Snes USB Multitap.

Mikeyman64 · Post by **Mikeyman64** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:31 pm

I've been looking everywhere (google) for some instructions on how to make these. I made this awhile back when I had my old PC, but my new one doesn't have an LPT port, and instead of buying an LPT PCI card, I thought I would just make my adapter in USB. Problem is, I REALLY would like it to be at least a 2P adapter if not a 4P multitap (like the one in the second picture on the link).
Anybody have any links or ideas?

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:59 pm

are you up for writing a USB driver?

Mikeyman64 · Post by **Mikeyman64** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:06 pm

Never know till you try right? Why?

bgnome · Post by **bgnome** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:14 pm

easiest thing to do would be to buy a usb>printer port adapter and see if that works. they are easily available.

otherwise you are going to need a usb controller chip:
http://www.retrousb.com/kits.html

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:33 pm

i agree with bgnome, sort of like the KISS principle.

and because i dont think that there are any SNES->usb drivers out there yet, and you need a driver to tell the OS how to use the hardware.

Post by **marshallh** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:48 pm

timmeh87 wrote:and because i dont think that there are any SNES->usb drivers out there yet, and you need a driver to tell the OS how to use the hardware.

http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sne ... dex_en.php

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:05 pm

marshall saves the day

Mikeyman64 · Post by **Mikeyman64** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:06 pm

bgnome wrote:easiest thing to do would be to buy a usb>printer port adapter and see if that works. they are easily available.

otherwise you are going to need a usb controller chip:
http://www.retrousb.com/kits.html

Already tired the adapter thing, all of the adapters for sale only support single function printers. Which means it doesn't work.

As for the link Marshal supplied, I've already been there, but Raph doesn't say anything about multiple controller ports on one usb IC.

Post by **gannon** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:06 pm

I'd find an offbrand SNES multitap and then use one of the SNES USB adapters at retrozone (have yet to see a non-smt usb encoder, so it'd be difficult to solder your own)

Rellizate · Post by **Rellizate** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:18 pm

timmeh87 wrote:marshall saves the day

Yet again...

[/moderatorprasing]

Mikeyman64 · Post by **Mikeyman64** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:25 pm

I think I might have figured it out. Maybe.

Look at this picture:

The only wires that aren't connected to each other are the data wires.

Now look at this:

The three spots that are almost identical to the spot where the SNES data is connected to are all unused. Maybe I could connect the data wires from three other SNES ports to each of those spots.
What do y'all think?

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:26 pm

How about n64 to usb? Or Xbox to usb, or whatever works w/snes 9x

SS

Mikeyman64 · Post by **Mikeyman64** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:28 pm

ShockSlayer wrote:How about n64 to usb? Or Xbox to usb, or whatever works w/snes 9x

SS

Where's the fun in that?

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:35 am

n64 to USB is hard. It doesnt use standard bit encoding. Instead it does this:

I dont think you can just interface that with normal serial ports. (it might read the 10 above as 011001 or something)

bgnome · Post by **bgnome** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:56 am

Mikeyman64 wrote:I think I might have figured it out. Maybe.

The three spots that are almost identical to the spot where the SNES data is connected to are all unused. Maybe I could connect the data wires from three other SNES ports to each of those spots.
What do y'all think?

that's nice in theory, but where is the code support? it's obviously not in the code:

No drivers required!
That's right, since the USB standard defines device classes. I'm using the human input device (HID) which allows me to tell to the computer that the connected USB device is a joystick and has 2 axis and 4 or 8 buttons. Another nice thing about this is that the adapter should work with all operating systems supporting HID devices. (I tested and it works at least on Win98, Win2K, WinXP and Linux)

1 HID joystick isn't going to emulate multiple pads. even the retrousb adapter mentions that it isn't compatible with a multitap. you could get a lot more buttons if you interfaced it as an HID keyboard, but that would require changing a lot of things i think..