Making a ps2 usb adapter.

[N8]

I have a dead ps2 but I think that the controller ports still work.  I was pretty sure that there was a tutorial somewhere that showed how to make the ports into a usb adapter but I cant seem to find it.  Before anyone says anything about buying one just realize that I am really cheap and broke.

[MonMotha]

It will cost you more to make one than to buy one.

I just got done doing something of the opposite (emulating a playstation controller and taking the input from MIDI, in this case).  The firmware development took me something like 20 hours (and it doesn't work on a PS2 yet, just a PSX - damn you Sony for not releasing docs), and getting a board made will run you at least $15.  You can probably sample the micro for free if you ask around, but unless your time is COMPELTELY free (and you know embedded programming), it's much easier to just go buy one.

[N8]

well I was hoping to do something like http://www.benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=9034 but with usb instead of pcmcia but oh well just got to splurge and get one.

[MonMotha]

The reason that works so easily is that he used a parallel port PCMCIA card and just soldered a PSX connector onto it.  There are already a bunch of programs written to talk to playstation controllers dangling off PC parallel ports (you can hang freaking ANYTHING off a PC parallel port...).

USB is a much more complex protocol, especially if you want it to show up as a standard HID (keyboard, joystick, etc.) device.  There are plenty of USB microcontrollers laying around (and this is what those adapter boxes use), but you have to know how to program them, and point-to-point wiring most of them is pretty much impossible (you'd need a board made).  In other words, buy a premade one.