Joystick on Amstrad range of 8 bit computers used almost the Atari standard.== Technical ==
Yet some modification occuredThe CPC joystick port is (more or less) based on the Atari-standard, especially for details on the PLUS range as Amstrad aimed the console market pin-outs (GX400) and used a politic of "Exclusive Hardware" like all console manufacturers of the time.differences between Amstrad CPC and normal Atari/Commodore ports), see:
As a result is may be a problem to find proper Joysticks for your PLUS/GX4000.* [[Connector:Digital joystick|CPC Joystick Port Pin-Outs]]
The goal At software side, the joystick port is part of this page the keyboard matrix, accessed via the general purpose I/O port in the [[PSG]] chip, which is to find all proper solutions for modern Amstradist to play it for real and give some gameplay options to games designers who would like to introduce need element on CPC and PLUS games to comeitself accessed indirectly via the [[8255]] chip.
== Official Amstrad Joysticks ==
==AMSTRAD CPC Joystick==[[Image:jy2.jpg|50px|right]]
* [[Amstrad JY-1/JY-2 joysticks]]
Here are the Amstrad 's two-button joysticks. The quality isn't spectacular, so most CPC Joystick port pinoutusers tended to use third-party sticks, with only 1-button, but better quality. The JY-2 version contains a connector for a second joystick (equivalent to a built-in Y-cable).
_________________ \ o1 o2 o3 o4 o5/ \ o6 o7 o8 o9 / \___________== Official CPC+/GX4000 Joypads ==
{|{{Prettytable|width[[Image: 400px; font-size: 2em;}}|''Pin NoGx4000.''jpg|50px|''Signal Name''||''Description''right]]|-|1||Up|||-|2||Down|||-|3||Left|||-|4||Right|||-|5||Fire 3||undocumentedThe CPC+ and GX4000 were shipped with one or two digital joypads included. Technically, they work same as normal joysticks. But, they have two buttons. And, the GX4000 doesn't have a keyboard which could be used by the AMX Mouse for example|-|6||Fire instead of a second fire button. In result, some CPC+/GX4000 games may rely on 2|-|7||Fire button hardware, making them incompatible with regular 1||Other systems pull +5V from here for auto-fire circuits!|-|8||GND||"Common"|-|9||GND2||"Common 2" for 2nd joystick|}button joysticks.
In this case, the numbering from the manual matches that of standard plugs.For a wiring diagram of an Y-cable with which you can use two joysticks on your Amstrad/Schneider CPC, see [[Joystick Y-cables]].== Compatible Standard Joysticks ==
Also most of the games didn't make use of the Fire2 button, and even more of the undocumented Fire3 button[[Image:Joystick Competition PRO 5000 box front.jpg|50px|right]]
As Amstrad All Atari-compatible digital joysticks with ''Single Fire Button and Four Direction switches'' should be usually working with the CPC do sport only one Joystick connection. For example, it is possible to customise some kind of 6 button Joystock quite easily, using classic Competition Pro joysticks or the 4 directions of the second button as additionnal fire, for use in 1 player games[[Konix Speedking]].
Such a custom device would need 2 controllers connectors to be used on an Amstrad plus.== Incompatible Standard Joysticks ==
==Finding proper * Joysticks that do require 5V/GND supply (eg. for built-in auto-fire circuits) won't work on the CPC. * Joysticks with 2-3 buttons may also be problematic (in the Atari standard, 2nd/3rd button are wired between POT0/POT1 and 5V). * And, in lack of the POT inputs, any kind of analog devices (like Atari paddles) won't work on the CPC.* Newer joysticks==with PC-style 15pin or USB connector obviously won't fit to the CPCs 9pin port (unless one eliminates the electronics inside of those joysticks, and re-wires their botton/dirction switches directly to the CPCs joystick port).
It is not that easy, especially for the PLUS range.== Y-Cable ==
Yet most traditionnal controllers working on Amiga 500 or Atari ST will work just fine on a good old [[Image:CPCPlus Joystick Port.gif|50px|right]]
Few games made use of the possibility to The original CPC models have a second buttononly one joystick port, yet some controllers did feature this alongside Autofire.but can be used with 2 joysticks when using a Y-cable:
* [[Joystick Y-cables]]
One of The CPC+/GX4000 have two digital joystick ports (which work equivalent to an incompletely implemented Y-cable with only 8 diodes - there are no diodes in the simpler way is to use SEGA joysticks and paddlefire button lines, yet it may need some kind of adaptator (to be done hereso fire buttons '''do not work properly''' with two players).
== Joystick Related stuff... Sega Controllers... ==
==Sega Controllers==* [[Digital Joystick Related]]
Source : http://pinouts.ru/Game/== Developing programs that use joystick ==
*Sega Genesis (MegaDrive too?)In the CPC world it is more common that a game supports both digital joystick and keyboard for those users who don't own joysticks.
''It' used a slightly different approach in joystick connection than Atari. The Sega joystick pinout seems to be the "standard" 2-button joystick configuration where pins 6 and 9 There are some common keyboard configurations used for buttons which ground the pin when pressed. The only strange thing is that the joystick seems to also want +5V at pin 5. Sega has added a 6-button model in addition to its original 3-button configuration. The 6-button joysticks use essentially the same interface, but add more buttons by using extra circuitry that multiplexes the new button signals with the existing joystick signals, using the control bit in connector pin 7. The chip inside the controller is a 74HC157. This is a high-speed CMOS quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer. The console can, with help of the Select pin, choose from two functions on each input.'':
{|{{Prettytable|width: 400px; font-size: 2em;}}|* ''Pin No.'Cursor keys & SPACE'||''Name (Select=GND)** This configuration is often used and is great for the CPC6128 and Plus and playing using emulators. ** This is ''||'not good'Name '' for CPC 464 and 664 (Select=+5Vwhich have uncomfortably arranged cursor keys)''|-|1||Up||Up|-|2||Down||Down|-|3||Gnd / Left|||-|4||Gnd / Right|||-|5||+5VDC||+5VDC|-|6||Button A||Button B|-|7||Select ||Select |-|8||Ground ||Ground |-|9||Start ||Button C|}
The genesis Paddle can be * '''Q,A,O,P,SPACE''' - (Q up, A down, O left, P right, SPACE fire) ** This is a good solution, and it's a sort of standard (used almost unchanged on an Amstrad. Directions work wellby many games). Fire buttons ** Note: On french keyboards it'd be A,Q,O,P - anyways, the "UP" key is always Row8.Bit3, no matter if it's locally called "Q" (english QWERTY keyboard), or "A" (french AZERTY keyboard).
Best would be to support joysticks, plus the above two keyboard mappings. Best to support them all at once (without needing the user select which one to use). In addition, it is also nice if the keys could be redefined but that is not necessary.
== Relevant locations in Keyboard Matrix ==
*SEGA Master System The SMS gamepads are almost exactly the same as normal Atari standard. {|{{Prettytable|width: 400px700px; font-size: 2em;}}|''Pin No.Direction''||''Joystick 1''||''Joystick 2''||''Signal NameCursor,Space''||''DescriptionQ,A,O,P,Space''
|-
|1Up ||UpRow9.Bit0 ||Row6.Bit0 (6) ||Row0.Bit0 ||Row8.Bit3 (Q)
|-
|2Down ||DownRow9.Bit1 ||Row6.Bit1 (5) ||Row0.Bit2 ||Row8.Bit5 (A)
|-
|3Left ||LeftRow9.Bit2 ||Row6.Bit2 (R) ||Row1.Bit0 ||Row4.Bit2 (O)
|-
|4Right ||RightRow9.Bit3 ||Row6.Bit3 (T) ||Row0.Bit1 ||Row3.Bit3 (P)
|-
|5Fire2 ||PowerRow9.Bit4 ||Row6.Bit4 (G) ||Row5.Bit7 ||Row5.Bit7 (Space)
|-
|6Fire1 (*) ||Button 1Row9.Bit5 ||Row6.Bit5 (F) ||(wherever) ||(wherever)
|-
|7||N/C||
|-
|8||GND||
|-
|9||Button 2||
|}
(*) Mind that Fire1 isn't supported on normal 1-button joysticks. When using it, also provide an alternate key on the keyboard.
''Each button (left, right, button 1 ect.) is in fact a voltage(very small), this voltage is grounded to result in movement, fire, jump ect. For standard master system controllers this is directly feed to the system via wires only (some other controllers use a micro chip) they also are not connected to voltage, while some others do.The Sega Genesis (in Europe sold as Sega MegaDrive) pads are an extension to the Sega Master System pads. They use more buttons (3+1, 5+1, 6+1). They use the one usnused pin as a select pin for reading more buttons.'' Those SMS standard controlers may be used alsmot unchanged on a CPC if the software allows to redefine controls. As a result you may use only one button : the fire 2 wich would be the button 1 on the controller. It seems the "Power" button on SMS controlers is used when the controler is fitted with AutoFire option (needs to be checked) or when using the Lightgun. ==Nunchakus technique== It is possible to achieve a pseudo Nintendo WII feeling by using 2 paddles, one for each hand. If the Other game allows to redefine controls and the use of 2 joysticks, then you use : *left hand as directional one, using an amstrad paddle turned 90° Clockwise. Left controller inputs = Up Right = Down Up = Right down = left (using your thumb) *Right Hand as firing one, with a second paddle turned 90° Counterclockwise. Access to fire 1 and 2 with the thumb. By this mean, the cables don't mess with your hands... Also it is a nice way to deal with the shitty Amstrad Plus controllers size/quality. Yet this works only with 1 player games or need a custom connecting cable/box, a "reversed Y-cable". You may also easily achieve a 4 fire button config by using both directional pads (one for each thumb yet the cable would be a nuisance) or a fixed Joystick (right hand, directions) + a paddle (left hand, fires). ==PC controllers== Good old controllers for IBM PC & Compatibles weren't always USB, as it didn't really existed in the 90. Many of them used a DA-15 connector, the same as the analog port on Amstrad Plus, wich was often pluged into the soundcard (Sound Blaster card was in fact game card...). Those joystick weren't always analog too and many can still be found in your old cave awaiting a new life. DA-15/DE-9 adaptators can also still be found. More research concerning those's Pin-out schematics would be quite interesting. <gallery> caption="screenshots">Image:Genius power station.jpg|The Epic Awesomeness of the dreadfull PowerStation by Genius.</gallery> More pics to come.
The CPC+/GX4000 additionaly have an [[Analog Joysticks|15pin Analog Joystick]] Port, and a [[Connector:Aux socket (CPC Plus only)|6pin Lightgun socket]] (AUX).
== Other hardware that can be connected to the CPC joystick port ==
The CPCs digital joystick port is occasionally also misused to connect other hardware, known examples are:
Some Lightguns: ([[Gunstick]], [[Loriciel Phaser (West Phaser)|West Phaser]]).
Amstrad's Lightpen ([[Amstrad LP-1 light pen]]).
A rather crappy 8bit printer port extension ([[CPCI 8bit Printer Mod]]).
And, various mouse interfaces ([[AMX Mouse]], [[Atari-ST mouse adapter]], [[dk'tronics Mouse Interface|Dk'tronics Mouse Interface]], [[CPC-Mousepack 2.0]], [[GEOS mouse|GEOS mouse]]).
Plus exotic things like the [[Ambug|Ambug Robot]] and [[Codemasters CD]].
On the original CPCs, the direction/button inputs can be reprogrammed as outputs (via PSG/PPI config). However, this will NOT work on the CPC+/GX4000's dual joystick ports - which include diodes (like normal joystick Y-cables).
[[Category:HardwareInput Device]][[Category:Peripherals]][[Category:Stub]]