Joystick/Mouse splitter

killergorilla · 10 March 2003, 18:19

Hi,

I've been looking for a joystick/mouse splitter for ages now and can't seem to find one anywhere.

I'm just fed up of having to disconnect the mouse every time I want to play a two player game from the HD.

Anyone have any ideas of where to get one? I am in the UK.

Would a 9-pin serial splitter work? They have the same pin layout after all? Probably not, nothing is EVER that easy.

Amiga1992 · 10 March 2003, 19:22

That wouldnt work. You have to get one of those automatic switching thingies that detect what you are using and switch on teh fly.

Tried www.eyetech.co.uk or www.powerc.com ?

Severin · 10 March 2003, 22:58

What you want is a 'roboshift', try sticking a wanted ad on marketplace or amibench. I have a m8 with 2 but don't see him very often, if you don't have any luck I can try to get hold of him for you...

Quote:

Would a 9-pin serial splitter work? They have the same pin layout after all? Probably not, nothing is EVER that easy.

Erm nope

but you could make one up, you would need to
add a switch to flip the +5v line to activate the one you want to use...

you could make one easily enough with parts available from Maplins. a piece of veroboard, 2 male/1 female surface mount 9-pin D-type connectors, 1 (2 position) toggle switch, and some wire and a soldering iron

BTW, I made a 2 button joystick on a bit of 10x15 hole veroboard years ago for using with Doom, If anyones interested I'll put up a scan

RetroMan · 10 March 2003, 23:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Akira
That wouldnt work. You have to get one of those automatic switching thingies that detect what you are using and switch on teh fly.

Tried www.eyetech.co.uk or www.powerc.com ?

Not true

I have a simple Y-Cable here which plugs into the mouse port and can have a joy and a mouse on the other side

P.S : You just have to be sure to turn the Mouse upside down when playing a game

but it works

Severin · 11 March 2003, 01:48

Quote:

Originally posted by RetroMan
P.S : You just have to be sure to turn the Mouse upside down when playing a game but it works

That's what the switch is for, just cuts power to the other device

I also had a simple Y connector, but at club meetings some plonker would always mess about with the mouse during 2 player games, very anoying, but perfect if you want to sabotage the other player

Amiga1992 · 11 March 2003, 02:21

Doesn't all this "power cutting while the Amiga is on" thing damage the Amiga at all? It worries me.

Echo · 11 March 2003, 09:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Akira
Doesn't all this "power cutting while the Amiga is on" thing damage the Amiga at all? It worries me.

That must be a myth, I've become increasingly complacent about hotplugging stuff on my A1200, including the hard drive power/data cable - and it's never packed in. I've been hotplugging joysticks/mice for years too.

Severin · 11 March 2003, 13:12

I know of only 1 person who's blown a port hot plugging and that was the parallel on a 1200, I've hot plugged every other port, and bought a switchbox for the parallel

The mouse/joystick ports are completely safe, they were designed for it

fiath · 11 March 2003, 13:18

I know you shouldn't do it for the parallel/serial ports. Those CIA chips blow very easily. But personally I wouldn't do it to the external drive or RGB connector either.

Amiga1992 · 11 March 2003, 16:34

Hotplugging is BAD, and that's a fact. I have never seen anyone blowing up anything either, but it's really a risk. I have done it zillions of times when I was younger, but now I take care of my machines like the precious treasures they are, nd never hotplug anything.

I still think these interfaces are as dangerous as hotplugging. Until someone comes up with a tech explantion saying that they aren't

Overdoc · 11 March 2003, 21:45

I have a joystick/mouse swither which somehow works automatically and detects which device is active

No idea how it works. Also haven't tried moving mouse while using the stick and vice versa.

BippyM · 23 March 2003, 20:39

Has anyone got a Roboshift they don't want or instructions on how to make one?

I'd like to build one into my Tower-Project

rattus · 23 March 2003, 22:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Overdoc
I have a joystick/mouse swither which somehow works automatically and detects which device is active
No idea how it works. Also haven't tried moving mouse while using the stick and vice versa.

I have one of these little buggers:

http://www.amiga-hardware.com/alfadatamouseswitch.html

they work very well and switch between mouse/joystick automatically when you press a button

killergorilla · 23 March 2003, 22:30

I want one too, so please feel free to offer it to me before bippym because he hasn't even got a finished tower to put it in yet

Overdoc · 24 March 2003, 01:15

Quote:

Originally posted by rattus
I have one of these little buggers:

http://www.amiga-hardware.com/alfadatamouseswitch.html

they work very well and switch between mouse/joystick automatically when you press a button

Hehe, funny, mine is exactly the same one

BippyM · 24 March 2003, 01:17

anychance of you guys opening these up and taking a few he-res photos so I can maybe build 1

I'll also need to know which pin goes where on the board, so erm.. some knowledge to finding out what colour goes to what pin is needed

rattus · 24 March 2003, 10:37

no chance of me doing it as I have no camera

sorry...

Rotr · 24 March 2003, 11:02

Ahum!

Actually this is an amazing coincidence, I was having lunch at my parents yesterday and it lookes like they found some old stuff from my electronics fiddling days days because I saw this DIY thingy for my miggy so I could use the mouse and joystick without having to swap them all the time. I'll see if I can swing by this evening to pick it up. As I remember it was fairly easy to put together provided you have a setup to create PCB's. Some of you might now what I mean, a small ultra violet light natriumhydroxide and disgusting Fe3O(something).

Hires pictures might be a problem but I might just redraw the PCB layout if it helps you.

Alternativly I could send it to you but I have to check the quality of the PCB since it's unprotected copper and not been used for a long time.

Rotr · 25 March 2003, 11:18

Dammit!

It's a mousplitter allright and it's very easy to make but appearently it makes use of a preprogrammed GAL IC so unless some of you know how to reverse engineer the damned thing I don't know if it will be any use.

The design appeared in a dutch hobby electronics magazine called elektuur, I don't have the issues anymore and their website only supports articles less than 2 years old.
Maybe one of the dutchspeaking EAB members still has a copy.

Could be nice!

Could be a good idea even if somebody has some nice DIY projects like the ones in CU amiga to collect them somewhere on the net ( maybe someone allready did !)

Overdoc · 25 March 2003, 12:49

I have opened the Alfadata switcher now, but it also uses a GAL and an additional 74LS157 chip.
So not easy to copy, I'm afraid....

10 March 2003, 18:19	#1
killergorilla Lesser Talent Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK Age: 42 Posts: 7,957	Joystick/Mouse splitter Hi, I've been looking for a joystick/mouse splitter for ages now and can't seem to find one anywhere. I'm just fed up of having to disconnect the mouse every time I want to play a two player game from the HD. Anyone have any ideas of where to get one? I am in the UK. Would a 9-pin serial splitter work? They have the same pin layout after all? Probably not, nothing is EVER that easy.

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10 March 2003, 19:22	#2
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	That wouldnt work. You have to get one of those automatic switching thingies that detect what you are using and switch on teh fly. Tried www.eyetech.co.uk or www.powerc.com ?

11 March 2003, 02:21	#6
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	Doesn't all this "power cutting while the Amiga is on" thing damage the Amiga at all? It worries me.

11 March 2003, 13:12	#8
Severin Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gloucester / UK Posts: 700	I know of only 1 person who's blown a port hot plugging and that was the parallel on a 1200, I've hot plugged every other port, and bought a switchbox for the parallel The mouse/joystick ports are completely safe, they were designed for it

11 March 2003, 13:18	#9
fiath Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: South East / UK Age: 46 Posts: 1,930	I know you shouldn't do it for the parallel/serial ports. Those CIA chips blow very easily. But personally I wouldn't do it to the external drive or RGB connector either.

11 March 2003, 16:34	#10
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	Hotplugging is BAD, and that's a fact. I have never seen anyone blowing up anything either, but it's really a risk. I have done it zillions of times when I was younger, but now I take care of my machines like the precious treasures they are, nd never hotplug anything. I still think these interfaces are as dangerous as hotplugging. Until someone comes up with a tech explantion saying that they aren't

11 March 2003, 21:45	#11
Overdoc Commodore Collector Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Austria Age: 53 Posts: 944	I have a joystick/mouse swither which somehow works automatically and detects which device is active No idea how it works. Also haven't tried moving mouse while using the stick and vice versa.

23 March 2003, 20:39	#12
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	Has anyone got a Roboshift they don't want or instructions on how to make one? I'd like to build one into my Tower-Project

23 March 2003, 22:30	#14
killergorilla Lesser Talent Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK Age: 42 Posts: 7,957	I want one too, so please feel free to offer it to me before bippym because he hasn't even got a finished tower to put it in yet

24 March 2003, 01:17	#16
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	anychance of you guys opening these up and taking a few he-res photos so I can maybe build 1 I'll also need to know which pin goes where on the board, so erm.. some knowledge to finding out what colour goes to what pin is needed

24 March 2003, 10:37	#17
rattus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 328	no chance of me doing it as I have no camera sorry...

24 March 2003, 11:02	#18
Rotr Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 47	Ahum! Actually this is an amazing coincidence, I was having lunch at my parents yesterday and it lookes like they found some old stuff from my electronics fiddling days days because I saw this DIY thingy for my miggy so I could use the mouse and joystick without having to swap them all the time. I'll see if I can swing by this evening to pick it up. As I remember it was fairly easy to put together provided you have a setup to create PCB's. Some of you might now what I mean, a small ultra violet light natriumhydroxide and disgusting Fe3O(something). Hires pictures might be a problem but I might just redraw the PCB layout if it helps you. Alternativly I could send it to you but I have to check the quality of the PCB since it's unprotected copper and not been used for a long time.

25 March 2003, 11:18	#19
Rotr Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 47	Dammit! It's a mousplitter allright and it's very easy to make but appearently it makes use of a preprogrammed GAL IC so unless some of you know how to reverse engineer the damned thing I don't know if it will be any use. The design appeared in a dutch hobby electronics magazine called elektuur, I don't have the issues anymore and their website only supports articles less than 2 years old. Maybe one of the dutchspeaking EAB members still has a copy. Could be nice! Could be a good idea even if somebody has some nice DIY projects like the ones in CU amiga to collect them somewhere on the net ( maybe someone allready did !)

25 March 2003, 12:49	#20
Overdoc Commodore Collector Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Austria Age: 53 Posts: 944	I have opened the Alfadata switcher now, but it also uses a GAL and an additional 74LS157 chip. So not easy to copy, I'm afraid....

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