Atari Jaguar joypad to colecovision converter

[omf]

Ok so i have been working on a variation to this thread http://atariage.com/forums/topic/231131-flashback-to-colecovision-controller/?hl=%2Bflashback&do=findComment&comment=3805492

 

i have gone through and fixed the issues with the code pasted in the above link and rewritten it to allow a jaguar joypad to be used

 

the current working prototype runs using every usabe IOpi on an atmga328p-pu microcontroller using its internal 8hz clock

 

before i would decide where i should go from here i would like some feedback

 

i cant add any more functionality using this processor becuase it is being fully used, so say if i wanted to add 2 players it would mean using another processor of the same settup to control joypad 2

an option would be to use at atmega 2560 which has many more pins that could be used. unfortunately this is a surface mount chip so it i a bit of a pain to make your own boards with it attached especially for prototypes

 

i have hopfully attached a poll to this for everyone to provide some feedback before i decide what to do next

[+grips03]

Not sure if this is possible, but perhaps you can use expansion port for power? i.e. make an adapter that would pass through the expansion port signals for SGM use, but use it to draw power for your controller adapter? Wire up two db9 ribbon cables from adapter to console for player 1 and 2. Jaguar db15 ports would be on the adapter. Would be neat if adapter had rapid fire.

[omf]

Not sure if this is possible, but perhaps you can use expansion port for power? i.e. make an adapter that would pass through the expansion port signals for SGM use, but use it to draw power for your controller adapter? Wire up two db9 ribbon cables from adapter to console for player 1 and 2. Jaguar db15 ports would be on the adapter. Would be neat if adapter had rapid fire.

autofire in an interesting idea that i had not thought about. this brings a couple of extra questions though:

 

would the autofire only function when you hold down a button or would it function continously without holding a button

 

on an atmega328p-pu processor which i am currently using there are no more available IO pins so enableing this would meen multiple buttonpresses that wouldnt nromally be possible on a controller, maybe all directions on the dpad of the jaguar contoller?

 

would autofire speed variations be required ? maybe 6 different speed settings?

 

 

ill post a picture of the prototype soon, it isnt much to look at mind, a meass of wire on a stripboard

[+grips03]

Auto fire when person holds the button down.

 

Yes, autofire with variation. 5-6 rapid fire settings sounds perfect.

[Swami]

My pipe dream is dual shock or xb360/1 controller where the four buttons are the SAC buttons, the sticks and d-pad work and there is an attachable (or permanent) 12 button keypad like the chatpads for the xb360/1.

 

Edit: In theory, the adapter electronics would be small enough you could fit them in the 12-key attachable chatpad.

[KevinMos3]

I did not understand what was being said in the last option of the "jaguar CBA fire buttons", but what I think would be an ideal configuration for those three buttons is:

 

CBA = LRL or RLR

 

This lets people play with the Coleco buttons being essentially reversible without any configuration changes.

[omf]

with the results being populated above i have gained some extra enthusiasm for this project and worked on it somewhat this week.

 

that option (swapping colicovision and jaguar button mappin was implemented this week as 6 selectable options, 1 - 3 normal, 4 - 6 the same as 1 - 3 but reversed, this is selectabe by usng the jaguar option button

i also 90% implemented autofire. need to add autofire speed selection and on and off as yet. i will probably be looking at a bit bigger microcontroller with mre pins. i have used all the io pins on a atmega328p, ill probably look at an atmega32 chip with 40 pins so i have a few extra pins

 

setting the autofire rate in the code to 100 milliseconds or there abouts and turning it on in the code works as it should on the joypad test program

 

 

upto 1400lines of code or there abouts, this doesnt include the debug function as its disabled on live builds anyway as i cant send data over the serial port as its needed for joypad reading and writing

[tripletopper]

What about Super Action 4 button support? And Jag Pro Controller Support? And rotary controller support for Super Action Controller trackwheel? Finally, an excuse to mod a Jag pro to use all the buttons for Super Action Baseball and Football (both American and Soccer)

 

Also both use 12 buttons, 4 directions and one ground. The jaguar has 5 independent buttons, and 5 buttons that are remaps of keypad keys (pro controller) The CV has 4 independent buttons and 2 directions on the wheel. If you don't need the wheel, make the option key a program key.

 

A couple games don't work as Super Aciton games, and 2 don't work as standard games. Maybe there'd be menu option like 1=SA/Std 2= button reassisgn 3= keypad reassign (For Mouse trap, where you can use the buttons as keypad presses) 4= Joystick reassign 5= Rapid rwassign 6= roller on/off 7=SOCD Scrubber on/off 0=reset

 

on 2 you type L then R in Std mode or I,M,R,P (representing your 4 fingers) in SA mode in that order.

 

on 3, you type a eypad button and assign it to 1,3,4,5,6 for L,R,Z,Y,X on the Jag pro controller or C,B,A on gams that don't use and they swap positions for Mouse Trap, .

 

on 4 you can select W and E to be any 2 buttons for the Activiison Decathlon, or assign up to be a button on Smurf. Or you can flip a joystick 180 degrees for right-handed play.

 

on 5 first press button to select button to edit rapid fire, then press a rate with a keypad button where 1 alternates every "joystick frame", 2 alternates every 2 frames, etc. Start toggles always rapid on or off/ always held when held / rapid when held

 

There would be an RCA barrel cable either attached to the RF cable or the Composite/Component Y for the on screen display to interrupt or overlay on the game during program mode. Also would be used to confirm no rapid fire or SOCD Scrubber legal combination for tournament/world record play, or you can make option 7 SOCD scrubber on/off That way the guy who wants SOCD unscrubbed, and I can have it for Activision Decathlon.

 

Finally, is power only needed for rapid fire, or is power needed in the the adapter intrinsically. You forgot to include the suggestion I'd use for power: Rechargeable AA or AAA NiHM batteries (also compatible with Alkalines) That way if the batteries lose charge, just buy more rechargeable AA/AAA, not have a worthless brick unless you know how to replace the internal battery, AND find the part for it. I don't think AA/AAA will go out of style. Things meant to last many years use AA/AAA. Don't mess it up with a soldering job or an irreplaceable battery.

[Swami]

Someone should invent A battery recharger that recharges from the mechanical movement of the controller and/or player from being used.

[omf]

What about Super Action 4 button support? And Jag Pro Controller Support? And rotary controller support for Super Action Controller trackwheel? Finally, an excuse to mod a Jag pro to use all the buttons for Super Action Baseball and Football (both American and Soccer)

 

Also both use 12 buttons, 4 directions and one ground. The jaguar has 5 independent buttons, and 5 buttons that are remaps of keypad keys (pro controller) The CV has 4 independent buttons and 2 directions on the wheel. If you don't need the wheel, make the option key a program key.

 

A couple games don't work as Super Aciton games, and 2 don't work as standard games. Maybe there'd be menu option like 1=SA/Std 2= button reassisgn 3= keypad reassign (For Mouse trap, where you can use the buttons as keypad presses) 4= Joystick reassign 5= Rapid rwassign 6= roller on/off 7=SOCD Scrubber on/off 0=reset

 

on 2 you type L then R in Std mode or I,M,R,P (representing your 4 fingers) in SA mode in that order.

 

on 3, you type a eypad button and assign it to 1,3,4,5,6 for L,R,Z,Y,X on the Jag pro controller or C,B,A on gams that don't use and they swap positions for Mouse Trap, .

 

on 4 you can select W and E to be any 2 buttons for the Activiison Decathlon, or assign up to be a button on Smurf. Or you can flip a joystick 180 degrees for right-handed play.

 

on 5 first press button to select button to edit rapid fire, then press a rate with a keypad button where 1 alternates every "joystick frame", 2 alternates every 2 frames, etc. Start toggles always rapid on or off/ always held when held / rapid when held

 

There would be an RCA barrel cable either attached to the RF cable or the Composite/Component Y for the on screen display to interrupt or overlay on the game during program mode. Also would be used to confirm no rapid fire or SOCD Scrubber legal combination for tournament/world record play, or you can make option 7 SOCD scrubber on/off That way the guy who wants SOCD unscrubbed, and I can have it for Activision Decathlon.

 

Finally, is power only needed for rapid fire, or is power needed in the the adapter intrinsically. You forgot to include the suggestion I'd use for power: Rechargeable AA or AAA NiHM batteries (also compatible with Alkalines) That way if the batteries lose charge, just buy more rechargeable AA/AAA, not have a worthless brick unless you know how to replace the internal battery, AND find the part for it. I don't think AA/AAA will go out of style. Things meant to last many years use AA/AAA. Don't mess it up with a soldering job or an irreplaceable battery.

 

although implementing the pro controller is a fundamentally good idea there is a problem with this however. the numeric pad buttons arent wired in a way that they can be pressed together and the hardware registers them as indevidual button presses.

 

if for example you press the left and right shoulder buttons, the jaguar thinks your actually pressing 4 or 6 (i cant remember which one gets triggered but it is only one)

 

i do not have a Super Action controller or any games that support this device, so it would be very difficult to create a reliable system (due to no testing)

 

a jaguar rotary controller kind of works with the kaboom game, i was able to test this once. i do not however own this game or own a roller controller or anything with a trackwheel attached.

 

there are no plans to add a non replaceable power supply

i am not sure about AA / AAA batteries, these are 1.5 volt devices, the components needed are 5 volt tollerent. 5 volts does not devide into 1.5 volts, so some kind of power regulation would be required which puts loadon the batteries (wasted power). you may be able to get away with 4.5 volt but i have not tested this

 

power is required for everything. the microcontroller used needs power to convert the jaguar joypad user input into colecovision input signals which are very different unfortunatly.

 

 

 

the parts in the middle i have not answered directly, im not overly sure what you mean there so you will need to be more specific. on 2, on 3, on 4, on 5 ??