Jess Ragan Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I've started modifying a Genesis controller to make it compatible with the Vectrex. I've taken off the IC and the resistors, and shaved the bottom of the controller so it will fit in the Vectrex's controller port. Unfortunately, I'm completely lost as to what to do next. The schematics I've seen online leave me confused and frustrated, and the only pictures I've seen of the modified controller circuit board are for a British model Genesis pad, which looks totally different from my own. Is there any chance I could convince one of you guys to take a picture of a modified American Genesis controller? I'd really appreciate the help. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Van Thorp Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 If you have a working Vectrex controller and an ohm meter from Radio Shack, you should be able to figure out what switch needs to be connected to what port contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy_Dude Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Have you been to Graham Percy's site http://www.geocities.com/gjp57/sega-vec.htm It says Genesis but I have no idea what either board looks like so ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I've started modifying a Genesis controller to make it compatible with the Vectrex. I've taken off the IC and the resistors, and shaved the bottom of the controller so it will fit in the Vectrex's controller port. Unfortunately, I'm completely lost as to what to do next. Hi Jess: First .. Are you converting a No 1650 with dip IC chip .. not with surface mount chip? You have to make cuts through the ground tracings on the Genesis contact board. The ground tracing is the one that circles the whole board and the black wire (pin#8 ) was soldered to it. Buttons 1,2,3,Start will use the new ground. Find a hole to which you can solder the button ground. For the 4-way pad, you need to make two common "grounds". One (+5v) will be for Up and Right. The other (-5v) will be for Down and Left. Cut through the tracings to isolate the ground for these contact pads .. remember to find a hole to which to solder the wires before making the crucial cuts!! (If your rubber pad has a metal ball, make sure that your cut does not allow for the ball to short the +5v and the -5v.) After you have made the cuts, check with a multimeter to make sure that there is no conductance between +5v, -5v and button commons. What I do is build a small daughter circuit board 8 resistors high. You can reuse 4 of the 10K resistors that you removed from the Genesis contact board. Then all you need are 4 of the 3.3K resistors. I use 1/8w because they are smaller. Then I solder the +7v controller wire and -7v controller wire to the top and the bottom of the circuit board. You need to cut the circuit board down to the smallest size after you realize how many holes you need to solder jumper wires to the Genesis contact board. (10 vertical holes from top to bottom!) After I have finished making all the jumps .. I wrap the whole thing in black tape. Here are the standard color wires and what controller pins they connect to: Pin Wire Genesis Daughter board Vectrex 1 Brown Start button Button 1 2 Red A button Button 2 3 Orange B button Button 3 4 Yellow C button Button 4 (fire!) 5 Green Horizontal input 6 Blue Vertical Input 7 Gray +5v +5v 8 Black Ground 9 White -5v -5v This is all that you are concerned about: Direction Control: +5V (Pin 7) Gray ^ | 10K .__|__////___. | | Right Button -| 3.3K | | ._____////___| | | |-------- X Direction 3.3K | (Pin 5) Green ._____////___| | | Left Button -| | | ._____////___| | 10K | -5V (Pin 9) White +5V (Pin 7) Gray ^ | 10K .__|__////___. | | Up Button -| 3.3K | | ._____////___| | | |-------- Y Direction 3.3K | (Pin 6) Blue ._____////___| | | Down Button -| | | ._____////___| | 10K | -5V (Pin 9) White Note A B C order! Same for Button B,C, and Start except: Button B -> Pin 3 Orange .__________ (Pin 2) Red Button C -> Pin 4 Yellow | Button Start -> Pin 1 Brown Button A -| | .___ | | GND (Pin 8) Black Hope this helps! Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted November 6, 2004 Author Share Posted November 6, 2004 Hope this helps! I'm afraid it doesn't. While I appreciate your time and effort, none of this is getting through to me. I absolutely, positively need to see the modications as done on an actual Genesis controller in order to understand how to do it myself. I've never been all that great at working with circuits anyway. I'd probably be a lot better off just buying a controller from Dondzila. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianscott27 Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 while we're on the topic of gen to vec controllers, is it possible to make this genesis arcade stick into a vec controller? heres an example of the stick, 6 button http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...8143918304&rd=1 they're not too hard to aquire and i think they'd be great for vec games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I'm afraid it doesn't. ... I'd probably be a lot better off just buying a controller from Dondzila. Jess Send me what you have already .. and I'll finish the job for you. Then you can see for yourself. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 is it possible to make this genesis arcade stick into a vec controller? Sure! Either with an external circuit .. or internal modification. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted November 7, 2004 Author Share Posted November 7, 2004 You really would, Rob? Wow, thanks... I'd really appreciate that. I've picked up some resistors and will tinker with the controller a bit more with a friend of mine. If I can't get it to work from there, I'll definitely send it to you. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 You really would, Rob? Wow, thanks... I'd really appreciate that. I've picked up some resistors and will tinker with the controller a bit more with a friend of mine. If I can't get it to work from there, I'll definitely send it to you. No problem. Do wipe all the contacts clean with isopropyl alcohol for good contact. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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