What's the pin-out for a PC joypad? I wanna use them in my Neo/Supergun

Amano Jacu · May 1, 2002

I've noticed PC pads use the same 15-pin plug that Neo and most superguns (like mine), only that it's male (while Neo is female). I can solve that just by using a Male->Female gender adaptor. However the pin-out may be totally different, or even worse, it may not be "one wire, one button" like the Neo, but have some type of chip that compresses the data like most console pads. Also we would have to deal with GND and +5V (although the old Neo stick don't use +5V, so maybe +5V wouldn't be necessary).
So what do you think? What's the pin-out? <img src="graemlins/help.gif" border="0" alt="[Help]" />

Thanks.

Amano Jacu · May 1, 2002

Oh well, looks like I just found it :rolleyes:

<a href="http://www.gamesx.com/hwb/co_GameportPC.html" target="_blank">http://www.gamesx.com/hwb/co_GameportPC.html</a>

Pin Name Dir Description
1 +5V +5 VDC
2 /B1 Button 1
3 X1 Joystick 1 - X
4 GND Ground
5 GND Ground
6 Y1 Joystick 1 - Y
7 /B2 Button 2
8 +5V +5 VDC
9 +5V +5 VDC
10 /B4 Button 4
11 X2 Joystick 2 - X
12 GND Ground
13 Y2 Joystick 2 - Y
14 /B3 Button 3
15 +5V +5 VDC

Anyway the pics in that page don't load for me, but I guess the numeration is the standar one.
What I don't understand is how the joystick directions work, and in fact I think there are very few buttons there. Can anybody explain?

I've tried to open my PC joypad to see what's inside but I haven't been able to unscrew it :o

[ May 01, 2002: Message edited by: Amano Jacu ]

Arakon · May 1, 2002

you can't simply use a pin adapter to connect a pc pad to neogeo or vice versa. PC pads (gameport ones) use resistor values to determine what button was pressed, as far as I know.
the only way to get it to work would be by removing the pc cable and soldering directly to the button contacts inside the pad.

Amano Jacu · May 1, 2002

Well, the fact is that I was fearing something like that according to the info I had collected so far. If it was like a NG controller only with a different pin-out then rewiring it would have been much easier and accessible to neophyt like me. Anyway if I have to resolder it all then it makes almost no difference than rewiring any other console pad (my supergun came with a PSX pad modified that way). I tried to do a similar thing with a Saturn stick and it didn't work

, I guess I'm not skilled enough. If only a detailed FAQ about how to do it was made...

The fact is that I tried my PC pad in my supergun via the gender adapter and 2 buttons worked, I think that pressing some buttons in the pad LEFT and A button worked. That's why I thought that maybe only rewiring the socket according to the neo pin-out it would have worked.

xonox · May 1, 2002

How about checking <a href="http://www.act-labs.com" target="_blank">www.act-labs.com</a> ? They have this arcade stick for 6$us, i heard that some people used them for their own super gun, removed the electronic board and wired the switches directly.

If you feel like using real arcade parts, check out <a href="http://www.happcontrols.com" target="_blank">www.happcontrols.com</a>

hope this helps

Amano Jacu · May 2, 2002

Thanks for your answer. Yes, those arcade sticks for PSX are really cheap, but I live in Spain so shipping would be quite a lot. I can buy similar sticks here anyway, and I still have a Saturn one I don't use anymore.

The problem is that I don't know how to rewire a console controller. My supergun came with a modified PSX one, I opened it and I understand quite well how was it modded, but I don't think I can reproduce that mod.

I wish there was a FAQ about this.

Tom61 · May 2, 2002

I wish there was a FAQ about this.<hr></blockquote>

This should give you a better idea on what to do: <a href="http://dumbass.hypermart.net/presents/dc/marvins/tutorial/NES/nes.htm" target="_blank">http://dumbass.hypermart.net/presents/dc/marvins/tutorial/NES/nes.htm</a>

I don't know of anything specifically for Neo Geo, but the intructions above plus the Neo Geo controller pinout (avaible at <a href="http://www.gamesx.com" target="_blank">http://www.gamesx.com</a> ) should give enough of an idea to do it.

Amano Jacu · May 3, 2002

Thanks, that link has some interesting info, also this other one in the same site:
<a href="http://dumbass.hypermart.net/presents/dc/marvins/tutorial/mad%20catz/madcatz.htm" target="_blank">http://dumbass.hypermart.net/presents/dc/marvins/tutorial/mad%20catz/madcatz.htm</a>

It's quite funny, they moded a madcatz DC controller and attached there a NES controller in order to play the NES emu on DC with the "real" pad. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[LOL]" />
That madcatz controller looks pretty simple. Appearently it doesn't even have a chip on it. I opened my official DC controller and hell it is much more complicated with lot of things and a damned chip.

I guess I could adapt somehow almost any controller just like that <a href="http://dumbass.hypermart.net/presents/dc/marvins/tutorial/NES/nes.htm" target="_blank">http://dumbass.hypermart.net/presents/dc/marvins/tutorial/NES/nes.htm</a> , removing the chip (almost all console controllers have one, NG is so far the only exception) and somehow managing to know which button is which and the GND. There it mentions the use of a "multimeter". What's that? How is it used? It's that very expensive? I'll ask for it next time I go to the electronics store.

Thanks for your help.

Tom61 · May 4, 2002

It's quite funny, they moded a madcatz DC controller and attached there a NES controller in order to play the NES emu on DC with the "real" pad.<hr></blockquote>

Not really, it's quite pratical. You can have all your NES games on a single CD, and you don't have to worry about keeping/getting the carts clean. Plus, playing with the real controller is cool.

That madcatz controller looks pretty simple. Appearently it doesn't even have a chip on it. I opened my official DC controller and hell it is much more complicated with lot of things and a damned chip. <hr></blockquote>

It has a chip too, all DC controllers have to. It is alot simpler to hack than a regular DC controller though.

There it mentions the use of a "multimeter". What's that? How is it used? It's that very expensive? <hr></blockquote>

Its a device to test electronic connections. You put one lead on where the connection you want to trace down is, and use the other lead for poking around until you find where it goes. About $10.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

xonox · May 4, 2002

For rewiring a controller, what i have learned yet is that one leg of a contact has to be wired to the jamma pin and the other to ground.

Example:
Button 1, solder pin 22 parts side of jamma board to one leg of the button, the other leg of the button must be wired to ground. That's what i've been told by two ppl who know their stuff.

So wiring a cheap psx stick this way shouldn't be too hard.

ashram · May 4, 2002

also, at eb, i picked up a joystick from BLAZE called the "Twin Shock". the joysticks have microswithes and so do the buttons. real cool. buttons are arcade sized, i big controller for 2 players, all for $17.99. i'm going to wire it up for jamma next week, and maybe cut it in half so i don't have to sit that close to anyone when i play.

look here to see what it looks like.
<a href="http://www.genpi.com/blaztwinarjo.html" target="_blank">http://www.genpi.com/blaztwinarjo.html</a>

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: ashram ]

xonox · May 4, 2002

Originally posted by ashram:
also, at eb, i picked up a joystick from BLAZE called the "Twin Shock". the joysticks have microswithes and so do the buttons. real cool. buttons are arcade sized, i big controller for 2 players, all for $17.99. i'm going to wire it up for jamma next week, and maybe cut it in half so i don't have to sit that close to anyone when i play.

look here to see what it looks like.
<a href="http://www.genpi.com/blaztwinarjo.html" target="_blank">http://www.genpi.com/blaztwinarjo.html</a>

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: ashram ]<hr></blockquote>

That's one super sweet controller, damn i will have to shop around soon for cool controllers... Not that i *really* need new controllers!

Amano Jacu · May 5, 2002

Originally posted by xonox:
For rewiring a controller, what i have learned yet is that one leg of a contact has to be wired to the jamma pin and the other to ground.

Example:
Button 1, solder pin 22 parts side of jamma board to one leg of the button, the other leg of the button must be wired to ground. That's what i've been told by two ppl who know their stuff.

So wiring a cheap psx stick this way shouldn't be too hard.<hr></blockquote>

Well yes, my sgun came with a PSX pad modified that way, and I've tried to the same with a Saturn stick. The mod should be simple an easy, but I've done it and it doesn't work. Check
<a href="http://www.neo-geo.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=002189" target="_blank">http://www.neo-geo.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=002189</a>

I've been told the mod is ultraeasy if the controller you want to mod has microswitches instead oo "pushers". But every console controller I've got (but Neo sticks of course) have "pushers".

What's the pin-out for a PC joypad? I wanna use them in my Neo/Supergun

Amano Jacu

Charles Barkley

Amano Jacu

Charles Barkley

Arakon

Robert Garcia's Butler

Amano Jacu

Charles Barkley

xonox

Armored Scrum Object

Amano Jacu

Charles Barkley

Tom61

n00b

Amano Jacu

Charles Barkley

Tom61

n00b

xonox

Armored Scrum Object

ashram

CompUSA-4-Life, ,

xonox

Armored Scrum Object

Amano Jacu

Charles Barkley