Universal PCB (eventually) thread

[BlackBond]

What is the difference between this and Chutulu?

[Mantle]

What is the difference between this and Chutulu?

Toodles may correct me if I’m wrong, but:

The UPCB uses a single, swappable cable for each supported console.
The Cthulhu uses multiple cables, one for each system you plug it into.

The UPCB requires soldering for the board assembly and the cables.
The Cthulhu is available in kit form and in preassembled form. You can use a standard USB cable for USB support. It requires soldering only for consoles that do not use standard USB plugs (e.g. PSX)

The UPCB has built in button-select functionality for dual-pcb setips.
The Cthulhu requires an additional board (the Imp) to add button-select functionality for dual-pcb setup.

[System_1]

Sorry, If this was addressed already, but I’m new to joysticks in general and I was wondering if installing a UPCB for a stick is more difficult than a PCB for one sole system.

[DeepThoughts]

Sorry, If this was addressed already, but I’m new to joysticks in general and I was wondering if installing a UPCB for a stick is more difficult than a PCB for one sole system.

The short answer is “yes”, but it depends on what you really want/need and what you’d potentially like to have at some point.

Also, BlackBond, if you’re interested in DC support but don’t want to piggyback a DC pad, the cthulhu has better converter support (e.g., ps2->DC).

[fluxcore]

Nope. In PS3 mode, Home (and Home alone) is pressed when Start and Select are pressed together; when Start + Select + Short is pressed, is does just those buttons without activating Home, in case you needed to soft reset SFAC or something.

In 360 piggyback mode, Start + Select activate Guide.

Both are disabled when in Tournament Mode.

Hi Toodles,

Just finishing putting my UPCB into my 360 TE stick, and I’m a bit confused by the Guide button. I have a 1.0 UPCB, and for some reason I thought that newer firmwares somehow use start+select to activate Guide without needing a connection from the UPCB to the 360 guide trace - although I don’t quite understand how that would work.

Anyway, start+select doesn’t activate guide for me, do I just need to drop a wire from the leg of that resistor you’ve marked in one picture to the Guide trace on the 360 pad? Or do I just have to have a separate button which only functions as the 360 guide button? I was hoping to remove the whole guide panel of the TE stick.

edit: Oh, I should mention that I’m running v2.5, and start+sel presses button 13 successfully when in the PC/PS3 mode (I’m using a button select cable for all three).

Cheers, (I’ll put up pics when I’ve sorted out this guide button malarkey btw :))
–flux

[Toodles]

Anyway, start+select doesn’t activate guide for me, do I just need to drop a wire from the leg of that resistor you’ve marked in one picture to the Guide trace on the 360 pad?

Yup.

[fluxcore]

Sweet, got the guide button all sorted. It all works perfectly

Here’s my flickr set of the few pictures I took (along with descriptions):

[System_1]

Sorry if this has been asked in this thread…but can the UPCB be installed in the x-arcade.

Much appreciated.

[Crime_in_Partner]

Sweet, got the guide button all sorted. It all works perfectly

Here’s my flickr set of the few pictures I took (along with descriptions):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fluxcore/sets/72157617918937963/

It’s just crazy to me how we can perform the exact same mod with our TE’s, yet at the same time, come up with entirely different ways to approach and install the PCB. And in the end, everything still comes out looking and playing great. Glad to see you finished yours up!

[knohbody]

Ok, so I’m gonna need some help from someone. I’m putting together two boards, have everything assembled. I was having some trouble getting the bootloader on the pic with my icsp programmer, but I finally decided to try the other board and it worked perfectly first time. Which brings me to my problem. I programmed both chips with the bootloader, then used the usb cable to upgrade the firmware on both of them, and popped one of the pics back in the other board.
It still doesn’t work. I’ve done all the tests in the assembly instructable and it all seems to check out. When the board is hooked up to usb, I get a steady 5 volts between the vcc and gnd test points, as well as between pins 5 and 6 on the joystick connection, and pins 1 and 40 and 40 and 20 on the pic itself. This pic works fine in the other board, so i’m guessing it’s not that. I don’t see any visible shorts on the board. Anyone got any suggestions as to where i should check next?

Thanks

[fluxcore]

I guess you want to go back through the instructable and double check everything, orientation of caps etc. There aren’t really many components that can go particularly wrong, so it’s probably something pretty simple…

I’m sure toodles will have something insightful to say though

[System_1]

UPCB and Beyond?

Is there a similar project to this, that makes it so we can hook up almost any stock console controller/arcade stick to almost any console/pc?

Basically I am thinking of UPCB, with an additional db15 port, which we would make “input console cables” using the female part of an extension cable on one side, and the male db15 on the other.

Then, using console select codes, the attached game-pad’s platform/protocol would be detected, converted to a basic/standard format, then converted to whatever output format that is set by the console select cable that is attached to the console/pc.

Mainly, I don’t want to hack up my Saturn Twin-Stick controller, which would be a greater blasphemy than hacking up a 2nd gen saturn pad. I am also interested in using an SNES pad. My main target right now is XBOX 360.

Let me know if there is anything like this going, or if anybody with the know how wants to expand UPCB in this direction. It would be a nice addition, because commerically produced sticks could also benefit from UPCB, without modification.

[Swamp]

1.) Is it possible to use a Dual Shock PS2 controller as a console cable?

2.) If I’m making a button select cable as well an piggybanking an X360 pcb, should I follow the wiring from the “piggy” or the “allusb” .h file?

3.) What should I do w/ the “5th” fat-black wire that’s left when I’m making a USB connector from an X360 USB cable?

[DeepThoughts]

1. You want just the cable. You can use the one off DS2, but it’s def not the cheapest route.

2. The button select usb cable is in allusb.h

3. You don’t need it.

Nice work fluxcore

[System_1]

Is there a similar project to this, that makes it so we can hook up almost any stock console controller/arcade stick to almost any console/pc?

Basically I am thinking of UPCB, with an additional db15 port, which we would make “input console cables” using the female part of an extension cable on one side, and the male db15 on the other.

Then, using console select codes, the attached game-pad’s platform/protocol would be detected, converted to a basic/standard format, then converted to whatever output format that is set by the console select cable that is attached to the console/pc.

How much of the I/O capacity is being used on the UPCB PIC? Is there any headroom for decoding console controller signals, in addition to UPCB’s other functions?

If there isn’t enough I/O capacity and processing headroom (which I’m betting there isn’t) my idea could be implemented through a daughter board, without modification of the UPCB as it is.

The daughter board would be similar to the UPCB, using the db15 interface, and “input console cables” to connect stock console controllers. The programming from UPCB would be reversed in the daughter board’s PIC, decoding the console controller signals.

Once decoded to a standard parallel format, the daughter-board could connect through connector 1 & 2 of the UPCB, where it would be converted to the console/pc format as usual.

A switch could be used to make switching between console controllers and custom arcade sticks quick and easy.

What do people think of this idea? Would it add much lag having the signals converted twice?

If so, maybe a faster PIC with more I/O lines could combine both functions, and evolve UPCB. Certainly one slightly larger circuit board and one more advanced PIC would be cheaper than two of each?

[Toodles]

How much of the I/O capacity is being used on the UPCB PIC? Is there any headroom for decoding console controller signals, in addition to UPCB’s other functions?

If there isn’t enough I/O capacity and processing headroom (which I’m betting there isn’t) my idea could be implemented through a daughter board, without modification of the UPCB as it is.

The daughter board would be similar to the UPCB, using the db15 interface, and “input console cables” to connect stock console controllers. The programming from UPCB would be reversed in the daughter board’s PIC, decoding the console controller signals.

Once decoded to a standard parallel format, the daughter-board could connect through connector 1 & 2 of the UPCB, where it would be converted to the console/pc format as usual.

A switch could be used to make switching between console controllers and custom arcade sticks quick and easy.

What do people think of this idea? Would it add much lag having the signals converted twice?

If so, maybe a faster PIC with more I/O lines could combine both functions, and evolve UPCB. Certainly one slightly larger circuit board and one more advanced PIC would be cheaper than two of each?

I know its a long thread, but this has been discussed at length. I’ve pointed out what is and isn’t possible with the current setup, and even described in detail how and where the code would need need to be entered to make it work like this. If you’d like to contribute, please do. If you’d like to make a device like you describe on your own, please do.

[System_1]

I know its a long thread, but this has been discussed at length. I’ve pointed out what is and isn’t possible with the current setup, and even described in detail how and where the code would need need to be entered to make it work like this. If you’d like to contribute, please do. If you’d like to make a device like you describe on your own, please do.

I’m too stupid for all that, honestly. I read through the entire thread and here is the stuff I found in regards to converter function. Maybe someone else will take up the cause? I know I would definitely rather see this implemented before a built-in DC solution (which would still need a chip from a DC controller, right?).

That’s very doable and already planned. All of the old school controllers would be very easy to implement as input sources. NES, SNES, Genesis, Saturn are all simple, PSX and Gamecube would be slightly more difficult but not too bad. No, there will not be any kind of ability for a USB input. Because the input wires would have to be connected to the input controller, there would not be any piggyback support. Also, the information from the controller would be converter to digital information (directions and buttons), so if you are wanting a perfect 100% conversion of all of the analog stick from one controller to another, this ain’t it. But, for those wanting to use a Saturn pad on PSX/PS3/whatever, it’ll work nice.

I will get to adding it as soon as I can. It might be a bit though; I’m up to my tail in work and the semester will start back up soon.

UPCB already has that, exactly in fact. A d-sub 15 specifically for inputs; VCC, GND, four directions, start, select, and six main play buttons. Controlling those with other hardware would be dead simple; line is left high (or floating; there are pull ups on the board) for not pressed, low for pressed.

The plan for using it as a converter is based on the FrameUpdate() function in program.c. Most, eventually all, supported consoles will call that, directly after the controller status has been queried (PSX, Gamecube) or after a timer has expired marking the end of a 1/60th of a second time frame. The FrameUpdate will queried the converted controller to get the status of the controls, and update a couple of global variables. the S_Jab, S_Short, etc. functions will be updated to say ‘if we’re in converter mode, return the value of the ‘jab’ variable’. A function will be placed in main() before the output cable is checked to determine if we’re using a converter input.

The idea for the converter input is very similar to the system select pins of the output cables, but I haven’t completely decided how to do it; one thought is to simply stick with the the high or low checking of pins like the output cables, especially checking opposite directions; if ‘up’ and ‘down’ are both low, we’re definitely using a converter since the physical stick can’t do that, and then check the next couple of pins to determine the type of controller connected. Another idea is by connecting a pair or more of pins; check the specific pins to make sure they’re both high, set one as a low output pin, and see if the match goes low. Set a variable so the FrameUpdate() function knows which controller it’s talking to, and that’s it. Since we can assume all of the pins are held high via pull-up, making the input connectors will be half of the work of the output connectors.

That hard part will be that just about everything will have to be bit-banged, since the SPI and I2C pins are already going to the output cable.
I’m not sure if I understand that part, but I think we have plenty of pins to work with. As for racing wheels, I’d have to doublecheck the datasheet so remember which of the analog pins are where, but if at all possible, I’d rather avoid direct analog input.

I think I saw a post about having two separate PICs being better as far as syncing input and output…but if it could all be done in the existing design, that would probably be best.

[DeepThoughts]

While we’re on the topic of new features, how about posting an updated summer to-do list for the upcb when you get a chance? I’m still hoping for the option to program/record inputs for training.

[System_1]

Sanwa JLF 5 pin connector

Hi,

I am considering about purchasing UPCB, but I have a sight question. Does the UPCB work with the Sanwa JLF? I am asking because Sanwa JLF havea 5 pin connector, but both of the UPCB have a 6 pin joystick connector.

May I ask how does it work?

Thanks.

[Crime_in_Partner]

Hi,

I am considering about purchasing UPCB, but I have a sight question. Does the UPCB work with the Sanwa JLF? I am asking because Sanwa JLF havea 5 pin connector, but both of the UPCB have a 6 pin joystick connector.

May I ask how does it work?

Thanks.

A JLF will work fine, you simply ignore the pin for the VCC and plug in the connector for the 4 directions + ground as normal.