everything I’ve externally enclosed so far has one ground, i haven’t had any issues. Is their any real reason to have two grounds, do some pcb’s require it?
I know that POS Gamester Xbox stick wants a different ground for every damn button, for example, which means we EE’s won’t be touching that one anyway.
I currently do not know of a 1st party PCB that requires more than one ground. Obviously, if it ain’t 1st party, it ain’t going near my equipment.
BTW, my interest in multiple grounds was simply to keep from ever having to daisy chain across both the stick and buttons, with the same chain.
having a standard system, it can be use at evo with evo staff providing the encoder box without fear of blue screen, lag, incompatibility, and other things with converters. of course it won’t be this year but if there’s a standard, next year and so on this could happen.
Is the DB15 standard or should we go with DB25?
This seems fine to me. Might be awhile till I build anything but if we can settle on a standard you can count me in.
Anyone want to suggest a name for this standard? People selling on ebay or whatever should be able to say it’s a “SRK Pinout” or some such. If someone does a search for example it should bring up anything supporting the standard.
-Bean I
OK, that sounds good. What are you guys putting on the stick, is it DB15F or DB15M?
Also, I have read someone wrote that the DB25 is more “solid” and is fastened better when plugged in. What you guys think? And is the DB15 completly future-proof? What if we get more buttons in the future (god forbid!)?
I 2nd this vote.
We need to decide on what determines what is button 1, button 2 etc.
Logic would say 1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C etc…
But then there’s weird buttons like Black, White, Triangle Circle, Left Trigger etc…
Something else to consider. When a device (controller) is connected to a PC (or console), the buttons are numbered 0 through whatever. Should we use this ordering as the basis… which then presents a new problem. How to we find out what this order is? Some of use has xbox/PS controllers connected to PC but what about the rest?
Personally I think the easiest way would be for everyone to agree to use the same table which contains what’s what for each system. Anytime a new system comes out we update the table.
Something like:
Pin Pin Name Xbox DC PS2 PSOne etc...
01. Down D-Pad Down
02. Right D-Pad Right
03. Left D-Pad Left
04. Up D-Pad Up
05. +5v
06. Start Start
07. Select Back
08. Button 1 A
09. Button 2 B
10. Button 3 X
11. Button 4 Y
12. Button 5 Black
13. Button 6 White
14. Button 7 L
15. Button 8 R
11/14/2005
I also suggest we place the systems in order of their release with newer systems on the Left.
-Bean I
I find tackling the problem on the other end more relevant, that is defining which button on the stick to be assigned as number 1, 2, 3, etc. How the encoder box handles this would then be up to the builder/customer, as some would want L1/R1 for fierce/roundhouse while others prefer having R1/R2 instead. Most people would probably suggest something like this initially:
1 2 3
4 5 6
But if there is to be any point in keeping the Neo-Geo pin-out, shouldn’t the button ordering be compatible with the classic arch as well?
2 3 4
1 5 6
Then again I am not a stick maker and this may not matter at all…
http://www.catskillsupply.com/endcrimp.html
Can I use this instead of soldering (looks better)?
Also, it it this I am going to use:
http://www.catskillsupply.com/dsubshellsdb15.html#11095
???
You can, and it will work fine. The pins on the male side always seemed flimsy to me, and Id be worried about it standing up to the abuse it will take. If those are better design that the radio shack ones Ive tried in the past, give it a try. Experiment and see what you come up with.
Toodles
So the “standard” should be that the stick has a femaledb-15, right?
Will the inside take any abuse (don`t understand)?
The female side using crimps is almost the same as the solder versions, and should handle abuse almost as well as the solder version, and better than crimp males by far. The ‘flimsiness’ Im afraid of is the wiggling of the male pins; they are much looser than the solder versions, and wiggle around a bunch when not plugged in. Im just afraid that someone will jam a female onto it when the pins are in a bad position, and bend one of the male pins. If you take care connecting them, you’ll have no problem, but the solder versions just feel more sturdy to me.
Aha, now I get it, thanks!
I hope they don`t sell wigglycrap :(.
Where can I find cheap cables?
I still stand by the DB25.
How the hell you going to run A ground on the DB15’s casing if it’s plastic?
dummyface
Damn, never thought of that >_<!
Where do you buy yours (url)?
Whoa, never thought this would get bumped.
Getting right to it, I basically went ahead with my general design, but I changed just about every detail on the way. These pics show my DB-15 pinout maps and an example of it messily crammed into my old MAS stick. This is about as far as I got before succumbing to burnout and throwing everything in the closet and going back to playing Halo. The guilt grows daily.
DB-15 Pinout Lines inna circles indicate I stripe the wires with a marker.
Installed internal view
Installed external view
I reordered the pins because having the eight buttons in the eight pin row was a no-brainer.
The 5v was kicked off of the map, however, if you look as the internal pic, you’ll see a red wire coming off of one of the mounting screws. I have one coming out of a mounting screw in the project box too, and I run the 5v though this, through th DB-15 casing itself. I’m not 100% sure of it’s reliabilty, but it does work; I’ve played with it.
As for the mounting, I put the one with the pins (males, female?) in that stick, and I sunk it near flush with the wood. I mount my project boxes directly to the stick, so this ensures a close marriage.
I’m not really using buttons 7 or 8 now, and no fighting game has ever needed more than 6 buttons.
Also, the button count has not gone up with the 360 or PS3 ('cept for that infernal “Live” button). I believe we are set for this coming generation with 8 button support.
Good point.
As I stated already in this post, the 5v and the Ground essentially switched places, since the 5v is used far less often.
Also, I won’t be using a plastic cased DB-15 until I can’t find a metal one. I’m also not intending this setup for a cable, but for a direct project box mount.
As I said, I only got the prototypes done and then had to get out of the game for my own sanity. I worked a bunch of over time, upgraded my gaming setup, and stopped reading SRK.
Well I think the sabatical is over, and it is thanks to this thread and some other SRKers I’m been in contact with just recently.
Holds hand up for high-five
S’cuse me now, I’ve got a X360 pad to hack.
I am getting dizzy from all this…
Should I use DB15 or DB25(fits better?)? I mostly do 6button layout now but I was gonna do 8playbuttons and a flashstick (there are some people wanna softboot the xbox and "must " have 8buttons), do I use the DB15 or DB25?
Second, if I buy the one with plastic casing and I only use 6buttonlayouts than it doesn`t matter, right?
And please, are we shooting for db15 as standard?
As an old head Neo-Geo guy I honestly love the DB15.
But the more i look at it the DB25 just seems more practical.
Like having the +5, 2 grounds, credit button for A supergun, the new “live” button for the 360, ect ect… & still keep all 8 buttons for those who want it.
DB25 plugs are available at every radio shack I have ever been in whear as the low density (2 row) DB15s are no where to be found there. (at least around here I know some have said that their stores have them).
You can buy DB25 extension cables from just about anywhere, As I am finding the DB15 extension cables are almost A special order / internet item only.
TheRealNeoGeo,
I don’t have A URL to the plastic DB15 plugs, but I know they exisit.
Go ask over at www.neo-geo.com, That is where I saw them.
Unless I am working on something specific for the Neo-Geo itself I use DB25s.
And I think we are still fighting between the DB15 & the DB25. 
OK, that does it. I will use the DB25 because:
A: It is easy to get both connectors and cable.
B: It is cheap.
C: Room for everything (future proof).
D: It sits more solid together (connector/cable).
Makes sense to me. More then anything is availability. If people can find the parts, they won’t use the standard. If DB15 is nearly extinct, poop on it.
So what pins should be what?
-Bean I