Game Port

[stevieboi]

Hi Guys

 

I've recently built the remote controller as described on www.ctrelectronics.co.uk for csc show control. I have also included the extra four buttons. when it is connected directly to the game port all works fine. when I connect the device using the suggested usb to game port convertor however, only the first 4 buttons work. any ideas?

 

I would like the remote to run from the usb port so that I can switch easily between a live computer running the show and also a backup. (using a kvm switch with a usb hub)

 

If not, is there an a / b switch box available that I can connect the remote to, then to both computers? something like http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=...47&doy=18m5 only for joystick 15 pin.

 

couldnt decide which forum to post this in!

 

Cheers

[dvidos]

Hi Stephen.

 

Unfortunately some USB game ports are not emulating the full range of capabilities. The four extra buttons are using the second joystick axes.

 

Maybe your best bet would be to make two boxes, as the ingredients are not that expensive.

 

HTH,

Dimitris.

[stevieboi]

thanks for the reply

 

over two hundred views? any more info?

 

thanks

[berry120]

Hey,

 

To be honest, I'm guessing you aren't getting that many replies because the ins and outs of USB / game ports aren't the specialist knowledge of most people on this forum. That said, I think the first reply basically said it, a lot of USB to game port cables don't emulate all the possible buttons properly.

 

As for the switch, I'm not sure if you can buy them, probably not since I can't really think of a mass market common use. You could probably knock one together with a lot of soldering, the bits won't be expensive at all.

 

Or - I think this would work but someone else should be able to confirm it - you could buy a normal VGA switcher, and then make up some VGA / game port cables. It wouldn't matter what pin went to what, as long as you soldered it the same way each time (though I'd advise just going 1-1 2-2 3-3 for ease of use.) IIRC both VGA and the standard game port have 15 pins, so it should all match up fine. This approach seems easier and you wouldn't have the trouble of switching all the pins over.

[IRW]

Or - I think this would work but someone else should be able to confirm it - you could buy a normal VGA switcher, and then make up some VGA / game port cables. It wouldn't matter what pin went to what, as long as you soldered it the same way each time (though I'd advise just going 1-1 2-2 3-3 for ease of use.) IIRC both VGA and the standard game port have 15 pins, so it should all match up fine. This approach seems easier and you wouldn't have the trouble of switching all the pins over.

 

My bold- have you ever tried soldering a 15-pin VGA connector?! :)

 

This may work- IF the normal VGA switcher has no internal electronics that do VGA-type of things.

 

If they do have vga-type of things inside them, maybe another option would be a parallel printer switch box (for example), similar to the linked serial switch, as these are presumerably designed to switch a similar type of data to that which you are sending, as opposed to video signals. The box in the link can actually switch the 25 parallel pins, so you could potentially send other bits through it as well if you made suitable break-in/out cables

 

Edit: Just found this. Prices are in dollars, but it does prove they are available!

 

Ian

[berry120]

My bold- have you ever tried soldering a 15-pin VGA connector?!

Yes actually! It's possible, but you need a heck of a lot of patience and a pretty steady hand...

 

Any one, printer switch box included, should work just as well. I can't confirm whether the VGA switcher will have some electronics to do VGA type things as you put it :) But I doubt that's the case, since I don't really see why they'd be required. At the end of the day though, if you just get something that switches 15 or more input pins to 15 or more output pins, it should just be a case of soldering jumper leads together.

 

And wow, seems you can get them but I imagine they're pretty hard to find! To be honest, since USB came along most of those sorts of devices have been considered pretty obsolete since a standard USB hub is cheaper, more flexible and does the job just as well as long as you're using the game port for what it was originally designed for!

[Fritzy_Boy]

Best advice is to give Richard an email at CTR (or Orbital) and ask his advice as he wrote the software.

 

F

[dbuckley]

In terms of backup, I'd recommend you build two sets of interfaces and use double pole pushbuttons, so you have (electrically) two independent command paths, and thus you don't need to switch anything...