KADE miniConsole+ arcade, computer, and console I/O

[degenatrons]

This is a teaser announcement of our new product and winter kickstarter.  Stay tuned for more info.



 

[xefned]

   what does this mystery thing do   

[Slippyblade]

No, I will NOT stay tuned!  I need to know NOW!!! 

[PL1]

   what does this mystery thing do   

It's another addition to the KADE series of encoders.

If you look at the picture, you see:

    * Various retro controllers --  implying that it will accept inputs from those controllers and more since the text at the bottom of the pic mentions "arcade"

    * Various consoles, a tablet (?) and a desktop computer -- implying that it will send outputs to those devices (and probably more)

There's a good reason why the original KADE logo and the new KADE+ Logo both look like a Swiss Army Knife.   


Scott

[lettuce]

This will be a nice match up to my Gigabyte Brix system running RetroArch

[PL1]

No, I will NOT stay tuned!  I need to know NOW!!! 

Have you signed up for e-mail updates here at the KADE Forums?

I know you haven't posted there yet or logged in since June.   


Scott

[Generic Eric]

:wants analog for yoke; muchly:

:Will smuggle spice and gold pressed Latnum for a KADE with analog:

[retrogamedude]

didnt i see this on reddit or something

[Generic Eric]

didnt i see this on reddit or something

You might have.  Several of us masquerade on reddit as well.

[PL1]

:wants analog for yoke; muchly:

:Will smuggle spice and gold pressed Latnum for a KADE with analog:

Pretty sure the AVR they are using for this will be an atmega32u4 or newer = analog input pins.   

didnt i see this on reddit or something

Maybe.   

Kevin posts on reddit as sharpfork, including this related request for features to include.


Scott

[Yvan256]

Hey! I'm not seeing any Intellivision 2 controller in that image! 

 

Not that I care anyway, the Intellivision controller was probably one of the worst thing ever made with its hard-to-push buttons, but I think nothing else can give you the keypad and directional disc functions, which I think was a 12-way or 16-way input.

What we really need is a new, 21st century Intellivision controller. I'm thinking about a SNES gamepad with a resistive* LCD touch-screen in the middle to display dynamic overlays.

* capacitive would be too sensitive IMHO for this application.

[PL1]

Hey! I'm not seeing any Intellivision 2 controller in that image! 

 

Not that I care anyway, the Intellivision controller was probably one of the worst thing ever made with its hard-to-push buttons, but I think nothing else can give you the keypad and directional disc functions, which I think was a 12-way or 16-way input.

What we really need is a new, 21st century Intellivision controller. I'm thinking about a SNES gamepad with a resistive* LCD touch-screen in the middle to display dynamic overlays.

The Intellivision controller disc is 16-way as documented here.

I suggested two years ago that Jon use either an analog joystick map for functional replication or the 9-wire input matrix at the link for an original controller interface.

If he includes an Intellivision firmware, you might be able to do your dynamic overlays or at least have a small display above a keypad.   


Scott

[sharpfork]

Hey! I'm not seeing any Intellivision 2 controller in that image! 

There are WAY more inputs and outputs than are represented in the sketch.  In the case of the Intellivision 2 controller, it is NOT covered.

[Yvan256]

The Intellivision controller disc is 16-way as documented here.

I suggested two years ago that Jon use either an analog joystick map for functional replication or the 9-wire input matrix at the link for an original controller interface.

If he includes an Intellivision firmware, you might be able to do your dynamic overlays or at least have a small display above a keypad.   

Scott

You mean a small color display like this one? But those are extremely expensive! (6.63$USD with free economy international shipping)

I've also attached an overlay resized to 320 pixels vertically to see if it would be worth it with the resolution of that LCD. In my opinion it is good enough for both the icons and the text. It would be nice if someone had vectorized all the overlays with a grid system so that game logo and icons were always aligned between all overlays, etc.

[degenatrons]

   what does this mystery thing do   

It's another addition to the KADE series of encoders.

If you look at the picture, you see:

    * Various retro controllers --  implying that it will accept inputs from those controllers and more since the text at the bottom of the pic mentions "arcade"

    * Various consoles, a tablet (?) and a desktop computer -- implying that it will send outputs to those devices (and probably more)

There's a good reason why the original KADE logo and the new KADE+ Logo both look like a Swiss Army Knife.   


Scott

Thanks Scott.
Yes,  It's the next series of KADE encoder and it comes with plug and play support for a diverse set of console and arcade inputs including many popular retro controllers.  Supports output to USB, PSX, Wiimote and other interesting devices.  The software has been in development for a long time and has an impressive feature list that is constantly being add to.

:wants analog for yoke; muchly:

:Will smuggle spice and gold pressed Latnum for a KADE with analog:

KADE+ devices will use the same chip as KADESTICK which has been used in analog projects on this site – see Scott's sig.  We made our own AVR to be the modular brain behind any new products.  First up is KADE miniConsole+ which supports analog and digital controller input from a huge range of popular controllers.

Hey! I'm not seeing any Intellivision 2 controller in that image! 

There are WAY more inputs and outputs than are represented in the sketch.  In the case of the Intellivision 2 controller, it is NOT covered.

As well as plug and play support for popular controllers we could introduce fixed support for others like this by creating custom firmware if we feel that it will improve the product.  The original KADE miniArcade device was extended massively after our kickstarter based on feedback and feature requests from the community.

[Locke141]

Bookmarked

[Yvan256]

Coming winter 2014?

Updates? 

[PL1]

The first day of winter is still almost 4 weeks away.      


Scott

[AzureKnight]

The six feet of snow in my yard would disagree with you 

[Locke141]

The six feet of snow in my yard would disagree with you 

Are you in Buffalo?

[AzureKnight]

The six feet of snow in my yard would disagree with you 

Are you in Buffalo?

Yeah, I don't mean to derail this thread....I live in Cheektowaga a suburb of Buffalo and last number I saw was 75 inches of snow. 

Topic under Everything Else: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,142378.0.html

Now it is melting away quite nicely!

[opt2not]

Looking forward to hearing more info about the miniConsole. Subscribed!

[degenatrons]

We just posted an update with more info, pictures, and a video. We are super proud to have added Wii U as an additional on the fly output. We are the first 3rd party to have direct Wii U input!
Kickstarter is coming in February.

http://kadevice.com/2015/01/first-ever-direct-3rd-party-usb-wii-u-input-february-kickstarter-%EF%BB%BF/

and that's not all.  There is a ton more functionality.
Here is a sneak peak of KADE miniConsole+ with some plug and play input and output examples shown. 

miniConsole+ in a prototype case:


Inputs:


Outputs (via USB):


Outputs (via RJ45):



Outputs (via RJ45 and third party PSX converter)

[zaltec]

just read your email, still want. 

[emphatic]

Amazing work!

[opt2not]

Have you guys done any lag tests on this yet?
If so, how much lag are we dealing with here?

[degenatrons]

Have you guys done any lag tests on this yet?
If so, how much lag are we dealing with here?

There has been no noticeable lag in our beta testing across a wide range of controller inputs and system outputs.  We will do more formal testing.

[jshel65]

Thanks for posting this update, it is exciting to and see some of what it can do an action! I have really been looking forward to this, I am hoping that this will be the missing link in my multiple console emulation system. My attempt at multiple original controllers via USB adapters has been a pain to say the least. I hope you don't mind to answer a few of the questions that I have had in thinking about your device:

1. will the final device have 2 player support or would we need to purchase two devices for 2 player support?
2.will there be support for Atari paddles for games like kaboom?
3.will there be rumble support for controllers like the dual shock, GameCube, etc?
4.when can we expect a full list of the controllers that your device will support?

[bootsector]

Thanks for posting this update, it is exciting to and see some of what it can do an action! I have really been looking forward to this, I am hoping that this will be the missing link in my multiple console emulation system. My attempt at multiple original controllers via USB adapters has been a pain to say the least. I hope you don't mind to answer a few of the questions that I have had in thinking about your device:

1. will the final device have 2 player support or would we need to purchase two devices for 2 player support?

At first it will be one device per player. Alternative firmwares are planned in the future for some two player support.

2.will there be support for Atari paddles for games like kaboom?

Yes, there will be support for analog pads input via DB15 port. We've just started working on Atari paddles support! Not sure if this feature will be available at day-one though.

3.will there be rumble support for controllers like the dual shock, GameCube, etc?

GC pad rumble support when using on the WiiU via USB is now in beta-test. This is a little complicated subject since both the host and the controllers must offer support to rumble. Also, the power supplied by the host is another constraint (GC pad requires 5V and DualShock around 7V, USB sources 5V, Wiimote sources 3.3V, so there's a lot to tinker here).

4.when can we expect a full list of the controllers that your device will support?

The list will be available at the KickStarter page. So February it is!

[jshel65]

I am looking forward to it....thank you for the reply!

[yotsuya]

Maybe I missed this, but how do you guys plan to breakout cables available? I want to be able to play my NES games on a genuine controller via the Wii.

[bootsector]

Maybe I missed this, but how do you guys plan to breakout cables available? I want to be able to play my NES games on a genuine controller via the Wii.

There will always have the option to buy cables separately. Or make them yourself! Gosh! The Wiimote output cable doesn't even require soldering skills!! This is really a DIY friendly project!

[yotsuya]

Maybe I missed this, but how do you guys plan to breakout cables available? I want to be able to play my NES games on a genuine controller via the Wii.

Or make them yourself! Gosh!

My question was directed to the KADE team, not you, Napoleon. 

[bootsector]

Maybe I missed this, but how do you guys plan to breakout cables available? I want to be able to play my NES games on a genuine controller via the Wii.

Or make them yourself! Gosh!

My question was directed to the KADE team, not you, Napoleon. 

Sorry I failed to answer your question!

[yotsuya]

Just messing with you my friend. I'm just wondering what the team's plan. I have no problem rolling my own connectors.

[opt2not]

Have you guys done any lag tests on this yet?
If so, how much lag are we dealing with here?

There has been no noticeable lag in our beta testing across a wide range of controller inputs and system outputs.  We will do more formal testing.

Well, if you need more test volunteers, hook a brother up!  I've got most of the consoles you have listed this thing supports. 

[sharpfork]

My question was directed to the KADE team, not you, Napoleon. 

While he doesn't hang out here much, Bruno/ Bootsector is the driver of the console inputs and most certianly a member of the KADE team. 
The KADE miniConsole+ is the evolution & unification of Bruno's earlier work: http://www.brunofreitas.com
Degenatrons is the other brain of the KADE operation. 
I just sit around and look pretty and talk 

About converters, we will offer premade cables with the Kickstarter as well as after.  We will also provide the pinout so PBJ can go get a 15 pin d-sub at Radio Shack and solder right to the end of his old 3rd party controllers.  Folks can but extension cables and cut the ends off to make them too.  I'm not sure if we will sell DIY kits with our tiny quick solder converter PCBs or not. 

All of this will be open source in some form.

RE beta testers.  We have a few but will be getting ready for another round if I can get these guys to stop adding big features!  If you are interested, have a supply of retro controllers, and like to try emulating arcade and consoles on a variety of systems, send me a PM.

[Slippyblade]

Sharpfork:  This info makes me even more excited.  I'm dirt poor most of the time and piece my projects together over time.  Having it open means I can actually use it - just not right away.

Thanks for all the work guys, I appreciate it.

[yotsuya]

Maybe I missed this, but how do you guys plan to breakout cables available? I want to be able to play my NES games on a genuine controller via the Wii.

There will always have the option to buy cables separately. Or make them yourself! Gosh! The Wiimote output cable doesn't even require soldering skills!! This is really a DIY friendly project!

My question was directed to the KADE team, not you, Napoleon. 

While he doesn't hang out here much, Bruno/ Bootsector is the driver of the console inputs and most certianly a member of the KADE team. 
The KADE miniConsole+ is the evolution & unification of Bruno's earlier work: http://www.brunofreitas.com
Degenatrons is the other brain of the KADE operation. 
I just sit around and look pretty and talk 

About converters, we will offer premade cables with the Kickstarter as well as after.  We will also provide the pinout so PBJ can go get a 15 pin d-sub at Radio Shack and solder right to the end of his old 3rd party controllers.  Folks can but extension cables and cut the ends off to make them too.  I'm not sure if we will sell DIY kits with our tiny quick solder converter PCBs or not. 

All of this will be open source in some form.

RE beta testers.  We have a few but will be getting ready for another round if I can get these guys to stop adding big features!  If you are interested, have a supply of retro controllers, and like to try emulating arcade and consoles on a variety of systems, send me a PM.

Oh SNAP! My apologies to you, Bruno! I didn't know you were you!!!!

Thanks for the info, Sharpfork. I look forward to jumping in on this Kickstarter.

[jshel65]

One suggestion that I think would help tremendously with the response to the device would be multiplayer functionality. How sweet would it be to have a 4 player device that would allow yourself and three pals to throw down on Goldeneye 007 using the controller of your preference?!?! I am sure that this is easier said than done,but just wanted to add my 2 cents.

[sharpfork]

One suggestion that I think would help tremendously with the response to the device would be multiplayer functionality. How sweet would it be to have a 4 player device that would allow yourself and three pals to throw down on Goldeneye 007 using the controller of your preference?!?!

Thanks for the feedback.  If the miniConsole+ was only USB out we would likely have that kind of option, probably two player.  Because it also connects to consoles which require a unique physical connection for each player (original xbox, playstation 1/2, wii classic controller) , combining multi player into a single device makes having more than one player on a single device much more complex.  We will definitely consider this down the road.
You can still accomplish what you are talking about with the current design but would need multiple devices.

[RubberB]

This device sounds really cool. I've been wondering if it's possible to hook up an Atari Star Wars yoke (flight controller) to a Gamecube or Wii. Could the Kade Console+ do that?

[sharpfork]

I've been wondering if it's possible to hook up an Atari Star Wars yoke (flight controller) to a Gamecube or Wii.

It currently support Wiimote out (and Wiiu U Usb) but not direct to gamecube.  We have chatted about gamecube out but it hasn't been a huge priority. 
Degentrons and bootsector have been messing around with a generic analog input that might work for this at some point.  The mapping and adjustment wouldn't necessarily be in the configuration GUI so it would require some extra effort.  I'm not saying 100% yes but it is entirely possible.  The source will be open and the configuration is looking like it will be adjustable in some ways the GUI doesn't support by editing XML.  The device is super flexible so I expect it will support all sorts of edge cases we haven't thought about.

TLDR; Today, no.  Someday, entirely possible.

[degenatrons]

Kickstarter will be coming soon,  we kind of got side-tracked with adding new features.

Bruno added plug and play support for Dreamcast controllers and also made an expansion board (we're calling it multi-out) to allow output to SNES, Genesis(Megadrive) and other 9 pin systems.
Kevin has been working on the miniArcade PCB and has also designed a cool brain/AVR which will power the miniConsole+ and a succession of other cool products down the line.
I made a cross-platform gamepad mapper (Windows, Mac, Linux) for those that like to tinker and change the default gamepad assignments.

It's getting crazy what can be done with our miniConsole+ I updated the KADE with blades (swiss army knife) graphic to show off the capability.



Here's a video preview of the gamepad mapper utility.



We added auto detect for Atari paddles and decided that we may as well go all the way and make an analog board to cater for bespoke analog projects,  yokes and stuff.

I made a quick video to show gamepad input on Spectrum 48k.  The multi-out board will work with genesis and any other computer or console that has inputs compatible with Genesis such as Spectrum, Commodore 64, Atari.  It'll be interesting to use my favourite controllers on these vintage systems.  I was just pissing about with this video really.  Some might find it interesting.



Exciting times.

[Slippyblade]

Hurry up and launch already!  Take my damn money!

[bootsector]

Eric Fraga, from Cosmic Effect (a very respectful retro-gaming YT channel here in Brazil), is having some fun with a miniConsole+ prototype on this video:

[bootsector]

Hey Jon! You need to add one more blade to this guy: Wii Classic Controller is now supported as input! 

[Dalba]

3.will there be rumble support for controllers like the dual shock, GameCube, etc?

GC pad rumble support when using on the WiiU via USB is now in beta-test. This is a little complicated subject since both the host and the controllers must offer support to rumble. Also, the power supplied by the host is another constraint (GC pad requires 5V and DualShock around 7V, USB sources 5V, Wiimote sources 3.3V, so there's a lot to tinker here).

Isn't it possible to use an external 12v PSU and use some kinds of resistances firmware programmation to provide the right voltage for the right pad ? Supporting rumble for all controllers that support this feature (GC, N64, PS2...) would be a damn cool thing !

[bootsector]

3.will there be rumble support for controllers like the dual shock, GameCube, etc?

GC pad rumble support when using on the WiiU via USB is now in beta-test. This is a little complicated subject since both the host and the controllers must offer support to rumble. Also, the power supplied by the host is another constraint (GC pad requires 5V and DualShock around 7V, USB sources 5V, Wiimote sources 3.3V, so there's a lot to tinker here).

Isn't it possible to use an external 12v PSU and use some kinds of resistances firmware programmation to provide the right voltage for the right pad ? Supporting rumble for all controllers that support this feature (GC, N64, PS2...) would be a damn cool thing !

Possible, indeed! But beyond the complexity (and production costs) we're aiming for this device!

[degenatrons]

Hey Jon! You need to add one more blade to this guy: Wii Classic Controller is now supported as input! 

Pic updated.

[Generic Eric]

We added auto detect for Atari paddles and decided that we may as well go all the way and make an analog board to cater for bespoke analog projects,  yokes and stuff.

Exciting times.

Let's go all the way!

[Generic Eric]

This device sounds really cool. I've been wondering if it's possible to hook up an Atari Star Wars yoke (flight controller) to a Gamecube or Wii. Could the Kade Console+ do that?

I also would like to know the answer to that.

Here is what I have considered.  Without something like this, you would likely have to connect the potentiometers to the controller board.  Consider this, the analog stick has tiny potentiometers built in.  With something like this you are doing something like that.

The key is to understand whether or not analog inputs are supported on the gamecube interface. 


I feel like its good to get these questions out before the KS launch so that the can be presented.  As such, I would like to know which if any console adapters include the analog?

[RubberB]

It would be so cool if the Kade team could get that to work. If it helps I read somewhere that the pots in the Gamecube controller are 10k. The yoke's are 5k but can be swapped out for 10k ones if that makes things easier.

[bootsector]

Analog to digital conversion in the KADE miniConsole+ works by converting the input voltage to a number between 0 and 255.

Below is the typical configuration for a variable voltage divider.

Code: [Select]

(+)---|POT|-+-|RES|---(-)
            |
            |
            |
         (OUTPUT)
      
POT = Potentiometer (linear)
RES = Fixed value resistor

Both POT and RES should have the same value.

Atari Paddles use 1M pots (not grounded). So in order to use Atari Paddles with the miniConsole+, we just need an 1M resistor connected between GND and POT output. One for each axis. The Paddles cable adapters already have those 1M pull down resistors for the axis.

This configuration will give us voltage ranging from V/2 to V.

The (OUTPUT) signal is then connected to an ADC pin in the miniConsole+ that will convert the input voltage to the correct value.

Assuming the Atari yoke POTs are NOT grounded, (I could not find a schematic for it online, let me know if you find one) we just need a couple of pull down resistors of the same value of the POTs connected as the configuration above. The voltage would then still range from V/2 to V, thus, making the ADC driver to work as expected.

Conversion to the host systems (Wii, PS2, PS3, etc...) is done automatically and they are also mappable to any analog stick by using the neat application developed by Degenatrons!

I thought it was a good idea to expose this information now because this is how the analog driver used by the miniConsole+ works, so you guys can plan your projects ahead, way before the adapter is available!

[PL1]

Assuming the Atari yoke POTs are NOT grounded, (I could not find a schematic for it online, let me know if you find one)

The Atari yoke is a 3-wire potentiometer (variable voltage setup) just like KADESTICK. (see pinout here for detailed directions for attaching a SW yoke to a KADESTICK encoder)

Pins 9, 10, and 6 are 5v, ground, and wiper (output) for X-axis.

Pins 9, 10, and 5 are 5v, ground, and wiper (output) for Y-axis.



The schematic is in the lower right corner of page 114 of the SW manual here.


Scott

[bootsector]

Assuming the Atari yoke POTs are NOT grounded, (I could not find a schematic for it online, let me know if you find one)

The Atari yoke is a 3-wire potentiometer (variable voltage setup) just like KADESTICK. (see pinout here for detailed directions for attaching a SW yoke to a KADESTICK encoder)

Pins 9, 10, and 6 are 5v, ground, and wiper (output) for X-axis.

Pins 9, 10, and 5 are 5v, ground, and wiper (output) for Y-axis.




Scott

Thanks, Scott!

So in order to make the yokes to work with the miniConsole+, it will be necessary to disconnect the GND pins from both axis and connect a 5K resistor between the wiper and GND on them (assuming that each pots are 5K).

[PL1]

So in order to make the yokes to work with the miniConsole+, it will be necessary to disconnect the GND pins from both axis and connect a 5K resistor between the wiper and GND on them (assuming that each pots are 5K).

Consider removing/disconnecting the resistor on the miniConsole+ instead.

The resistor is necessary to turn a 2-wire setup (variable resistor like Atari paddles) into a 3-wire (variable voltage) setup.

Having to select a matching 5k/10k/100k/1M resistor makes the much more common 3-wire setups (variable voltage potentiometers) needlessly complicated.

Add a checkbox in the loader program to select either variable resistor (A/D looks for V/2) or potentiometer (A/D looks for V).   


Scott

[PL1]

Schematic for my proposal above.


Scott

EDIT: Fixed error in schematic.   

[bootsector]

Schematic for my proposal above.


Scott

EDIT: Fixed error in schematic.   

Hey Scott! It does make sense! I've just implemented the changes in the analog input driver so it now works in either full ADC range (0 - 1023) or half ADC range (512 - 1023). There's a setting that tells the driver which mode it should work on.

Cheers! 

[degenatrons]

For analog, up to 5 axis can be connected simultaneously via the DB15 interface.  Kevin made some neat little converter boards to simplify wiring cables to DB15 and we plan to make an analog expansion board for easy wiring of bespoke projects.  Alternatively,  you could wire analog controls directly to a DB15 plug.  Several pins on the DB15 are reserved for autodetection so miniConsole+ knows what you're plugging in.  You will need to connect some pins to ground and then you're all good for plug and play.  We'll publish information on how to make a DIY interface.

The Atari paddles use this same analog interface (with 1M resistors as described in Brunos post above).  In this pic wiring is done inside the DB15 shell of the cable.



In other news.  Here are some pics of our miniConsole+ device inside a prototype metallic case.  We’re considering other case options too such as clear acrylic.
If you plan to use miniConsole+ inside an arcade stick or cabinet then you won’t need a case.




You can see that the device has 3 ports.  Gamepads connect to the DB15 port (via an adapter cable).  At the other end we have the output ports.  USB compatible systems connect to the USB port (Type B) and other supported systems connect to the RJ45 port (via an adapter cable).  The miniConsole+ will automatically detect which systems and gamepads are connected and allow them to to communicate with each other.

We’ll be supplying DB15 and RJ45 adapter cables for all of the gamepads and systems that we support.  Alternatively,  you will be able to make your own by modifying a controller extension cable and following our DIY guide.

Here are more pics to show miniConsole+ connected to various gamepads and systems.





Here’s a short video to show some of the stuff that connects to KADE miniConsole+.  Apologies for the shaky camera - I was getting down with the DK funk.



Kickstarter will be soon.  We decided to delay things a little so we could cram in lots of extra functionality.

[Generic Eric]

Will the gamecube function support analog so I can use your product on a gamecube to play Rogue Squadron with a yoke?

Also, will there be a "Year of Star Wars" kit for connecting your product to a Star Wars yoke?

[opt2not]

I think I got motion sickness from that vid.

[degenatrons]

Will the gamecube function support analog so I can use your product on a gamecube to play Rogue Squadron with a yoke?

Also, will there be a "Year of Star Wars" kit for connecting your product to a Star Wars yoke?

Support for gamecube is input only at the moment,  we have plug and play detection for gamepad controllers.
If you can find a PSX to GC controller adapter then that would be an option for you.  Supported KADE outputs on the right hand side of graphic below.



For analog,  we'll make it possible for you to wire up any bespoke projects.  I'm not sure what a "Year of Star Wars" kit is.  Do you have more info on that?

[degenatrons]

I think I got motion sickness from that vid.

[Generic Eric]

Will the gamecube function support analog so I can use your product on a gamecube to play Rogue Squadron with a yoke?

Also, will there be a "Year of Star Wars" kit for connecting your product to a Star Wars yoke?

Support for gamecube is input only at the moment,  we have plug and play detection for gamepad controllers.
If you can find a PSX to GC controller adapter then that would be an option for you.  Supported KADE outputs on the right hand side of graphic below.



For analog,  we'll make it possible for you to wire up any bespoke projects.  I'm not sure what a "Year of Star Wars" kit is.  Do you have more info on that?

Short of being a dork for the better part of last year, no. 

Search for "Year of Star Wars" and you'll find a comment from me.  What I was getting at was though, was a kit with the PCB and two pots, maybe even some wires to connect to the Star Wars Yoke.  I'd have to look up in my email, but I think it was mouser that I got mine from.  If you buy pots in bulk greater than +10 I think you get a discount.  Cool way to offer a complete package.

[bootsector]

Will the gamecube function support analog so I can use your product on a gamecube to play Rogue Squadron with a yoke?

Also, will there be a "Year of Star Wars" kit for connecting your product to a Star Wars yoke?

As Jon mentioned, we support several systems via PS1/PS2 output plus using PS1/2 converters to the desired target system. The miniConsole+ impersonates a DualShock 1 controller, so it outputs left and right analog sticks correctly.

I've tested GC output via this PS2 to GC/XBOX adapter and it works great:

http://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Universal-Control-Converter-Playstation-2/dp/B00012YI14

[jshel65]

This gets more and more exciting each time there are updates!! I noticed that the wiimote is used as an output on one of the pics. Is/will it be possible to use this as wireless input for pc emulators if you have something like the dolphin bar which syncs the wiimote to pc?? Hopefully my question isn't confusing: Will we be able to plug whatever controller we would like into the kade device then rather than having usb output to the pc use the wiimote as wireless output to pc?

[degenatrons]

This gets more and more exciting each time there are updates!! I noticed that the wiimote is used as an output on one of the pics. Is/will it be possible to use this as wireless input for pc emulators if you have something like the dolphin bar which syncs the wiimote to pc?? Hopefully my question isn't confusing: Will we be able to plug whatever controller we would like into the kade device then rather than having usb output to the pc use the wiimote as wireless output to pc?

Sure,  the wiimote output mode can be used to connect to other systems that have bluetooth and support for wiimote drivers.  I'm currently testing wiimote/wireless output to raspberry pi using a bluetooth dongle.  I'll report back on the results.

[degenatrons]

A quick video to show how the miniConsole+ connects to systems and consoles.



It's not all about connecting to standard USB.
You can connect to original Xbox and WiiU - which both use non-standard USB protocol.
You can connect to Playstation 1 and Playstation 2 via an RJ45 adapter cable
You can connect to Wiimote via RJ45 adapter cable for wireless gaming on Wii, WiiU
You can connect to Xbox360, Dreamcast and other systems via third-party PSX converters.
You can connect to older consoles and computers such as NES, SNES, MegaDrive and NeoGeo using our multi-out addon board.

[bootsector]

It's worth mentioning that, when connecting to the WiiU, that could be either via Wiimote or USB, since the miniConsole+ also impersonates a GC to USB adapter (Super Smash Bros Brawl compatible).

[WakiMiko]

Kickstarter when??

Also, I don't suppose you can reveal any pricing details already, can you?

[jshel65]

Wow! The fact that this will be able to operate wirelessly to pc is huge! I have my pc in my living room so I am looking forward to wirelessly playing all of my emulators with original controllers from the couch. Awesome stuff guys...rock on KADE!

[Dalba]

I will had another question about pcengine/ turbografx. For these systems it exist 2 differents size for pad connector. Will kade minicosole support both connectors with cable adapter ?
And again, if you could find a solution for rumble... 

[degenatrons]

Kickstarter when??

Also, I don't suppose you can reveal any pricing details already, can you?

Our planned launch is now at the beginning of May.  We had to delay a while to do work on extra functionality such as output to WiiU, NES, SNES, Genesis and input from Dreamcast, Wii Classic/Pro controllers, arcade, analog and the customisation software so we knew it could all be delivered.

Pricing is not set yet but it will be competitive and there'll be options for DIY to save you $ if you are a maker.

[degenatrons]

I will had another question about pcengine/ turbografx. For these systems it exist 2 differents size for pad connector. Will kade minicosole support both connectors with cable adapter ?
And again, if you could find a solution for rumble... 

Thanks for your comment Dalba. The protocol is the same for the 2 different connectors,  it is only the shape/fitting that differs. PC Engine and TurboGrafx are one of the easiest extension cables to source because they use standard 8-Pin DIN connectors,  one of them is mini DIN.  We will bear this in mind when providing cable options.

[degenatrons]

We're considering options for labelling on the miniConsole+ case.  I made a sticker to give a visual of one idea.

[jshel65]

I like it...clean and simple!

[Locke141]

I like it...clean and simple!

+1

[CraftyMech]

The combination of red & black is really slick and professional!

[degenatrons]

This video shows how an optional LCD expansion board is connected to KADE miniConsole+ device via the expansion port on the PCB.



The LCD is invaluable for debugging and development and allows us to display useful information about the connected gamepad and system.

There will be many other uses for LCD including using them in your own arcade and fight stick projects.  We will explore options as the project evolves.

We have other expansion options too,  including an arcade expansion board which can accept a large number of additional inputs from joysticks and buttons to be used simultaneously with a connected gamepad.


^{Devices shown are prototypes}

[degenatrons]

We're launching our Kickstarter on 30th April and hope that you guys will support us on our journey by spreading the word and backing our Kickstarter campaign so we can make this happen.

We'll be running a pre-launch contest from 28th April and will post information about how you can enter soon. Get involved and bag yourself one of our great prizes including full miniConsole+ kits and a unique fight stick.

Please follow our progress and support our project.

www.facebook.com/KadeDevice
www.twitter.com/KadeDevice

[thatpurplestuff]

Literally just waiting until I can give you my money haha

[degenatrons]

Literally just waiting until I can give you my money haha

thanks for the support 

[degenatrons]

Here's a tour of the KADE powered fightstick that we'll be giving away in our miniConsole+ KickStarter contest.



Be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter tomorrow for more information - hey it's the future.

http://www.facebook.com/KadeDevice

http://www.twitter.com/KadeDevice

[bootsector]

Ok, I'm way too excited to wait for degenatrons to come out and post a proper announcement, so:

Kickstarter is live!!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kadevice/kade-miniconsole-a-smart-open-source-retro-gaming

[WakiMiko]

Backed!!

[thatpurplestuff]

First kickstarter I've ever backed!

[8BitMonk]

Backed.

[sharpfork]

miniConsole+ was fully funded in 5 hours today.  Keep an eye open for updates with stretch goals.  We have a few stretch goals planned out but would love to hear this community's thoughts.

We have more videos almost done which we will post as KS updates to show more details of the functionality.  My fightstick will be featured in a video that shows the multi output, hybrid arcade + console encoder in action.  The fightstick is super cool and can be yours if you win our contest: http://kadevice.com/?p=706

[Dalba]

I'm very happy project is already funded !
Despite this,  i think you should create a reward with more input cables. 5 is way too short regarding the diversity of old pads. In my personal case i would need for example between 9 and 10 input cables different to cover what i need. And if i want to have a "complete" retro system, i would need 4 miniconsole+ with enough input cable for 2 and 4 players consoles. It would cost quite a lot currently, so maybe one stretch goal would be a "mega 4 players pack" with enough input and output cable to cover "large" needs.

Well it's just an idea 

[sharpfork]

Dalba
We are considering adding a cable (maybe or cables as a stretch goal).  They will be available for sale soon after the KS rewards ship as well.  If we get enough support, we should be able to have a pretty good run of cables made so I'm not making them all in my basement which will keep the price down

[sharpfork]

These things are killer in a cab.  I walk through some varied uses of mixed controls that folks here might be interested in:

[bootsector]

Great video, sharpfork!

It's worth an update with it on the KS page

[thatpurplestuff]

So excited to try this out! Will the upcoming arcade expander boards work with the cased versions or will they only work with the mountable PCB versions?

[sharpfork]

Pcb version and case version are intended to be the same.  If you buy the case and decide to make, we want that to be an option.

[edekoning]

Just backed the 2up mega MAKER pack Its a shame I have to wait till September for the goods

May I suggest you add PCB feet to the MAKER packs.

[nitrogen_widget]

how many controllers can you plug into one unit?
For example, I have 3 or 4 3rd party ps3 wireless controllers with their own BT dongles that are quite simply annoying to get working with Steam games on a PC.

I don't really want to go out & buy wireless game pads for PC if I don't have to.

Can this device be setup to let me hook all 4 dongles for the gamepads & make windows or linux recognize them as 4 generic controllers?

[bootsector]

how many controllers can you plug into one unit?
For example, I have 3 or 4 3rd party ps3 wireless controllers with their own BT dongles that are quite simply annoying to get working with Steam games on a PC.

I don't really want to go out & buy wireless game pads for PC if I don't have to.

Can this device be setup to let me hook all 4 dongles for the gamepads & make windows or linux recognize them as 4 generic controllers?

One input only. Or two combined as one (i.e., Joystick input via DB15 and Arcade controls via arcade expansion board - see sharpfork's video above). For 4-play you'd better with this one: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/544088930/bliss-box-4-play-one-adapter-for-many-controllers-0 (very different from the miniConsole+ feature-wise though!)

[sharpfork]

May I suggest you add PCB feet to the MAKER packs.

good idea, added to the list.

[WakiMiko]

How many inputs can you connect with the arcade expansion board?

[sharpfork]

How many inputs can you connect with the arcade expansion board?

The prototype has 30 which is a bit overkill for 1up.

[degenatrons]

Here's our Kickstarter video. 
The video intro was recently updated with gameplay taken from the awesome and 8 bit music from HeatleyBros - loving their stuff.

[thatpurplestuff]

Hey degenatrons, any word on when/if stretch goals will be announced?  Would love to see some extra cable options or something.  I've backed the "2up mega output plug MAKER pack" but I'd love the option to add more cables on top of the 10 that are included.  Also, I totally understand if it's too much trouble or not feasible, but if a backer doesn't need the 2 PSX/2 Wii output cables would it be possible to swap them with 4 different input cables?

Very excited to see that this project was funded so quickly, and can't wait to try it out!  The miniConsole+ just looks amazing!

[degenatrons]

Hey degenatrons, any word on when/if stretch goals will be announced?  Would love to see some extra cable options or something.  I've backed the "2up mega output plug MAKER pack" but I'd love the option to add more cables on top of the 10 that are included.  Also, I totally understand if it's too much trouble or not feasible, but if a backer doesn't need the 2 PSX/2 Wii output cables would it be possible to swap them with 4 different input cables?

Very excited to see that this project was funded so quickly, and can't wait to try it out!  The miniConsole+ just looks amazing!

Hey,  thanks for backing us. 

We're working on stretch goals and hope to have an update out soon which should include extra cable options.

I'm sure we can accommodate these kind of requests for alternative cable options.  No problem to swap out your cable choices if more inputs work better for you.  Can you send us a message on Kickstarter page to confirm the cables you would like to swap out and we'll add a note to your pledge.  Cheers.

 

[Rick]

Hey there. I know you're busy, but I've left a couple of messages - here and with Sharpfork on Reddit - about carrying the KADE products in my store. If you have a moment to reply via PM, I'd love to hear back from you. Thanks!

[degenatrons]

Hey there. I know you're busy, but I've left a couple of messages - here and with Sharpfork on Reddit - about carrying the KADE products in my store. If you have a moment to reply via PM, I'd love to hear back from you. Thanks!

Hey Rick,  thanks for reaching out to us and for your kind offer.  We'll reply back to your PM soon. Jon

[yotsuya]

If you do, don't do it as an exclusive. I'm not paying shipping from Canada.

[rablack97]

LOL, sharpfork has sales covered in the U.S. 

[Rick]

If you do, don't do it as an exclusive. I'm not paying shipping from Canada.

Don't worry. In all of the most recent deals I've been making, I've made sure each of my "exclusives" are only Canada-wide, not North America-wide. It definitely goes against my personal POV's of saving people money.

[degenatrons]

We are thrilled that miniConsole+ has succeeded and have now turned our attention to stretch goals so that we can reward our Kickstarter backers a little more for their generous support if we hit overfunding levels shown below.

We listened to feedback and have incorporated popular requests in the mix. We hope to provide a colour choice for the case, laser etching (limited edition for Kickstarter) and extra cables if we hit 1000% funding. We have some nice upgrades for makers too.

We want to deliver on all this awesomeness, so please tell your friends, retweet our tweets, spread the word on Facebook and enter our contest. The more people we get involved and pledging, the more likely we will be to provide this extra goodness.

We are sending review units out to gaming channels, reviewers and youtubers who have a good following so please get in touch if you can recommend any good ones.

So here are the stretch goals for miniConsole+.

[thatpurplestuff]

11 days left!  Let's do this!

[sharpfork]

Nice!  I have a box or 6 that look like that.  I like how you do your velcro ties better than I do.  I love that snes controller too!

[thatpurplestuff]

Nice!  I have a box or 6 that look like that.  I like how you do your velcro ties better than I do.  I love that snes controller too!

Yeah the SNES AsciiPad is easily one of my favorite controllers!  Definitely not your typical 3rd party controller since it was actually licensed by Nintendo.  Rumor has it that they were built in the same factory as the regular SNES pads, which would not surprise me at all since they feel almost identical other than the turbo/autofire options.

Regarding the velcro wireties, it's the only way that I can keep my wife from killing me over this hobby.  It's actually done out of self preservation more than anything haha. 

[degenatrons]

We are now officially supported by RetroArch emulator software and many of its derivative gaming frontends which run on systems including Raspberry Pi, Linux, Windows, Mac, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox and Xbox360.

RetroArch automatically configures the controls when miniConsole+ is connected including all of the menu navigation controls and button combos which are used to exit games (e.g. Select+Start on SNES gamepad, Start+Up on Saturn gamepad).

In this video, I show a RetroArch based frontend called "Lakka" which runs on Raspberry Pi. I had this system set up and running on my Rasp Pi Model B+ in a matter of minutes. I simply downloaded and flashed the latest Rasp Pi image to an SD card. No controller setup was necessary.



Official support for miniConsole+ is provided in the latest release of Lakka.
Read more on the Lakka news page.

[Slippyblade]

Ok, that's big news!  I love auto-config.

[thatpurplestuff]

1 day left until the kickstarter is funded, and the first stretch goal was met today!  Can't wait for this!

[sharpfork]

I'm thinking some of the other stretch features might make their way in regardless of the final funding.

[thatpurplestuff]

I'm thinking some of the other stretch features might make their way in regardless of the final funding.

Awesome!!

[opt2not]

90 minutes left, and I was going to back this. But then I saw the £54 as the cheapest option ($100 CAD to me), and I decided unfortunately I didn't want to spend $100 on controller converter.

Hopefully it'll get cheaper later on when you're in full production, but at the moment, you guys got your funding and I can wait to see what the future holds.

[Rick]

Hopefully it'll get cheaper later on when you're in full production, but at the moment, you guys got your funding and I can wait to see what the future holds.

I am also excited for this as well. (As an aside, I have reached out to Degenatrons and Sharpfork in the hopes of carrying the KADE Devices in Canada, to help save us from having to pay Duty in the future.)

[bootsector]

90 minutes left, and I was going to back this. But then I saw the £54 as the cheapest option ($100 CAD to me), and I decided unfortunately I didn't want to spend $100 on controller converter.

Hopefully it'll get cheaper later on when you're in full production, but at the moment, you guys got your funding and I can wait to see what the future holds.

Course! You have always the right to opt2not support the project!
Sorry about the joke, but I couldnt resist!
I dont think prices will get lower in the near future though. On the contrary, the micro controller we are using on it is getting more expensive every day!

[WakiMiko]

Congrats on the successful kickstarter guys! Can't wait for my maker pack

[degenatrons]

Congrats on the successful kickstarter guys! Can't wait for my maker pack

Hey,  thanks for backing the project!

We'd like to say a huge thanks to our 175 Kickstarter backers for believing in our project and helping us to make it happen. We're totally stoked that we achieved well over 500% funding for the miniConsole+ and we're super excited about being able to finalise development and take it to production.  A short video to show our appreciation.

[thatpurplestuff]

Can't wait to see this project come to fruition!  The current supported input list is awesome and very impressive... that being said, is it possible that either the Kade team or overzealous console fans could potentially add support for other controllers down the line after the official release and things have settled down a bit?  I noticed that a few more obscure consoles like the 3DO/Jaguar/CD-i/etc aren't supported, and it would be really awesome to add even more functionality to this already feature-rich device.

Is this the kind of thing that could be figured out by end-users or would this going to be way above the heads of most people?

[sharpfork]

Adding new controllers is possible, especially ones that have open source implementations.  I would say this is likely over the head of most users.

[thatpurplestuff]

Awesome thanks for the update!

I had one more quick question... does the miniConsole+ work with both paddle types for the 2600?  I just realized this morning that there is the driving controller that is only one paddle per plug and turns infinitely in either direction, and then the paddle that has two connected to one plug and has stops built in.  Apparently they look nearly identical but function differently.

Some info I read on another page:  "Paddles use a potentiometer aka variable resistor. The position of this controller is read by the console. Their range of rotation is limited to approximately 330 degrees, though few (if any) games use even half of the rotational range.  Driving controllers use a rotary encoder. The change in position of this controller is detected by the console. Their range of rotation is limitless, but only 16 positional changes can be represented by one rotation of the knob." http://atariage.com/forums/topic/171114-paddle-controller-vs-driving-controller/

[bootsector]

Native output to GameCube and Nintendo64 are implemented and in beta test now! 

[WakiMiko]

Native output to GameCube and Nintendo64 are implemented and in beta test now! 

That's just ---smurfing--- awesome! 

[thatpurplestuff]

Native output to GameCube and Nintendo64 are implemented and in beta test now! 

Very cool!