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NES Controller to Commodore 64 Joystick — Parallax Forums

NES Controller to Commodore 64 Joystick

cbmeekscbmeeks Posts: 634
edited 2007-09-18 19:12 in General Discussion
Hello folks! It's been a while since I have been on. Life has been pretty hard recently.

I wouldn't say I have forgotten everything but I could certainly use a refresher in some areas.
I would like to do a quick and simple circuit that could read the input from a NES (or even SNES) game controller and translate that into usable signals that a Commodore 64 could understand (or Amiga, Atari, etc...)
For this project, I am thinking of using the SX48 protoboards because they are dirt cheap, have tons of IO and I wouldn't need hardly anything else. I could wire everything right into the board.
I believe I can handle the code. For something this simple I would probably just use BASIC. I can't imaging this being as hard as some of the video circuits I've done.

Anyway, I've been out of the loop so I am having to relearn some basics.

I am wondering, once I read the NES input, what would be the best way to translate that into the C64? The C64's joystick is just simple switches but I don't want to send 5V somewhere where it shouldn't go. lol

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Also, *IF* this becomes a reality, I am planning on giving all of the code away along with how to assemble it and of course, where to buy the SX48 boards. If I think I could program this and assemble a few resistors in a few minutes I might re-sell them at cost. I'm not looking to make a buck on this. I think this would be a neat benefit to the Commodore 64 community that I love. NES made awesome controllers and it would be great to use them to play C64 games.

Thanks!

cbmeeks

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Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2007-09-18 18:54
    I think the atari type joysticks just have a "common" lead. I think it's up to the game system to decide if it is ground or not (+5?).
    That might cause a problem, but I would not just assume it is ground.
    The safest way would be to use 5 relays, but I know that is expensive and ugly.

    Bean.

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  • BamseBamse Posts: 561
    edited 2007-09-18 19:12
    For Commodore 64, see this link,
    http://www.devili.iki.fi/Computers/Commodore/C64/Service_Manual/Page_12.html

    Joystick Interface
    U1 also controls the joystick. Parallel port A accepts inputs from the B joystick connected to control port 2. Parallel port B accepts inputs from the A joystick connected to control port 1. When the joystick is moved up, down, left, right, or the fire button is depressed, a ground potential is applied to the appropriate input of U1.

    TI99/4A have a little bit different interface, quite interesting...
    http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/cables/joystick.html

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    Living on the planet Earth might be expensive but it includes a free trip around the sun every year...

    Experience level:
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Let's connect the motor to pin 1, it's a 6V motor so it should be fine.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] OK, I got my resistors hooked up with the LEDs.
    [noparse][[/noparse]X] I got the Motor hooked up with the H-bridge and the 555 is supplying the PWM.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Now, if I can only program the BOE-BOT to interface with he Flux Capacitor.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] I dream in SX28 assembler...

    /Bamse
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