Guaging interest: Keyboard Encoder for console controllers

[DarkKobold]

Hi all.  

  I am in the midst of making myself a console adapter to keyboard encoder - it would take any old console controller, from Atari to Nintendo to Genesis, and maybe some newer ones - and create keyboard commands  for use in MAME and other emulators.

Some of you may know that I was working with Hemp Hacker on a USB version of this, except using Joystick Inputs. I have not abandoned that project, I am just doing this as a side project idea.  

This would serve a dual purpose - You could have your mame setup saved in the emulators, and use your joysticks there or use the pads, without changing configuration. This is what I plan for my main cabinet, which is still a WIP.

I would set up a similar system - allow the controllers to be hot-swappable - and no additional setup required. They would have 15 pin headers that could be spliced on, or wired and taped on, so the original controller is not destroyed.

I am just wondering if there is any desire for this, other than me.

[GroovyTuesdaY]

Oh im sure there is, trouble is gaging how much so for each type of controller.   Maybe the best thing to do would be to do a poll and have a vote for which controller the voter would most prefer having an adaptor for.

Sounds kewl though.   Personally, i always loved the old original SEGA GENESIS 6 BUTTON gampad.  The thumbpad on those were in my opinion one of the best ever made.  My thumb NEVER hurt using those. I never understood why the hell sony  never usd rubber pad for the directional pad.  Their directional pads ALWAYS kiled my thumb after a while, especially when trying to play street fighter type games.

Good luck with it, it sounds like a neat project.

groovY~

[Iori]

I would be interested in a SNES adapter that didn't involve chopping the existing controller connector and some way to mount it into a cabinet.  Imagine a small plastic plate with the 2 (or 4) SNES plugs in them that is then wired to usb or whatever interface you are thinking of using.  Then the user can just plug their snes controller into that when he wants to use it and remove it when not using it.

[Tiger-Heli]

I would be interested in a SNES adapter that didn't involve chopping the existing controller connector and some way to mount it into a cabinet.  Imagine a small plastic plate with the 2 (or 4) SNES plugs in them that is then wired to usb or whatever interface you are thinking of using.  Then the user can just plug their snes controller into that when he wants to use it and remove it when not using it.

Have you seen this?  http://www.sealiecomputing.com/retrozone/store.html

Expensive, though.

[DarkKobold]

Actually, it wouldn't just support one, it would support multiple. It wouldn't require you to have circuitry for each different console.  

It would look something like this -

PC - Circuitry - Adapter - Controller

I would try my hardest to make sure that it wasn't neccessary to destroy the original controller.

The mounting would just be a 15 pin header on the cab - and it would work for almost ALL console controllers.

[Snakebyte]

What type of connection to the PC are you considering?

If it's USB, then I'm definatly interested.

Having an adapter box with multiple inputs would be far less expensive than paying someone else to build a whole set of controllers seperatly with usb plugs hacked on the end.

Keep us updated

[Stingray]

There's already something similar for the Mac.





Unfortunatly the company that makes them seems to be now out of business. I've got one and it will be incorporated into my current cab project. It's a great little item, I'm sure you'd have no problem selling something like this on this board.

-S

[b3atmania]

Using console gamepads on PC is not that interesting as you can just buy an USB gamepad and have the same.

Wat is really needed is an interface that sits between the PC and the I-PAC.

CABINET PANEL <------>  I-PAC or  <-------> CONSOLE ADAPTER <-------> PC
                         OPTI-PAC                      /\
                                                       |
                                                       |
                                                       \/
                                                    CONSOLE

The "CONSOLE ADAPTER" should have two modes: (1) in console mode it translates I-PAC inputs to the console. (2) in PC mode it just acts as a pass-through for the I-PAC.

The CONSOLE ADAPTER should not be implemented half-assed. It should be able to identify itself as the controller of your choice. For PlayStation this means it should be able to act as a regular D-pad controller, a mouse, an dual analog controller, a flight stick controller, a neGcon, a jogCon and volCon. It should also be able to act as a multitap for the I-Pac.

Aside from PlayStation, it should also support MegaDrive, Super Famicom, PC Engine, Saturn, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 and GameCube.

Maybe this is something Andy should work on