Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Babu on May 30, 2003, 02:34:12 am

Title: Side winder question???
Post by: Babu on May 30, 2003, 02:34:12 am

If I use a sidewinder with regular gameport connector and I use a gameport to usb converter will it work as a usb gamepad?

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: spectre on May 30, 2003, 02:42:09 am

If it is plugged into the USB slot, I'm sure it would. My sidewinder has a usb hookup on it standard...so I haven't tested that...

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: Amra on May 30, 2003, 03:16:46 am

Why anyone would want USB for a game pag, i dunno... doesnt it only support a certain amount of keypresses?

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: u_rebelscum on May 30, 2003, 04:14:49 am

Quote from: Amra on May 30, 2003, 03:16:46 am

Why anyone would want USB for a game pag, i dunno... doesnt it only support a certain amount of keypresses?

Gamepad is not the same as keyboard.  Buttonpresses are not the same as keypresses.  Most importantly, USB gamepad data packs are very different that USB keyboard data packets.  Thus, different limits.  IIRC, a USB max of 256 button presses at a time for gamepads; most gamepad boards are the limiting factor for USB game inputs, not USB.

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: rampy on May 30, 2003, 09:03:45 am

The original sidewinder gamepads (gameport) had *plenty* of buttons, AND you could daisychain them AND they have nice labeled solder points/holes on their breadboard/pcb.

The way in which this is accomplished was to communicate with the PC in a way that is different than regular gameport pads communicate with the PC.

It works more akin to how MIDI signals work through the gameport.

It's my gut feeling that regular gameport gamepads (4 directions, 4 buttons) will work fine with your USB adapter.  But I have my doubts about the MS sidewinder in that application due to the difference in how it communicates, and what the driver(s)/libraries expect from it.

*shrug*

Rampy

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: Babu on May 30, 2003, 07:56:58 pm

So the conclusio is that it would work?

Well according to rampy it would but it might have problems with the driver. I hope it does coz yahoo is selling the gameport ones for 5 bucks and i can daisy chain emm and get the adapter.

It would be around 15 bucks.

I think...

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: rampy on May 30, 2003, 08:07:45 pm

Quote from: Babu on May 30, 2003, 07:56:58 pm

So the conclusio is that it would work?

Well according to rampy it would but it might have problems with the driver. I hope it does coz yahoo is selling the gameport ones for 5 bucks and i can daisy chain emm and get the adapter.

It would be around 15 bucks.

I think...

They work great through the gameport... why do you want to run them through USB? (do you have another gameport controller like a steering wheel that needs that port, or???)

What  are you trying to acomplish by converting it to USB (you can try it, but I don't think it'll work)

*Shrug*

rampy

Title: Re:Side winder question???
Post by: Babu on May 30, 2003, 09:16:06 pm

My computer doesent have a gameport