Question about most Genesis-to-PC mods

[kattanFAN]

I notice that many Genesis-to-PC mods (as well as many of the homemade "Dex Drive" replacements, such as the PSX-to-PC Memory Card device) use the printer port, among others. Now, if I could find something to convert them to USB, would it work? I mean, I heard that this one PSX-to-PC Memory Card device (the one on raphnet.net) says not to hook it through a scanner, but rather, directly to the PC. I would like to pursue these projects, but my laptop is a bit too new (Dell Inspiron 1000 w/ WinXP) to have the old game ports or the 25-pin printer port.

[Midori]

The problem is that a USB port doesn't have enough wires in it to attach a 9 wire genesis pad or more(unless I remeber wrong). So you would need an encoder first and then software to control that properly. If I am wrong about the usb part then the only problem is the software.

[ido8bit]

USB to parallel port and USB to generic digital I/O adapters are available, either could be used to connect controllers to USB.  The problem is I doubt your existing software will work with either as those drivers usually access the parallel port directly.  

It's probably easy to just get one of the commerical controller to USB adapters.  

[kattanFAN]

USB to parallel port and USB to generic digital I/O adapters are available, either could be used to connect controllers to USB.  The problem is I doubt your existing software will work with either as those drivers usually access the parallel port directly.  

It's probably easy to just get one of the commerical controller to USB adapters.

So, the adapters would work? Because that's what I was going for, even if I neglected to mention it.