Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: qxb265 on October 18, 2017, 03:29:17 pm
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Hello,
I am new, so not sure where to post my question...
I want to use a retro 'The Arcade' joystick for playing on an MSX emulator. Therefor I bought a DB9 connector to connect my joystick via USB to my Mac. See the added photo. I can't get it to work. Is there something I am doing wrong or is this not gonna work....?
cheers,
qxb
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I want to use a retro 'The Arcade' joystick for playing on an MSX emulator. Therefor I bought a DB9 connector to connect my joystick via USB to my Mac. See the added photo. I can't get it to work. Is there something I am doing wrong or is this not gonna work....?
Welcome aboard, Qxb265. ;D
I'm not familiar with that adapter. :dunno
Do you have a part number/manufacturer/link for it?
Did the listing say that the adapter is intended for DB9 joystick ==> USB or is it intended for serial port ==> USB?
(There's a huge difference in the wiring between these two applications.)
If it's intended for a joystick, there should be a gamepad encoder inside.
Scott
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Hi Scott,
Thanks for your answer! :)
I am afraid then that it's a simple converter... What I read in your comment is that to be able to use the converter to function as a DB9 joystick converter, it should be programmed? That is not the case and I doubt can be done for this one. See the attached picture.
Any suggestion of what plug-and-play converter (without programming involved) I should use?
greetz,
Martin
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What you have now is an RS-232 serial port to USB adapter.
What you need is called an "encoder".
Sounds like the type of encoder you're looking for changes joystick/button presses into gamepad outputs (gamepad-style encoder) rather than one that outputs keystrokes. (keyboard-style encoder)
Here's some general pinout info for MSX joysticks.
(https://www.msx.org/wiki/images/thumb/b/b1/MSX_Joystick_Schematic_Circuit.png/382px-MSX_Joystick_Schematic_Circuit.png)
http://old.pinouts.ru/Inputs/JoystickMsx_pinout.shtml (http://old.pinouts.ru/Inputs/JoystickMsx_pinout.shtml)
Not sure exactly which version of "the arcade" joystick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arcade_%28joystick%29) you have, but it appears that they are also Atari-compatible since most systems that used DB9 joystick port connectors used almost identical pinouts.
Raphnet has a DB9 to USB adapter with a built-in gamepad encoder >>> here (http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/atari2usb/index.php) <<< that should work for your setup.
Looking at the schematic (http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/atari_usb/schematic_db9.png) from the related raphnet build-your-own-from-scratch project page (http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/atari_usb/index_en.php):
- Up, down, left, and right are on pins 1-4 -- good for both MSX and Atari sticks
- Common is on pin 8 -- good for both MSX and Atari sticks
- Button 1 is on pin 6 -- good for both MSX and Atari sticks
- Button 2 (if your stick has one) might be on pin 7 which is labeled "select" on the raphnet adapter.
-- The project page mentions that the firmware has auto-detection, so you might want to ask them if your stick is already compatible.
-- Worst case scenario, you might have to make an adapter cable from a DB9 extension cable to connect joystick pin 7 to the correct adapter pin.
This page (https://www.msx.org/wiki/Suzo_The_Arcade_Turbo) mentions that there may be a select switch button on the bottom of your stick that changes which button is conected to which pin. :dunno
(https://www.msx.org/wiki/images/thumb/7/7d/Suzo_The-Arcade-Turbo_bottom.jpg/146px-Suzo_The-Arcade-Turbo_bottom.jpg)
That's about as close to certain as I can get you without knowing the exact model and pinout of your stick. ;D
Scott
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Hi Scott,
Thanks so much for your elaborate reply!
I am gonna dive in to your leads about how to deal with it!
greetz from the Netherlands!
Martin