UPDATE
This is the new version:
[attach=2]
Compare to the old one,is about half the size and also lighter:
[attach=3]
And here we have a fully connected adapter:
[attach=5]
The female connector on the left side goes to amstrad cpc joy port, where the other male 9pin D is for connecting a joystick equipped with auto fire switch,which will ,at last, work on amstrad! No need to destroy fire buttons by constant clicking any more! :D
The other 9pin connector on the left side is for the amiga mouse where you can use it as "alternative joystick" instead of a real joystick!
Note that both mouse buttons are supported, left as "fire 2" (the most common used in games) and right as "fire 1".
Finally, there is the power supply cable, for both Amstrad and adapter!
Here is all you need:
[attach=6]
And here are the schematics i promise to anyone "dares" to do it himself: :D :D
[attach=4]
On the left side are shown the connections of the 3 ic's (including some resistors and capacitors that also needed), and on the right side are the pins were you take all input and outputs of the 9pin D sub mouse/joy ports and power supply. For most of these (power supply, mouse and joy inputs),i use small screw terminal connectors (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-2-Way-PCB-Screw-Terminal-Low-Profile-5mm-Connector-/120998178029?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item1c2c0daced) with 5mm spacing on both sides of 4013 and 74ls367 ic's (the remaining 7 outputs that goes to amstrad's joy port ,are soldered on pcb).
If anyone interested feel free to contact by pm!
Hi everyone,
I was thinking lately of making an adapter for connecting an amiga mouse to my amstrad 6128 joystick port.
My intention is to use the mouse as an alternative "joystick" so every game that utilizes a joystick, could be played with the mouse instead! ;) :)
For the moment ,i believe i've figured out a way to "translate" the 4 pulse signals from an amiga mouse (V,VQ,H,HQ) to classic up,down,left,right signals of a digital joystick (it's not so complicated all you need is 2 ic's, a 4013 dual D flip-flop and a 4011 nand gates, at least in theory for the moment... :D ).
Now, i have a little issue on how will i implement the 4 outputs to the joystick port.
First i thought of using 4 mosfets as switches but then i wondered if i could put directly the outputs of the NAND gates to the four pins of the joy port. This will result either drive a pin to the ground when the respective movement is enabled, or have about 4-4.5volts voltage when movement disabled.
I've tried to measure with a multi meter the movement joy pins (with the ground) and i got ~2volts which will mean that if i put 4-4.5 volts i will get a reversed voltage of ~2-2.5volts on every pin
My question is, will this reversed voltage cause any harm to the joystick port,or not?
It would be a lot more easy and cheap construction if i could avoid the 4 mosfets ::)
Driving them to ground isn't 100% correct, you have to drive the to the COM signal of the joystick port which is pulsing at about 300Hz, otherwise the joystick movement will produce random characters instead of the signals you expect. Take a look at how I did it for the USB / PS/2 Mouse using a 74LS240 and its output enable. Something like this is much easier to implement than a whole bunch of MOSFETs (which would be overkill anyway). If you want, you could also do it descretely with transistors as I did for the scroll-wheel inputs.
The Schematics and all the other details are here: PS2Mouse - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/PS2Mouse)
Bryce.
Thanks for your suggestion bryce!
Well, your project is far more complicated than mine with the pic, the firmware and all that. ::)
I've noticed in your diagram that you connect pin 8 of joy port to Vcc (i intend to use as Vcc the 5volt supply of amstrad). Isn't pin 8 the com1/ground? Why you do such a thing then?
Anyway, the way i should do it then, is driving the output of nand gates to a 74LS240 with both Outputs enabled? And by "enabled" means that i must connect OE to 5volt Vcc?
Pin 8 isn't connected to VCC, it's just being pulled high via R15 to ensure that the OEs of the 74LS240 quickly return to 5V after the COM1 pulse has finished.
The outputs of the 74LS240 are only activated when the OEs = 0. COM1 (Pin 8) is normally high and pulses low every 1/300 of a second, when it's scanning the joystick inputs. As soon as COM 1 goes low, the correct outputs (depending on the mouses movement) of the 74LS240 will go low and the CPC thinks that joystick movement occurred. The circuit will work without R15, but it's there to 100% ensure that the 74LS240 outputs are immediately turned off after the pulse.
Bryce.
I see, and what exactly are the "correct outputs" as you say?
If one of the movement pins (1-4) is enabled this pin must driven low (~0volts), otherwise must be "high" (~5volts)?
The way i'm thinking to make this adapter, the outputs for every movement pin will not be a steady "high" or "low", but rather a "constant high" when movement pin is disabled, and pulsed "high"/"low" when is enabled,with pulsing according to Verctical and Horizontal pulses of amiga mouse (V and H signals).
I mainly use info from here (especially figure 8-2 which explains how exactly mouse movement is translated from the V,VQ,H,HQ signals): Amiga Realm - Knowledge Base Channel (http://amigarealm.whdownload.com/computing/knowledge/hardref/ch8.htm)
Yes, if the mouse was moved left, then the left pin should go low and the other inputs would be high, but only for the duration of the COM1 pulse, but for the rest of the time all inputs need to be disconnected NOT high or 5V, otherwise you are masking the keyboard inputs.
Bryce.
Aaaaaaah, now i got it! :)
It's the masking keyboard problem (meaning there will be interference with keyboard from joy port, i guess?) that requires the use of 3-state buffers, right? ;)
Thank you very much for your time!
I will go and get the parts i need and maybe in the next few days i'll give it a try!
I cant wait to play prohibition with the mouse, it would be fantastic! ;) :D
Have a happy new year! :)
Exactly. You have to use tri-state or discrete transistors, standard logic ICs with 1 or 0 outputs only won't work.
Bryce.
Hey! Any progress with it? :)
I've just finished playing nemesis on my amstrad with an amiga mouse! ;)
So, now that i have a working prototype, soon i will make a final (more neat) version, put it in a small box and have it available for everyone you might want one! ;)
Thread updated! ;)
any idea of a price ?
Well i'm still in a process of "refinement", I'm making now a new version which will fit in a rather smaller and more neat box! ;)
In any case, price will not be more than ~20euro/17pounds!
You think it's a lot for that kind of adapter? ::)
I'd pay that to play Op Wolf with a mouse :)
You can already play Op Wolf with the AMX Adapter you have at home.
Bryce.
Who told you I haven't? :) :) It's right there next to my 6128 in semi-permanent use! Was just saying.
Well maybe it's time to try and play it with an.. .AMIGA MOUSE! :D :D ;)
Or play Super Tank, with a Tank mouse :)
Bryce.
Hey, maybe this is even better name for the adapter:
"Tank mouse adapter for amstrad cpc" :D :D
Major update!
New version, half in size is made, and also schematics uploaded, for "do it yourself" ! ;) :)
A link to the page perhaps?
Bryce.
Quote from: BryceA link to the page perhaps?
Bryce.
You're looking at it. "« Last Edit: Today at 10:39:58 by ikonsgr »", just over at the top.
Ah, ok. Oooo, that schematic hurts.
Bryce.
Here is a photo of all you need:
[attach=2]
Bryce, the schematic "hurts" as you say, because it's not a logic diagram or a pcb layout,but rather it's a "panoramic view" of the actual board i make with ic's positioned exactly as it shown and all connections almost identical!To get an idea,i take the 2 strip boards and i make something like this:
[attach=3]
Then,i make all the wiring according to the schematic!
As you are a professional electronic you will probably appreciate more, something like this (which i haven't finished it yet ::) ):
[attach=4]
The problem is that from a practical point of view the above logic diagram doesn't help at all when you need to make the actual board yourself! :)
Ah, much better. For me at least, that's much easier to read.
Thanks,
Bryce.
Last night i tried some games on my cpc , to test how "playable" would be, using the amiga mouse!
Of course all "target" games like operation wolf, op. thunder bolt , prohibition etc are played much better with mouse instead of joystick!
Also many "non arcade" games like rpg, strategy, adventures that support joystick they can be played just fine with mouse instead.
What surprised me though, is ,that many shot'em up games are also playable with mouse instead of joystick!
I've tried 1942, flying shark, nemesis and all were perfectly playable with the mouse! On flying shark, i even managed to finshed 3 levels after many years! :)
On the other hand, games that require constant movement in one direction (like many side scrolling arcades,for example target renegade) are not so well playable with the mouse.
All in all,i believe that if you are a cpc retro gamer, you will find 100's of games that could be played with mouse,giving you a unique and wonderful experience! ;)
How's speed with it, especially in shooters? Do you get any advantage from it? I mean the reaction speed, of course.
At games i played, you get a full screen movement in a mouse pad surface or less.
Don't forget that mouse behaves like a digital joystick, that is,you get a "fix speed", regardless of the speed you move the mouse, so there is no need to move your hand fast or nervously anyway! ;)
In practice, you'll end up playing in a more "gentle" and "smooth" way. This makes a BIG difference especially with shooters, where "sweating and swearing" over the joystick, is the typical way of play ! :D
For one thing, the much more accurate movement control you get using a mouse, gives you the opportunity to play games on amstrad like never before! ;)
I've decided to "lighten up" a little the adapter by removing the extra auto fire enabler port:
[attach=2]
I've done that, mainly for 2 reasons:
1) The extra joy port on the amiga mouse adapter worked only if your joystick had auto fire switch.
2) I made a separate adapter (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/auto-fire-adapter-for-amstrad-cpc/) for auto fire switch , which works even if the joystick/game pad connected, doesn't have an auto fire switch!
So,combining those 2 adapters you can have an amiga mouse with auto fire switch! ;) :)
Could you draw for us a schematics of the circuit? Thanks
Quote from: ikonsgr on 11:11, 28 January 13
Last night i tried some games on my cpc , to test how "playable" would be, using the amiga mouse!
Of course all "target" games like operation wolf, op. thunder bolt , prohibition etc are played much better with mouse instead of joystick!
Also many "non arcade" games like rpg, strategy, adventures that support joystick they can be played just fine with mouse instead.
What surprised me though, is ,that many shot'em up games are also playable with mouse instead of joystick!
I've tried 1942, flying shark, nemesis and all were perfectly playable with the mouse! On flying shark, i even managed to finshed 3 levels after many years! :)
On the other hand, games that require constant movement in one direction (like many side scrolling arcades,for example target renegade) are not so well playable with the mouse.
All in all,i believe that if you are a cpc retro gamer, you will find 100's of games that could be played with mouse,giving you a unique and wonderful experience! ;)
wondering if anyone has tried it with the light phaser / gun games such as skeet shoot cartridge and other gun games such as Missile Ground Zero, Rookie, Solar Invasion, Robot Attack, Bullseye and Operation Wolf ?
Quote from: ikonsgr on 15:50, 14 February 13
I've decided to "lighten up" a little the adapter by removing the extra auto fire enabler port:
[attach=2]
I've done that, mainly for 2 reasons:
1) The extra joy port on the amiga mouse adapter worked only if your joystick had auto fire switch.
2) I made a separate adapter (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/auto-fire-adapter-for-amstrad-cpc/) for auto fire switch , which works even if the joystick/game pad connected, doesn't have an auto fire switch!
So,combining those 2 adapters you can have an amiga mouse with auto fire switch! ;) :)
Hm, wouldn't it be better to add a battery holder instead of having all these wires connected to the +5V of the computer? There would be like four cords plugged to one another if you add an external drive. Quite a precarious construction.
I don't know the exact power consumption of the device, but I doubt a 9V battery would last very long in it. You've also got to add lots of other components to regulate the 9V down to 5V, which also causes further (wasted) power consumption, plus a switch to turn it off (which you also have to remember to do).
Bryce.