controller mod

[satoshi_matrix]

When I get my GameAxe, I want to be able to use real NES controller with it. Problem is that the connection for controllers is the same as Famiclones typically use, the nine pin Atari 2600 port. I'm not a electrical genious, but I do know a bit of electronic repair work. Does anyone know if a standard NES-004 rectangle controller can be spliced and have its end replaced with the 9-pin style port? Whats involved? It woud also be cool to use an NES pad with the Atari 2600, Commodore 64 and Genesis.

[madman]

You can use a NES controller on it, for sure.  Just need to put the pins in the correct place, the NES and Famicom use different pinouts.  However, to use a NES pad on other devices, much more is involved.  The NES encodes the controller movements and puts all data on a single pin.  The Atari 2600 uses a different pin for each button/direction, as does the Genesis.  But the Genesis uses the same pin for different signals depending if the pin is high or low.  You could do it, but you'd basically have to wire it up from scratch.  Plus, on the Genesis you'd have to use either the select or start buttons as the C button

[satoshi_matrix]

What I'm looking to do is convert an NES pad to be used with a Famiclone I bought that uses the 9-pin layout of the Atari 2600/Commodore 64/Genesis. The controller it came with is pretty crappy (surpise surpise) and I want to use an NES pad with that. The controller has two turbo buttons in addition to the other four. I want to cut off the end of the NES pad and replace it with the end of the Famiclone controller. The problem I have is I'm not sure which leads go where. the NES lead colors are

yellow
brown
red
orange
white

while the clone pad's is

red
yellow
blue
brown
white

The order is different and the colours of the one lead is different. Should I just attempt to wire the corresponding leads together and assume yellow = blue? I'll post some pics of the baords if that helps.

[madman]

The best thing to do is look here: http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/nessnes.htm

It'll tell you what pins on the NES correspond to which pins on the Famicom.

[satoshi_matrix]

OKay thanks. I'll have to check that out. I'll probably need some more help so please stay tuned lol

[satoshi_matrix]

annnnnnnnd I do.

I'll try to make this as detailed as possible.

I'm trying to get an NES controller (NES 004) to work with a Famiclone called the Handy
FamiEight. I gutted the end of an NES pad and found out the pin layout as such:

    1
2 7
4 3
6 5

1 = brown
2 = white
3 = red
4 = n/a
5 = orange
6 = n/a
7 = yellow


Here is the back of the NES pad, with the only lead on this side the white ground.


Here is the front of the NES pad, with all the other leads.

I also gutted the Famicom pad end and found it in this layout:

1 2 3 4 5
  6 7 8 9

1 = n/a
2 = white
3 = blue
4 = brown
5 = n/a
6 = red
7 = n/a
8 = yellow
9 = n/a


The wire layout as found in the opened Famiclone controller

I wired the NES up indentically to the Famiclone layout, but it doesn't work. Any help here?
I'll post pics as soon as I can.


Heres the NES board

Heres the Famiclone board

If you need any other pics just let me know and I'll take em.

[madman]

On what did you base your wiring?

[satoshi_matrix]

on the layout already there when I first opened the controllers.

[madman]

I don't understand.  How did you determine where to place what pins? 

[satoshi_matrix]

I added pics to my post. Hopefully that'll help.

[madman]

That still doesn't answer how you determined where to put what pins.  Did you just pick a random spot and put a wire there?

[Crash Dummie]

No: your controller could implode and create a black hole.

[satoshi_matrix]

I'm not sure I totally understand your question, madman. Do you mean how i determined where to place the leads of the NES controller into the 9pin socet of the Famiclone controller slot? I put the same colored leads from the NES into the slots of the leads that were there in the Famiclone controller when I first opened it. In other words, I put the white NES lead into the slot where the white Famiclone lead was, the brown into the brown, etc. The only one that was different is that the Famiclone's final lead was blue while the NES's is orange. That's how I determined it didn't work. Thats why I'm wondering if I need to modify the board itself or something.

[madman]

You can't go by the color alone.  You have to make sure the wires carry the correct signal, it's not based on color.  This is why it's not working.

[satoshi_matrix]

So it seems. How and I determine that? Please explain in as much detail as possible. Thanks for your reponses thus far, I really do appriciate the support.