SNES controller on VB

Custom controllers for the VB suffer the same problem as the link cable: proprietary connectors. You have two basic choices:

1) Get a VB pad and swap cables with an SNES pad.
2) Build a copy of the VB controller’s plug.

(In either case, you’ll obviously have to include some provision for powering the VB and switching it on/off).

I’ve made a passable VB controller socket using the socket from an NES. The SNES connector is basically an unfolded NES connector, so it may be possible to use parts from an SNES (or NES) plug to build a VB-compatible plug. I’ve never heard of anyone doing it, but that’s probably where I’d start, if you don’t want to use a donor controller.

As for whether to modify the controller or build an adapter, I’d say build an adapter.
1. the SNES pad remains stock, and can be easily replaced when worn out.
2. You can swap it out for a wireless pad, arcade stick, etc.
3. If you use an SNES extension cable to get the female connector for the adapter, you can use the male end of said cable on the donor VB pad, plug it into the adapter, and still use it. (You could even plug the modded VB pad into an SNES, but I’ve heard there may be compatibility problems with some games).
4. It makes the power-supply and switching problems easier to solve.

Attached is a photo of one I made. The black blob closer to the SNES end is a lamp switch. It’s made to be wired in-line with the lamp’s power cord. Besides providing the power switch, it doubled as a usable (if a little cramped) housing for all of the wiring connections. Power is supplied through a standard barrel jack.

Making it isn’t too difficult, you just need a donor controller (for the cable) and a donor socket (SNES extension cord)… plus a power connector. It uses the same communication protocol as the SNES, so it’s just a matter of connecting the power, ground, clock, data, and latch pins from one to the other.

But just FYI… it’s not all that useful. The controller mapping has overlap, but obviously the VB has more buttons than the SNES. And IIRC, the A and B buttons aren’t connected, and instead, A/B/X/Y are the equivalent of the right D-pad. That really limits the usefulness.

DogP

DogP wrote:
But just FYI… it’s not all that useful. The controller mapping has overlap, but obviously the VB has more buttons than the SNES.

Finally somebody mentions this! I was thinking this might be a problem, but couldn’t find SNES documentation in time before my brain popped this thread from the stack.

L___E___T wrote:
That might be really simple to you DogP but I already got lost when you got to ground, clock, data etc…

Basically, you would need a little adapter board that converts from SNES to VB format for you. Depending on the maximum clock rate of the VB joypad chip (BU3613F?), you can
[list]
[*]oversample the joypad
[*]sample way faster than the original VB[/list]

A little ATtiny would be able to do this trick, for instance.

cYa,

Tauwasser

L___E___T wrote:
Is there any chance you’d consider making one or two for me if I sent the bits and paid you for your time? It wouldn’t have to be right away or anything, but I’d really, really appreciate it.

Sorry… I don’t have the parts on hand, nor the time/desire to do it. :/

Tauwasser wrote:
Basically, you would need a little adapter board that converts from SNES to VB format for you. Depending on the maximum clock rate of the VB joypad chip (BU3613F?), you can
[list]
[*]oversample the joypad
[*]sample way faster than the original VB[/list]

A little ATtiny would be able to do this trick, for instance.

The VB already talks the same protocol as the SNES, so there’s no need for another MCU. The problem is just that when the VB reads the SNES pad, the mapping has the left D-pad, L/R triggers, and Start/Select correct… but rather than A/B, it has A/B/X/Y as the right D-Pad. So, there are no A/B buttons. If you pulled apart the SNES pad, you might be able to fix it by jumpering some wires… depending if it actually has a chip with all the inputs exposed, or one of the 3rd party controllers with the epoxy glob (but then it’d no longer be usable as an SNES controller).

DogP

DogP wrote:
The VB already talks the same protocol as the SNES, so there’s no need for another MCU. […] If you pulled apart the SNES pad, you might be able to fix it by jumpering some wires…

Well, I’d imagine the different inputs doing different kinds of debouncing, maybe even different hold states (i.e. report pressing start only once, while D-PAD is reported continuously etc.)

So I’d say it’s a pretty big jump from “might be hot-wirable” to “no MCU required”. An MCU will definitely work. Also, you could do cool settings like “mirror right D-PAD onto left D-PAD”, have the battery monitoring right etc.

@L___E___T wrote:
Wah, that’s well outside the realm of how far I can get with this 🙁

It’s not as hard as it sounds. With a little initial investment you can rig something up, learn some electronics in the process and have a great time!

EDIT: While I’m not in any position to take on additional work or even commissions right now, I would like to point out that qwertymodo over at byuu’s site has some experience with the SNES protocol as well as hardware engineering.
Check this out. I remember him selling a few of his boards, so maybe he’d be willing to take on a commission on this SNES2VB adapter board.

cYa,

Tauwasser

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Tauwasser.

Why would anyone want to use something other than a VB controller? It’s one of the best one Nintendo ever made. Nice big handles, clicky but not too clicky d-pads and buttons and good triggers.

Besides, the SNES controller doesn’t have enough buttons. Sure you could omit the right d-pad, but why bother then?

You’d be better off with a Genesis 6-button controller, now that was designed for Street Fighter and the like. The SNES controller is weird having some of the buttons moved over to triggers.