Hacking the 3DO control port
RIO...@dd.palmer.edu
does anyone have access to an oscilloscope???
The reason I'm asking is simply because I'd like to know, on the 3DO's
9 pin controller port, which pin is GND, and which pin is +5V. The reason?
I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis joysticks
on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main action
buttons will remain.
I can see playing TE (A,B,C, START as smartbomb, SHIFTs missing for banking
L/R) and Madden Football without any problems. A joypad for me just doesn't
cut it; I've used joysticks all my life, and a joypad is just a torture!
The reason I haven't tried to figure out the pin-outs yet is simply because
I don't want to inadvertently plug the Voltage pin (for the sound output) and
any other pins together... I believe that this would have negative
consequences, to say the least! :)
I think that for the time being (that is, until companies make 3DO compatible
joysticks), it would be a welcome addition!
Please followup to this message! I think it's an important point that
needs to be hacked out!
Later...
Simon-Pierre.
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Dave Platt
>9 pin controller port, which pin is GND, and which pin is +5V. The reason?
>I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis joysticks
>on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main action
>buttons will remain.
Ummm... I would not suggest this. I don't think it's going to work.
The 3DO Control Port is not a simple parallel port - it has a complex
bidirectional serial signalling protocol. There's a custom chip in the
controller which implements this protocol, and as far as I know there
isn't any other vendor's joystick or control pad which uses a similar
protocol.
>The reason I haven't tried to figure out the pin-outs yet is simply because
>I don't want to inadvertently plug the Voltage pin (for the sound output) and
>any other pins together... I believe that this would have negative
>consequences, to say the least! :)
Indeed. There's a very real risk that you'll toast something - and this
would not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
3DO and Panasonic specifically warn against connecting any non-3DO
peripheral to a 3DO system (or connecting a 3DO control pad to a non-3DO
machine). It won't work, and it could frotz a chip or two.
>Please followup to this message! I think it's an important point that
>needs to be hacked out!
I think you'd probably need a good deal more hacking than a simple
pin-converter. Interfacing some other vendor's parallel-pinout joystick
to the 3DO serial port would probably require at least one CPLD (complex
programmable logic device) or a couple of 22V10s.
And, alas, the description of the port pinouts and signalling protocols
is part of the hardware spec, which is provided to licensees under
nondisclosure. I'm afraid that I can't reveal the details at this time
without being hit by lightning.
--
Dave Platt dpl...@ntg.com ..or.. ...netcomsv!ntg!dplatt
USNAIL: The 3DO Company, NTG division
2470 Embarcardero Way
Palo Alto CA 94303
E. Kontei
> The reason I'm asking is simply because I'd like to know, on the 3DO's
> 9 pin controller port, which pin is GND, and which pin is +5V. The reason?
> I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis joysticks
> on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main action
> buttons will remain.
It's more complex than that. See, the 3DO control port works in a way
similar to the ADB port for the Mac, i.e., a digital control port, as
opposed to the simpler analog ports of the Genesis controllers.
Now, you may be able to use a line analyzer/breakout box to figure out the
controller protocol, and use *that* to build your converter box. Good luck!
--
E n r i q u e C o n t y
"Conty is overrated" -- Various people
co...@cbnewsl.att.com jes...@ihlpm.att.com
Disclaimer: You're not dealing with AT&T
Bruce Wright
: 3DO and Panasonic specifically warn against connecting any non-3DO
: peripheral to a 3DO system (or connecting a 3DO control pad to a non-3DO
: machine). It won't work, and it could frotz a chip or two.
I wish that 3DO and Panasonic would tell their in-store sales reps
that, as I had one assuring me I could connect not only *any mac or
IBM joystick*, but any standard keyboard or modem directly to
the current expansion ports. I have heard nothing but complete
lies and mis-information from a number of these people, who each
wear an "ask me how to get REAL" button, and hang out at The Good
Guys. The local rep didn't know about the John Madden Football deal the
weekend after it was announced on The Simpsons. He argued with me when
I told him that no-way under the sun would a current peripheral plug into
a 3DO. (He swore that any standard modem would "plug right in.") He only
believed me when I challenged him to find a modem, keyboard mouse or joystick
that would fit in any of the ports (lucky there wasn't a co-incidental fit, he would
have fried it!). He also believed that Panasonic invented the 3DO, a virtual
reality helmet would be out "real soon now", it could play movies today, and
a ton of other embarrasing things. Someone at 3DO or Panasonic should
hand these guys a fact sheet or something. The in-store demo guy is a
good idea, if he is putting in titles that appeal to the people around
the store, but yesterday at the Good Guys, they had Tempest 2000 on the
Jaguar (and a line of kids wanting it) and Stellar 7 unattended on the
3DO (and nobody there).
3DO and Panasonic had better whip their in-store reps into shape, this
looks REALLY BAD.
-Bruce
: Palo Alto CA 94303
Daniel H. Jacobs
>I'm surprised no one came up with this before (maybe I missed it?), but
>does anyone have access to an oscilloscope???
>
>The reason I'm asking is simply because I'd like to know, on the 3DO's
>9 pin controller port, which pin is GND, and which pin is +5V. The reason?
>I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis joysticks
>on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main action
>buttons will remain.
>
>I can see playing TE (A,B,C, START as smartbomb, SHIFTs missing for banking
>L/R) and Madden Football without any problems. A joypad for me just doesn't
>cut it; I've used joysticks all my life, and a joypad is just a torture!
>
>The reason I haven't tried to figure out the pin-outs yet is simply because
>I don't want to inadvertently plug the Voltage pin (for the sound output) and
>any other pins together... I believe that this would have negative
>consequences, to say the least! :)
>
>I think that for the time being (that is, until companies make 3DO compatible
>joysticks), it would be a welcome addition!
>
>Please followup to this message! I think it's an important point that
>needs to be hacked out!
>
>Later...
>
>Simon-Pierre.
Somebody Will Correct Me If I'm Wrong, But
I think the pins on the interface port to 3DO controllers do not merely
reflect on/off switches and potentiometer resistance changes in the
controllers as they do in simpler game machines. I believe there is a
bus with a protocol and intelligence (read: a little micro!) in them,
similar to what Apple uses to talk to their keyboards, mice etc. This
enables them to add keyboards and other controllers at a later time in
a daisy-chained fashion.
In Summary: you cant do what you are trying to do with the controller
ports. You might be able to take the electronics inside a 3DO
controller and wire it to use the switches on someone else's joystick,
but this causes packaging problems!
---
Jake (Daniel H. Jacobs) da...@robadome.com
ROLM, a Siemens Company
My views are not my own, they are my employer's.
David Watters
>>The reason I'm asking is simply because I'd like to know, on the 3DO's
>>9 pin controller port, which pin is GND, and which pin is +5V. The reason?
>>I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis joysticks
>>on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main action
>>buttons will remain.
>
>Ummm... I would not suggest this. I don't think it's going to work.
Exactly!
>I think you'd probably need a good deal more hacking than a simple
>pin-converter. Interfacing some other vendor's parallel-pinout joystick
>to the 3DO serial port would probably require at least one CPLD (complex
>programmable logic device) or a couple of 22V10s.
There is hope...
The best digital joystick ever made is the Sega Arcade Powerstick, IMHO.
I have, for some time, been meaning to pick up a second 3DO controller pad
and rip it's guts out and wedge them into the Sega AP. The idea is
to simpy use the Sega's digital contacts (A, B, C, D, Start, and 3 turbos)
to replace the digital contacts on the 3DO controller (A, B, C, D, Play,
Stop, L, R). If the Panasonic guts will not fit, I believe you could
simply rewire the "daisy chain" port as a translation port. In addition,
there are other configurations that could be used if you would like to
continue to have an actually 3DO daisy chain port, or use the new 3DO
controller as a 3DO controller still. I will leave those inovations to
you bright people.
(Hint: If you rewire the daisy chain port as a translation port, the
controller should still work fine as a 3DO controller, and no matter
how many controllers you have, if this is the last one on the bus, all of
the 3DO controllers (assuming the rest of them are unmodified) will work
fine.)
Cranel does not make, sell, trade, or support 3DO players, and not a single
person here (besides myself) knows what one is, so they could care less if
you fry yours or not.
All other legal B.S. disclaimers apply...
With that said, I hope you fry your machines so Panasonic or whomever can
sell more machines!!! :-)
ps. Since the trend seems to be to take credit for your ideas, I would
appriciate it if this is forever know as the Watters Method, the DaveStick,
or the Weasel Adaptation!!! :-)
_ ___
David ~ |_|,--'RIP|@,__
Watters ~ ( )-A.SENNA-()`-
--
<3> David R. Watters (wat...@cranel.com) Cranel Inc. Development & Engineering
[D] "Porsche. The very name is, to many, the last word in sports cars. Any
(O) car blessed with these magic seven letters is sure to be the very best.
Period!" Car and Driver, January 1993 | Infinet - CMH's Internet gateway!
Scott A. Krotz
>And, alas, the description of the port pinouts and signalling protocols
>is part of the hardware spec, which is provided to licensees under
>nondisclosure. I'm afraid that I can't reveal the details at this time
>without being hit by lightning.
Now _that's_ a serious NDA.
>--
>Dave Platt dpl...@ntg.com ..or.. ...netcomsv!ntg!dplatt
> USNAIL: The 3DO Company, NTG division
> 2470 Embarcardero Way
> Palo Alto CA 94303
Scott
C. Batson
: I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis joysticks
: on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main action
Contrary to the popular opinion which has been expressed, it is possible
to do what you want and quite easily. It is no different from making an
arcade-style joystick for the SNES or Genesis. All you have to do is
sacrifice an existing 3DO controller and connect your joystick switches
to its switch contacts. It's the safest, easiest, and most foolproof
way to do it. Don't even worry about the 3DO joyport serial protocol,
using the existing controller will take care of everything.
---
Chuck Batson
cba...@ncsa.uiuc.edu
Fritz Schober
control port"...
DP> >The reason I'm asking is simply because I'd like to know, on the 3DO's
DP> >9 pin controller port, which pin is GND, and which pin is +5V. The
DP> >reason? I want to do a simple joystick adapter to plug existing Genesis
DP> >joysticks on the 3DO. Sure, some buttons will be missing, but the main
DP> >action buttons will remain.
DP>
DP> Ummm... I would not suggest this. I don't think it's going to work.
Funny, in Austra someone managed it to make Neo-Geo Joystick working on
3DO! Is he a wizard? :-)
DP> machine). It won't work, and it could frotz a chip or two.
Or it will work and you have fun until the well sleeping companys bring
out the lightgun and a good joyboard!
MfG F.A.Schober [i486-33, 3DO, SNES, MD/GENESIS, AMIGA500/1200, C64, TI99]
Daniel H. Jacobs
Yes, but that's called "Hacking the Joystick", not "Hacking the Control
Port". What the user wanted to do was merely swap wires on the plug.
This is NOT possible.