Conference rusure::nintendo

308.0. "Controller Connections" by ORT::ORTHOBER () Mon Aug 07 1989 23:21

This might be a little techy for this notes file but I'd thought
that I'd post it here and the elctronics notesfile.
If anyone finds any errors here, please let me know.

ort1
----------

Here is the electrical hookups in a nintendo controller.
This is the controller that comes with the system.

The controller has a 4021 cmos 8-stage static shift
register (8 bit par to serial converter).  The parallel
inputs are from the buttons and the system keeps clocking
the controller for it's status.
 
Female 7 pin connector looking from controller end

 1 2 3 4
   5 6 7

pin	wire color	meaning
---	----------	-------
1	brown		Ground from system
2	red		Pin 10 from 4021, clock
3	orange		Pin 9 from 4021, Par/Ser control
4	yellow		Pin 3 from 4021, q8 serial output
5	white		power from system
7	no connection
8	no connection

4021 connections
                  -------------------
                  |   CMOS 4021     |
                  |                 |
button a	1 |  p8		Vdd | 16	white power
n.c.		2 |  q6		p7  | 15	button b
yellow		3 |  q8		p6  | 14	button select
button north	4 |  p4		p5  | 13	button start
button south	5 |  p3		q7  | 12	n.c.
button west 	6 |  p2		si  | 11	ground
button east	7 |  p1		clk | 10	red
brown ground	8 |  Vss    par/ser |  9	orange
                  -------------------	

	where px is the parallel input
	qx is serial output
	si is serial input
	clk is the clocking pulse for output
	par/ser is for controlling when par data is latched in

Note:	all px's have pullup resistors to power (about 120 ohm)
Note:	the bottons in the closed state pull the px's to ground

	NOw that I am getting into designing this remote
	control ninteno controll, I need to ask a few questions
	of those of you that allready have i/r remotes. 

	Can you use the directional controller and the buttons
	at the same time.  I.e. in mario brothers, you can hold
	down the right (east) button and jump and the system
	knows that you are jumping forward.  This is because all
	8 of the possible buttons are in parellel.  

	In I/R design this could be a problem.  I would like to
	know if the current i/r handle this.  Experiment and
	report back!

thanks
ort1

	Well, I have my first prototype of the nintendo i/r remote
	control working.  I am willing to take some requests for
	custom controllers.  Think of what you would like in a controller
	and I'll consider building it for you at about cost of parts.

	Please send mail to ort::orthober.  I want to see what kind of
	controllers people REALLY want out there.  I imagine that a 
	total controller (transmitter and receiver) would be around
	$15 to $20 dollars.

thanks
ort1