RetroConnector/Joystick Interface

Compatible Joysticks and Gamepads

Cheap, generic gamepads seem to work best, since they do not use the USB connection to charge a battery or drive rumble motors. If you have successfully (or unsuccessfully) used a pad not on this list, please contact me and I will add it to this list.

Tested and works with the following USB gamepads:

• PS3-style generic http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NQ4820
• Super Nintendo generic http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JAU20W (with latest firmware)
• MadCatz USB Gamepad http://www.gameseek.co.uk/pd/pcnt7swcqmtyh46ktq/pc-madcatz-pc-gamepad-pro-400-series--usb-controller-pc-+-mac-

Will NOT work with the following:

• PS3 Sixaxis (Dualshock or Original flavor). The PS3 wireless controllers draw too much power, since they charge the battery over USB.
• XBox 360 wired controller.

Plug and Play

Plug one end of the included 16-pin cable into the GAME port on the logic board of your Apple II. If your computer doesn't have a 16 pin port (e.g. Apple //c) use the optional 16-pin to 9-pin adapter by plugging one end of the 16-pin cable into the adapter, and the adapter into the 9-pin paddles/joystick port on the back of your computer.

Plug the other end of the 16-pin cable into the port on the RetroConnector Joystick Interface.

The 16-pin ribbon cable will have an indicator on one edge as to which is pin #1. Be sure that this edge lines up with the pin labelled #1 on the RetroConnector Joystick Interface board, or look for the notch in the DIP16 port. This notch indicates the end where pins #1 and #16 are.

Plug your USB joystick or gamepad into the USB port on the RetroConnector Joystick Interface.

The Joystick Interface will detect which axes are active on the joystick once you start to move them. The first axis it detects in order is X (horizontal), and the second is Y (vertical). On most gamepads with dual thumbsticks, this will be the left stick.

The buttons on your gamepad should each trigger either the 0 or 1 button (even numbered buttons trigger 0, odd ones trigger 1), so you can use whichever pair of buttons is comfortable.

Calibration

This BASIC program is helpful in calibrating the RetroConnector Joystick Interface board. Type this in at the BASIC prompt on your Apple II:

10 print pdl(0) " " pdl(1)
20 goto 10

Then type RUN and hit enter.

While the resulting numbers scroll down the screen, use a small screwdriver to adjust the trim potentiometer (labelled "TRIM") so that the first two numbers are as close to 127 as possible. They may not be equal, so try to split the difference.

Most Apple II programs allow for a certain "dead zone" in the middle of the joystick values, so it's not necessary to be precisely 127 at center.

To test buttons along with joystick calibration, the above program can be adjusted so:

10 print pdl(0) " " pdl(1) " " peek(-16287) " " peek(-16286)
20 goto 10

The last two values are button 1 and 2. When pressed, they should be above 127, when released, below 127.