Interfacing 49-way joysticks???

[brandon]

I was wondering if anybody has been able to interface 49-way joysticks or has any ideas how it could be done.

[1UP]

49-way sticks are obsolete, since there are lots of analog joysticks out there which are easily interfaced to a PC.  Even arcade analogs are easily hacked with the guts of a PC stick.  I don't know why these are still made except as replacements for the original sticks in the games you mentioned.  If you're using Mame, there is already analog suport for most games, so 49-ways are totally unnecessary.

[brandon]

yeah you're right.  Not much need for them I guess and besides I have enough projects as it is  Just thought I could do something with them since their in great shape and didn't cost me much.  Oh well, If only someone would trade me for a couple of SNK rotary sticks!  :-D

[1UP]

You could always save them for a Sinistar cabinet!  

[JMDickson]

With a bunch of resistors and some wire, you could hook it into an analog pc port.  I don't have the plan worked out in my head yet, but it would be a more complicated version of the old hack used to hook a digital joystick to an analog port.  If you are really interested I'm sure myself or someone here will tell you how.

[brandon]

Yeah, I have an idea that might be what you are thinking.  It would work like an DA converter.  Have weighted resistors for each digital position.  But that would be a lot of trouble and like 1-UP said you could just get an analog stick that would work with more games.  It might feel kinda "klunky" anyways with only 7 positions per axis:

<123(4)567>

Oh well, still might be cool if someone really wants "authentic" Sinistar emulation

[larry smith]

this has been done; do a search on this forum for 49 way joystick there is a link to a circuit to convert 49 way digital to analog. It's doesn't look too complicated or expensive to make.

[larry smith]

here is the circuit
http://http://www.arcadecontrols.com/wwwboard/messages/39298.html

here is the pinout of a sinistar 49 way
http://http://epg3.tripod.com/sinistar.html#hardware

i don't know if the modern 49 way opticals use the same pinout or not.
if anyone knows please post as i have considered getting a 49 way to do this.

[larry smith]

lets try that again
circuit
http://http://www.arcadecontrols.com/wwwboard/messages/39298.html

pinout
http://http://epg3.tripod.com/sinistar.html#hardware