SNACK - SNES Atari Controler Kit

[Irgendwer]

While @mulcmu presented his idea of an Wii - mote adapter, this could prevent double work or going a more costly route, I guess it's time to show what I developed and maybe put into this years Abbuc hardware contest.

 

SNACK supports two operational modes: Classic and enhanced. The classic mode is fully compatible with the standard joystick and supports also the additional buttons from the https://github.com/ascrnet/Joy2Bplus project and the game-patches there. A third button is mapped to auto-fire.

 

When switching to the enhanced mode (with SELECT + START + R (shoulder button) ), all buttons are mapped to a single controller port, in a quite clever but also easy to use way:

 

Things get even more interesting when plugging an "8bitdo Retro Receiver SNES"  https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01K1T9CZS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_J2E10CQ41GV0R44RQDA2 into the port of the adapter:

 

 

...this way, a lot of Bluetooth controllers will work out-of-the box with my hardware development:

 

 

 

(sorry for the jittery footage, it's not that easy to film and play single handed...)

 

Costs for the adapter will be quite low, as the controller in use is below € 1,-.

As the prototype is hand wired, I'm currently designing a PCB (actually two different designs)  and write the documentation.

Have fun!

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Irgendwer

[ascrnet]

Very interesting your proposal?, from what I see it is a snes gamepad. the good thing is that it is very cheap to find today.

 

and thanks for using the Joy 2B+ project.?

Edited July 23, 2021 by ascrnet
port

[Irgendwer]

 

30 minutes ago, ascrnet said:

and thanks for using the Joy 2B+ project.

I have to thank you for creating/supporting a somewhat standard for more than one button and all the cool game patches!

(I have you already on my list for a free adapter, so that you can patch Spindizzy to map all that keyboard inputs to the controller. ? )

 

Some more info:

In classic mode the shoulder buttons also map to left and right, to have a good play-ability of pinball games.

One PCB design will incorporate the SNES controller port, which is no so hard to get and not that expensive, but not a "standard-part" nevertheless.

The other design will have a header just for direct connection of the controller when stripping away the connector from the controller. Since the remaining parts are very compact, the board should fit into a classic DSUB-9 housing:

- making an Atari compatible SNES controller.

 

BTW: There are also "strange" SNES like controllers with the Atari connector on the market:

https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32866113244.html
 

but they are not compatible and just deliver the SNES signals to a different kind of connector. So these are very suitable for connector removal...

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Irgendwer

[+Mr Robot]

Will there be a version of this that can accept the 8bitdo genesis adapter?

I imagine it's almost exactly the same thing as the 8bitdo snes adapter except for the connector. 

 

I only ask because I already have a couple of those here.

 

[+Eyvind Bernhardsen]

6 hours ago, Mr Robot said:

Will there be a version of this that can accept the 8bitdo genesis adapter?

I imagine it's almost exactly the same thing as the 8bitdo snes adapter except for the connector. 

 

I only ask because I already have a couple of those here.

 

My DIY adapter works with those:

It doesn't fit in a connector housing, unfortunately, but I have progressed from breadboard to PCB ? Hoping to have some updates for that thread soon.

[+Mr Robot]

This is all great!

 

I'm also interested in the SELECT+START+R mode and how many functions of a modern BT controller (Dpad + 2x Analogue + 12 Buttons) it maps to the atari? Does it map the Wii nunchuk controller? Is it possible to have more modes? It would be cool to be able to use one of the analogue sticks as a mouse/trackball/paddle/driving controller/tablet

 

I think maybe thats pushing what is possible with the pic?

 

 

[Sikor]

Heh... @Mq from years make SNEScontrol...

http://www.atari.org.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14670

https://atarionline.pl/forum/account.php?u=8174

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Sikor
more links

[+Mr Robot]

20 minutes ago, Sikor said:

Heh... @Mq from years make SNEScontrol...

http://www.atari.org.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14670

https://atarionline.pl/forum/account.php?u=8174

 

Very cool. This supports the nice multi mode (+led indicators) thing but doesn't support the Joy2B+ or the cool code thing @Irgendwer is doing to allow all the buttons to be individually addressable. 

 

Now if we could take all of these and mash them together we'd really have something! 

[Sikor]

Maybe i don't know about it, but on Mq interface I use 2 button joy mode and it works prfectly. I think - best method are ask Mq.

[Mq.]

Sikors links are slightly out of date (old versions of interface). Here is (S)NESctrl actual version of description with pictures (in Polish): https://atarionline.pl/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=5671

And yes, it has two fires and it is compatible with games prepared for Joy2B+.

But I don't produce it in a big batch, it is hobbyist project, and I build it sometimes for a friends if they asks 

[+Mr Robot]

18 minutes ago, Mq. said:

And yes, it has two fires and it is compatible with games prepared for Joy2B+.

Joy2B+ has 3 fires ? 

 

These interfaces are about getting the 3rd button in 'normal' mode, and (in the case of a snes controller or bluetooth adapter and any compatible controller) UDLR+8 buttons, maybe more if the code/pic can support it.

 

[+Mr Robot]

37 minutes ago, Mq. said:

Sikors links are slightly out of date (old versions of interface). Here is (S)NESctrl actual version of description with pictures

Just reposting the pics here, and a poor translation that is 'good enough'

 

 

Quote

About three years ago I made an interface to connect NES / SNES pads instead of a joystick to Atari / Amiga / C64 and other compatible retro devices.
As the interface was received positively, and I still get inquiries about it, I decided to make its improved version 2.0.
This version is also quite a few months old, but somehow I never had time / inspiration to get together and write a thread about it ? The new version does not differ functionally from the previous one, but I completely redesigned the physical shape of the interface.  Currently, it is a compact device that plugs fully into the joystick port and immediately has the NES and SNES ports on it.  We can attach an original NES or SNES pad to it, or even both ? Not that it makes more sense, but anticipating the question "what will happen", my answer is that they will both work at the same time ?

The (S)NESctrl interface, apart from simply passing the joystick directions and the fire button, performs additional functions on additional buttons.
Among other things:
- side jumps "diagonally" under one button (platformers, where the jump is up),
- side jumps with fire under one button (platformers, where the jump is on fire),
- jump on a separate button (platformers -not need to press a spider on the bias)
- autofire (hold, and he shoots),
- up / down buttons on separate (car games gas / brake / gear, etc.. - no need to hold a spider all the time to go forward)
- auto left-right (sports games where you have to wave the joy left-right - the interface does it for us),
- two fire buttons (some Atari games converted into two buttons compatible with Joy2B +, some games on the Amiga).

The interface can work in one of four modes (various functions of additional buttons). The modes are selected with a gamepad, LED diodes indicate the selected mode, which is saved in the EEPROM memory and remembered also after turning off the power. If we just want to play with the basic functions of the joystick, we do not have to worry about the modes, because in each of the pads the pad corresponds to the directions, and the "fire" is under the button.

During the interface's existence, it turned out to be a very good solution for making a wireless pad.
For this purpose, you can buy a retro receiver from 8bitdo for the SNES, after plugging it into my interface, we get a wireless bluetooth interface.
Various bluetooth pads can work with this wireless solution:
- all 8bitdo bluetooth pads,
- PS3 pads
- PS4 pads
- Xbox
pads - Wii U Pro pads
- and some others (full specification on 8bitdo pages)

Analog joysticks also work with the 8bitdo receiver on bluetooth pads, so we get a nice bonus: it's great to play with an analog pad, for example in Gyruss, Time Pilot or Bosconian.

There are already some people who have such an interface and are satisfied. Whoever watches Gramy na Gaza knows that Larek and Borsuk use exactly (S) NESctrl to play Atari with PS4 pads, and recently larek also plays with an Xbox pad. The lark instances are two (S) NESctrl interfaces he has modified in such a way that he put them together with 8bitdo receivers in one larger housing and connects them with cables to the Atari. Due to the often violent excesses in GnG, you can say that the guys needed a more industrial version (you never know when the chairs will break, so the equipment must be armored ? hehehe :-)).

I present photos of the interface itself, as well as example photos of the interface connected to Atari with the retro 8bitdo repeater and the standard plug of the original SNES pad. I also attach the mode manual, where you can see what functions each button of the pads have.

If someone is interested in buying the interface, the price is PLN 89 plus PLN 12 shipment via a parcel locker.
I have parts for several pieces of interfaces, implementation and shipping within a maximum of 2-3 days.

 

[Mq.]

12 minutes ago, Mr Robot said:

Joy2B+ has 3 fires ? 

 

Actually when I was designing (S)NESctrl, there wasn't Joy2B+ yet at all. The story is I designed it to attach original NES/SNES gamepads to Atari, and first I designed only one fire, as was in Atari for years. Then accidentaly my interface was used by Amiga comunity, and they asked me to handle second fire in Amiga standard, because some games use it. So I did it for them. When Joy2B+ was born, and some games was prepared to handle second fire, then it turned out (S)NESctrl works with that games too. Accidentaly it is the same mechanism in Amiga second fire as in Atari. Then Joy2B+ was expand with third fire button. I could add third button in (S)NESctrl, but it is old project for me, and I'm not developing it at the moment.
In the (S)NESctrl project it was the most important to apply functionality which was already implemented.

 

I don't know if this is good thread to discute about (S)NESctrl, because it is separate project, by the way.

[+Mr Robot]

42 minutes ago, Mq. said:

I don't know if this is good thread to discute about (S)NESctrl, because it is separate project, by the way

Yes I don't want to drag this thread any further off course, I hope that seeing the other projects out there will help @Irgendwer to incorporate some of the good ideas of others  

 

 

[ascrnet]

On 7/23/2021 at 12:25 PM, Irgendwer said:

I have you already on my list for a free adapter, so that you can patch Spindizzy to map all that keyboard inputs to the controller. ?

 

There is no cheating in asking, I checked the game and I really overdid it because there are 10 keyboard functions. my assembler level is too basic for this challenge.?

[Irgendwer]

On 7/30/2021 at 11:40 PM, Mr Robot said:

Yes I don't want to drag this thread any further off course, I hope that seeing the other projects out there will help @Irgendwer to incorporate some of the good ideas of others  

Yes, there is a lot of imagination "what could be" in my head and out there.

Everything depends on costs and software support.

 

Having some experience with the creation of the CMI08, I can say that many users seem not to be that interested in alternative input devices, or simply use emulation.

And even the CMI08 has software compatibility with the CX77 only 4 titles have been created in the last 13 years, supporting this input method - where I created 2 of them...

 

So my goal with "SNACK" is to have a very cheap solution, offering maximum std. joystick/Joy2B compatibility and the possibility to support all buttons of a SNES gamepad individually.

No analog sticks, no further bells and whistles.

At least one title will be soon out there, making full use of the enhanced mode (and which was the initial inspiration for such an adapter): Petscii Robots.

We will see what software support SNACK will get (also emulation wise!).

 

I mentioned more than once, that I have plans in my shelve for an USB mouse/gamepad adapter (also with an AD5242 @mulcmu used in his WiiMote project - the options seem to be not that big... )

with integrated multi-joy-like support by daisy chaining adapters . But I doubt it will be worth the hassle to actually build these interfaces.

 

Don't believe me? Here the latest schematic, when I worked on that in 2014:

 

Have fun!

[Icelvlan]

Hello,

 

Is the SNES project done? Is there a repository to create our own?

[Irgendwer]

Just yesterday the first prize for the project was announced! To all who are concerned: THANK YOU!

 

ABBUC members already have the possibility to build their own, but it would be more attractive to produce them in numbers (and they are interesting for other 9 pin joystick port systems too).
I'm estimating the possibilities to publish/offer the hardware.

[Irgendwer]

If you are an (international) ABBUC member you might missed, that the adapter is on sale for members in the shop:

SNACK Adapter in the ABBUC-Shop

 

I'm thinking about kits for oversea users. Anybody willing to mange an omnibus order and distribution of the kits so that I have only to send one parcel and a lot of shipping costs would be saved? (In the same way (AFAIR) @Mr Robot distributes ABBUC mags?)

[Irgendwer]

BTW:

Here the small demonstration video (German) :

 

 

...and the diagnostic tool:

 

SnackDT.xex

[patjomki]

Do you already know when (or if) a version with a case will be available?

[Dinadan67]

I got mine from the Abbuc-Shop. Very nice, now i can play Pet-Robots with my wireless SNES-Joypad ?

 

 

[Irgendwer]

9 hours ago, patjomki said:

Do you already know when (or if) a version with a case will be available?

In principle, I created already a case.

 

 

Unfortunately the height of the joystick ports differ between the 8-Bit series, so that the depicted one only 'works' for Atari XLs.
I plan to create a more generic one with changeable feet to support at least the original, XL and XE series (sorry for the NUC users...).

Since I haven't an Atari 800 or 400 in reach, I need help to estimate the dimension.

I need the measure between the lower, inside port enclosure above 'table'.

 

Here the example for the XL:

 

BTW: That would be a great and helpful project: To collect those details, clearances etc. for all ports (SIO etc.) of all models... (in the XE the joystick ports are really buried into the machine).

 

As soon as I have a version which matches my standards, I will publish the data, so that you (or a friend) can print your own case.

 

[Tigerduck]

Wow, looking forward to cover my naked "Snackies" it's getting cold outside...

[SlidellMan]

Wow, that was a nice demonstration of your adapter. By the way, have you considered porting Attack of the PETSCII Robots to the 5200, or is that out of the question?