Wiring A Sega Genesis Controller To Jamma Test Station

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Wiring A Sega Genesis Controller To Jamma Test Station

DogP has so kindly pointed out that the sega joystick controllers are pretty much an easy affair to wire up for jamma.

So I just wanted to be clear on the hooking it up to jamma part.

http://pinouts.ru/Game/genesiscontroller_pinout.shtml

DB9

Name (Select=GND)
----
Pin 1 Up
Pin 2 Down
Pin 3 Gnd / Left
Pin 4 Gnd / Right
Pin 5 +5VDC
Pin 6 Button A
Pin 7 Select
Pin 8 Ground
Pin 9 Start

Name (Select=+5V)
----
Pin 1 Up
Pin 2 Down
Pin 3
Pin 4
Pin 5 +5VDC
Pin 6 Button B
Pin 7 Select
Pin 8 Ground
Pin 9 Button C

Jamma Pin Out
----
Pin 1 Up
Pin 2 Down
Pin 3 Gnd / Left ?
Pin 4 Gnd / Right ?
Pin 5
Pin 6
Pin 7
Pin 8
Pin 9

So can you guys clarify what goes where? It seems just a bit confusing with the (ground side) and a (5v side) on the sega genesis controller scat.

Thanks
 
Does the 5v need to be hooked up on pin 5 for the controller to work with jamma? How does ground tied to the left and right side joystick help? Hum...

Jamma Pin Out
----
Pin 1 Up
Pin 2 Down
Pin 3 Gnd / Left ?
Pin 4 Gnd / Right ?
Pin 5
Pin 6
Pin 7
Pin 8
Pin 9
 
I did this awhile ago, and think I have photos/notes of what I did on a different computer. Wasn't too tough to do. I will see if I can find the information later tonight.
 
Thanks Troxel, Any and all info you have would be awesome!


The connector is a standard DB9, and the buttons are 1 wire per pin, rather than having to cut out the chip and run your own wires. You have to use the Sega Master System pinout, but Genesis controllers are easier to find and work as an 8-way joystick plus two buttons.

http://pinouts.ru/Game/sega_ms_joy_pinout.shtml

DogP

See DogP points to the master system pinout in this post.

Yeah, definitely stay with the 3 button controller, because of backward compatibility that the 6 button may not have... but using this pinout you actually only get two buttons. To get the third and start button, you need to toggle the select pin and demux/register that pin.

It's not worth it IMO, though if you want to modify the controller, you could wire +5 and Select to the third and start buttons. I personally connected switches for coin and start directly on my test station and use bone stock Genesis controllers

DogP

It seems he is saying in this post no 5v is needed?
 
Correct, no +5V is needed. Just wire it like the SMS controller pinout, with no power on pin 5. i.e.:

1 Up
2 Down
3 Left
4 Right
5 N/C
6 Button 1
7 N/C
8 GND
9 Button 2

DogP
 
Sorry, but I couldn't find the photos and notes. If they show up sometime, I will get them to you.
 
Correct, no +5V is needed. Just wire it like the SMS controller pinout, with no power on pin 5. i.e.:

1 Up
2 Down
3 Left
4 Right
5 N/C
6 Button 1
7 N/C
8 GND
9 Button 2

DogP

Thank you Sir!
 
Sorry, but I couldn't find the photos and notes. If they show up sometime, I will get them to you.

No problem man, if you have some info later on just add it. I would like to see one of these hacked out to the max. So I could do the same with my back up. Right now I am going for bone stock as DogP says.

Hopefully I will get some time tonight to finish this. We just made it back from the store with some propane, country ribs & bb sauce. I also hit up ratshack with a 20.00 spot so I could finish this project. So all the parts are here as long as the beer doesn't take me out first.
 
Well my genesis controller is hooked up and it is working! Thank you very much for a great idea. I still have some questions about getting the rest of the jamma test rig controls set up correct.

I went a bought these 3 buttons, a switch & project box from ratshack. What all do I need to run the test rig with 1 player?

3 pole 3 position toggle switch for
----
test
ground
service

and...

3 Buttons (N. O.) for Start, Credit & a Slam Switch. Is this all I would need or is there something I forgot?
 

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For test and service, I would suggest getting two switches, SPDT, with one throw being momentary and the other side being hold. Games use the service and test switches differently.

But then again, I use my rig for non-JAMMA games too. Do all JAMMA games use the service and test switches the same way?
 
I believe Service is typically a momentary switch, Test is a regular switch. Not all use it like that, but a regular switch can be used like a momentary by just flipping it back and forth... momentary switches can't really be used the other way without some tape. ;)

But yeah, for mine I just wired up the 1P/2P coin, 1P/2P start, test, and service... I didn't bother with slam.

DogP
 
If you do bench testing a lot (like I do), then you mount a 3 position switch (left, middle, right) somewhere and wire it into your test JAMMA harness with the center position as off, left as test, and right as service (label them). Makes it pretty easy to pop in and out of test.

Looks like I am set then dogp. I bought that switch because mod pointed out this above. At least I think I bought the correct switch.

As far as slam/tilt I need it so I can get to the menu on the multi-taito board. Not sure if I can use it on anything else like that but it will be there.
 
mrsalvage--if you can, post a picture of your setup when you are completed. Always like looking at different people's bench testers.
 
I'm pretty sure I've posted picture of mine before - here's a link:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg280/RetroHacker/testrig.jpg?t=1306415499

I used Sega Genesis controllers as well. I used momentary pushbuttons (from a poker machine, obviously...) for everything, since that's what I had laying around. The three down the left are test, service and slam, the other four are 1 and 2 player start and coin buttons. I've not had any problems yet, most games only seem to check the test switch at startup anyway. Of course, a bit of tape would easily hold one down.

-Ian
 
Here's a pic of my mini Jamma cabinet that I use as a portable test bench. The box is basically a case for a switching power supply, with room inside to push all the cables inside. The controllers are Sega Genesis controllers. The monitor mounted on the back is a PSOne. Push in all the cords, attach the controllers to the sides via velcro, the monitor folds down and the whole thing becomes fairly compact. Here's a picture of it testing a Gauntlet PCB to get an idea of scale.
 

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Here's a picture of it testing a Gauntlet PCB to get an idea of scale.

Where do you get the +15V, -15V, and +10.3V for powering Gauntlet??

I've got one, but no OE power supply, so I was just starting to puzzle through how to set up a test rig for it...
 
Where do you get the +15V, -15V, and +10.3V for powering Gauntlet??

I've got one, but no OE power supply, so I was just starting to puzzle through how to set up a test rig for it...

+10.3V I believe is just for the coin counters. +12V can be subbed for +15V, and -5V for -15V, though the amplification is not perfect at those levels; you do get full audio though.
 
+10.3V I believe is just for the coin counters. +12V can be subbed for +15V, and -5V for -15V, though the amplification is not perfect at those levels; you do get full audio though.

Excellent. Thanks! I just looked, and the -15V is just regulated to -5V anyhow. Good to know that +12 should work in place of the +15. I'll hook it up and see what I get!

One more question about your test set-up: Is anything necessary to convert the video signal for the PSOne display?
 
I got mine working and totally forgot the pictures. Here is a couple shots hooked up to my little LCD. Now if I could just get the LCD to stop rolling I would be set.
 

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