Parallel port as a programmer

[ShinAce]

I want to connect my controls directly(without an encoder) to the parallel port.
I was thiking of splitting the controls into groups. Group A being 4 directions and start. Group B is the 6 main buttons. On top of that, 2 bits for an enable scheme to access group a, group b, or nothing.

I would still need to build a type of latch for each button. I'd probably use a 1 bit register, or T flip-flop. That would be my buffer, allowing me to control the entire joystick from 8 lines.

Is this feasible? I've never worked with a parallel port before.

[SirPoonga]

I'd look into hacking a gamepad or as playstation controller (using lpt driver). 

I wouldn't hook the controls up to the parallel port though.  Only 8 data lines.  Why go through the trouble of making that work.

[Crazy Cooter]

LPT:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,29299.0.html

[Hoagie_one]

i have one built and it works great.  See above thread

[cholin]

Last time I checked...it was for sale too...

[Hoagie_one]

Last time I checked...it was for sale too...

That is correct sir

[ShinAce]

I saw the LPT switch thread, great read. But there are a few problems. First, I want the LPT to control the switches(ie, another encoder), not the other way around. Can the lpt WRITE to pins 1-10? If so, I can use the switch to get more lines, but that's it.

Secondly, the driver for that switch will also be backwards, so I still need to write my own driver.

Back to square 1.

[Hoagie_one]

i see, you want software to operate switches.  To what end?

[ShinAce]

For making combo videos. I need to be able to do 1 thing. Hold a button for a certain amount of time (x/60 sec). But I also need to access all buttons at once(or rather, within 1/60 of a second).

It will be controlling encoders for various systems, which are active low. So all I need to do is pull the proper pin to gnd at the right time. But the question is, which pins on the LPT are capable of transmitting? And secondly, where to find info on writing programs that transmit via the LPT.

The reason I want to do it this way is because it would become a universal programmer that I can use on just about any joystick.

[Hoagie_one]

i dont get it...but good luck with it

[Samstag]

There's no good reason to do this in hardware.  You're talking about writing software and building hardware that controls other hardware that becomes a software input. 

Skip the middleman and write a software program that generates key presses.  No real hardware required and no compatibility problems.

[ShinAce]

The hardware involved is minimal. It's gonna be 99% writing code.

[ShinAce]

The whole point of doing this is to be able to program very long macros, which then must be accepted by ALL consoles. It needs to work on psx, DC, xbox, saturn, all that jazz.

The key presses are not going back to a computer.

Copied and pasted from another site...just lost the url *sigh*.
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