Gamepad controller for ATARI VCS or Commodore 64

I’m a geek, you’re a geek, we’re all geeks.

And geeks play retro video games.

On retro computers.

And sometimes, their retro arcade style joysticks aren’t well suited for the side-scroller platform retro-game.

What is a geek to do then?

Today we look at making – or modding – a gamepad controller that works on the Commodore 64

2023/10/022023/09/06 by wereallgeeks Categories: 100% Geek, C64Mods, Commodore 64, Computers and technology, Games, Geekyness, Retrocomputing, RetrogamingTags: Atari, Atari 2600, Atari VCS, BYO game controller, C64, commodore, Commodore 64, Commodore 64C, Commodore alteration, controller, DIY, electronics, Game controller, gamepad, games, Geek, joystick, personalize your commodore, retrogaming, video games

Arcade control panel electronics

I’m a geek, you’re a geek, we’re all geeks.

And geeks have geek toys, sometimes in the shape of arcade cabinets.

And sometimes these arcade cabinet runs emulation software for so long that thay are scheduled for overhaul and reconfiguration.

In the process of updating the arcade Control Panel, there was a need to come up with a way to wire the controls to the computer at the heart of the arcade machine. Most emulation software will gladly accept mouse and keyboard and while it is technically possible to hack these into controls on the arcade cabinet, it may not be desirable to do so – the most standardized method used to interface with emulation software is to convert buttons to keypresses in one way or another.

Today’s article will reflect on such electronics to be used in arcade machine build-up.

2023/01/162023/06/08 by wereallgeeks Categories: 100% Geek, Arcade Cabinet, Arcade electronics, Arcade room, Computers and technology, Control Panel Redux, Games, Geek lounge, Geekyness, ProjectsTags: arcade, arcade controller, arduino, arduino pro micro, controller, DIY, Game controller, hid, interface, joystick, mini-pac, mouse, paddle, spinner, trackball, ultimarc

Designing your arcade panel layout

Building your own arcade control panel can be daunting, but very rewarding. Everything one needs to know to make an arcade control panel has been said and done. Or was it? We covered the bases at WereAllGeeks and it was recently reposted on the GameOnGrafix’s blog. This includes all one needs to know to build it – but not how to design it.

Today we will discuss this very matter, by exploring the redesign of our standup arcade control panel.

2021/05/052023/08/10 by wereallgeeks Categories: 100% Geek, Arcade Cabinet, Arcade room, Control Panel Redux, Games, Geekyness, ProjectsTags: arcade, arcadecontrol, arcades, button, control panel, CP, design, DIY, Gamer, gamers, joystick, layout, mouse, paddle, spinner, standup arcade, trackball 2 Comments

Japanese arcade styled joystick adds rumble — on the wrist?

Joystick evolution is an ongoing affair. Sometimes designers add interesting features, sometimes its just plain fun.

 

The handheld gamepad had a great feature that hasn’t been available on the joystick… the rumble.  Of course, military-grade joystick has force feedback added to the stick itself, but half the videogames that uses vibration motors don’t do it for feedback such as bullet being shot but for added feature such as low life warning.

2014/06/052014/06/05 by wereallgeeks Categories: Arcade room, Games, Modern gamingTags: arcade, gamepad, games, Geek, joystick, video games

JAMMA standard? What does JAMMA stands for anyway?

I’m a geek, you’re a geek, we’re all geeks.

And geeks retrofit, rebuild, repair, purchase arcade cabinets or parts.

Anyone looking trough arcade parts or cabinets will read “JAMMA board” or “JAMMA compatible” at some point. But, who’s JAMMA? What does JAMMA stands for and why do we care?

Up until maybe 1985, arcade machines were wired pretty much in any way doable. Each manufacturer had different habits, and every machines were wired differently. Total mess when trying to diagnose problems, and a headache to upgrade any cabinet to a different game.

Then came an arcade manufacturers association in Japan, named the Japanese Amusement Machine and Marketing Association, and they standardized their interface connectivity into one single standard – that standard came to be known as the JAMMA standard.

Mainly, JAMMA is a standardized connection pattern that permits every game under that standard to work in one another’s cabinet by using specific pins for everything from joysticks to buttons passing by power input, video and sounds. It does facilitate upgrade, but also diagnostic by permitting to interchange potentially faulty boards with known working ones. Any working ones.

It facilitated operator’s job considerably.

The JAMMA connector which interface between the cabinet’s buttons/joysticks and the board’s game is a 56 pin 3.96mm/.156 pitch edge connector similar to what was used in the days of cartridges. 28 top and 28 bottom pins. It is pretty much an arcade cabinet universal plug-and-play interface that includes all needed for standard 2-player arcades.

The standard went out in 1985 – meaning that any games older than that will certainly NOT be JAMMA compliant. Most games out after that do follow the standard to some extend. Certain games such as Street Fighters needed extra buttons; those buttons are added trough supplemental connectors.

2013/07/222023/05/30 by wereallgeeks Categories: Arcade Cabinet, Arcade room, RetrogamingTags: arcade, buttons, cabinet, cartridge, control panel, interface, JAMMA, joystick, pcb, video games