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An odd controller request

14 replies · 2,394 views · Started 02 July 2002

AtmaWeapon 02 Jul 2002, 21:04

I seem to remember seeing posted here about a year ago a link to a site that had instructions on rewiring a lot of console controllers to work with parallel and serial ports. I like playing with soldering and such, and I think it'd be neat to play emulated games... I mean, uh, Zelda Classic and definitely NOT ROMS, with an NES controller. I've been looking for the site, but I can't seem to find it. Does anyone remember the site, or know of something similar? I know of adaptoid, but I'm looking for something I can do myself. Thanks.

Artevoi 03 Jul 2002, 14:36

Hey, that sounds useful. I'd be nice to play MGS (PC) with a real PS1 controller. Or play Quake the same way I played it that first time (N64 controller).

AtmaWeapon 03 Jul 2002, 18:49

There was a website I saw once, linked from here, that had instructions on how to make them... darn the pruning!

vegeta1215 03 Jul 2002, 18:53

I have a GamePad Pro and it's just like a PS controller, which it just like an SNES controller. I love it! 😃

Ruler26 04 Jul 2002, 07:03

I tried converting a SNES controller to PC a while ago (in fact, it's in a bag next to me). However, it didn't work very well...hitting the B button would activate all of the buttons, which doesn't offer very precise control. I'm pretty sure that I soldered it correctly, but I believe that there are other possible issues beyond short circuits, like the length of the cord, the voltage the motherboard has set for the Parallel and Serial ports (which definitely isn't accessible from the BIOS, and I don't know if it is accessible on the board itself, I don't really feel like dealing with that kind of stuff).

Granted, it isn't a pure SNES controller, as it is actually a third party Interact controller, but that's irrelevant. I want it to work though, damn it. I'd rather not use a N64 controller with the Adaptoid, and I'd rather not use an SNES adaptor sold from Zophar's Domain, because it looks sort of flimsy and vulnerable as opposed to a controller whos newly soldered connector is enclosed in a case. I did recently buy a SNES extention cord, maybe I should try again with that.

AtmaWeapon 04 Jul 2002, 18:29

Click on the how-to guide on that page, and it has a link that says "a possible 'fix' for speed problems". Read below to see if it sounds like your problem and check the page, it sounds like you just have to slightly modify the circuit.

Known problems

On some computers, especially fast ones, the following problem may appear:

if you press a single button at the gamepad, SNESKey and/or Direct Pad Pro shows two or more buttons pressed at the same time.
with a short cable, everything is o.k. but when you extend the cable the above described effect happens

What you can do to avoid this problem:

avoid ultra-long cables
set the ISA bus clock to the standard (default) setting (approx. 8MHz) or below. The timing is derived from this bus-clock.

I also like the SNES compatible circuit. In theory, I could make my own controller with that puppy, or even maybe modify another controller to work with it... 😊

Dracula 04 Jul 2002, 19:17

Originally posted by SlasherCGE
Hmmm...what PC games would be perfect to use with the PS Contoller adaptor besides MGS and GTA 3?

Dark Vengeance.

I'd like to play GCN controller on PC. I also heard that someone messed with his XBox controller port to work on PC without an adaptor... Why the hell would you want to play THAT on PC?