I'm looking into interfaceing a 49-way joystick to the PC.

[shaunti]

Here's the gameport pinouts.

http://www.technick.net/index.php?load_page=http%3A//www.technick.net/pinconjoy_pc_game.php

I'm not sure if I can rig up the 49-way as an anolog joystick and load a simple driver, then I can callibrate it.

Has anyone looked into this?
 


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[Xiaou2]

 Somebody I know is looking into making an encoder for this... but,  Im not sure how long it will take... or any other details.

  Im 99% sure it has to be a hardware solution... as I doubt there is a way to interface the multiple optos to a gameport without some sort of encoder/interpreter.

[SirPoonga]

Nope, I doubt you can interface it directly.  It will have to "act" like an analog joystick.

Though there really isn;t a point to do that unless you have a blitz cabinet and you want to use the joysticks that came with it.

[u_rebelscum]

You can't directly connect it; you would need some board to convert the digital signals into analog if you want to use them as generic analog joysticks.

If you know how to convert digital to analog, here's the output values that need to be converted into an analog voltage.  Notice the williams 49-way is binary complement of the midway/happs 49-way.

Code: [Select]

  Sinistar/                       Midway/
Williams 49-way                 Happs 49-way
    1000        full up/right       0111
    1100        2/3 up/right        0011
    1110        1/3 up/right        0001
    0111           center            1000
    0011        1/3 down/left       1100
    0001        2/3 down/left       1110
    0000        full down/left      1111
I guess you could convert it to a binary signal compatable with the digital "analog" joysticks like the sidewinders and all USB joystick, instead of the analog discribed on the page ref'ed.

[Dave_K.]

Here is the circuit needed to convert the 49-way stick's led arrays to analog output.

http://www.arcadecollecting.com/info/49way_to_Hall.gif

[shaunti]

Here is the circuit needed to convert the 49-way stick's led arrays to analog output.

http://www.arcadecollecting.com/info/49way_to_Hall.gif

Thank you!  You da man!

This is exactly what I was looking for.  My main motivation is for sinistar.
I'll try NFL blits too.

Also thanks to u_rebelscum on the binary info.

Mame on.....

[johnpurs]

Here is the circuit needed to convert the 49-way stick's led arrays to analog output.

http://www.arcadecollecting.com/info/49way_to_Hall.gif

A couple questions on this. It looks like it makes the 14 pin connector into 4 pins and also converts them to X and y axis and ground and power.

1. If I built the circuit could I just hook it up to a gameport extension cable and plug it in?

2. Has anyone tried to build this circuit. I will if I can understand the schematic better? I know the resistors and the 14 pin ics  What are the dots for in the scematic?

[Beley]

.....What are the dots for in the scematic?

The dots are where the wires are connected to eachother