RJ-45 Multi Console Cthulhu Arcade Stick Tutorial Ver.2

Tech Talk
321

I used DE 9 connectors before on controller cables.
I can see how a Mini Din 8 connector will work.

Realistically you never need more than 8 pins for controllers.
PSX has a 9 pin connector but only 7 of those are used, NES and SNES has 7 pin connectors but only use 5 (unless your using the NES zapper)
OG Xbox uses only 4 wires, the 5th is for video signal for lightguns, for a stick or pad you never need the 5th yellow wire.
Game cube only uses 3 out of the 6 pins it support.

I never liked RJ45 connectors, not because of looks but because they are damn fragile.

322

Just to clarify, I mean condensing the cabling solutions down to one single cable, instead of, for example in the image in the original post, having 8 individual cables for each console.

Neutrik/Switchcraft RJ-45 or DB-9 or mini-DIN 8 or whatever you use (from arcade stick case) >
One cable that terminates into a male Xbox 360 breakaway end (or similar quick release plug) >
Separate female Xbox 360 breakaway (or similar) leads that terminate into male PSX, DC, GC, OGXb, USB etc. (to console port)

So you’d just have a bunch of these [details=Spoiler]

[/details]
with the USB end snipped off and a PS2, DC, GC, etc. connector wired in its place. But we can’t use the Xbox breakaways themselves cause they only have 4-5 wires, so we need something similar in look/function that supports up to 8 wires.

mini-DIN 8 could definitely work, the only problem with over the counter female to male adapters for them is they aren’t quite as graceful as the cylindrical breakway leads something like an Xbox cable uses. And I can’t seem to find any similar breakaway solutions for mini-DIN 8 just via search engines.

Spoiler

http://s3.showmecables.com/images/catalog/product/8-Pin-Mini-DIN-Male-Female-Cable-43-145-006-1.jpg

This is typically what you get with mini-DIN 8 female to male, which just doesn’t mate up as seamlessly, although it would still work.

Spoiler

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/DvIAAMXQlUNRTj9I/$T2eC16hHJGkE9no8jDc9BRTj9IYZ)w~~/CLARION-MARINE-STEREO-REMOTE-EXTENSION-CABLE-8-PIN_57.jpg

Something like these audio 8 pin connectors might work, no idea what they’re actually called/for, not an audio guy. Maybe XLR/MIDI cables?

Spoiler

http://images.maplinmedia.co.uk/maplin-mini-din-8-pin-line-socket.jpg?w=283&h=283&r=4&o=hfKYOY1hOyM9$4ER@MtMtnsE41wj&V=ijjT

Or something similar to these “8 pin line socket” audio connectors. If the barrels were shortened up to about half the length.

But I don’t think any of those are designed to break away easily, which would be a cool feature.

323

The Xbox breakaways were specifically made for Xbox and you aren’t going to find them anywhere.

You aren’t going to find any nice, small breakaway connectors like that for DIY use.

324

Yeah, you can get aftermarket leads for the 360 in bulk from China, and for the OG Xbox (5 wire/pin) MadCatz actually used to make third party leads (fluorescent green, gross match) that Gamestop sold for like $1 ea. at one point. But those wouldn’t help for PSX, just DC and GC which can utilize 5 wires or less.

Maybe someone on SRK has contacts that can mass produce 8 pin variations that would work though, that’s definitely a community produced item I’d be interested in. Especially if they can get them pre-wired to PSX, DC, GC, etc. plugs in matching colors instead of whatever the stock system used for a clean look.

A lot of people here go through all the trouble of changing artwork, painting their cases, and hand picking certain color buttons/tops to create a scheme, and then have a heaping bundle of blue, green, black, purple, red, and grey cables.

325

only the tail ends, but not the matching connector, and differently not supporting 8 wires

326

But the male end is available from any sacrificed Xbox cable, which could still be adapted to work with Gamecube, Dreamcast, and SNES (if using original Xbox cables instead of 360) at the very least with a few re-wired female tails, if someone were so inclined.

PSX is a major console to be left out of that quick-connect modular system, unfortunately.

Actually, I don’t know that somebody could directly solder to the contacts of the plugs anyways without cracking open the plastic casings? So it might have to be done with spliced wires, which would not be a good idea at all, and pretty ugly looking. Maybe not even possible to do as a mod in that case.

Someone with a lot more modding experience would have to chime in on that.

327

I think the OG Xbox quick disconnect route is a dead end.

  1. No easy and clean why to splice cables
  2. No new stock, rapidly diminishing quantities.
  3. Leaves out a few systems (example PlayStation)

If you going to mod from the case. I still not use the OG Xbox cables.

Its far, far easier to find/harvest the whole system cables you need and have them attached to the stick case

328

Is there a pinout for Sega Genesis, I cant see one?

329

No, the MC Cthulhu does not support the Genesis.

330

Anyone help me out…

I am trying to make a PS2 cable. I am using these settings

Brown - DATA - 1 - C
Orange - CMD - 2 - B
Black - GND - 4 - G
Red - VCC - 5 - V
Yellow - ATT - 6 - D
Blue - CLK - 7 - A
Green - ACK - 9 - F

I have check the pinouts about 10x with my multimetre and they are all checkout but I get no responce on the the PS1 or PS2 consoles

Any ideas, as I have DC, GC, USB all working fine?

331

Never trust anyone else’s wire colors, especially with PS1/PS2 cables.

Here is a Cut and paste of the PS1/PS2 pin assignments cable guide from page 1


PSX Pin    Purpose    RJ45 Pin    Cthulhu Column
4          Ground      1          G
7          CLK          2          A
2          CMD          3          B
1          DATA        4          C
6          ATT          5          D
                        6          E
9          ACK          7          F
5          VCC          8          V

Looks like you got your wires in the wrong order.

332

What is going on at pin 6, does the one wire go to slots 5 & 6 on the rj45 or is 6 meant to be empty.

333

You mean Pin 6 of the RJ45? Its not used.

334

OK I have rewired it to this

PSX Pin Purpose RJ45 Pin Cthulhu Column
4 Ground 1 G
7 CLK 2 A
2 CMD 3 B
1 DATA 4 C
6 ATT 5 D
9 ACK 7 F
5 VCC 8 V

Still the same, tested each pinout with my multimeter, they are all in the correct order…hummmmm?

335

sorted ps2, just started over.

Nes aintt working for me, does the work on famicom or uk/usa nes only?

336

Quick question. I have one of these generic TTX Tech NES Controllers in front of me, but I don’t have a multimeter with me to tone out each of the wires. Does anyone happen to know which colors are which numbers so I can wire this to a RJ45 jack? I really don’t want to have to go find a Lowes and buy one real quick when I’ve got one back home.

It’s got Blue, Red, White, Yellow and Brown

http://i64.tinypic.com/33y2yib.jpg

https://www.avcdistributor.com/sites/default/files/styles/zoom/public/nxnes-006.jpg

337

Rule One, Never, ever go just by the colors of the wires. Never ever go by someone else’s guide. Its right there on the FAQ and guide on page one of this thread.
Your controller wire colors does not even match the Nintendo wire coloring standards for NES and SNES at all.
Even then I found times that Nintendo official controllers didn’t follow the color guide. Example Famicom controllers often change up what color wires went where.
This goes especially for 3rd party controllers and anything made for any of the PlayStations.

You will want a multimeter or some other continuity tester and a diagram of the pinout.

338

Yeah was hoping someone might of opened one of these generics and had the color pinout already. I’ve opened up a few of them already and they all seem to be wired the same way to the board color wise. Just nothing labeled on the PCB. Was hoping to get lucky.

Just gotta wait till tomorrow to go home and pin it out as I’m not gonna buy another meter.

*Major Bummer Dude

Skate Straight --Rodney*

339

Problem is these 3rd party generic controllers are not consistent in there color choices at all.
Even if I did have the same controller I might not have the same 5 colors of wire or even have those colors in the same place.
One batch of controllers could be the same, but the next batch they can easily change cable suppliers or arbitrarily change what color went where.

I even found USB cables before that use the “wrong” colors. I got a USB cable that used Brown, Blue, Yellow and Purple before.

340

Hey guys alright so i’ve been having random issues with making SNES and NES cables

Im using MC Cthulhu

for SNES I used a couple of cheap of cheap extension cables. I have 3 from these cables and i can verify that at least 2 of them have some kind of weird issue.

The directions seem all fine but some of the inputs are quick firing like turbo is on and some of the buttons are doubled up. just as an example both A and B are both registering as Y.

The NES has similar issues. The first 2 I made with a couple of crappy generic controllers and the last one with an extension cable.

Now i should say that i dont have an actual NES so im using USB adapter on PC and testing the inputs from the device manager.

The inputs are all screwed up. up is left, down is right ect… and again it has a weird quick fire turbo thing going on. I’ve made dozens of cables for pretty much every system but this is the first time me making NES and SNES cables. Nothing else i’ve made thus far has had any issues like this. Is this a unique quirk with these consoles in particular? or maybe the cables im using just arent good for this sort of thing.