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Post by dshadoff on May 4, 2019 21:30:19 GMT
In case this is useful to anybody, I have designed a trivial PC board in the EAGLE PC board design software, and put it up on GitHub here: github.com/dshadoff/mini-DIN-8-breakout-v2EAGLE is a free download, if used for small projects such as this one. Or, you can just grab the Gerber files from the CAMOutputs subdirectory, and send them off to your favorite PC board maker. Or, I've shared it as a "Shared Project" at OSHPark, so it can be even simpler to order some up: oshpark.com/shared_projects/Hq9394EfSince they're small, the boards are cheap. Should be about $3.75 for 3 of them if you're in the USA (though it'll cost more if you want them fast). The mini-DIN-8 connectors - as long as you get PCB-mount - should all work; I've bought them from about 5 different sources now (with and without metal cover), and they all have the same pinout. These should be about $1.50-$2.00 from Mouser, or if you don't mind waiting, AliExpress seems to have them @ 100 for less than $30 (about $0.30/ea). Dave
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Post by dshadoff on May 26, 2019 4:20:09 GMT
I have also just put up on Github another board - also related to the PCE joypad port: github.com/dshadoff/PCE_Joypad_Breakout-v3In this case, it uses a few surface-mount components, so you really should know what you're doing before you try to build this. But the idea is that it does these things: a) taps the ongoing communication between a 'normal' joypad peripheral and the PC Engine by breaking out all of the pins for easy access b) provides level-shift (to 3.3V) for peripherals made using more modern electronics. c) allows switching in-between these devices for pass-through/assertion, in the same way that a MB128 does. ...It also has a nice little prototype mounting area, in case you built something on a breadboard and now just want to make it more permanent without designing a whole new board. Note: I DO NOT know what the maximum current capability of the joypad port is, before it reaches the limit where damage could happen to the PC Engine or the peripheral. I am pretty sure that you could cause damage if you shorted things out, or if your peripheral simply draws too much power - be forewarned ! For comparison purposes: PCE Joypad draws about 1 mA PCE Mouse draws about 6 mA Memory Base 128 draws about 15 mA ...So, even with a MB128, joytap, PCE mouse, and 4 joypads, the total is still only around 25 mA... which should be considered its maximum rating. Since microcontroller boards can draw anywhere between 2 mA to 2 Amps, you should understand the power needs of your device - under both normal and peak coniditions - and plan accordingly, so as not to put more load on the PC Engine than is normally expected of it. Dave
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