4-slot "mahjong" ports not working

This might seem like a a dumb problem, but I can't get my controller ports to work on my 4-slot. The ones I built into my supergun work perfect (AES pinout minus +5V and second D button) I wired my controllers using this same pinout. I have tried it with DIP 3 on and off...no dice.

Doesn't even work in the bios test, I have tried every direction and button and not even once does the bios recognize it in the test. If I plug it into my supergun controller port the BIOS correctly interprets everything. I'm using Universe BIOS 2.0 Havn't tried it yet w/ either of my Euro or US bios chips.

Any ideas??

Thanks,
-DT

Has the connection ever worked to your knowledge? Maybe the pins have corroded some, and need some cleaning/ maybe the traces are corroded. Do you get the same result from both controller ports?

I dunno if they've ever worked. I bought this a couple weeks ago with a bad video ram chip, replaced it, and now everything seems to work but the controller ports. Both ports are completely unresponsive. The board is actually fairly clean a little dust but nothing major.

I'm stumped for the moment.

-DT

Hrm... do th econtrols on the jamma connection work?... I'm just guessing here... but maybe a chip used for controller functions has gone bad along with your old video ram one? I dunno... I've never used the ports on mine. I always use the jamma controls, so I can't help much. sorry.

The controller ports have their pins in parallel with the pins on the jamma connector so if the latter work the former must also work (unless of course the traces are broken, very unlikely).
What controllers are you using, SNK official or home made? Because if the plug is not as deep as that of the official controllers it's obvious that it doesn't work. Most PC DB15 plugs are not deep enough.

I have home-made controllers. Perhaps it is due to the not long enough connector, since the AES pinout control ports on my supergun (the JAMMA controllers) work perfectly. I think if it was broken traces at least one of the ports should have some kind of contact.

Perhaps I could shave the plastic shroud on the ports with a sharp knife to make them shorter. Anyone have suggestions on how to do this without making it look really ugly?

-DT

dogtoy said:

I have home-made controllers. Perhaps it is due to the not long enough connector, since the AES pinout control ports on my supergun (the JAMMA controllers) work perfectly.

Click to expand...

Take the multimeter and do a continuity test...

dogtoy said:

Perhaps I could shave the plastic shroud on the ports with a sharp knife to make them shorter. Anyone have suggestions on how to do this without making it look really ugly?

Click to expand...

Sand paper... put it (with biadhesive tape) on a flat piece of plastic/wood/iron and start sanding as evenly as possible, it will take some time but should give a decent result. I suggest putting screws on the pcb holes of the joy ports to avoid stress to the pins during the sanding job.