LOL! How on earth do I use this joystick?

[AnitaPeterson]

Hi there,

A friend of ours just gave me a Thrustmaster Flight Control System Mark 1 joystick, which was gathering dust in his garage... and he's not in town, so I can't ask him how to connect the damned thing...

I've never played games with ajoystick, and was looking forward to try a flight simulator, when I abruptly realized I don't know how to actually install the gadget.

It's not USB - it has something that looks like a "male" PS2 plug, with another similar "female" plug on top, which makes me think it's designed to go... where, in the mouse or keyboard port?

There's also a secondary device, called a Weapons Control System, which connects to the joystick via a serial-like cable.

From what I gathered on the Thrustmaster website, the drivers are built in my Windows XP, so the machine should be able to recognize it... but is anyone here familiar with to these devices, to be actually able to explain these things to me in a "for Dummies" kind of way?

 

[NoStateofMind]

Might wanna start by plugging it in

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Might wanna start by plugging it in

uhhh... I think that's what he's asking.

EDIT: are you sure the two parts don't connect with the PS/2 type connections and then the pair connects to the computer with something like this?
http://www.pasarlascanutas.com/motherboard/motherboard48212.JPG

 

[Matthias99]

I'm having trouble finding info on the "Mark I" version of the Thrustmaster FCS, as that is quite an old joystick at this point.

It *looks* like it should have a gameport plug, though, like most joysticks of that vintage. You can find these on most soundcards, and most motherboards with onboard sound. Looks kind of like a serial plug, though, not PS/2 (which is what your keyboard plugs into).

Normally, you just plug it in, and DirectX should recognize it as a joystick. You may need to go into the Control Panel/Game Controllers and manually install it if it doesn't just autodetect it.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Yeah, I check thrustmaster's site and they didn't have a manual available for it, just drivers and utilities (not sure if those were the exact two, but definately no manual)

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I'll show you the plugs in a second, let me upload the pics from my digital camera onto the computer

 

[Markbnj]

Typically, if these things aren't USB then they plug into the 'game port', which looks a lot like a serial connector, and is either on the sound card, or a seperate board.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Ok, here are the pictures... as you see, there's only one serial-like connector on the joystick's base, which connects to the cable coming from the Weapons Control System... the other cable ends up in that PS2 thing...

Pictures:

general view
second view
close-up of the PS2 plug
connector to Weapons Control System

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

That's really odd. (At least compared to all the joysticks I have used)

If you unscrew the cable connecting the two devices, is it's the same type of connection I linked to above?

Are those the only connections on the two parts or are there some connection types you're not using?

 

[acole1]

might be PS2... and then put the mouse on the back side of it?? shouldnt be any interference because if your using the joystick you most likely wont be using the mouse... i dont know much about these though...

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: acole1
might be PS2... and then put the mouse on the back side of it?? shouldnt be any interference because if your using the joystick you most likely wont be using the mouse... i dont know much about these though...

Yeah, I was thinking that too, but I've never had a device that connected like that. I imagine that's probably how it works too, but I don't know if you'd plug it into the mouse or the keyboard port or if it would matter.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Those are the only inputs or outputs from the joystick itself... I've been wondering about it all day... and i still don't know where exactly to plug the device, or how exactly is Windows supposed to recognize it...

 

[acole1]

PS2 is for "dumb" input devices so i would imagine it doesnt matter what you plug into it that much, not like USB. USB is "smart" in a way so you can only plug USB (which are "smart") devices into them. notice they dont make PS2 to USB adapters, just USB to PS2.

plug it into PS2 where your mouse is. windows should pick it up like your mouse with OS integrated drivers if anything.

i might be wrong though

 

[RebateMonger]

I own every model of joystick and throttle that Thrustmaster ever made.
I have a couple of FCS/WCS Mk 1s. They are from the 1992 time frame.

Digital commands from the FCS/WCS MK1 are sent through the keyboard interface. The joystick port delivers the analog joystick inputs. As I recall, the original versions used a non-programmable PROM for the keyboard commands. Later on, they sold a chip to make it into a programmable EEPROM, so programs could be written and uploaded to the WCS. There was also a full-size rudder pedal add-on (I have a couple of those).

The keyboard connectors would be the older AT-keyboard, not PS2 connectors.

Using these and programming them is a bit of work. It got even tougher with the Mk2 systems, which had zillions of buttons and amazing programmability, but the programming language was a pain. There was a good utility for doing this that was sold, but I doubt it's available for sale anymore.

You'll probably find it a lot easier to just buy a modern USB joystick or joystick/throttle system.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

rats!

Oh well, I'll give these away, as part of my charity project... some kid in Romania will be able to use it on his/her P2-333 machine...

 

[jjet67]

I have used different joysticks majorily CH and Thrustmaster. FCS/WCS MK 1 is a lower level or entry level joystick combo. I don't know whether it is programmable though.
If you hand on HOTAS such as F22 pro/TQS or F16/TQS combo that are game port version or Cougar that is an USB version, and costs more than 300, you would not want to go back to FCS kind of stuff. Tons of programmability and very durable.
For your request, if you have a throttle and joystick combo, you want to put your joystick adaptor (male or female) into joystick. The adaptor from throttle goes into game port. As RebateMonger pointed out, you need to purchase an AT-keyboard adaptor too.

 

[Serch]

huh? wtf? what PS2 ??? it is the game port buddy.