USE YOUR PAD CABLE IN YOUR TAP!!!

[nat]

The temptation to be really obnoxious and post this in both forums is so tempting, but with regards to the recent episode, I will refrain.

[nat]

==============
TURBO-TAP/MULTI-TAP EXTENSION CORD D.I.Y.
TurboGrafx-16/TurboDuo/SuperGrafx/PC-Engine
March 18, 2007
Written by: Nat Hall (nathall@verizon.net)
==============

I'm writing this because of interest expressed at www.pcengine-fx.com and because (apparently) nobody else ever has bothered to do it before.

WHY?
--------
Because the TurboTap (TG16) and MultiTap (Duo/PCE) by default come with cords so short they hardly classify as cords. You want the 'tap to at least make it to the coffee table, where it belongs. You also don't want to waste your time with inconvenient extension cords. Finally, the reason this document exists is because it is not a simple plug 'n play swap like it is exchanging cables between US- and Japan-region controllers. The pinouts on the inside of TurboTaps and MultiTaps are different from Turbo/PCE Pads, although the cables are compatible with some simple re-wiring. You can also use these instructions to make reverse DuoTaps, etc.

WHAT YOU NEED
-------------------------
 * TurboTap or MultiTap (from here on out we are going to consider the "DuoTap" a "MultiTap")
 * a spare controller cable from a dead TurboPad, Avenue Pad or PCE/SuperGrafx pad (or you can butcher a working pad, but keep in mind you are now going straight to Hell)
 * philips head screwdriver
 * very tiny flathead screwdriver (like the kind used for eyeglass repair)
 
ENOUGH OF THIS, LET'S DO IT
-------------------------------------------

First off, you're on your own in securing a replacement cable you intend to use in your 'tap. If you can't figure that part out you shouldn't be attempting this at all.

Use the philips head screwdriver to open your 'tap. Remove screws, then remove the half of the shell that's facing you (bottom half). You should be looking at the bottom of the circuit board.

Carefully remove the circuit board and flip it over. You can remove the cable and plug from the PCB.

Get your new cable in hand with the white PCB plug closest to you, "number" side up.

Use the tiny flathead screwdriver (a knife blade might work to) to push down the small metal "teeth" for each of the wires' pin sockets. These teeth are what hold the wires into the white connector. After you've pushed them all down, you are now able to remove them from the connector. Do this now.

Depending on what kind of Pad you pillaged for this cord, the actual wires for each pin will be one of two color sets. See the following chart for these sets and how they correspond:

Wire color for Avenue Pad | TurboPad/PCE Pad
--------------------------|-----------------
BLACK                     | BIG BLACK
PURPLE                    | GREY
YELLOW                    | BROWN
BROWN                     | GREEN
BLUE                      | BLUE
ORANGE                    | YELLOW
RED                       | LIL BLACK
GREY                      | WHITE
GREEN                     | RED

Now we need to re-wire the connector so the 'tap will work with the cord. Re-insert the wires into the connector using the following pin schematic:

Pin | Wire color for Avenue Pad | TurboPad/PCE Pad
----|---------------------------|-----------------
1   | GREY                      | WHITE
2   | RED                       | LIL BLACK
3   | ORANGE                    | YELLOW
4   | BLUE                      | BLUE
5   | YELLOW                    | BROWN
6   | BROWN                     | GREEN
7   | PURPLE                    | GREY
8   | GREEN                     | RED
9   | BLACK                     | BIG BLACK

Now re-attach the connector to the PCB. Be careful as you do this as sometimes the pins on the PCB will push the wires backwards out of the socket because we bent the "holding teeth" earlier. Just apply a small amount of pressure to the base of the wire and any stragglers should push on just fine.

Re-assemble your 'tap. Make sure you route the new cable through the posts so that it is held securely in place. As long as you do this you won't have to worry about the wires coming loose inside.

Seal 'er up and you're done. If it doesn't work, don't blame me, blame your inability to follow directions.

If it does work, you're now cooler than anybody else because your 'tap has a longer cable than theirs does.

Except me, of course, because I did it before you.

What to do with the old cable? If you're like me, you have a box of miscellaneous console "parts" in your closet dating back to who knows when. You might as well throw this useless excuse-for-a-cable into this box where, like everything else in the box, it will likely never be used again for anything. But at least you can rest easy knowing should an unfortunate natural disaster ever wipe out 99% of the world's supply of MultiTaps, you can restore yours to it's original factory condition and sell it on eBay for $1,294,345,983.00.

[nat]

Yeah, that looked a lot better in the PLAIN TEXT MODE it was written in. 

[Joe Redifer]

What about all of the people in the PC Engine forum who will never ever see this?  What about people on CNN's forums?  You MUST post this everywhere... just in case.

Anyway, good writin'.

[termis]

sweet, I'm definitely gonna try that out sometime.

As for the character formatting, you can can use the font tag and use a font like Courier New that has a fixed width.

So something like this:

Pin | Wire color for Avenue Pad | TurboPad/PCE Pad
----|---------------------------|-----------------
1   | GREY                      | WHITE
2   | RED                       | LIL BLACK
3   | ORANGE                    | YELLOW
4   | BLUE                      | BLUE
5   | YELLOW                    | BROWN
6   | BROWN                     | GREEN
7   | PURPLE                    | GREY
8   | GREEN                     | RED
9   | BLACK                     | BIG BLACK

[gundarN]

Something must be done about the cable lengths. NEC must have been responsible for some headaches and poor eyesight as children sat 3 inches off their TV screens to play Chan & Chan (then went out into the garden and took a crap in the bushes).

Strange thing is that the AV cable I have is huge, so I just slide the console to where I'm sitting. Of course that leads to the issue of my dog standing on it all the time and causing the CD to skip.

[chop5]

nice guide,i didn't even think this was possible. And i have a spare pad cord when i made an order with tzd thinking it might come in handy one day.

[Joe Redifer]

gundarN, you must realize that most Japanese homes are no bigger than 10' x 10'.  That is why everyone over there is so small, so that they can fit into their own homes.  Of course it is only natural for them to think that America is exactly the same, so we got the short cables as well.  This proves NEC's brilliance.  All hail NEC!

[NecroPhile]

Danke!  My tap thanks you - it won't have to dangle precariously off of the edge of the table anymore. 

[nat]

As for the character formatting, you can can use the font tag and use a font like Courier New that has a fixed width.

Thanks, I fixed it.

[MrFulci]

gundarN,

Sounds to me like you need an extension cable. Extension cords are pretty cheap. Think of it as insurance for your system against damage from your pet.

[Duo_R]

thanks for the post, I once simply just swapped the cables and the tap didn't work. I think I reached out the turbo community and I didn't get an answer (so yes this was attempted before) but luckily you figured out how to make it work!!!   

[nat]

I once simply just swapped the cables and the tap didn't work.

I don't take "no" for an answer.

[NecroPhile]

Careful nat - they call that 'rape'. 

[VestCunt]

Thanks Nat, plus four cool points.

Of course, even a controller cable is only a few feet long.  I'd really like it to have a multitap with a cord the length of an extension cable, rather than a mere three feet.    
(As we know, multi-taps tend to malfunction when simply plugged into an extension cord.)
Do your instructions work with a cable from a Turbo Stick?  I have a broken one and they have pretty long cables.  Of course, then I'd also have to splice a PCE or Duo pin connector on the end.
So...
1)  Is there an easy way to use your instructions with Turbo Stick cable and put a smaller Dou plug on the end?
OR
2)  Are there any cheap PCE/Duo controllers or joysticks that come with really long (6' +) cables?

[nat]

Careful nat - they call that 'rape'. 

Where I come from we call that a good time. 

Do your instructions work with a cable from a Turbo Stick?  I have a broken one and they have pretty long cables. 

that's a very good question. I've never taken a TurboStick apart before to try and determine it's workings.

The next time I get a chunk of time (maybe this weekend) I'll sit down with one and see what's what.

Those instructions should work with the TurboStick if the cable used in the TurboStick is one of the two common color-coded variants.

I should have noted in that text that I have seen one other cable variant that is used on extremely old TurboPads. If you have a cable from one of these pads, my instructions will not apply. These are so old now, though, I believe they are quite rare relatively speaking. Out of like 12 pads that I have only 1 is of this type. These pads also use a different PCB internally in addition to having a completely different pin-out for the cable connector.

If the TurboStick just happens to use this old-style cable my hack won't work.

That said, it wouldn't be too hard figure out the correct wiring schematic for those cables too. I simply focused on the two most common types.

[kattare]

Incidentally, the very old controllers referred to (PCB shows model VG-1001) are much easier to use for this mod.  Just pull the connector, flip it 180 deg, and plug it into the Tap.  ;-)

It won't go in easily, as it is a 180 deg flip of the connector, but if you break the plastic tabs on the receptacle on the Tap you'll have no problem.

[nat]

That's great information to have, kattare. In the two and a half years since I wrote that article I still haven't bothered to figure out the pin-out for those old pads. Using your information it should be fairly simple to figure it out, without any testing, by simply using what we know about the pin-out of the newer style pads. I'll update the article when I get a chance.

[kattare]

I think the mapping is something like this:

PWD-624 / VG-1001
1 / 8
2 / 1
3 / 2
4 / 3
5 / 4
6 / 6
7 / 5
8 / 7
9 / 9 (shield/ground)

The pins 1-8 correspond not only to the connector inside the controller, but also to the pins in this diagram:

http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/turbocont.htm

I've spent a little bit of time with 'em lately, swapping out the built-in cables on some turbo pads for longer 10ft duo versions.  ;-)

I think I may actually setup a small turbo store (kattare's junk fo sale!) here sooner or later for some of my mod'd consoles and accessories.  We'll see if I can figure out a way to make the time investment worth it...

[M1Savage]

Just wanted to point out that there are a couple of misprints on the gamesx.com turbo controller page when referring to the TG16 controller. For instance, I believe the color picture of the 163 chip should read Pin 7 where it shows Pin 5 if I remember correctly. The part about the 173 chip being used to control the rapid fire seems to contradict the paragraph above it too. No big deal because it's still a great source of info.

[kattare]

I have something to add to my previous post here too...

I ran into another old-school vg-1001 controller today. (why am I playing with them so much, you might ask?  because I've been turning them into duo pads w/ 10 ft cords of course!)

Anyway, this particular one I went to use to 'upgrade' another TurboTap with a 3ft cable and I didn't even have to flip it 180 deg... it just plugged right in.  So it looks like some of the vg-1001's had the tabs up on the cable to pcb connector, and some of them had the tabs down on the cable to pcb connector.  To be safe, all you have to do is look at the one you're replacing, find the big black ground, and make sure you put the new one into the tap with the same orientation.  ;-)