Building my own controller/stick

ColinM · 04/17/2018, 09:49 AM

Hi all, relative newcomer to the forum here. A couple years ago I got into Neo Geo stuff, I picked up an AES for a decent price...realized it was way too expensive to collect for, let alone play games on. So I made a consolized MVS system and started getting arcade carts for substantially cheaper, and of course the 161 in 1 cart etc.

The problem with the Neo Geo continued to be expensive controllers that in my opinion weren't that great without upgrading the sticks and buttons. So I figured i'd build a controller using high end arcade sticks and buttons.

This was the end result

Now that i'm diving head first into PC Engine stuff, i'd love to build a 6 button stick for my soon to arrive Duo from Keith Courage.

My plan is to use a 8pin mini din port on the controller, so I can just use a mini din to mini din cable and not have to get an expensive and also stupid short stock cable. That way the cable is completely removable and length won't be an issue.

So does anyone have a pinout/wiring diagram for an avenue 6 button pad, or for the 8 pin din port of the console itself? I don't have a 6 button controller to tear apart to see what goes where.

Anyways, i'd love to get this build up and running and document my progress. I'll probably go with wood for the enclosure again, but I am playing around with other ideas.

If this goes well, i'd be more than willing to make a few for anyone interested...but even at a reasonable price I probably can't beat Hori fight stick prices. So there's that haha. I'll keep a list of parts and prices that I use here for anyone that wants to tackle it themselves as well.

EDIT: Picture size fixed so it wasn't gigantic

NecroPhile · 04/17/2018, 10:23 AM

Neato looking stick. I like the milled/lasered logo.

I think this is what you're looking for: https://gamesx.com/controldata/turbocont.htm

ColinM · 04/17/2018, 10:46 AM

Quote from: guest on 04/17/2018, 10:23 AMNeato looking stick. I like the milled/lasered logo.

I think this is what you're looking for: https://gamesx.com/controldata/turbocont.htm

Thanks! Yeah the logo is laser engraved out. Hmmm, looking at how the PC Engine reads controller inputs this may be trickier than I thought...not impossible, but more complicated for sure. Oh well, won't know until I go for it haha. I'll have to snag a broken Avenue Pad 6 from ebay to tear apart and explore as well to sort things out further.

soop · 04/17/2018, 11:05 AM

It shouldn't really matter how it reads the inputs - you're just doing a pad hack right? Just wire all your stuff to the pads on the avenue 6.

ColinM · 04/17/2018, 11:45 AM

Quote from: soop on 04/17/2018, 11:05 AMIt shouldn't really matter how it reads the inputs - you're just doing a pad hack right? Just wire all your stuff to the pads on the avenue 6.

Well yeah, but I'd like to not have to buy and ruin any good avenue 6's to make this. Although it's starting to look like a tough prospect. The PCE reads controller inputs differently than any other controllers I've built it seems.

soop · 04/17/2018, 03:59 PM

Don't worry too much, just look for a low grade Avenue 6. They aren't the most sought after pads anyway, and a Hori Fighting Commander is much nicer as a pad.

ColinM · 04/19/2018, 11:19 AM

Ok I snagged a Hori and an Avenue 6 on ebay...from japan. So once I get them i'll tear both apart to clean them anyways and see how things are wired. Then if need be, whichever pad I like less will become the doner for the stick project.

soop · 04/19/2018, 11:44 AM

Oohhh, if you got the hori 6 button pad, please don't use that! That's the best pad out there in my opinion (and quite a few others). Well it's your choice, but I hope you agree!