Controller Extension Cables with No Lag

[Odolwa]

Do you guys know of any controller extension cables that don’t have lag? I’m looking for ones for GameCube, N64, and SNES. Raphnet used to sell them, but they seem to be discontinued.

[NoAffinity]

You're talking about extensions or converters? Extension cables are simply that, nothing that would introduce any lag.

If you're talking about converters, from what controller(s) to what console(s)?

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[Odolwa]

Extension cables.

[bigbadboaz]

Yeah, cables shouldn't have any lag. I'm not familiar with the current state of the market, but even Chinese cheapies on eBay (if you can't find anything else) should work just fine. Biggest concern would be poorly-fitting plugs.

[Sumez]

Making extension cables introduce lag would be a lot more complex to create than just regular passive cables, so yeah, absolutely no need to worry about it.

[Odolwa]

Making extension cables introduce lag would be a lot more complex to create than just regular passive cables, so yeah, absolutely no need to worry about it.

I bought these GameCube controller extension cables from StoneAge Gamer, and they have problems. There isn't lag, but the button inputs don't register as well as they would without the extension cable. I also bought cables for NES, SNES, N64, and PS2, but have not had a chance to test those yet. I'm disappointed with these GC cables so far. I was playing Luigi's Mansion, and I kept wondering why pressing down on L would shoot a burst of the elemental attack, rather than shooting a stream of it, and it didn't start to work right until I unplugged the extension cable. It was very irritating.

[neorichieb1971]

My ps1 extension cables disable rumble.

[bobrocks95]

My ps1 extension cables disable rumble.

Is it possible that rumble uses an extra pin on the controller connector since it was added later, and the cable was for older versions of the controller so they didn't bother to wire it? Maybe a data pin, or some kind of pin combo that tells the console it's a dualshock? The timings for rumble would have to be extremely tight if microseconds from the added cable length affect it.

EDIT: Pin 3 is a 7V line used exclusively for rumble motor power. Willing to bet the extension cable doesn't wire that pin up. If it was made before the dualshock was out it'd look like a completely useless pin.

[XtraSmiley]

Make sure you buy extension cables that are less than 100m or you may notice lag begin to affect you.

[ldeveraux]

Make sure you buy extension cables that are less than 100m or you may notice lag begin to affect you.

I'm struggling to think of an instance where I would need my controller to be that far from my console

[NoAffinity]

Make sure you buy extension cables that are less than 100m or you may notice lag begin to affect you.

I'm struggling to think of an instance where I would need my controller to be that far from my console

I'm thinking there was some sarcasm implied there.

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[ldeveraux]

Make sure you buy extension cables that are less than 100m or you may notice lag begin to affect you.

I'm struggling to think of an instance where I would need my controller to be that far from my console

I'm thinking there was some sarcasm implied there.

They do sarcasm on the internet now??

[NoAffinity]

They do sarcasm on the internet now??

Nooo....

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[ldeveraux]

They do sarcasm on the internet now??

Nooo....

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Brilliant! But seriously, I'd also like to know where to get proper extension cables because I'd say a good 75% of mine are crapola.

[thebigcheese]

Making extension cables introduce lag would be a lot more complex to create than just regular passive cables, so yeah, absolutely no need to worry about it.

I bought these GameCube controller extension cables from StoneAge Gamer, and they have problems. There isn't lag, but the button inputs don't register as well as they would without the extension cable. I also bought cables for NES, SNES, N64, and PS2, but have not had a chance to test those yet. I'm disappointed with these GC cables so far. I was playing Luigi's Mansion, and I kept wondering why pressing down on L would shoot a burst of the elemental attack, rather than shooting a stream of it, and it didn't start to work right until I unplugged the extension cable. It was very irritating.

Unfortunately, this is fairly common with extension cables. As I understand it (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), the signals sent from the consoles aren't quite as robust as modern ones, so adding any amount of length has a tendency to introduce errors. I'd imagine cables with particularly low resistance and/or capacitance would be helpful in that regard, but it has generally been pretty hit or miss in my experience. Heck, I've had the same cable work on one controller and not on another. Best practice is, unfortunately, to just not use them.

[bigbadboaz]

It wasn't common for me at all during that generation. I suspect it's more due to poor quality in what's available now than in extensions for older consoles just being a bad idea.

Keep looking and try to find cables of verifiable quality, produced during that console's lifespan. It's harder now but you should be able to get good cables.

[ldeveraux]

It wasn't common for me at all during that generation. I suspect it's more due to poor quality in what's available now than in extensions for older consoles just being a bad idea.

Keep looking and try to find cables of verifiable quality, produced during that console's lifespan. It's harder now but you should be able to get good cables.

But that's the point of this thread, OP is looking for suggestions on quality extensions and your suggestion is to keep looking.

[Konsolkongen]

GameCube and N64 only has a single data line, that might be more prone to errors caused by outside interference. The extention cords I've seen never had any shielding, if you could find some with shielded cables that might help?

[NewSchoolBoxer]

This is kind of funny but I would have wondered the same thing before learning electronics. So electricity travels at the speed of light. Light and electricity are two forms of electromagnetic waves. This speed is less through water or metal than air or an ideal vacuum. Cable datasheets will show a velocity factor and that is the fraction of the speed of light. If you aren't sure/can't find it, safe to assume it's between 0.67 and 0.75 in a copper cable. Let's say it's 0.67 or 2/3 to be conservative.

Speed of light in a vacuum: 299 792 458 meters/second
2/3 of that: 199 861 638 m/s
Time it takes to travel 1 meter: 1/speed = 5 nanoseconds
US/Imperial fun units: 655 714 035 feet/second = 1.5 nanoseconds

At 1us = 1000 nanoseconds the propagation delay of a cable I think could impact a pro gamer doing frame perfect tricks. Let me know if someone has a 200 meter or 666 foot cable with repeaters to restore the +5V signal and then we can do some fun testing.

tl;dr Extending the cable adds insignificant extra propagation time.

Actual concerns here are the DC line loss and the now transmission line length distance for a square wave. I think above 4 meters/24 feet, you might get button presses that don't register or, more likely, button presses you never made due to electromagnetic interference. NES and SNES I know are active low, meaning +5V is sent normally and 0V is sent for a button being pressed. If noise/interference makes 0V become +0.8V or +5V go below +2.0V, you get unpredictable results. Maybe +5V for no button press is dropped to +4.5V from aged console output that gets dropped to +3.5V from long cable and now your noise margin is at risk.

Obviously you have a smaller noise margin in 3.3V logic.

Unfortunately, this is fairly common with extension cables. As I understand it (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), the signals sent from the consoles aren't quite as robust as modern ones, so adding any amount of length has a tendency to introduce errors. I'd imagine cables with particularly low resistance and/or capacitance would be helpful in that regard, but it has generally been pretty hit or miss in my experience. Heck, I've had the same cable work on one controller and not on another. Best practice is, unfortunately, to just not use them.

This is what I think too. Thing I didn't cover above, the greater cable distance adds more cable inductance and capacitance that reduce the voltage output but also increase the delay of the rise and fall time of the button press or release voltage. Would normally be insignificant but an aged console OR controller* with PCB through many cycles of heat expansion and retraction and many out of spec value capacitors and high ESR that should be replaced...I'm sure something like this can happen.

In such a case, I'd keep total controller cable length at or below 4 meters / 24 feet.