Serial joystick driver?

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-13 14:24

I've got an idea for a Propeller project which incorporates using it's serial connection to the PC
to send PC joystick data. Does anyone know of a serial joystick driver? Google is giving me nothing useful.

I'm not only looking for the driver itself, but something which is documented so that I can replace it with a Prop.

Thanks!
OBC

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Vaati · 2010-04-13 14:29

Why not usb? You could use that USB host controller software that's posted in the prop forums...

Or, even use something along the lines of this: http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/snes_nes_usb/index_en.php
or if you have an atari joystick, this: http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/atari_usb/index_en.php

You can email that person for more details on their projects.

I hope this helps.

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CannibalRobotics · 2010-04-13 16:14

The Windoz joystick drivers are tricky to get 'behind' especially with Plug and Pray and everything going to USB devices as opposed to just a standard joystick input. I spent a great deal of time getting VB to reliably recognize joystick input as Microsoft's support for the ActiveX objects came and went with the service packs.

What's the operating system and final destination program for the joystick data?

You might ultimately find it easier (and faster) to use the prop to spoof a joystick than go in serially.
Use something like sewelldirect.com/USB-to-Gameport-Adapter-for-Joysticks-Controllers-and-Gamepads.asp?source=froogle&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=cse&cvsfa=1306&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=53572d35393639

The joystick pinout for a standard PC joystick is attached.

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Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-13 17:23

@Vaati

That is where I might wind up when the USB driver becomes a little more developed.
I suspect it still may be a little raw at the moment.

@CannibalRobotics

The target machine is a Windows XP box.
I like your thought on this, but even the old fashion gameport is becoming a thing of history.

There are some really nice game controller objects for the Propeller. I thought it might be nice
to be able to share that with my PC via the Propeller interface.

OBC

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CannibalRobotics · 2010-04-14 14:07

@OBC said...
·but even the old fashion gameport is becoming a thing of history

Your right·but I think it will be like a DB-9 RS-232 port. The shear weight of numbers is going to force it to be around for a while. With that little USB/Gameport dongle, for $18 bucks you can buy off the headaches of dealing with USB inside of Windoze.
Not only that, when the Prop driver is done you'll have something else to post on the obex!

J-

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ratronic · 2010-04-14 22:53

OBC, I'm not sure if this is the direction you were looking for but I use Robotbasic for the pc side of things and the attached·spin programs so that my propeller chip can get the values from my pc's usb joystick. The joysticktest.spin is the object I use and the joydisp.spin is just a demo showing how to use it.

edit I also attached the robotbasic program I use (rfbot.bas - I changed to a txt file so you could read it.)

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D Rat

Dave Ratcliff N6YEE

Post Edited (ratronic) : 4/14/2010 11:03:25 PM GMT

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-15 11:54

Actually, I'm going to go the other direction.

The idea was to use the Propeller to provide an easy way to connect my N64, NES, SNES, or Gamecube controllers to the PC.

Thanks for posting that code! That robotBASIC looks extremely easy and straightforward. Might give it a look. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

OBC

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James Newman · 2010-04-15 17:27

If anyone gets the usb object doing some hid-gamepad stuff, please share. It's somthing I've wanted to play with, but is on the back burner.

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-19 14:42

@James,

Haven't given up on the original idea.. Beau pointed me back to PPjoy which DOES support joystick on COM port.
(I had written that program off as only supporting LPT sticks, etc.)

I suspect he is further along in the protocol, but one of us or both may post a working solution soon.

Pretty cool that a Propeller chip may allow you to use any of the following controllers on your PC soon....

Atari Joystick
obex.parallax.com/objects/87/

Gamecube controller
obex.parallax.com/objects/99/

N64 Controller
obex.parallax.com/objects/101/

Sony Controller
obex.parallax.com/objects/203/

NES & SNES Controller
obex.parallax.com/objects/111/

Wii Classic Controller
obex.parallax.com/objects/111/

Wii Nunchuck Controller
obex.parallax.com/objects/469/

Bet this would make a neat project for GadgetGangster.

OBC

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Post Edited (Oldbitcollector) : 4/19/2010 2:53:33 PM GMT

James Newman · 2010-04-19 17:19

Yeah, for my project I was needing linux support so PPJoy was out. Still interested about how it turns out though.

Beau Schwabe · 2010-04-19 17:28

Oldbitcollector,

Something I was playing with this weekend... I Posted to the OBEX:

FMS Serial Joystick Driver v1.0.a

Supports:
FMS PIC 9600 baud (Generic)
FMS PIC 9600 baud (0xF0+ sync)
FMS PIC 19200 baud (0xFF sync)
Zhen Hua 5 byte protocol

James Newman,

In my searches I found some Serial drivers for Linux that would accept FMS protocols... I'm sure this would be possible using the same demo that I posted to the OBEX.

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Beau Schwabe

IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.

Post Edited (Beau Schwabe (Parallax)) : 4/20/2010 7:46:00 AM GMT

BradC · 2010-04-20 03:05

The USB host stack is not what you want for this (and won't do what you want anyway). The usb client would do the job however.

Take the usb california dreamin' demo (which is already recognised by windows as a USB HID device) and modify it for a joystick . I've been meaning to do it for years, but never quite got around to it.

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Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-21 14:08

Attached is a NES controller driver using based on Beau's code.

Thanks Beau for helping me with this idea! Works perfectly!

OBC

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Post Edited (Oldbitcollector) : 4/25/2010 4:00:32 PM GMT

Beau Schwabe · 2010-04-21 16:20

Oldbitcollector,

Thanks!, you bet.

I just want to mention... the FMS PIC 9600 baud (Generic) format is basically a (0xF0+ sync) where as long as the SYNC bit is $F0 or greater it's considered a SYNC. Some games capable of decoding FMS directly could be picky and require the correct number of Channels added to $F0 a requirement. PPJoy however is not that picky.

...That said to keep things kosher, the line in your code that reads... ser.tx($F0+2) 'sync ... is fine, but you could probably get away with it reading as ... ser.tx($F0) 'sync ... with the Generic format, but as I indicated earlier, some games that decode FMS directly might complain.

... Also, for the buttons, to detect simultaneous pressing you might want to use the 'or' operator. Currently it's in a priority configuration.

Change this ...

      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_B)
         bb := $01
      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_A)
         bb := $02
      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_START)
         bb := $04
      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_SELECT)
         bb := $08

... to this ...

      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_B)
         bb |= $01
      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_A)
         bb |= $02
      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_START)
         bb |= $04
      if(Nes_Pad & NES0_SELECT)
         bb |= $08

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Beau Schwabe

IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.

Post Edited (Beau Schwabe (Parallax)) : 4/21/2010 6:39:36 PM GMT

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-21 16:57

Thank Beau!

My alert buzzer is going off: Learning opportunity! [noparse]:)[/noparse]

Would you tell me the difference in behavior between your |= code and my := code?

Thanks!
OBC

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James Newman · 2010-04-21 17:17

With the := code your assigning over the old value each line, so holding 2 buttons will only result in one getting reported. The |= code performs an or on the part being added. This results in a value with bits set for each button, allowing multiple buttons to be held down and reported properly.

Post Edited (James Newman) : 4/21/2010 5:41:41 PM GMT

Beau Schwabe · 2010-04-21 17:25

Oldbitcollector,

Using := bb is loaded as as priority mode, where the last condition has top prioity. For example in your code... button 'A' takes precedence over button 'B', and the 'START' buttton takes precedence over 'A' and 'B', while button 'SELECT' takes precedence over everything.

         bb := %0001
         bb := %0010
         bb := %0100
         bb := %1000

Using |= bb is 'OR'ed so the previous contents are preserved. This removes the priority mode aspect, and allows for simultanious button conditions.

         bb |= %0001
         bb |= %0011
         bb |= %0111
         bb |= %1111

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Beau Schwabe

IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-21 17:25

@James,

Wow.. Thank you! Makes sense! Yes, a perfect change!

OBC

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Chris Savage · 2010-04-21 18:29

This thread is being moved from the Sandbox forum to the Propeller Forum at the request of the original poster.

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·

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2010-04-24 17:38

Uploaded final version of the NES via-prop-to PC code on this message.

I've made the recommended changes, as well as fixed the buttons so that they are correct.
(At least with the NESten emulator.)

After playing Super Mario Bro's with the original interface, I'm not sure how we used the
Nintendo interface for all those hours without severe pain! Fingers cramped after 10 mins!

On to the N64 stuff. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

OBC

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Serial joystick driver?

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