Devalis Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I'm wondering if anyone has built a custom 5200 controller out of a PS1 DualShock. I've seen where they make the joystick digital, but I'm wanting to keep it analog. I'm not an electrical engineer, but I would think the big difference in the pot values could pose a problem if wired up straight, so I would think you might need either a voltage regulator controlled by the PS1 pots, or a digital potentiometer. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I've been looking into something similar (though in my case I was looking into the components of a Dual Shock 3). The trouble is that the two-axis potentiometers they use in the thumbstick are far more sensitive than the ones used in the 5200 controllers (10 kOhms vs 640 kOhms). I don't know if they even make thumbsticks with that sort of range. I was hoping I could build a new joystick from scratch using a Parallax 27800 thumbstick as the analog control, but it looks like it's wasn't to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I posted a write up I found ages ago here. But don't remember the link. Just search for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Update: I just used a multimeter to test the Parallax 27800 thumbstick. (took me a long time because I needed a probe with alligator clamps on it) At rest it has a value of 40 ohms, in one direction it has a value of almost 0, in the other 80. Therefore I think this might work in a 5200 controller if it were paired with a 600K resistor. (or better yet, a pair of 1M potentiometers to use as trimming controls. That would make it both a regular joystick, AND a paddle control.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I will be keeping my eye on this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqoon Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 A guy posted a few years back on a fairly regular basis, promising a PS1/2 analog to 5200 controller conversion. Like most of these things, he faded away and never came back to report success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 http://www.multigame.com/mastercontrol5200.html Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 http://www.multigame...ontrol5200.html Allan Did anyone here ever buy that ? I have never seen or heard of that one before . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Did anyone here ever buy that ? I have never seen or heard of that one before . I don't think he ever sold one. It was from about ten years ago. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Interesting , he even has a price listed at 79.99 . I guess if he figured it out then someone else can . Looked nice also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqoon Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 The only thing I did not like about that vaporware, according to that linked website, was that it did not offer two stick control for Space Dungeon and Robotron 2084. I envision a single PS2 controller with two separate cords coming out, one for controller port 1 and the other for controller port 2. Heaven would be playing Space Dungeon with the two PS2 thumbsticks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqoon Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 This is the thread that led to much false hope: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/169356-playstation-5200-adapter-thread/page__hl__+playstation?do=findComment&comment=2514989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I wonder if you could build a USB-to-5200 adapter using a microcontroller, so you could just plug a 360 controller and a USB keypad into it and use those. Would that even be possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I wonder if you could build a USB-to-5200 adapter using a microcontroller, so you could just plug a 360 controller and a USB keypad into it and use those. Would that even be possible? If the 360 controller's protocol is known then a skilled person could make an adapter. The biggest trick beyond communicating with the 360 controller would be emulating the analog pots. The 5200 controllers don't use a voltage divider methodology, the pots are just set up as variable resistors. Digital pots should take care of that. Aside from all of that, you still need 15 buttons to match the full keypad + start + pause + reset buttons to be 100% compatible. There are a number of challenges. I have tried my hand at cobbling together a few different flavors of custom 5200 controllers. Adapters to any readily available controller just come across as kludgy to me. Maybe someday I'll have too much time on my hands and will build a better version of the scratch-built one pictured in my avatar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I made a custom paddle one time but can't find it now. Pain in the neck to make and get working. And I remember the playstation thing. I also found one site a while back with an adapter. Can't remember the name. As for xbox working on 5200 no but I saw the opposite before can't remember where. Or there is always nes to 5200. I wrote here a few times how I did that and even made a video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 (edited) I have tried my hand at cobbling together a few different flavors of custom 5200 controllers. Adapters to any readily available controller just come across as kludgy to me. Maybe someday I'll have too much time on my hands and will build a better version of the scratch-built one pictured in my avatar. I've been thinking a lot about what a modern 5200 controller would look like, and I think the way to go would be to break the functionality off into two controllers. The thumb-stick and fire buttons (along with the clipper controls) would be in their own ergonomic controller, which will plug into the box-like keypad controller (which has the three "system" buttons) which is it itself plugged into the 5200. However if you're intent on making it a single controller, you might want to consider using the shell of a Dreamcast controller, since there's lots of unused real estate for the red/blue/green buttons and the keypad (you could even mount the keypad in the VMU dock). You might also consider adding rapid-fire buttons, since you'll have a couple of empty button holes. (does anyone know how to add a rapid fire control?) Edited February 13, 2013 by kensu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akator Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Recently I was impressed by the Yeti custom controller for the Vectrex, although I haven't seen one in person yet and have missed all opportunities to order from the few that have been available. IMO something similar for the 5200 would be perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31336haxx0r Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Is it possible to change the potentiometers of the PS1 thumbstick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Is it possible to change the potentiometers of the PS1 thumbstick? I assume you could put a 600K resistor on the pin 10 and 11 leads. However the best idea would be to use 1M variable resistors as trimming controls, since pretty much everyone who had replaced the joystick part has complained about calibration problems. You could probably put one where the digital pad is, and the hole for the second thumbstick. NOTE: I tested a Parallax joystick part, and not the actual sticks from the Dualshock, so it's possible the resistance values aren't in the +/- 40 K range I mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31336haxx0r Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 What would that 600K resistor do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 What would that 600K resistor do? The pots have a resistance value centered on 640K, you would need to add the resistors to bring it up to because the PS sticks (or at least the Parallax one I have that is similar) are centered around 40 kOhms. At least, that's how I assume it would work, I haven't had a chance to test out that theory yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohoki Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 What would that 600K resistor do? The pots have a resistance value centered on 640K, you would need to add the resistors to bring it up to because the PS sticks (or at least the Parallax one I have that is similar) are centered around 40 kOhms. At least, that's how I assume it would work, I haven't had a chance to test out that theory yet. uh nope electricity dont work that way putting 600k in series will make your control stay right and down and if you put it in series it will still stay left and up because its like the 2 painters painting a room it will never take longer than the quickest guy if a guy takes 40 minutes to paint a room and another guy takes 600 minutes to paint a room how long woudl it take if they worked together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensu Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I was afraid of that (I'm a programmer, not an electrical engineer, so I'm out of my depth here). How would one go about using a 2-axis potentiometer with a rest state of 40 Kohm with the 5200? Is it even possible? I remember there was a thumbstick controller on here awhile ago (I believe the source was a third-party Dreamcast controller) but I don't think the guy who built it went into detail about what he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohoki Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 oops i shoudl have said parallel on the second example this is why you need capacitors but capacitors only help to a point like with 100k convertinf it to a simulated 500k but converting a 10 k pot makes a jitery mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqoon Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 if a guy takes 40 minutes to paint a room and another guy takes 600 minutes to paint a room how long woudl it take if they worked together Most likely longer than the assumed 40 minutes, due to the fact that the 600 minute painter would get in the 40 minute painter's way. Time would be wasted on inefficiencies like walking around 600 minute guy's ladder, watching out for him, being careful not to trip on his paint tray, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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