4-player adapter? // MultiPlay MX4 Expansion

[mr_lou]

My version doesn't require any soldering on any computer including the GX4000 if you do the detecting/multiplexing like Gerald suggested. The spare signal is then no longer needed and it works directly from the Joystick ports. The joystick scanning routines are probably a little bit more complicated though. Regarding plugging/unplugging for 2 player games: A simple switch on the device could disable the multiplexing and return the ports to the standard 2 stick config without having to remove the device.

Sounds good, but also sounds difficult and expensive?

How much effort does it take to build your adapter vs building TotO's Multiplay into a GX4000?

Table updated.

[Phi2x]

.

[mr_lou]

I am just practically BEGGING that we agree on one of them, so that we won't end up with a bunch of 4-player games that requires different adapters....

If Bryce's idea is really possible, then that's obviously the best choice.
But is it really doable? And what will the price be? Any issues regarding speed? (I noticed people saying that TotO's Multiplay is fast).

[TFM]

Agreed! One solution as new "standard" would be great. TotO's idea is not bad either, and it's already running. Bryce's idea is neat and needs the less effort imho. But I don't have real hardware in hands of course.


Now aside of talking... TotO's solution seems to be existent as prototype. Is somebody willing to construct the other solutions? Or will they remain ideas?

[Bryce]

Sounds good, but also sounds difficult and expensive?

How much effort does it take to build your adapter vs building TotO's Multiplay into a GX4000?

Table updated.

It would be difficult to build inside the computer / GX4000, it really needs to be outside. As far as price is concerned it would probably cost a little more than ToTOs version as it has to have all six connectors and a PCB big enough to mount them all on, other than that it's just a few TTL chips (or a CPLD if the designer decides to go that way). Either way, no matter what we decide on, I can design it, but I really don't have the time to build this at the moment.

Bryce.

[remax]

Myself, I would love to have the opportunity to have both Playcity and a 4-Player adaptater bundled together...

[Bryce]

This is a great example of why (when I was designing some of my devices) I didn't discuss the design online until it was more or less finished I made it as I thought best and sold them with the "Take it or leave it" attitude. If you try to keep everyone happy, you end up with a device that nobody wants.

Bryce.

[TFM]

Myself, I would love to have the opportunity to have both Playcity and a 4-Player adaptater bundled together...

Do you talk about a new PlayCity board?

[remax]

At some point in this topic, toto talked about the eventuality of a merged playcity and 4 joysticks board

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5 en utilisant Tapatalk

[TFM]

Well, imho, it would be nice to have an solution for "old" PlayCity cards too. I won't get a new one just for two more joysticks. If there is the chance of "adding" it to the board it would be nice of course.

As I understood he uses a MultiPlay board, not a PlayCity, see first thread of him.


Ok, he told he wants to make an upgrade for PlayCity, if doable.

When we end up with only two solutions, then this is totally fine with me. But not 3 or 4 hopefully. 

[TFM]

My first idea was to offer four (A, B, C, D) new inputs using ports: F990, F991, F992, F993
Because it is accurate like arcade machine and easy to build and use.
Now, I thing that 2 (A, B) controllers is enough and allow to fit on a MX4 board.

IMHO it would be nice to have all four of them. I remember being playing Tron with 6 players all together on a CPC meeting couple times. This was lots of fun! 

[andycadley]

One massive, but oft overlooked, advantage of an adapter that connects via the joystick ports only is that it's almost impossible to kill your CPC with it. Having used a Spectrum for years, by far and away the biggest killer of machines was joystick expansions that got pulled out of the expansion socket during rather more "vigorous" game play. It's really easy to fry a machine by pulling out an expansion device with the power on.

[pelrun]

The one time we had to get my 6128 repaired was because of the joystick port - I picked up the joystick one day and a static discharge went straight through to the AY-3-8912 and fried it. 

[mr_lou]

This is awesome!
Ok, so we have TotO's Multiplay and Bryce's version as the final runners I think.
@Bryce, you gotta come up with a name for it now. 

Looks like we might end up having both of them on the market.

It could be awesome if Bryce's idea ended up being "a 4-player adapter that works on ALL CPC's including the GX4000", and TotO's multiplay ended up being "a 6-player adapter that works on all CPC's (except the GX4000)".
That way we wouldn't have "2 devices that basically does the same thing except one of them don't work on the GX4000", but rather 2 different devices that offers different advantages.
Once Bryce's idea is designed and available, it would be the logical choice to get.
But by offering 6 joysticks, TotO's idea would still be interesting too.

"Bryce's 4-player adapter"
"TotO's 6-player adapter"

I love 'em both already. 

@Bryce, I think it's good to discuss online. Now we know that you'll eventually design this 4-player device. This gives TotO some time to think about making his adapter a 6-player one instead (which I hope he will). It would be annoying for him if he'd created a batch of Multiplays and then learning that you came with another 4-player adapter that people would rather have.
Not everything needs to be discussed online of course. Just the things that would be best that people agree upon, like new standards that a lot of coders are going to use.

@TotO, what do you think? How about turning the Multiplay into that 6-player adapter you originally thought about doing, since Bryce will be making a 4-player adapter that works on the GX4000?

[Bryce]

Ok, I'll see if I can find time to do something. So who's going to write some test software to prove the concept?

Bryce.

[mr_lou]

Ok, I'll see if I can find time to do something. So who's going to write some test software to prove the concept?

Well someone ought to create a driver of some sort. As far as I understand, your adapter requires some semi-complex code. So I'm thinking there ought to be some assembler code available that you just insert in your own code.

@ronaldo, you should add a cpct_scanBryceAdapter() function in CPCTelera. 
And also a cpct_scanMultiplay() of course.

@arnoldemu, obviously another addition to Arnold Emulator too.

@Bryce, so what are you gonna call it? 

[Bryce]

How about Joystick² ? MultiStick? JoyPlex?

Bryce.

[mr_lou]

How about Joystick² ? MultiStick? JoyPlex?

1 vote for JoyPlex. 

[Bryce]

1 vote for JoyPlex. 

Cos' it sounds like a sex toy?

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

Lol.

[arnoldemu]

Soldering only for the GX4000 (and Plus-easy!)


So no use with GX4000.

I am sure you are competent at soldering. My solder skills are ok.
I am sure there are many more that can't do soldering!

[arnoldemu]

Ok, I'll see if I can find time to do something. So who's going to write some test software to prove the concept?

Bryce.

I will do it.

[mr_lou]

Cos' it sounds like a sex toy?

No comment.

[Phi2x]

.

[mr_lou]

I understand your rationale. But I think it would be a shame to have 2 hardware expansions that supports 4-player games in a different way.

It's a dilemma. We "just" want the GX4000 to be supported, right?
If it was easy to add Multiplay support in a GX4000, then it would be a matter of GX4000 owners sending their GX4000 to their closest hardware guru for it to be "upgraded".
This would imho be better than everyone needing to solder anything on their machines, and also better than having 2 different adapters yes.
But I suspect it's a lot of work to add Multiplay to the GX4000?
I already asked Bryce about this. He said it couldn't be installed internally. So it would have to reside outside the device somehow.

Adding Multiplay support to a GX4000 - or developing the JoyPlex.... whichever is the easiest, that's where my vote goes.
One hardware guru creating 30 JoyPlex devices, or one hardware guru modding 30 GX4000 devices.... I don't see much of a difference workwise.

But it's also about which job is more fun of course.