Best way to send analog-like controller data out via USB from PC? (Similar to 2600 paddles)

[Clint Thompson]

I have a project that requires sending data from a PC out via USB to a DB9 or DB15 connector that imitates the 2600 paddles potentiometer values or range.

 

Any ideas on the best possible way to do this? Any ideas/feedback or help with this would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks

[Danjovic]

You may try some V-USB projects for instance:

http://obruboff.ru/usb-volume-control/

https://github.com/kmwtr/BrushKnob/

https://hackaday.io/project/7941-avercade

on the latter, I have a firmware for a dual Atari to USB converter with paddle support

 

https://github.com/Danjovic/AVeRCADE/tree/master/Firmware/DualAtari

 

[+Stephen Moss]

If I read your query correctly you want to send imitation paddle data from the PC to soething that has a 9 or 15 way D connector, if so then...

 

There are some USB examples available with Proton (BASIC PIC compiler) a couple of which use the free to compile 18F4550 that you may be able to easily adapt. I  have not looked to closely at them but I think USB_ADC & USB18COM sets the PIC up as a serial slave device or COM port while USB18 Mouse sets it up as a HID slave device which would probably be less useful in your application.

 

Another option, if you have space would be to use a small Arduino board, all you have to do is set up the com stuff and it talks to the PC via USB as a serial com port, at work I have a GUI written in VB that sends/receives data from an Arduino that performs 3 phase PWM motor control. I personally don't rate the Arduino very highly and don't consider them suitable for real engineering applications (I was making improvements an existing design) but it should be able to handle something as simple as your application.

 

Would a USB to Serial adaptor do what you want? They were designed to allow you to connect old serial device like printers to PC's without serial ports and so I assume it will appear to the PC as a serial com port, if it is not suitable as it is you may be able to rip the guts out of it build what should be a small the PCB into whatever you are working on.