I have a joystick which i’m getting to a “one-pin-equals-one-function” format. With nmore modern systems like beyond the Sega Master System, you need a PCB to do the computer calculations to convert single swithces into joystick code.
The Sega Master System, Atari 2600, and Bally Asrocade don’t need it because one pin represents one function in those 3 systems. I could probalbly get a driect connector with 4 directions, up to 2 buttons, a ground and voltage on a DB9.
The Atari 7800 is a little weird. It seems like a simple system. 4 directions, ground, and voltage are on separate pins. That’s 6
2 buttons are on 2 other pins, but the 9th pin is a 2600-compatible (L OR R) pin which acts as a single action button for 2600 games and 7800 games in 2600 mode.
If someone were to wire a custom joystick DB37 to 7800 Standard DB9, how would someone who knows how to pad-hack a joystick be able to build (or buy if needed) an “Or Gate”?
Is it as simple as wiring both buttons to both the individual respective button pin as well as the “common button” pin, and if it senses a press on either one, then it goes on, but if neither is press it goes off? If it is as simple as that, let me know, and I’ll tell my joystick wirer to make it that way.
If it isn’t as simple as that, I’ll refer my joystick modder to this page if the answer is more complex than that.
It’s kind of a weird thing. There are 2 buttons, both of them get wired to 2 places, each an individual button pin, and both to the common 2600-compatible button pin.
So Left gets wired to Left and common, and right gets wired to right and common. The Common button is to activate it on a 2600 game, and certain single-button 7800 games.
I’m trying to see if I can wire it without actually buying a 7800 Joystick/pad to take apart, and if it can be done directly.
And this kind of wiring is part of the 7800 specification, where there is a common pin for 2600, and 2 separate buttons for L/R games.
So it looks like the “2600 button” pin is a positive common for both buttons.
So pin 8 is common for directions, and pin 6 is common for buttons.
So, you need to separate the common for buttons and directions in order for it to work. If you don’t separate them, you end up shorting what appears to be a VCC+ to ground, which would be no bueno.
I’ll email my particular joystick modder to see if he understands and can do it.
I assume the numbers on the bottom are the DE9 pins, and the things on the top are the various raw naked connections from a fight stick. So if it was going through a DE37, then my modder would connect the corresponding pins as the top settings, meaning they are isolated wires, the 2 buttons, the 4 directions, the voltage, and the ground: which looks comes from 3 sources, the directions unresisted, and both buttons resisted.
More excessive technobabble only for deep diggers.
And should I assume it’s a easier to wire a SMS compatible, an Astrocade compatible, and a 2600 Booster Grip becuase it’s a straight pin to pin wire, based on descriptions I read about them. (except maybe for the Booster grip exclusive buttons, which might need something else. Again total noob when it comes to electronics.) Finally the best advice is to keep the ground, individual buttons, and directions isolated as separate pins on a DE37 until ready to be combined on a DB9, whether 7800, SMS, Astrocade, Booster Grip, (all on separate swappable connectors), as well as the Genesis (becuase there are games that only work with a 3 button, or an SMS controller, so these are my backups) , 3DO (with daisy chain kept intact), and Jaguar PCB with keypad wiring) on the individual controls, as well as a PS1 dual shock 1. All other systems should be able to be handled by a PS2-> something converter fairly easily. (Except for 3: For for the INTV, a Genesis-> INTV or a Jaguar -> INTV adapter proposed in ArtariAge. For the 5200, A 15-Pin PC digital controller pad-hacked and a Bohoki adapter also fro AtariAge, and for Colecoviiosn, an Edladdin CV joystick board.) And ping times are so low, that the only way you MIGHT be thrown off is if you’re timing it to music based off remembered patterns pre-ping.
Thankfully most games I don’t work off patterns. Then again, I’m not fighting for frames like a speed-runner.
