Colecovision's DIscrete input PCB from Edladdin

Tech Talk
1

I don’t know much about wiring josyticks, but when a red flag gets raised in my head, I know both me and m hired Josytick wirer need help.

I know someone who will build mey joystick for hire. We’re planning on having detachable PCBs so we can switch between an MC Cthulhu, and a bunch of hand-pad-hacked joysticks that the Toodles doesn’t cover., like N64, 3DO, Jaguar, Genesis and older systems.

I assume the Toodles and other RJ-45 based systems convert a discrete input joystick with a single ground into the internal processor and outputs for the appropriate system.

The problem with Edladdin’s Colecovision is that there are 2 commons. One for the joystick and the first button, and one for the last 3 buttons. It requires the buttons to be wired in a particular way.

It seems like it’s hard to make a Colecovision fight stick that would work well with an RJ-45-based PCB.

I’m using 25 pins in a connector. The most you need for a Cthulhu is 18 pins. So we got 7 extra pins to work with. Any way to use those creatively?

Speaking of which, if the only thing that prevent an RJ-45 for accurately doing Genesis is the number of wires, then a Double, synched RJ45 could accept single RJ-45 for the current stuff and double RJ-45 for the systems that need more than 8 pins: 3DO, Jaguar, Genesis, 7800, Master System, Colecovision Super Action, Colecovision Standard, 5200, Intellivision, Astrocade, and 2600 Booster Grip. The 5200 is particularly handy to use the RJ-45’s digital input to analog output for the thumbsticks on more modern systems, and have it come in handy.

2

So you’re using a DB25 for your Swappable Boards?

What if in the last pins you get to split the grounds? Then when you connect the MCCthulhu you short every ground together in the connector and then connect your coleco board with the split grounds so everything works fine?

i’d do 1 pin for the joy ground, 1 pin for the 1st button and 1 pin for the rest of the buttons… i’m not sure what kind of games you expect to play with colecovision :frowning: sorry

3

So you’re saying one pin is the Toodles common ground, another pin for Coleco Common 1 and another pin for Coleco common 2.

Is it as simple as “Y-connecting” the button ground to both the Toodles ground and the appropriate coleco ground?

Dealing with analog button swapping

Also I’m also planning to have button swapping with hopefully RCA cables in aTelephone operator board. Just complete the circuit) Is the RCA considered a single signal hookup, or is it an “inner/outer” bi-polar hookup? If the Coleco common is connected to the controller, then the appropriate common has to be carried with the button signal when using a Telephone Operator RCA connector as a button remapper. If that is required and the RCA can’t handle 2 signals, I might have to use 3.5 mm. I prefer not to use those, because I’ve had bad things happen when using them wit my 1993 joystick maker, KY Enterprises. Plus RCA cables are cheaper and easier to find than 3.5 mm.

I’m making sure the Tooldes has a common ground before entering the Toodles, and that can be carried straight through without a corresponding second signal. So the Tooldes ground pin can go straight through the telephone operator device untouched and remain the Toodles ground.

Padhacks and direct actuation

By the way, are all of THESE systems as simple as hooking up each actuator and one ground, and can use the same pins as to the Toodles when it is removed and a pad-hacked PCB is put in it place, or is there something more to them that’s unusual?: Jaguar, 3DO with Daisy Chain, Genesis 6 button, Genesis 3 button, PC 15-pin, Nintendo 64.

And uncoded actuation (one pin equals one function) like in the Atari 2600 Booster Grip, the Master System, and the Astrocade can have the 25 pin wired straight into a DE-9 pin.

4

i’m not sure what kind of games you expect to play with colecovision :frowning: sorry

Well there’s one thing I know about joysticks, until you get to the Playstaiton 1 and N64, every game that uses a joypad can be enhanced with a digital joystick. I understand this is a fighting game website, and fighting games are the MAIN reason why I want a stick, but if it can be used for other stuff, why not use it?

The Coleocvision Super Action Controller enhances my performance over the mushroom stick standard controller. And it is ambidextrous right out of the box. It’s the most combined accurate and comfortable controller, especially for right stick. Also your button finger are tired from rapid firing? Just switch when you get a break. On a Twitch stream broken by bad outbound bandwidth I almost beat the Twin Galaxies Colecovision record of Mr Do’s Castle on my first try. With practice, I could beat it.