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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Guille64 on July 30, 2009, 02:03:26 PM

Title: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Guille64 on July 30, 2009, 02:03:26 PM
Hello!

Yesterday, I have tried to start the CD32 with a joystick instead of CD32pad (Competition pro), and the menu turned crazy, making impossible to select anything. I wonder if it is impossible to use a joystick in the CD32. Sometimes, or in certain games, it's better use a joystick to play them.

Anyone knows what can I do?

Thanks and regards.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on July 30, 2009, 02:47:16 PM
I use a competition pro joystick in my CD32.  Seems fine.  I just plug it in after the system is on though - so maybe that's the difference.  With games, I have found very few that I really need the extra buttons on the D-Pad for so it's always being used with the Comp Pro.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on July 30, 2009, 02:47:53 PM
Just thought - you don't have "autofire" switched on do you?
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Cammy on July 30, 2009, 03:57:27 PM
NEVER PLUG OR UNPLUG ANYTHING ON A CD32 WHILE IT'S TURNED ON!!!

That's how you blow up your audio capacitors and start a whole bunch of other problems. The same thing goes for A1200s!
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on July 30, 2009, 05:17:57 PM
LOL take it easy Cammy, I've had Amiga's for decades and my CD32 since it came out.  I've always plugged / unplugged controllers into them with no issues.  Am I just lucky?

Do you also belong to the school of "always hold a CD by the edges" and are you plugged into an earthing cable while upgrading your computer?
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: save2600 on July 30, 2009, 05:25:01 PM
Quote from: skilgannon;517414
LOL take it easy Cammy, I've had Amiga's for decades and my CD32 since it came out.  I've always plugged / unplugged controllers into them with no issues.  Am I just lucky?


Yes! It's well documented that's how you blow the circuitry that is responsible for the
in/out communication with the ports. So common that there's fuse mods and fuses for
the +5v line going to the joystick ports on some Amiga models.

Quote
Do you also belong to the school of "always hold a CD by the edges" and are you plugged into an earthing cable while upgrading your computer?
[/quote]

Umm... both are common sense  :-)  

While you may not "need" an earthen ground connected while you are working with
solid state devices, you SHOULD always ground yourself out to discharge any static
you may (and probably are) harbouring.

And CD's?? Are you kidding? I have never understood how peoples collections can look
so ratty. I've got CD's from the early 80's that still look like new. And yes, a bunch of
tiny little scratches does make the error correction circuitry work harder - which results
in digital sounding that much more harsh.

So you're of the ilk that actually touches the bottom of the CD's? I just don't get why
anyone would feel the need to do that. I mean, go out their way to ruin their stuff.
This is why I NEVER lend out my CD's, DVD's, etc. Even LP's back in the day would be
returned in poor shape. The average joe just doesn't care - and it shows!
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on July 30, 2009, 08:04:57 PM
LOL nice response Save :)  I'm well and trully slapped down hehe

Now - I don't actually hold the bottom of CD's - I always stick my fingre through the hole in the middle (seems easier somehow) and I know that "it makes sense" to use a grounding cable but touching the metal casing before you do any work will discharge you anyway.  I guess I am a little bit of a risk taker but seriously, i've done it with care.  I've build PC's since 386 sx's were around; I'm a certified Compaq Engineer (not that that counts for anything these days of course), I'm also Cisco and Microsoft certified to the hilt so have been around the IT block and now I just manage folk like I used to be but I can honestly say I've never had any issues.  Luck maybe.

I do also get what you're saying about the quality of the cd's after they start to get scratches (which is why I only use copies of my CD's for the car for instance).  I have reference audio equipment and it's very unforgiving to cd's and dvd's that are scratched.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Guille64 on July 30, 2009, 08:11:39 PM
Maybe you are right Skilgannon, I am not in my house now, but I remember that the competition pro has a slide button on the rear. Do you think this is autofire?
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on July 30, 2009, 08:27:10 PM
Yeah it is an autofire switch.  I remember seeing similar things happen to my CD32 when it was switched on.  Hope it is that - as it's easily fixed ;)

Remember not to plug in your controler with the machine on ;)

skil
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Guille64 on July 31, 2009, 09:54:15 PM
Thank you!
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: amigadave on July 31, 2009, 10:24:07 PM
Quote from: Cammy;517408
NEVER PLUG OR UNPLUG ANYTHING ON A CD32 WHILE IT'S TURNED ON!!!

That's how you blow up your audio capacitors and start a whole bunch of other problems. The same thing goes for A1200s!

Good advice that would be very wise to follow (skilgannon).  As Save2600 stated it is very well documented that the mouse and joystick ports can be easily blown if removal and/or installing to those ports while the power is on.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: swoslover on August 01, 2009, 12:02:40 AM
I must be lucky too, I always plug and unplug pads when my console/computer is on.  CDs and DVDs are so cheap they can be easily replaced, a few scratches show they have been loved!!  Deep scratches I don't get, that's almost like going out of your way to destroy them.

I always thought that only the Commodore and Competition pro pads worked in the Cd32.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Cammy on August 01, 2009, 10:05:20 AM
I'm not positive, but some Amigas don't seem to be affected by plugging/unplugging while turned on, like the A500, which seems even more indestructible than the military-spec A2000 (with its ticking time-bomb RTC battery inside). But I have first hand experience with the problem occurring on two of my A1200s, two CD32s and my A600. Each time it has been the same problem, and always after a plug was pulled out or pushed in while it was turned on.

I only wish I could afford to get these poor A1200s, CD32s and A600 fixed. I can't solder myself.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Cammy on August 01, 2009, 10:07:50 AM
By the way, in the case of one of the CD32s it was a dodgey PS/2-AT adapter in the AUX port I was using for an A2000 keyboard that caused the problem, so it's not just the joystick ports that can harm your Amigas.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on August 01, 2009, 10:11:52 AM
Hi Guille64, did you get your comp pro to work properly?
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: rockape on August 01, 2009, 10:25:16 AM
Hi

See http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/amiga/cd32/

Kind Regards, Michael

aka rockape
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: save2600 on August 01, 2009, 04:59:03 PM
Quote from: Cammy;517621
I can't solder myself.


You wouldn't want to!! Oh the pain... lol

Goofy humour aside - of course Murphy's Law would apply here. Instead of easily
removing CIA's or other chips, the problems you are experiencing are (of course)
built around surface mounted technology  :-(
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Guille64 on August 02, 2009, 04:55:27 AM
Well... I tried with the slide nutton to the left and... the menu worked ok (using 444 compilation and others) but some things work bad: when I select some games, they don't start, but if I turned off the CD32 and replace the competition pro with the original CD32 pad and select the same games... they work!!!!
That problem happens with almost all the games in the compilations.:confused:

Greetings.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: Guille64 on August 03, 2009, 04:18:16 AM
I have tried today again and discover that a 888 compilation didn't work with the CD32pad (and two days ago it worked!) and start 444 compilation just to see that the games didn't started with the competition pro yesterday, now work perfectly!!!???. I think that this may be because the compilations, but I am not sure.

Regards
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: skilgannon on August 03, 2009, 09:25:11 AM
Could be it is the compilations.  I have a few compilations and getting tehm to work consistantly is a bit hit and miss.  I have created many CD's from my TOSEC collection and they are all fine with the competition pro (as are my originals) so maybe you are right.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: amiga1260 on August 03, 2009, 12:09:48 PM
I use 888 and 444 compilations on my CD32 with CD32 Competition Pro with out problems.

A few years ago I had a problem with my red button of CD32 Competition Pro. The piece of rubber button wears out, it had be teared. So I replaced the rubber button.

Open the joypad and see if it has tears in the rubber button.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: ceaser on August 05, 2009, 09:48:16 PM
i heard unplugging ps2 connectors (old keyboard & mouse) from PC's wrecks motherboards.  i don't use much common sense but yeah i'm not unplugging ANYTHING from ANYTHING amiga with it on.  actually pc's too now.  never was sure why the motherboard suddenly stopped working on the old old dell pc I have but yeah that's why.

my point is don't take chances with that crap.  it's not worth it.  i've unplugged plenty of stuff i'm not supposed to with computers on and had it not break the computer it's a 1 in 100 chance, but it'll happen to you eventually.  i heard even USB hard disk unplugging on PC without doing the safely remove hardware is like that too with data.  if you don't do it 1 out of 100 times it'll lose your USB drive data.  Oh and yeah with ps2 it's when it's already on and you plug it in i think, not when you take it out when it's on.  there's lots of weird rules that make no sense so you just have to turn stuff off.  Of course USB keyboards or anything w/out data IS hot swappable.(sorry for rant)

now i got my CD-ROM working with my surf squrrel and there's no buttons on my keyboard that work with Alfred Chicken I just burned :/

I'm going to start a thread for it i think.  says press blue for options and red to play but only button on my PAL layout keyboard here that does ANYTHING is left Alt makes it go blank and still hear the music
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: kickstart on August 07, 2009, 06:03:19 AM
Quote from: Cammy;517622
By the way, in the case of one of the CD32s it was a dodgey PS/2-AT adapter in the AUX port I was using for an A2000 keyboard that caused the problem, so it's not just the joystick ports that can harm your Amigas.


I had an sx1 giving some problems closer... i discover it playing super stardust cd32 version using the sx1 rgb output for better picture quality, with sx1 connected extra buttons of the cd32 pad were ignored.
Title: Re: Joysticks in CD32
Post by: ID4 on August 07, 2009, 08:58:33 AM
Quote from: kickstart;518356
I had an sx1 giving some problems closer... i discover it playing super stardust cd32 version using the sx1 rgb output for better picture quality, with sx1 connected extra buttons of the cd32 pad were ignored.


I have the same problem when I plug the "Analogic's CD32 disk drive" (http://img190.imageshack.us/i/rear.jpg/) in my standard CD32

Any hints or solutions to this??