Jump to content
Have You Played Atari Today?
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store

HeadcolorsTV

New Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    89

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by HeadcolorsTV

  1. HeadcolorsTV
    I'm putting together a project for a customer that puts an original SNK Rotary Joystick (for reference) into a custom USB/MAME stick, using an Ultimarc I-PAC 2. For the rotary, I have one of these--an old Ultimarc USB Rotary Interface. Doing the research, I learned that an OPTICAL rotary can be connected to a different rotary interface, which in turn connects to the SPINNER/EXP pins on the I-PAC 2. But this is a MECHANICAL rotary. I'd rather not make my customer plug in two separate USB cables in order to use one stick, so I'm trying to get the input commands from the rotary interface to the I-PAC, with no success so far. The rotary interface connects directly to PC via USB-Mini B. GND, 5V, Data+, Data-, ID. That sends keyboard press inputs of... [ and ], I believe? Or maybe it's / and \ ? Can't remember off the top of my head. There are two input terminals for GND on the I-PAC 2, and I can choose whichever two terminals I want for button inputs (except GND of course), but... Where to make the 5V handshake happen between the two interfaces? And... How to differentiate the two rotary keypresses and get them to the I-PAC? Obviously, connecting GND, 5V, Data+ and Data- to the four optical SPINNER pins on the IPAC doesn't work. ...Right?
  2. HeadcolorsTV
    Lemme check that out later today. Gotta hook everything back up (got 2 projects going on at once).
  3. HeadcolorsTV
    Yep. 5v.
  4. HeadcolorsTV
    Haha, no problem. Yes I’m sure.
  5. HeadcolorsTV
    Okay everyone, this one I'm certain is something I'm doing wrong because the circuit is so simple. It's the GamesX Saturn controller schematic, and I'm having a difficult time getting the console to recognize it. Key things to point out: 1. I'm using an OEM controller cable from a working gamepad. 2. The schematic names the ICs as TC74HC153A (Toshiba); I am using 74HC153E (Texas Instruments, PDIP). 3. The console behaves the same with the project controller plugged in as when there are no controllers plugged in. When an Action Replay cart is in, the menu instantly goes to Select Game > Search > cursor goes down repeatedly to the "." character on the search input interface and keeps trying to go down (so it rapidly stays on "." and blinks infinitely). Again, this behavior is the same as when no controllers are plugged in. 4. Using a breadboard--the same one I got the PS1 controller schematic to work on. All rails are properly connected and "jumped" in the middle of each rail. 5. I have double- and triple-checked each connection. ICs are getting correct voltage and grounding. 6. I have tried 47K and 10k arrays, same result. 7. Pin 3 and 13 of U1 are kept low. Pin 3 of U2 is kept high in the array. 8. I have several 153s, so I've tried swapping both chips. No success. 9. Yes, I've made sure other gamepads work in port 1. They do. Has anyone else attempted this schematic and encountered the same issue? Any help is appreciated, thanks!
  6. HeadcolorsTV
    Resurrecting this because I'm having an issue that I completely brain-farted on until now. I've had this circuit fabbed at Osh Park some time ago, assembled everything. Works! ...Yay. Can't read memory cards from the same slot. ...Booo. I read up a little bit so far on this issue with 3rd-party controllers; something about sending an 0x81 signal to ATT. Anyone know anything about this, and how I'd go about working through/around this?
  7. HeadcolorsTV
    THAT WAS IT. ??? Thank you so much for that tip. I just ran through an entire game of TM2 with 0 problems. (BTW: a Happ bat top stick feels really good with that game.) OshPark, here I come. ~ Fin. ~
  8. HeadcolorsTV
    Lo and behold: I was actually onto something here. Connecting the main rails to both the outer and other center rails, then connecting the 5V rails to each other at both ends worked, BUT ONLY if I only connect voltage at the main and outer rails at both ends, while leaving the two center voltage rails connected only at the far end (see updated breadboard diagram). Again, the controller went from a very bad/flickering ATT to a perfectly working controller; was able to play TM2 for about 20 minutes straight without a problem. I'm not quite able to put my finger on it, but might it be something involving the relationship between the 5V going to U6/pin20 and the 5V going to C1?
  9. HeadcolorsTV
    I only have the pull-ups and the "missing pulse detector" on the second half, so I thought it was ok to get the 5v from the originating bus; I think I connected the center ground rails because I was ruling out a fairy rail at some point. Gotta love these breadboards.... Would this be the cause? Am I overloading the two voltage rails? That R1 was a weird part of the issue I was having. Before discovering my odd "solution" (and therefore with the two voltage rails still connected), I noticed while fiddling with R1, the purple cursor returned in a weak, flickering way when my fingers were touching both leads. I'm gonna try connecting the center rails, as well as the "bad" rail, and form a closed loop on the other sides of each. I get the feeling that I'm not getting enough juice to every component and the circuit is prioritizing.
  10. HeadcolorsTV
    Okay, so I got it working! ...and I'm still not 100% sure why, exactly. I just gave myself a crash-course in Fritzing so that I can post a breadboard illustration of how I have it set up. Three things: I was a dummy and swapped R1 (22K) with a 1K, just to see if it made a difference, but forgot to swap it back to the 22K. Once I did that, I saw the thing I'd been looking for: that beautiful purple arrow cursor in the PS1 console menu. It turns out that NFG's method of starting at U1/G and ending with the Square button at U5/SER was CORRECT. Go figure. The problem was, the purple cursor would often flicker away or disappear completely. I spent a good two hours trying to find where the weak connection was, nearly at the pulling-my-hair-out point. I tried about three different diodes and five different 22k resistors. I touched and lightly wiggled nearly every wire. It got to the point where I was pretty sure it was one of the buses. And then it happened: I pulled the bus-to-bus 5V wire out to disconnect the 5V bus on the ABCD side (see illustration), happened to look up to see a solid purple cursor. Confused, I started testing the buttons. Flawless. Started a game of Twisted Metal 2. Everything worked perfectly. So I'm sure this makes sense, I just don't know exactly how (maybe someone can enlighten me?). In any event, assuming this isn't a case of me lucking into a working circuit by getting something very wrong, I have a working controller. If it's good, then great. I can throw the schematic into KiCAD, get this fabbed, and give 'er a whirl. THANK YOU, everyone who helped out. I feel like I had a tidal wave of knowledge crash into my brain these past two weeks, and I somehow retained all of it.
  11. HeadcolorsTV
    Welp, I'm stumped. Testing the logic on U1-U3, everything's fine. This is with A1 starting at U1/H or U1/G. I get: 1111 1111 HGFE DCBA 1000 0010 HGFE DCBA 0101 1010 HGFE DCBA (1 = LED goes from ON to OFF) (0 = LED stays ON) And still, the controller isn't recognized. I swapped U6 with a new one, same result. I tried new breadboards, same result. The problem must be somewhere in my understanding of the U6 schematic. Can anyone point out where I'm going wrong? One of the gates (pin 1 (GND) or 19 (ATT))? Is my data-out on U1 pin 9 connected to the correct pin on U6 (pin 6)? After that, I feel like I've run out of questions to ask.
  12. HeadcolorsTV
    Trying this method, let me make sure I got this right: When it's hooked up as described, the LED lights up. LED STAYS lit = 0 ? LED turns OFF = 1 ? In any event, I'm trying different breadboards. Not really expecting much from these, as they're also Elegoo, just unopened. I'll probably order better quality ones this coming weekend. The ones I was using were so touchy that even getting my fingertip near parts of the circuit caused the LED to go out, and all the wires I'm using are insulated. ?
  13. HeadcolorsTV
    So A1-A8, B1-B8, etc. should each go from A to H, as opposed to H-to-A as NFG put in his schematic? If so...yes I've tried that too. ? I'll have to pull an LED out of my scrap collection and give your logic test a go. Otherwise I'll have to wait for a NOR gate chip to come in from Mouser, and I really don't feel like spending $7.99 for shipping on just one chip. Thanks very much for the tips! I'll let you know of my results in a little while.
  14. HeadcolorsTV
    Ah yes, R1 is 22K. I overlooked that one in the schematic and forgot to label it properly. I also noticed in NFG's schematic that his R2 is labeled "1K0". Not sure if that was a typo, I tried a 10K resistor. As expected, this didn't fix the problem. My breadboards are fairly new, but I'm never buying Elegoo brand again. "Amazon's Choice"...my ****. On a previous controller circuit I was testing, one of the voltage/ground rail pairs was shorting into itself right out of the box. Turned on my console and heard such a pleasant feedback hum as a result. ? Do you (or does anyone here) have a recommendation for an "old reliable" breadboard they'd swear by?
  15. HeadcolorsTV
    Yes, I did notice my schematic has the binary for U2 & U3 incorrect. I have corrected it to be: [U2] 0100 0001 (LHLLLLLH) [U3] 0101 1010 (LHLHHLHL) Still the same result, using both Stephen's and NFG's starting points (U1/G vs U1/H). Not even a remote sign of it working. I've tested all my breadboard rails and other important points, and everything tests fine. I even tried swapping in a fresh HC240. I really want to get this to work, and I know it must have, because it did in 1998.
  16. HeadcolorsTV
    So far, it looks like neither of you were. ? I was able to finish putting the schematic together (pic attached), thanks to everyone's help. However, it's still not working. No response from any button input whatsoever. The only thing that gave me anything was when I was fooling around on the breadboard, trying different connections, and removed the connection from pin 17 of U6 (the 74HC240). Playing Twisted Metal 2, in the title menu, the cursor just started endlessly going to the right (about 4 times per second). Reconnecting doesn't stop it, but oddly enough, when I do that and then insert CMD IN between pins 16 and 17, the cursor movement will stop at random for about half a second, and button presses (any of them) will sometimes freeze the cursor; holding the button will not keep it still, however, and no button will advance me past the title menu. And so I tried re-doing the connections for the 5 sets of A-H, based on what you advised, Stephen. Zip. Zilch. Can't even get the pin 17 disconnection to glitch the inputs. I also tried tying A-H of U1 all low. Still nothing. By the way: is pulling up the highs in U1 - U3 even necessary, or should I just go directly to 5V on the highs? OR should I also be pulling down the lows with resistors?
  17. HeadcolorsTV
    Because I'm actually not purchasing them; I'm selling them. Arcade controllers, to be specific. As NFG points out in his abridged schematic and description: "NB E8 is SER IN on the last HC165". And this is a first-model PlayStation1 (digital) controller. DualShock sticks didn't even exist at launch, let alone L3 & R3 buttons. And if microcontrollers were a cost-effective alternative, I'd probably be going with those. But for now, I'll stick with the "dum" design. Thank you. I've reached out to other people, and have gotten the same answer, so that's what I'll go with for now. Once the ICs come in the mail, I'll slap it all on the breadboards.
  18. HeadcolorsTV
    Which is why it took me a good bit of time to decipher what he was drawing up. I'm posting my version of the schematic. Other than H2 (COMMAND) and the NC pins of the 74HC165 chips, I'm pretty confident that this is what he was going for (I had to decipher what he meant by "1/4A, 2/4A, 1/4B," etc., and also read up on the data protocol to figure out that A-H of each HC165 === Bit 7 to Bit 0, and the first HC165 === Byte 01, etc.). Nope. :) I want to design a brand new PCB for brand new PSX controllers that'll work on Playstation 1s.
  19. HeadcolorsTV
    Maybe someone can help me solve a few small problems I'm coming across. I'm following this schematic/description -- https://gamesx.com/controldata/psxcont/psxcont.htm#CIRCUIT I think I figured it out...mostly. He leaves a lot to be deciphered, lol. I'm drawing up a schematic in KiCAD right now, and I only have a few questions: 1. The DATA pin of the controller plug connects to SER OUT, correct? 2. Where does the COMMAND pin of the controller plug connect to? I must've re-read the entire page 15 times and still can't decipher where COMMAND goes. 3. Are the 74HC165 pins not associated with buttons (A1-A8, B1-B8, etc.) left with no connection? Or do they share a connection? COMMAND, maybe? Thanks in advance!
  20. HeadcolorsTV
    My first question: Have any 3rd party manufacturers (other than Retrobit recently--I'll get to that in a bit) ever succeeded in making a version of the six-button Genesis controller that works 100% like the OEM (in other words, Mode button functionality is exactly identical to Sega's, and therefore compatibility is the same)? My second question: If so, do any of those controllers use an alternative to Sega's proprietary 315-5638 IC chip? I know Retrobit has succeeded in this with their 2019 Sega-licensed controllers, but looking inside of those, you'll see the the ol' "blob" integrated circuit. Not much help or information there. I'm asking these questions because I want to be able to purchase legitimate alternative ICs for production of my own third-party Sega controllers. I see the 315-5638 available on some components websites, but (1) I'm not sure I trust them and (2) they list quantities but not prices (without filling out a quote form). Plus: even if I were able to purchase the Sega ICs, wouldn't I be unable, legally, to sell controllers that utilize them without official licensing? Retrobit has the licensing and even they don't use them. Any help on this is much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
  21. HeadcolorsTV
    UPDATE: (TL;DR: I cut the 12v rail and the system works absolutely perfect.) I get the ColUSB. I overspend to get a USB-C charge cable. I get home, plug it all in.... The noise is back. The faint snow is back. "What. The. ****," I says. Now I'm testing EVERYWHERE. DC voltage, AC voltage. Everything checks. But NOW, I'm noticing that the hum gets louder when the console-ground-to-mod-ground wire is too close to certain things, or if the audio wire is near any part of the console's common ground (shielding included). I can't figure it out at all. And then I remember, "With only the 5v rails, it worked perfectly. Welp, I might as well." And with that, I straight-up snipped the red 12v wire coming from the console-side connector. And sure enough, the absolute best picture and sound I could ask for--yes, even better than when I had it working before. So there was some kind of interference, apparently, messing with the signal to the mod, caused by something in the 12v circuit. Short? Bad juju somewhere in the RF modulator? For now, I'm going to leave it like this. I don't see myself ever getting Expansion Module 1 or the SGM, as this is just about playing original CV games on my CRT. I have a 2600, I can get a Phoenix for my newer TV; you get the picture (no pun intended). *ahem*... I MEAN, WHAT CAN GO WRONG, AMIRITE?
  22. HeadcolorsTV
    Might I suggest replacing in-level music with creepy ambient sounds against an otherwise silent setting? Think of how creepy certain sounds were when playing Atari 2600 games, and they rarely had music. Think of the sound ET's neck makes; think of the pulsing, humming buzz in Yars' Revenge; think of the enemy robots' lasers in Berzerk; think of pretty much the entire sound library in China Syndrome. Experimenting with a MIDI keyboard and square/triangle wave effects will yield surprisingly effective results. As for the little 3-4 second tunes in between? Look to games like Metroid (NES) or Gorf for inspiration. I love your sprites, by the way. This looks like it'll be a fun hack.
  23. HeadcolorsTV
    ===SUCCESS=== I wasn't able to get anything into the connector to where I could adjust the pin sleeves, and they looked plenty closed. So what I did was flux the terminals connected to the rivets at the receptacle (console-side), and soldered a tiny bit where the stranded wires were crimped to each. I then reapplied Deoxit to the plug, this time spraying a good amount right into each pin sleeve. ========== I'm happy to report 100% optimal picture and sound with zero noticeable hum and no perceptible rolling static. The colors are at their most vivid. It's the best possible output one can ask from the original hardware. ========== I already ordered the ColUSB earlier today, but I don't think I'll cancel the order. Instead, I'll probably use the ColUSB and keep the original PSU stored away safely as a backup. Or as a novelty of technologies past...because damn. Look at that thing. Some day in the near future, I hope to construct a thread dedicated to teaching other CV owners what to look for, based on my own experiences and trials-by-error with this console of mine.
  24. HeadcolorsTV
    What's the best method of getting in there to do so? I have really fine tweezers, but I'm doubting they'll be able to bend much once they're in there.
  25. HeadcolorsTV
    By "reformed," what do you mean? At first I thought they were cylindrical C-shaped pins that I could bow out a tiny bit, but on mine they appear to be solid pins. Zero wobble, and the rivets are nice and snug against the fiberglass piece on the receptacle. Ordering a ColUSB today.
AtariAge
Forums
Store
General
Follow AtariAge

Copyright ©1998-2023 AtariAge

×
×
  • Create New...