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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: l8nite on September 08, 2004, 07:47:13 pm

Title: Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: l8nite on September 08, 2004, 07:47:13 pm
These have been mentioned at least once before on the forums (did a quick and dirty search), but this article showed up on slashdot today, so I thought I'd paste the link here.

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/7817137582525561/ (http://www.joystiq.com/entry/7817137582525561/)

-Shaun
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: juggernaut on September 09, 2004, 08:27:22 am
must...build....and play zelda!
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: SteveJ34 on September 09, 2004, 09:24:35 am
These have been mentioned at least once before on the forums (did a quick and dirty search), but this article showed up on slashdot today, so I thought I'd paste the link here.

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/7817137582525561/ (http://www.joystiq.com/entry/7817137582525561/)

-Shaun

Not to be a "cheapskate" but I wonder if these parts can be sourced for less than $16.00 + shipping.

Can anyone tell by the diagram what rating resistors and capacitors are being used here for the non-electrical technicals like myself?

I guess the remaining issue is sourcing the chip and a USB cable for hack.

Steve

Revised: Looks like the kicker is the PIC16C74 Microchip which appears to run $8 - $9 in small quantities.
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: Bgnome on September 09, 2004, 09:47:35 am
the problem with usb hacks is the controller chip.  as mentioned in another thread, it makes it so the average hobbyist can't do it with off the shelf parts.  if you have a PIC programmer and some free code that actually worked, then maybe.  but otherwise, you need to buy a controller chip from someone who has it programmed with the appropriate firmware, ie retrozone.
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: SteveJ34 on September 09, 2004, 10:07:18 am
the problem with usb hacks is the controller chip.  as mentioned in another thread, it makes it so the average hobbyist can't do it with off the shelf parts.  if you have a PIC programmer and some free code that actually worked, then maybe.  but otherwise, you need to buy a controller chip from someone who has it programmed with the appropriate firmware, ie retrozone.

Ah, thanks for the education. I was not aware there was some embedded code that had been placed on this chip.
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: Stormy151 on September 09, 2004, 02:50:54 pm
I bought a USB NES controller from Retrozone.  They delivered quick, and it works great.  In fact, I liked it so much I bought another one, and a set of SNES controllers for 2-player action.  :)

I tried to find some NES controllers at thrift stores for a while, with no luck planning to do a hack.  Then after pricing them on Ebay with shipping and everything, I figured that it would be cheapest just to buy the controller already converted.
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: Bgnome on September 09, 2004, 04:57:59 pm
if you want a somewhat more functional controller and have a psx adapter for your pc already, you may want to take a look at the madcatz retrocon:
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/3811167?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: Jakobud on September 09, 2004, 05:13:56 pm
Is it possible for someone to figure out how to program that chip so we could do it ourselves?
Title: Re:Nintendo USB Controller Hack
Post by: Bgnome on September 09, 2004, 05:20:24 pm
why not hack a usb controller and steal the chip in it?  ;)
http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/usbsatpad/

some information that may be of use:
http://www.ece.utexas.edu/~tabony/snestopc/usb.html

someone who was working on a multi-controller code, although i didnt see the code anywhere:
http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/hemphacker/