External controller on Lynx II

[ATLynxer]

Hi, I don't know if anybody did it before, but I've made a Lynx II with external controller. This starting from a McWill screen (thanks Marco for your great screen!). This thing allows me to play on a monitor with in my hands not the big Lynx as a controller, but a smaller control pad.

 

So I've consolized the Lynx

 

I think I will make a youtube video soon...in the meantime, I put here some photos...

Edited April 6, 2017 by ATLynxer

[Trew]

Interesting, what are you using for Option 1/2? (If that's start and select, what about pause?).

[ATLynxer]

Interesting, what are you using for Option 1/2? (If that's start and select, what about pause?).

For pause I put a button at purpose...in the photo of the controller you can see it!

[Trew]

So you can! Nice work.

[ATLynxer]

So you can! Nice work.

Yes...thanks....

If you click on the photos you can see them in high resolution...

On the external controller you can find: the thumb cross, option 1, otion 2, fire 1, fire 2 and pause.

[7800fan]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/211209-using-psx-or-snes-controller-on-other-consoles-cheaply/ it has been done for a few years now. I have SNES mod done but I skipped the 90° rotate feature. Few games are designed for this and it's hard to make my 32" TV stand on sideway while using separate controller.

 

Early controllers like Atari 2600 and SMS won't need anything special but they don't have enough buttons unless you go with the expensive Neo Geo controller (15 pins connector is big though and would be hard to add that without making Lynx ugly).

 

SNES and PSOne controllers are common and easily obtained but they use chip to encode multiple buttons over few wires so you would need decoder to handle the conversion. ATMega 328 is cheap (about $2 from legit sources) if you can program it yourself. I have looked into and PS2 controllers don't work well because it doesn't like 5v from Lynx and I am too lazy to add in bunch of level shifter and 3.3v power converter just to make PS2 controller work. XBox (original) uses propriety USB and both original and S model don't fit well in my hand so I never looked further in this. Gamecube is a possibility though, I have Wavebird. I could connect wirelessly and leave my Lynx next to my TV.

[Turbo Laser Lynx]

Nice work ATLynxer, it looks great with the modded nes controller! Looking forward to a video

[ATLynxer]

Nice work ATLynxer, it looks great with the modded nes controller! Looking forward to a video

 

Thank you my friend! :)

[ATLynxer]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/211209-using-psx-or-snes-controller-on-other-consoles-cheaply/ it has been done for a few years now. I have SNES mod done but I skipped the 90° rotate feature. Few games are designed for this and it's hard to make my 32" TV stand on sideway while using separate controller.

 

Early controllers like Atari 2600 and SMS won't need anything special but they don't have enough buttons unless you go with the expensive Neo Geo controller (15 pins connector is big though and would be hard to add that without making Lynx ugly).

 

SNES and PSOne controllers are common and easily obtained but they use chip to encode multiple buttons over few wires so you would need decoder to handle the conversion. ATMega 328 is cheap (about $2 from legit sources) if you can program it yourself. I have looked into and PS2 controllers don't work well because it doesn't like 5v from Lynx and I am too lazy to add in bunch of level shifter and 3.3v power converter just to make PS2 controller work. XBox (original) uses propriety USB and both original and S model don't fit well in my hand so I never looked further in this. Gamecube is a possibility though, I have Wavebird. I could connect wirelessly and leave my Lynx next to my TV.

 

Mine has all the functions, except for the three buttons on the left of the Lynx screen, so: ON, OFF, BACLIGHT which are unnecessary on an external controller.

While it has all the other functions, so if you press together OPTION1 and II on the controller, you will have RESTART. Also if you press II and OPTION2 together you will have the FLIP function, so the 90° rotate feature you were talking about. Even if this feature is unnecessary playing on a monitor....

The aesthetic result is good, in my opinion. Also for the connector on the Lynx...

Edited April 7, 2017 by ATLynxer

[panamajoe]

Oh, look! It`s the Atari Switch!

[ATLynxer]

Here we are with the video!

Sorry...I'm a terrible videomaker!!

 

And sorry also for my playing but it was impossible to watch the video recording phone screen and the monitor at the same time...

Edited April 8, 2017 by ATLynxer

[BadPricey]

Oh the irony of using an NES controller. Nice work though!

[ATLynxer]

Oh the irony of using an NES controller. Nice work though!

 

Thanks

 

Unfortunately there was not an Atari controller good enough...I mean...used Atari controllers are expensive, they have few buttons (5 buttons are necessary for the Lynx) and so...

I decided to use this kind of controller (it's not an original Nes one...it's a copy... unbranded...) adding more the pause button...

[Sapicco]

This is really cool. I wish I could find a lynx modded exactly as yours!! With the controller too!

Edited April 9, 2017 by Sapicco

[Lynxpro]

That's pretty cool! I remember Candle discussing supporting a Genesis/Mega Drive controller with the Lynx, as opposed to supporting something pure-Atari like a Jaguar JagPad. [Genesis controllers being plentiful and dirt cheap].

 

Had Centipede on the Lynx been finished and/or was actually any good, it would certainly be amusing to hack it and the Lynx to support the 5200 Trak-Ball Controller just for the hell of it...

[mvirtuale]

This looks fantastic.
would it be possible to make the attack at the top of the lynx?
Would it be possible to make the connection with a usb?
I'd like to use this type of controller:

https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B071ZHBCJG/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=AWMHP4OZ0SMFE&psc=1

[+karri]

This looks fantastic.

would it be possible to make the attack at the top of the lynx?

Would it be possible to make the connection with a usb?

I'd like to use this type of controller:

 

https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B071ZHBCJG/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=AWMHP4OZ0SMFE&psc=1

 

The Lynx use use the same pins for reading data from the cart as it reads the joystick. If you want to use an USB joystick you would need some mini processor for reading the USB controller and then you would need an 8-bit parallell port that connects to the cart data port. When the Lynx reads data from the cart the joystick port needs to release the port. So you also need to monitor the card strobe bits to get everything to work properly. The Lynx relies on resistors to separate the joystick from cart data. The cart read is "stronger" than the joystick.