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From: raible@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Analogue joysticks and Amiga?
Keywords: amiga joystick
Message-ID: <19537@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 5 Mar 91 19:16:33 GMT
References: <1991Mar5.130505.19791@odin.diku.dk>
Reply-To: raible@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 51

In article <1991Mar5.130505.19791@odin.diku.dk> maze@diku.dk (Mads Haahr) writes:
>Has anybody had any experience with connecting an analogue joystick to the
>Amiga?  As far as I know, none of the commercial games currently support
>these things, but nevertheless, I'd like one to use with my own programs.
>
>I have the following questions...
>
>  Is it possible to connect one through one of the game ports (ie. are there
>  pins enough in a game port?) or is it necessary to use the parallel port?
>
>  Does anybody have information on which pins carry what information on an
>  ordinary analogue joystick? (Please mail or post!)
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>  Mads Haahr
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Mads Haahr,                          |  Internet: maze@freja.diku.dk
>  Department of Computer Science,      |
>  University of Copenhagen,            |  Cthulhu Fthagn!
>  Denmark                              |  Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From page 223 of the hardware manual:
pin#	function
----	--------
 1	button 3
 2	  ---
 3	button 1
 4	button 2
 5	POT X
 6	  ---
 7	+5V (pot return)
 8	GND (button return)
 9	POT Y

I too have been interested in seeing software written to take advantage
of this unexploited capability of the Amiga. I even went so far to hack
up an IBM style joystick. Alas, nobody has come forward with sample code
to test it with. Any volunteers????

PS: if anyone decides to hack an IBM joystick, be forewarned that these
have 100K pots, not 470K as recommended. For normal range of operation,
extra capacitance will have to be added to the POTX and POTY pins(return
to GND pin). I calculate about .2uF or so might be called for. I'll let
you know more when I get my hands on some code to try it on.

PPS: if you write your own code, be sure to average POT0DAT and POT1DAT
readings over several frames to get accurate position info.