Problem with Amiga 4 Player Joystick Adaptor on the PC

Peanutuk · 09 April 2004, 16:43

Hi

I have got hold of a new Amiga 4 Player Joystick Adaptor for my PCs parellel port, allowing me to use Amiga joysticks.

I have had lots problems with it but I am now at the stage where it is all installed correctly and WinUAE and other emulators are recognising it. However it isn't calibrated properly, characters leap around randomly and there seems to be no actual input from the joystick.

After lots of discussion [thanks blackcornflake ! ) it may be down to the fact that is tries to put the parellel port into something called SPP mode. It suggests in the FAQ that I put my port into SPP mode via the BIOS, however my BIOS only has various kinds of ECP and EPP modes, with no mention of an SPP option.

Can anyone make any suggestions as I have reached a dead-end.

thanks

Enverex · 09 April 2004, 16:47

In the BIOS you should have 4 options. SPP, EPP, ECP, ECP + EPP. If SPP is missing try jut EPP or ECP, but if neither of those work then you are screwed (untill you get a new motherboard anyway).

Bloodwych · 09 April 2004, 17:05

I have a 4-player adapter that was used with bomberman stored away somewhere.

Never knew it could double as a joystick adapter with WinUAE. Might have to give it a go sometime.

Regarding trying to get it to work, perhaps if you're running WinXP issues might arise.

Peanutuk · 09 April 2004, 18:00

I am running XP. There is no SPP optiona nd I have tried every other option.

Perhaps I should have specified "useful suggestions".

Peanutuk · 10 April 2004, 15:00

Enverex · 10 April 2004, 16:30

You have no options other than a new motherboard. End of, by the look of it. Must be a crap board to not even support "Standard Printer Port" mode though.

Peanutuk · 10 April 2004, 16:50

Well it cost me nothing [the laptop] so you can't moan.

However it is a little dissapointing.

Oh well...

01 July 2004, 18:23

hi,
i had the same problem with my 4 player adaptor - but after i set the bios parallel port option to ECP + EPP it worked perfectly.

the only thing that doesnt work yet is the autofire function of my good old competition pro

Peanutuk · 01 July 2004, 20:33

It is in fact working now. I installed WIN XP Pro on the desktop and it works fine which is great!

I think the laptop wasn't up to it, it seems to be incompatiable with a lot of things.

cosmiq · 07 July 2004, 16:19

I use PPJoy and it works great. Hmm.. i remember something about XP and par.port access problems which could be solved with userport.exe.

kriz · 07 July 2004, 18:06

Anyone knows where I can get a 4player a adapter ? (new ou used

)

Peanutuk · 07 July 2004, 18:22

I ordered mine from a company in Germany a few months back. I don't have the link I'm afraid but Blackcornflake gave it to me so ask him.

blackcornflake · 07 July 2004, 19:07

Vesalia Computer

Though I don't know if they have any in stock or not atm.

cosmiq · 07 July 2004, 22:34

I've made mine myself in 2 hours...
Just a few wires to connect to eachother - Really simple actually

Here you've got the layout:
http://www.geocities.com/deonvdw/Doc...iga4Player.htm

and here's the driver if you want to connect it to your PC (main homepage):
http://www.geocities.com/deonvdw/Docs/PPJoyMain.htm

kriz · 12 August 2004, 22:17

I got it from Vesalia today!!

Hooked up with a Honey-Bee CD32 pad.... It works great !! But sadly only with one button, is there any way to use more than one ? Any setup or something...

It costed only 5,64Euros

(and 4 was in shipping hehe)

hehehe...Get if you dont have it yet

10 July 2005, 15:51

Hi @all,
A few days ago I got my amiga 4 player adapter and I cannot get it to work under win xp. The driver I use is PPJoy. After having installed it I tried to configure an old JoyBoard but the driver didn´t even recognise the digital signals. After fiddling around a little bit I had it recognize the axes at least. But the Button still didn´t work.
Now I am at a stage where I can fully use the joystick in that neat game controller application (winxp -> control panel -> gamecontroller).
Both axes and the button seem to work but only in the gamecontroller config app. When I try to use that joystick with WinUAE or CCs64 I miss my button. Under CCs64 the buttons was recognized once, but that was without making any configuration changes. X- and y-axis still work great but how do you play Galaga without a fire button?

I´ve got two of these Joyboards and they work perfectly with both my Amiga and C64.
One hint: There´s an LED on my Joyboard that is lit when you press fire. This one works both on amiga and C64 but not when I connect the joystick to my pc.
Could the problem be that the voltage on the PC´s LPT-Port is too low? Maybe there´s a specific threshold that has to be passed for a clear 1 / 0 signal.
Is there anyone with the same problem?
Can anyone help me?

manicx · 11 July 2005, 08:57

Do you have this problem with BOTH 4-player adaptor inputs (ie with both sockets)?

11 July 2005, 12:19

Yes, indeed. The port doesn´t matter.
The really weird thing is that winxp drivers and configuration program acknowledge a button press (a crosshair in a box for the movement of the joystick and a red lamp for every button that is lit when you hit the button, remember?). It´s the same with both joysticks on either port of the 4 player adapter.
Personally I would say that a clear "button is pressed"-signal from direct input is enough to make a joystick button work with any directx based application. But my system does not share that opinion

As I said in my previous post that button worked once for about 10 seconds with CCs64 and then bailed out.
Then I don´t understand why PPJoy didn´t detect any axis movement in the first time and then suddenly came up with: "Hey, you moved the stick, man! But I don´t like your button" without me changing the settings. Then PPjoy detected the button, again without me having changed anything. And that´s where I am. PPJoy and win xp game controller app detect the button, all the other applications don´t. That seems like a "software loose contact" to me

Any idea?

Adeptus · 12 July 2005, 04:01

Yep, definitely a loose contact in your software. Take that program apart & check all the soldering.

manicx · 12 July 2005, 09:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by deload

Yes, indeed. The port doesn´t matter.
The really weird thing is that winxp drivers and configuration program acknowledge a button press (a crosshair in a box for the movement of the joystick and a red lamp for every button that is lit when you hit the button, remember?). It´s the same with both joysticks on either port of the 4 player adapter.
Personally I would say that a clear "button is pressed"-signal from direct input is enough to make a joystick button work with any directx based application. But my system does not share that opinion

As I said in my previous post that button worked once for about 10 seconds with CCs64 and then bailed out.
Then I don´t understand why PPJoy didn´t detect any axis movement in the first time and then suddenly came up with: "Hey, you moved the stick, man! But I don´t like your button" without me changing the settings. Then PPjoy detected the button, again without me having changed anything. And that´s where I am. PPJoy and win xp game controller app detect the button, all the other applications don´t. That seems like a "software loose contact" to me

Any idea?

Which applications other than winUAE and CCS64 did you use? Try STeem. STeem is the perfect example on how to set up a joystick config in an emulator.

09 April 2004, 16:43	#1
Peanutuk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The North, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,082	Problem with Amiga 4 Player Joystick Adaptor on the PC Hi I have got hold of a new Amiga 4 Player Joystick Adaptor for my PCs parellel port, allowing me to use Amiga joysticks. I have had lots problems with it but I am now at the stage where it is all installed correctly and WinUAE and other emulators are recognising it. However it isn't calibrated properly, characters leap around randomly and there seems to be no actual input from the joystick. After lots of discussion [thanks blackcornflake ! ) it may be down to the fact that is tries to put the parellel port into something called SPP mode. It suggests in the FAQ that I put my port into SPP mode via the BIOS, however my BIOS only has various kinds of ECP and EPP modes, with no mention of an SPP option. Can anyone make any suggestions as I have reached a dead-end. thanks

12 August 2004, 22:17	#15
kriz Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: No(R)Way Age: 41 Posts: 3,189	I got it from Vesalia today!! Hooked up with a Honey-Bee CD32 pad.... It works great !! But sadly only with one button, is there any way to use more than one ? Any setup or something... It costed only 5,64Euros (and 4 was in shipping hehe) hehehe...Get if you dont have it yet Last edited by kriz; 12 August 2004 at 22:27.

10 July 2005, 15:51	#16
deload Posts: n/a	Amiga 4 Player Adapter Hi @all, A few days ago I got my amiga 4 player adapter and I cannot get it to work under win xp. The driver I use is PPJoy. After having installed it I tried to configure an old JoyBoard but the driver didn´t even recognise the digital signals. After fiddling around a little bit I had it recognize the axes at least. But the Button still didn´t work. Now I am at a stage where I can fully use the joystick in that neat game controller application (winxp -> control panel -> gamecontroller). Both axes and the button seem to work but only in the gamecontroller config app. When I try to use that joystick with WinUAE or CCs64 I miss my button. Under CCs64 the buttons was recognized once, but that was without making any configuration changes. X- and y-axis still work great but how do you play Galaga without a fire button? I´ve got two of these Joyboards and they work perfectly with both my Amiga and C64. One hint: There´s an LED on my Joyboard that is lit when you press fire. This one works both on amiga and C64 but not when I connect the joystick to my pc. Could the problem be that the voltage on the PC´s LPT-Port is too low? Maybe there´s a specific threshold that has to be passed for a clear 1 / 0 signal. Is there anyone with the same problem? Can anyone help me?

11 July 2005, 12:19	#18
deload Posts: n/a	Amiga 4 player problem Yes, indeed. The port doesn´t matter. The really weird thing is that winxp drivers and configuration program acknowledge a button press (a crosshair in a box for the movement of the joystick and a red lamp for every button that is lit when you hit the button, remember?). It´s the same with both joysticks on either port of the 4 player adapter. Personally I would say that a clear "button is pressed"-signal from direct input is enough to make a joystick button work with any directx based application. But my system does not share that opinion As I said in my previous post that button worked once for about 10 seconds with CCs64 and then bailed out. Then I don´t understand why PPJoy didn´t detect any axis movement in the first time and then suddenly came up with: "Hey, you moved the stick, man! But I don´t like your button" without me changing the settings. Then PPjoy detected the button, again without me having changed anything. And that´s where I am. PPJoy and win xp game controller app detect the button, all the other applications don´t. That seems like a "software loose contact" to me Any idea?

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09 April 2004, 16:47	#2
Enverex Fantasy Man! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: UK Posts: 1,353	In the BIOS you should have 4 options. SPP, EPP, ECP, ECP + EPP. If SPP is missing try jut EPP or ECP, but if neither of those work then you are screwed (untill you get a new motherboard anyway).

09 April 2004, 17:05	#3
Bloodwych Moderator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: I'm behind you! Posts: 3,763	I have a 4-player adapter that was used with bomberman stored away somewhere. Never knew it could double as a joystick adapter with WinUAE. Might have to give it a go sometime. Regarding trying to get it to work, perhaps if you're running WinXP issues might arise.

09 April 2004, 18:00	#4
Peanutuk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The North, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,082	I am running XP. There is no SPP optiona nd I have tried every other option. Perhaps I should have specified "useful suggestions".

10 April 2004, 15:00	#5
Peanutuk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The North, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,082

10 April 2004, 16:30	#6
Enverex Fantasy Man! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: UK Posts: 1,353	You have no options other than a new motherboard. End of, by the look of it. Must be a crap board to not even support "Standard Printer Port" mode though.

10 April 2004, 16:50	#7
Peanutuk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The North, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,082	Well it cost me nothing [the laptop] so you can't moan. However it is a little dissapointing. Oh well...

01 July 2004, 18:23	#8
Talon Posts: n/a	hi, i had the same problem with my 4 player adaptor - but after i set the bios parallel port option to ECP + EPP it worked perfectly. the only thing that doesnt work yet is the autofire function of my good old competition pro

01 July 2004, 20:33	#9
Peanutuk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The North, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,082	It is in fact working now. I installed WIN XP Pro on the desktop and it works fine which is great! I think the laptop wasn't up to it, it seems to be incompatiable with a lot of things.

07 July 2004, 16:19	#10
cosmiq Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Holland Age: 41 Posts: 314	I use PPJoy and it works great. Hmm.. i remember something about XP and par.port access problems which could be solved with userport.exe.

07 July 2004, 18:06	#11
kriz Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: No(R)Way Age: 41 Posts: 3,189	Anyone knows where I can get a 4player a adapter ? (new ou used )

07 July 2004, 18:22	#12
Peanutuk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The North, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,082	I ordered mine from a company in Germany a few months back. I don't have the link I'm afraid but Blackcornflake gave it to me so ask him.

07 July 2004, 19:07	#13
blackcornflake Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cereal box Posts: 794	Vesalia Computer Though I don't know if they have any in stock or not atm.

07 July 2004, 22:34	#14
cosmiq Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Holland Age: 41 Posts: 314	I've made mine myself in 2 hours... Just a few wires to connect to eachother - Really simple actually Here you've got the layout: http://www.geocities.com/deonvdw/Doc...iga4Player.htm and here's the driver if you want to connect it to your PC (main homepage): http://www.geocities.com/deonvdw/Docs/PPJoyMain.htm

11 July 2005, 08:57	#17
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Do you have this problem with BOTH 4-player adaptor inputs (ie with both sockets)?

12 July 2005, 04:01	#19
Adeptus epun umop ap!sdn Join Date: May 2003 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 285	Yep, definitely a loose contact in your software. Take that program apart & check all the soldering.

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