Bacteria's project: "Project Unity"

[Hazerd]

Just going to say, this is one Crazy project, that controller is a monstrosity! keep on chuggin, cant wait to see the final product.

[bacteria]

Definition of "monstrosity":

* an outrageous or ugly person or thing; monster
* the state or quality of being monstrous
* a monster or monsterlike thing or person

Is that what you mean? probably not as the theme of your post is supportive! lol

[bacteria]

Had time this afternoon as had half a day's holiday, as the washing machine was leaking and had to call out an enginner. Anyway:

Tidied up the wiring and used cable ties, I can easily remove the DreamCast section with little issue if needed.

Wired up the audio/video lines fine, only issue are thin diagonal lines across the picture image. Either that's an issue with video grounding, or needing to use 220uf capacitors on the RGB lines or some other issue, will need to investigate. At least the audio and video are working though.



Just need to fix the video issue, then finish the controller and the DreamCast will be completed.

[AppleQueso]

This image is the craziest thing ever.

GET SOME ZIP TIES UP IN THERE MAN.

[bacteria]

Easier said than done!

It's gonna get crazier still in there yet!

[bacteria]

Ok, added 220uf capacitors to the R, G, B, C-Sync lines; that made a big difference to the video quality, the diagonal lines went, the overall quality improved, still faint horizontal lines left, had previously added 3 ground lines into the A/V cable, so grounding them to the other cable end and connecting that to ground has pretty much eliminated any issues, not 100% but pretty close, and therefore acceptable.

I'll have to test when I finish the DreamCast to see how the other systems, RGB and composite, are affected, if at all by this change. That's what I meant before by any minor change can affect everything else, and a reason why this project is taking so very long!

[bacteria]

Did the work, the picture image is pretty great. Image is blurry below, however normally when taking photos of my old television the image looks grainy and stripy, so this one that isn't but has a blurred image is better for illustration.



Cut the wires to the SCART, moved the cable and rewired it with as short wires as reasonably could.

[bacteria]

Hit a small but annoying problem. We know we tend to use a GameCube joystick for the N64 because it stops the "tippy toes" you get in games which you get with PlayStation/normal joysticks, reason being down to resistance. That's why I used GameCube joysticks in the system. They also work fine for the PS2 during testings, which is great.

Problem is with the DreamCast. Using a PlayStation joystick the DreamCast works fine (i'm using a JoyTech controller as that uses regular pots rather than reed switches like the official DreamCast controllers do), however the GameCube joysticks barely register with a character's movement, which is a problem! This has to be down to the resistance of the pots on the joysticks.

I'd rather use the GameCube joysticks as they work on the N64 and PS2 already in the system, and of course will for the GameCube too, however problem with DreamCast which is my only other system using joysticks! As I see it there are two options:

1) Keep my existing GameCube joysticks as they are and somehow increase the signal strength so they work with the DreamCast (what would I need to do and how can I adjust the output to work ok?).
2) Change the GameCube joysticks for PlayStation ones and increase the resistance so I don't get tippy-toes on the N64 (again, what would I need to do and how can I adjust the pots' output?).

What option is best option, and can you suggest what i'd have to do in both scenarios please? I'd rather keep the GameCube ones in place as they are but if that isn't viable then i'll have to change them.

Only thing I can think of is putting a resistor on both joystick grounds to see if that helps.


Kyrule's page on using digital buttons (eg "C" buttons on N64) with an analogue joystick http://kyorune.com/modding/article.php?id=27 is different to what i'm trying to do however i'm thinking the diagrams he has on that post are perhaps relevant. Would adding a resistor to both joystick pot grounds solve the issue?

If that isn't going to work, please suggest alternatives - I don't want to have to rip my controller apart to install PlayStation ones and add resistors to the N64 joystick pots, if I can just make the changes needed for the DreamCast instead as that is the only system with an issue!

[CRTGAMER]

Only thing I can think of is putting a resistor on both joystick grounds to see if that helps.

If you find the matched resistors that allows the stick to work in the N64, you could add a couple bypass switches to give the full amps for the other consoles.

[bacteria]

Ok, found the problem - my error. When I cut of most of the parts of the board I neglected to connect in two resistors that in the pic (taken from a faulty similar controller) that connect between ground and the middle data lines.



Before I noticed this, I tried randomly to wire up a resistor to both joystick grounds using a 2k ohm resistor, and low and behold - all works fine!

Then, when saw the two (unmarked) resistors, tested on my multimeter and looks like they might be 3.56k resistors that connect between the ground and data lines. It looks though like just using a 2k ohm resistor on the ground lines works just as well. Tested on Wacky Races.

If when I play DreamCast games i'm not happy with the results i'll pop back in the resistors from the old dead controller in the above pic (the memory cards cant' be read on that controller), however if what i've done is good enough, then that's fine. I think what i've done seems to work fine though.

For the upteenth time, took the back off the master controller - it makes it easy to do testings before making things final and troubleshooting. Next job will be replacing the pots (shoulder buttons) for working with the rubber topped tact switches already in the master controller.