that not everything that plugs together belongs together 😉

Seriously, yukichigai and others, a serial (COM) port is the absolute LAST thing you'll get a legacy console or home computer joystick to work on - no matter how inviting the plug shape may be.

There are hack jobs that interface it to the parallel port (requires drivers), and then there are joystick-internal rewirings that MAKE it compatible to the PC game port.

And then of course you could simply go out and buy a Competition Pro USB. 🙂
 
Atari joysticks will work for the Sega Genesis, though. A friend showed it to me while I was playing Sonic the Hedgehod 2 a few years ago. He plugged an Atari Joystick into port #2 and was able to control Tails with it (the one button on the Atari joystick allowed him to jump).
 
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