CreatiVEmu Forum

This is a schematic for a simple plugin cable to connect standard (Atari-style) Joysticks to the Creativision...

The topic has been allready discussed in other posts in this forum, so thanks to all members who participated...

The CV Joysticks and Keys often fail and without them you can play no game :0(

This simple cables can give you basic gameplay functionality, or act as an additional Joystickport (if you hook them up in parallel to the CV controllers)

UPs:
Connect and play with your favourite joystick (Atari, Competition Pro, Quickshot...)
Replace a missing or defect CV Controller (at least for basic gameplay)
Simple to build, no need to open or mod the console
Preserve your original CV controllers and spare them the mileage ;0)

DOWNs:
Most likely only 4 directions are supported (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT) and i guess no diagonals, that may depend on how the portbits are interpreted by the game... (Original CV Controllers offer 16 distinguishable ways... if and how they are used internaly and in the programming is another topic ;0))
Only one firebutton (a few CV games need two)

In the schematics you also find an optional 2 pole push button (maybe even 2 single pole push buttons may work, if you press them simultaneously) to simulate a "Start Game" keystroke ("6", "7", "B" or "N" start a game) for most of the CV games... if you have at least one of these buttons working ("7" or "N" would be great) you could simply replace the left joystick and use the StartGame buttons on the right CV controller.

Cheers, TOM:0)

Please find attached the mapping of all the 16 directions and the 2 firebuttons of the CV joysticks

written in the pinnumbers of the plugs in the console (seen from the front, numbering from left to right)

On the left controller Pin 1 to Pin 8 are connected to Pin 9 or/and Pin 10 when a key is pressed or the joystick moved...
On the right controller Pin 3 to Pin 10 are connected to Pin 1 or/and Pin 2 when a key is pressed or the joystick moved...

Cheers, TOM:0)

This is awesome! Thanks for your research. I can also use some of this to start work on complete replacements for the pads.

Cheers!

Chesh

Hi Chesh,

thanks!

here a picture of the adaptor in action ;0)

Cheers, TOM:0)

Sadly i confirm NO DIAGONAL movement possible
(at least in CV BASIC with its JOY() function)

Ciao, TOM:0)

Well, I guess this is another target for an Arduino and some sort of digital switching
Maybe we design a board with a PS/2 port and 2 DE9 connectors

Hi,

the Atari interface has taken the next hurdle :0)

Now it is not a simple cable anymore, but needs 2 ICs (74LS02 and CD4066) and therefor also +5V and GND (can be taken from the cart-port, the CSL cart header, or from a small battery or the tape-port + 7805 cirquitry like on the CSL Audiointerface you could also mod the CV internaly where there are plenty of +5V and GND points...)

By combining (NORing) the signals of the four 45 degree combinations UP+LEFT, LEFT+DOWN, DOWN+RIGHT, RIGHT+UP with the 7402 and using the resulting signal to switch a port on the 4066 to connect the 3. needed connection for the CV to recognize Diagonals :0)

PLUS:
Very small and cheap to build
8 Ways :0)

MINUS:
Needs a powersource and sadly there is none on the controller connectors => a bit of cable salad or use it internaly
Will never be 16 ways, then again does anyone know of a game really using the 16ways (not just handling the additional 8 positions also as one of the 4 Diagonals)???

Schematic to follow soon...

Cheers, TOM:0)

Then again KEVGALs solution (using transistors) in an older topic here in the forum might be even more elegant :0)

Well done. Can't wait to try building one. I was going to suggest, if we do combine it with the PS/2 keyboard adapter, we could target Genesis / Megadrive controllers. Having the additional face buttons could get around some of the mapping issues you highlighted.

I'm not aware of any game that uses more than the basic 8 directions, and it's a compromise I am sure we're happy to accept.

Cheers!

Chesh

But then again, i guess KEVGALs solution (i guess) does not do diagonals... Can anyone confirm this?