3DO controller works using parallel port and PPJoy, but help still needed.

Started by Blake2425, December 18, 2008, 08:04:21 AM

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Blake2425

Ok. So I might be the first to do this, but I made the 3DO controller work on my PC, through the parallel port. I'm using PPJoy to map the buttons. However, I try to use the cotroller in an emulator (any), and it won't stop pushing a mysterious button. In epsxe, it says that the button represents joy button 1, yet, when I mapped the controls, it came up as digital 5. Now, I got past it with mapping, and it doesn't seem to actually be any real button on the controller, as mapping made use of all the buttons perfectly. Windows control panel, gaming controls doesn't have a problem with it, so what can I do to kill this mysterious digital 5/ joy button 1 ???

Any thoughts, links to software, or suggestions would be excellent.

kendrick

Out of curiosity, which 3DO controller are you using specifically? There was enough slop in the specification that some controllers were actually incompatible if you used them on a console they weren't designed for. If I recall correctly, the Goldstar controller was the one that generally went nutty if hooked up to a Panasonic.

Blake2425


ken_cinder

I can't recall the pinout on these, but I'm pretty sure the concept is the same as SNES pads.

Did you remember to put diodes on your VCC line(s), towards the pad and not the parallel port?

Blake2425

Yes I did put Diodes, and they are all in the right direction. As far as I know you are correct in the assumption that the pin-out's are very similar to the SNES controller, but something is wrong. I figured out that there is a weird problem with the control settings that are being displayed in control panel. The buttons are all lit-up, and when I push the corresponding button, it  goes dark, which is the complete opposite of the normal function. the D-Pad also does this when the directions are mapped to buttons.  When they are properly mapped, the D-pad stays motionless as should be expected, and the directions respond normally as if it was fine.

Here is a screenshot of the differences:

Nothing being pushed



I'm holding the Left direction down



I'm holding the "A" button down



The Options I used to set it up in PPJoy:





ken_cinder

The data line(s) are being held high then I would assume, when they should be low at rest.

My guess, your data and clock lines are reversed, or your ground and data lines are. Try swapping wires for those lines and see what happens.

Have a read of the Nes/SNES pinouts on the main page, you'll get an idea of why. Essentially the clock is passing 1's across the board instead of 0's (All buttons are being held down, you pushing one is releasing the button)