Rapid Fire

[doctorclu]

So what does it take to make a Rapid Fire controller that would work with not only Raiden (I have one that works there) but games like Zero5 as well?

[Zerosquare]

That would be cheating

[doctorclu]

That would be cheating

 

Nah, just less wearing out of my controllers.

[+Stephen Moss]

So what does it take to make a Rapid Fire controller that would work with not only Raiden (I have one that works there) but games like Zero5 as well?

If you can get the source code it might be easier to alter that than to alter the controller. With my Skunkboard hopefully arriving this week (i'll be a little worried if it does not) I have been looking at a lot of source code and trying for a third time to get my head around assembler and it appears that from the controller routines you can either read the button states (1 or 0) or read the button edge (has the button changed logic state since the last read).

IMO most games read the button state which is why they will fire everytime they poll the controller if you hold the fire button down. The fact that Raiden does not would indicate that it uses the button edge system and so there is no change in edge if you continue to hold the button down, forcing you to release and repress the button to fire the next shot.

 

To make the controller do that for you you will either need to use a 555 timer or a PIC that outputs a squarewave when the button is pressed and +5V when the button is released, however you may need to add a switch to allow the controller to function in the other mode as games that use the button state mode may miss shots if it strobes the controller during the positive half of the squarewave thus reducing your rate of fire.

That is the simplistic view, the problem is that you don't know without looking at the source code how often the controller is being polled (once per vlb, once every other vbl) and if all four lines are being polled one after the other or if the software goes off and does something else between reading each row and so some form of frequency adjustment may be required instead of/in addition to synchronisation if you are to get the maximum possible rate of fire.

 

I have not played Zero5, but if it uses the button state method then no modification to the controller will increase the rate of fire as it is already firing as fast as it can, if it uses the button edge method then the rapid fire controller you use for Raiden should work unless there is a miss timing between the squarewave produced by the controller and the controller read by the software in which case a change in squarewave frequency (probably decrease) may sort it out or you will have to add synchronisation as well.

[Zerosquare]

it appears that from the controller routines you can either read the button states (1 or 0) or read the button edge (has the button changed logic state since the last read

Nope, the hardware only gives you the current state. If you want to detect transitions, you have to code an edge detector yourself.

[+Stephen Moss]

it appears that from the controller routines you can either read the button states (1 or 0) or read the button edge (has the button changed logic state since the last read

Nope, the hardware only gives you the current state. If you want to detect transitions, you have to code an edge detector yourself.

From the fact that I said I had been looking at source code and used the word "routines" I would have thought that it was clear I was talking about the software and not the hardware as I don't think hardware has routines of itself, perhaps I should have phrased it "controller source code" to aviod any confusion.

[Zerosquare]

The words "read the button edges" (instead of something like "detect the button edges") made me think you thought there was a hardware register for that.

Anyways, we agree.

[Songbird]

So what does it take to make a Rapid Fire controller that would work with not only Raiden (I have one that works there) but games like Zero5 as well?

I haven't had any for sale for years, but the RFC's I used to sell at Songbird worked on Raiden and Zero 5 equally well. Made both games a lot easier on the thumb.

[otaku]

yeah this would be nice both my controllers are kinda wore out one is actually dead basically from an electrical shock through my body from carpet rubbing feet hmmph

 

I could use a nice new controller with rapid fire

[nonner242]

I totally agree!

Im getting old, slow, sore!

[viMaster]

So what does it take to make a Rapid Fire controller that would work with not only Raiden (I have one that works there) but games like Zero5 as well?

I haven't had any for sale for years, but the RFC's I used to sell at Songbird worked on Raiden and Zero 5 equally well. Made both games a lot easier on the thumb.

What would it take to get those produced again?

[JagMod]

So what does it take to make a Rapid Fire controller that would work with not only Raiden (I have one that works there) but games like Zero5 as well?

I haven't had any for sale for years, but the RFC's I used to sell at Songbird worked on Raiden and Zero 5 equally well. Made both games a lot easier on the thumb.

What would it take to get those produced again?

$$$

[BuddyBuddies]

So what does it take to make a Rapid Fire controller that would work with not only Raiden (I have one that works there) but games like Zero5 as well?

I haven't had any for sale for years, but the RFC's I used to sell at Songbird worked on Raiden and Zero 5 equally well. Made both games a lot easier on the thumb.

What would it take to get those produced again?

$$$

LOTS OF $$$

[BuddyBuddies]

ID ACTUALLY BUY ONE OR TWO OF THEM!

[Gorf]

ID ACTUALLY BUY ONE OR TWO OF THEM!

 

 

Jaguar Rules!!!!

[ovalbugmann]

yeah this would be nice both my controllers are kinda wore out one is actually dead basically from an electrical shock through my body from carpet rubbing feet hmmph

 

I could use a nice new controller with rapid fire

 

I don't understand - the controller is plastic, no shocks touch any controller components.

[Tweety]

I don't understand - the controller is plastic, no shocks touch any controller components.

 

But I understand one thing, I hardly play Zero 5 because my thumbs are getting tired after a few minutes.

I love to have a controller with rapid fire, just for that game.