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Running Games and Apps.

Gamepad + New Made Games

Mallagan Bellator

Posts 393
26 Jun 2018 17:31


Ok, so I’ve had this thought for quite some time now.
I wanted to make my own 3d adventure game, something similar to the latest Zelda game, and I wanted to build my own controller, both for playing myself and for selling to others.

So I wanted to put a lot of buttons on this controller and either do a double connection to the paralell port and Joy 2 port on the Amiga, but I have some questions regarding this.

1. Does the parallell port support analogue controllers? I wanted to use two analogue sticks on it, as well as pressure sensitive shoulder buttons.

2. Would it be possible to fake more buttons by putting resistors onto the extra buttons in the Joy 2 connector? That way, it could in theory support quite a bunch of buttons, as well as a second analogue stick, already in the Joy 2 port

I know the joy 1 and 2 port supports pots on pin 6 and I forgot the second one, the question is if it supports it on other pins as well.


Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
26 Jun 2018 17:38


Mallagan Bellator wrote:

  Ok, so I’ve had this thought for quite some time now.
    I wanted to make my own 3d adventure game, something similar to the latest Zelda game, and I wanted to build my own controller, both for playing myself and for selling to others.
   
    So I wanted to put a lot of buttons on this controller and either do a double connection to the paralell port and Joy 2 port on the Amiga, but I have some questions regarding this.
   
    1. Does the parallell port support analogue controllers? I wanted to use two analogue sticks on it, as well as pressure sensitive shoulder buttons.
   
    2. Would it be possible to fake more buttons by putting resistors onto the extra buttons in the Joy 2 connector? That way, it could in theory support quite a bunch of buttons, as well as a second analogue stick, already in the Joy 2 port
   
    I know the joy 1 and 2 port supports pots on pin 6 and I forgot the second one, the question is if it supports it on other pins as well.
 

 
  I made a three button joystick not too long ago, You can essentially get 3 buttons on a single DB-9 joystick port without any real modifications. Although I only know of ADoom That makes any use of this.
 
  I got my wiring info from this wiki:
  EXTERNAL LINK   


Mallagan Bellator

Posts 393
26 Jun 2018 17:43


Yes, yes. I know the wiring and the connections :)
They are pretty much listed in the Amiga 500 hardware manual.
I’ve converted controllers myself before, but I wanted to use like 10 buttons

And as I said, I wanted to make my own game


Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
26 Jun 2018 17:49


Well okay... The Parallel port likely could handle analog inputs with perhaps some ADC wired and special drivers.
 
  Edit: however you're likely better off using the Joystick ports for buttons, it could be used for 8 buttons.


Sebastian Blanco

Posts 148
26 Jun 2018 19:41


What about the CD32 gamepad ?, it have 7 buttons.

I have one of this EXTERNAL LINK 
It let you use a pc usb gamepad as CD32 compatible.
It should work on any amiga.


Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
26 Jun 2018 19:44


Roy Gillotti wrote:

Well okay... The Parallel port likely could handle analog inputs with perhaps some ADC wired and special drivers.
 
  Edit: however you're likely better off using the Joystick ports for buttons, it could be used for 8 buttons.

Er I mean use the Parallel port for 8 additional buttons.



Mallagan Bellator

Posts 393
27 Jun 2018 01:34


The idea is to not need to pull the mouse out everytime you wanna use the gamepad.
Also, on the parallell port you can get aditional 2 up, down, left, right and fire buttons. That’s 10 button signals


Thumptech 1

Posts 13
27 Jun 2018 01:44


Could you extend the CD32 controller protocol and shift out all the extra buttons/analog positions that way?


Eric Gus

Posts 477
27 Jun 2018 07:13


Roy Gillotti wrote:

Roy Gillotti wrote:

  Well okay... The Parallel port likely could handle analog inputs with perhaps some ADC wired and special drivers.
   
    Edit: however you're likely better off using the Joystick ports for buttons, it could be used for 8 buttons.
 

 
  Er I mean use the Parallel port for 8 additional buttons.
 

If you used a multiplexer you could get a lot more than just 8 buttons..



Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
27 Jun 2018 12:25


eric gus wrote:

Roy Gillotti wrote:

 
Roy Gillotti wrote:

  Well okay... The Parallel port likely could handle analog inputs with perhaps some ADC wired and special drivers.
   
    Edit: however you're likely better off using the Joystick ports for buttons, it could be used for 8 buttons.
 

 
  Er I mean use the Parallel port for 8 additional buttons.
 
 

 
  If you used a multiplexer you could get a lot more than just 8 buttons..
 

True, but not sure what complexity he wants for this project.


Saladriel Amrael

Posts 166
27 Jun 2018 16:22


Best answer for the first question (about parallel port supporting analog controllers) would be to look at old analog controllers sold back then, where they with a serial or parallel port connections?




Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
27 Jun 2018 20:11


Saladriel Amrael wrote:

    Best answer for the first question (about parallel port supporting analog controllers) would be to look at old analog controllers sold back then, where they with a serial or parallel port connections?
   
   
   

    Serial or Parallel port joysticks were not really common. Atari/Commodore stuck to 9-pin standard that was common back then, primarily a digital interface, but commodore had analog as well. Tandy Joysticks were basically two potentiometers conneted to a DIN plug with a button, used a DAC on the board. IBM PC introduced the gameport in an expansion in 1981 that was a 15 pin connector had a mix of analog and digital inputs.


Mallagan Bellator

Posts 393
29 Jun 2018 01:00


Old Amiga analogue joystics for DB9 connector used the firebutton pin and another one for pots, then the pins for left and right as the buttons. Up and down were mostly unused


Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
29 Jun 2018 01:26


Mallagan Bellator wrote:

Old Amiga analogue joystics for DB9 connector used the firebutton pin and another one for pots, then the pins for left and right as the buttons. Up and down were mostly unused

Also, standalone vamps will have DB9 ports but NOT ser/par ones (sadly), replaced by USB and LAN :-) (same for all v4 Vamps, hopefully USB will be standard on Amigas). Thus something nice for DB9 or some improved USB drivers would be a way forward.


Andy Hearn

Posts 374
29 Jun 2018 10:19


[joke]
  if you want your stand alone vamp to have the standard set of amiga output ports, then just plug it into a "Commodore A500" port expander. the full serial, parallel, floppy disk drive and keyboard ports are available - even a zorro1 style breakout edge connector, and comes with it's own power supply that can run the vampire as well. all in a retro style all-in-one keyboard computer case.
 
  [/joke] :)
 
 
  serious question.... I take it one of the expansion ports on the V4 is going to be tied up running a tiny USB stack on the FPGA all by itself, for keyboard and mouse duties in the pre-boot environment?
 
  sorry didn't mean to highjack the thread. back to topic, why not have a look at the PS1 pad to amiga adapter? save a lot of work that's already been done? just a thought...


Mallagan Bellator

Posts 393
29 Jun 2018 13:39


Ps1 to Amiga adapter, good choice. Will have to look into that!

And yes, the standalone will lack parallell port, this is true. I didn’t think about that.
Takes me back to a thought I had way back. Maybe the V4 standalone could be made to have expansion ports that would allow you to optionally put parallell and serial ports in, as well as floppy connector. Yeah, it’s possible that only a few would actually use them, but it’s a thought

posts 16