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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: SanDisk78 on December 25, 2015, 06:12:12 PM

Title: How to replace amiga joysticks ?
Post by: SanDisk78 on December 25, 2015, 06:12:12 PM
Hi all ! I've got A3000. Tried Sega mega drive joysticks - the arrow keys are working, but not buttons ... What can be done ? I've heard they can be remade to be used with Amiga or I have to find ones from sega master system ?
Title: Re: How to replace amiga joysticks ?
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on December 25, 2015, 08:20:11 PM
What are you asking here? Plenty of Amiga-compatible controllers on eBay, Amigakit, or the other online Amiga stores.

AFAIK Sega controllers can be made to work but you have to swap a couple wires inside them.
Title: Re: How to replace amiga joysticks ?
Post by: Castellen on December 25, 2015, 09:16:57 PM
Quote from: SanDisk78;800803
Hi all ! I've got A3000. Tried Sega mega drive joysticks - the arrow keys are working, but not buttons ... What can be done ? I've heard they can be remade to be used with Amiga or I have to find ones from sega master system ?



I can confirm that unmodified Sega Mega Drive control pad model 1650-50 (http://segaretro.org/Control_Pad_(Mega_Drive)) (with red start button) works fine with all Amiga models.  Trigger buttons B and C translate to Amiga fire 1 and 2.  Trigger A and 'Start' are non-functional.  Unsure about other control pad models, though you'd expect them to be the same.

Not that I ever play games, just use it for final testing of repaired machines.

If you plug the controller into the mouse port, then the trigger B and C buttons should perform the same function as the left/right mouse buttons, though of course you'll have no pointer movement using the control pad in place of the mouse.

I just read in the above link that the two signals in question (on connector pins 6 and 9) are via a 74HC157 multiplexer inside the control pad, so this may be damaged in your controller.  You'll easily get replacements of these from the likes of Element14, Radio Spares, Digi-Key, etc.  Also check you have 5V on pin 7 of the joystick port, the multiplexer will need a power supply to operate.  There's a fuse on this line in the computer that can blow if it gets shorted to ground when someone plugs a metal body connector in on a bad angle while the machine is powered on.  Though if this was the case, you'd have no mouse movement either as the fuse supplies 5V to both the mouse and game port.
Title: Re: How to replace amiga joysticks ?
Post by: Blizz1220 on December 26, 2015, 09:07:16 AM
I had Sega pads working in various degrees but as previous poster
noted the one he mention works with no modifications and it's
useful as second button is right mouse button too so you can enter
early setup with that.

Later controllers were made for different revisions of Genesis and
probably some were made by third parties.Some don't work at all
and most don't have all wires needed in cable and plug.