Analog Speed King (Konix) joystick?

[SunChild]

Hiya everyone!

I just bought that one couple of days ago for emulation purposes (WinUAE, MAME, and some consoles...).

So it is an analog version of the oh-so-famous Speed King, with 2 fire buttons and of course a classic DB9 plug.
Unfortunately I can't get it to work on PC (I have an A500 to test it on, mind you, but couldn't 'cause its floppy drive is officialy dead and I haven't found the time to buy a new one yet).
I use the mega-mighty Retro-Donald Joystick adapter (DB9 to USB) and with it the joystick is detected on the PC alright.
I then test it with "Joystick Tester" (freeware -- google it), which supports both my retro DB9 digital joysticks AND my recent PC analog joystick (a Cyborg Fly5). Results: both fire buttons are detected (as direction left and direction right respectively -- which I understand is the expected behaviour for a retro analog stick) and work fine...
...But the stick itself gives nothing, no direction movement is detected at all!

I tried testing under WinUAE as well, which gives the exact same results (both firebuttons detected fine and mapped to directions left/right, while stick isn't detected at all...)

The vendor which I got this from sells Amiga related stuff almost exclusively, and said this is supposed to work on Amiga (so should be no "Sega-only" issues).


From all this I gather there's only 2 alternatives:

1- the stick's directions are most definitely dead
or
2- they may work just fine but (for some reason unknown to me) are just not detected/supported on PC (or because of the adapter itself?)


Can anybody on EAB tell me what they think about it? Especially if you have some experience in the retro analog stick area of course. Is alternative #1 absolutely sure, or is there any other reason why I don't get anything with the directions?
Like could it be because my Retro-Donald Adapter doesn't handle analog sticks? Or is there some driver or any other software that I ought to install prior to using an analog DB9 stick?

As you see, I'm at a loss here, and I need help to figure out whether I should send the SpeedKing back as a non-working item or if there's something else to do to make it work on my config.


Waiting AVIDLY for your suggestions to enlighten me!

[Retro-Nerd]

Like could it be because my Retro-Donald Adapter doesn't handle analog sticks?

Probably true. But i will ask on Forum64, only to be sure.

[SunChild]

That would be very nice of you! (My german being non-existent -- and although I'm pretty sure almost everyone on Forum64 would understand english perfectly, having not seen a single post in english there I'd rather a native ask for me! Thanks again man!)

[ElectroBlaster]

It will be in your interest to get that A500's floppy drive sorted and then test the joystick. If it is not working on the real thing then:

1. Suspect the lead is at fault!

A broken connection can be anywhere from the 9pin plug end right back to inside the case somewhere! I suspect the lead has a break somewhere, probably from having it wrapped around the joystick body too tight and too many times. Done this myself back in the old days and had to repair things accordingly.

Check the sticker on top for signs of tampering! To open up one of these joysticks involves disturbing the sticker somewhat: http://www.syntaxerror.nu/joy048.jpg

EDIT: Just realised its an Analogue. Never had one of those for the Amiga or Atari ST. Only ever had Digital stuff for those! I have no real clue what could be wrong other than it could well be a dodgy lead... or something else wrong inside.

[Retro-Nerd]

As it seems the aTtiny chip from the USB adapter can't process analog signals. Out of curiosity, could you post some pics of this stick?

[SunChild]

@ElectroBlaster: Yeah, I figured while reading your post you weren't talking about an analogue stick, even before you mentioned it! That is, I agree with you that, had it been a digital Speed King, the most likely explanation (and in fact the only one I would have) would be a faulty lead. But being an analogue, showing absolutely no signs of its sticker having been tampered with (the seller also assures it was tested and in good working condition) and with Retro-Nerd's confirmation that my Retro-Donald adapter doesn't support analogue anyway, I'm confident this is the issue.

@Retro-Nerd: Thank you for confirming about the adapter! Here's a pic of the one I bought from the original seller (eBay link)...

These are pretty rare nowadays so I jumped on the occasion (+ it is cosmetically in very good condition and was fairly priced too!)

Does anybody here know what adapter (if any?) there is (+where to buy it from) that CAN process RETRO (ie. Atari-type with DB9 plug) analogue joysticks?
Failing that, maybe someone knows of a way to build one...?

Incidentally, can anyone tell me as well just WHERE I can buy an internal floppy drive for my Amiga 500? I've checked Amigakit and Vesalia but there's no sign of them, only A1200 drives... Although I've seen them being sold before (around 2010 or 2011 I think, last time I checked...)

Thanks in advance for any helpful information!

[ElectroBlaster]

I am now thinking that joystick is fine and it is the adaptor! Ive often wondered whether or not to buy one. But I have no clue how you would test the joystick other than using an amiga and a game that supports it.

Ebay will yield an a500 used drive! Not sure about new one's... There are ways around it tho. Obtaining or Converting a pc floppy drive but then you have issue's of aligning the eject button, top case not fitting correctly etc.

What is exactly wrong with your drive? It could possibly have filthy read/write heads and gummed up microswitches near the front, they are close to where the disk frame is and tell the amiga a disk has been inserted. Amiga disk drives have a hard life at the best of times and then count in the fact they are open to the elements, no dust flap etc.

Or, you could get an HxC floppy drive emulator and stick all your games on an sdhc card. Depends how far your willing to go.

[Retro-Nerd]

The USB adapter is fine and you can play thousands of Amiga, C64, CPC etc games with it. It doesn't support analog sticks, just like the most other available adapters too.

[SunChild]

WinUAE supports analogue sticks just as much as the real thing does (how many blessings a day Toni deserves, I wonder...), so yes it is mostly a matter of finding the proper adapter (provided there is any available for sale of course) and test on one of the few games supporting such joystick on the Amiga (there are around 15-20 of them on the Amiga AFAIK).

I'll second Retro-Nerd's statement, and even go as far as saying that Retro-Donald Adapter is THE best option for retro-joysticks DB9 to USB available to date (well, unless we're talking analogue unfortunately, but as Retro-Nerd pointed out that is just the same with the competition)!
Not only does this particular adapter handle joystick response faster than most other adapters around (you'll read of noticeable, and therefore annoying, lag-time for many more known solutions! such lag-time is unnoticeable with Retro-Donald's), but each adapter includes not one but TWO DB9 plugs, so you effectively get 2 DB9>USB adapters in one! and if all the above was not enough, it is the cheapest of all such adapters I researched (and I believe I've covered the whole market, it's such a small one anyway). I was indeed so sure it is the best option that I bought 2 of them right away -- gives the ability to play up to 4 simultaneous players games with joysticks (yeah, I have a big digital retro-joysticks collection, 12 of them, all in working condition or at worse easily fixable).

About my Amiga drive, actually you make a good point here, since I've never properly checked what was wrong with it: it still seems ok mechanically-speaking but ceased to be able to read floppies since I rescued it from my parents' attic after discovering they had put it there for some time (I made it clearto them with enough death threats that such sacrilege was never to be repeated!).
It now messes every floppy I give it to eat and said floppy is then unreadable for good! I figured dust and/or heat (attic can obviously get pretty hot during the summer, even in Britanny -- North-West France) But yeah, it could very much be a minor fixable issue with it after all, I should investigate that!
The HxC floppy drive emulator option is pretty valid (I in fact have it in mind to buy one at some point), although that wouldn't totally replace the floppy drive for me yet, since I've still got several floppies in good shape I'd like to ADF-convert, since they're still nowhere to be found on TOSEC or anywhere else... (Note for later: should I manage someday, remember to make them publicly available!! ^_-)