I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modification

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MidOrFeed2015
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Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modification

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Hey guys,

Below is the work I've done.

I bought 2 NES controller ports (from an NES) and 2 extra Famicom Controllers.

Just using P1 as an example, I cut the Famicom controller into two pieces. One with the connector, and the other with the controller.

I stripped the connector side's 5 wires, and then I stripped the controller side's 5 wires.

As a test, I re-soldered the controller to the connector and it worked.

I then cut the NES controller port into two pieces, but I threw out the side with the green connector as I did not need it. I then stripped the 5 relevant wires of the side with the NES controller port.

I soldered the 5 wires from the NES controller port to the soldered areas that I worked on and gave it a test. The Famicom Controller still worked, but the NES controller was not working for some reason.

If I pushed A or B, my character would walk right. Other buttons weren't doing anything.

I basically colour matched, but then realized that was wrong.

Famicom's Clock is yellow, while the NES controller's clock is red. Vice versa, Famicom's data is red, while the NES controller port's data is yellow.

I re-wired the clock/data and the end result was the following:

(5V+) NES White -> Famicom White
(CLK) NES Red -> Famicom Yellow
(LAT) NES Orange -> Famicom Orange
(DAT) NES Yellow -> Famicom Red
(GND) NES Brown -> Famicom Brown

Now oddly, buttons on the NES controller are not doing anything. Also, the Famicom controller will not work when plugging in an NES controller. As soon as I unplug it, the Famicom controller starts working.

Is there a chance that my wiring is wrong?

I'm using the bottom image as a reference.

According to this (using what I see visually on my controller port and the Famicom):

NES:
GND = Brown
CLK = Red
5V+ = White
LAT = Orange
DAT = Yellow

Image

Famicom:
GND = Brown
CLK = Yellow
5V+ = White
LAT = Orange
DAT = Red

Image

Image

Example image of work done (ugly picture):

Image
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

This is just a theory.

I think my latest wiring is correct, and when I plug in the NES controller into the port, the reason neither controller works is because there are two 5V+ connections going in?

When I get home later today I am going to try and unhook the 5V+ from the Famicom controller and just have the NES port's 5V+ wired in.

If this is the case, then I can just add a switch to switch between Famicom or NES controllers.
MidOrFeed2015
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Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Well, looks like I was correct! I stripped the 5V connection from the famicom controller and the NES controller worked.

However, the NES controller was registering a "right" press when pushing A. I was not sure why, so I ended up stripping the Famicom controller entirely and soldering only the NES controller port to the famicom controller port. The end result was the NES controller is now working properly.

I just decided to say screw the famicom controllers, I'll just have NES controllers wired in. It's a good sacrifice.
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Syntax
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Syntax »

Should of just made an adapter.

Image
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Voultar
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Voultar »

Syntax wrote:Should of just made an adapter.

Image

There are games that aren't programmed to poll D1 (found on the expansion connector)

$4016/4017 D0 isn't on the expansion connector. The hardwired (P1) controller polls D0. So unless the game takes this register into account, no dice.
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Sigh, I'm not sure what's wrong now.

I've replicated my wiring on the P2 famicom port (but I cut the MIC wire as I did not need it).

The NES controller just won't work.

I'm doing the same thing as the above which works for P1:

NES BROWN (GND) to Famicom BROWN (GND)
NES ORANGE (LATCH) to Famicom ORANGE (LATCH)
NES RED (CLOCK) to Famicom YELLOW (CLOCK)
NES YELLOW (DATA) to Famicom YELLOW (DATA)
NES WHITE (5V) to Famicom WHITE (5V)

It just refuses to work when getting plugged in. I for the heck of it switched the wires to match red/red and yellow/yellow and what happened was the character would just hold the up button (and nothing else would work).

Maybe my wiring is wrong? But I can't see how.
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Syntax
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Syntax »

Voultar wrote:
Syntax wrote:Should of just made an adapter.

Image

There are games that aren't programmed to poll D1 (found on the expansion connector)

$4016/4017 D0 isn't on the expansion connector. The hardwired (P1) controller polls D0. So unless the game takes this register into account, no dice.
If only you were this fast to reply to my pms or store emails :p sell me a pce amp damn It!
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Voultar
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Voultar »

MidOrFeed2015 wrote:Sigh, I'm not sure what's wrong now.

I've replicated my wiring on the P2 famicom port (but I cut the MIC wire as I did not need it).

The NES controller just won't work.

I'm doing the same thing as the above which works for P1:

NES BROWN (GND) to Famicom BROWN (GND)
NES ORANGE (LATCH) to Famicom ORANGE (LATCH)
NES RED (CLOCK) to Famicom YELLOW (CLOCK)
NES YELLOW (DATA) to Famicom YELLOW (DATA)
NES WHITE (5V) to Famicom WHITE (5V)

It just refuses to work when getting plugged in. I for the heck of it switched the wires to match red/red and yellow/yellow and what happened was the character would just hold the up button (and nothing else would work).

Maybe my wiring is wrong? But I can't see how.
I made this a long, long time ago. Maybe it'll help.

Image

@Syntax, I'm not currently doing international orders. Maybe in about a month, though. ;-)
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Voultar wrote:
MidOrFeed2015 wrote:Sigh, I'm not sure what's wrong now.

I've replicated my wiring on the P2 famicom port (but I cut the MIC wire as I did not need it).

The NES controller just won't work.

I'm doing the same thing as the above which works for P1:

NES BROWN (GND) to Famicom BROWN (GND)
NES ORANGE (LATCH) to Famicom ORANGE (LATCH)
NES RED (CLOCK) to Famicom YELLOW (CLOCK)
NES YELLOW (DATA) to Famicom YELLOW (DATA)
NES WHITE (5V) to Famicom WHITE (5V)

It just refuses to work when getting plugged in. I for the heck of it switched the wires to match red/red and yellow/yellow and what happened was the character would just hold the up button (and nothing else would work).

Maybe my wiring is wrong? But I can't see how.
I made this a long, long time ago. Maybe it'll help.

Image

@Syntax, I'm not currently doing international orders. Maybe in about a month, though. ;-)
Wait, so beside the Mic cable is a white cable. I have NES' white (5V) going into the Famicom's white. Looks like I was wrong, looking at your diagram. NES' brown (GND) should go into Famicom's white.

And NES' yellow (Data) should go into Famicom's yellow (since D0 next to GND is yellow).

According to that diagram, the final wiring should be (in order):

???? (I cut this wire off completely) to Famicom Blue (MIC)
NES Brown (GND) to Famicom White (GND)
NES Yellow (DAT) to Famicom Yellow (DAT)
NES Orange (LAT) to Famicom Orange (DAT)
NES Red (CLK) to Famicom Red (CLK)
NES White (5V) to Famicom Brown (5V)
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

No luck with that wiring combination...

Using mario bros as an example:

Player 1 still works, but player 2 will do a forward jump then just stop.
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Voultar wrote:
MidOrFeed2015 wrote:Sigh, I'm not sure what's wrong now.

I've replicated my wiring on the P2 famicom port (but I cut the MIC wire as I did not need it).

The NES controller just won't work.

I'm doing the same thing as the above which works for P1:

NES BROWN (GND) to Famicom BROWN (GND)
NES ORANGE (LATCH) to Famicom ORANGE (LATCH)
NES RED (CLOCK) to Famicom YELLOW (CLOCK)
NES YELLOW (DATA) to Famicom YELLOW (DATA)
NES WHITE (5V) to Famicom WHITE (5V)

It just refuses to work when getting plugged in. I for the heck of it switched the wires to match red/red and yellow/yellow and what happened was the character would just hold the up button (and nothing else would work).

Maybe my wiring is wrong? But I can't see how.
I made this a long, long time ago. Maybe it'll help.

Image

@Syntax, I'm not currently doing international orders. Maybe in about a month, though. ;-)
Is it possible that this is a Twin Famicom pinout on the board? Maybe it's different on an actual Famicom?
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Holy crap... I had the P2 wiring completely wrong...

It's going to be:

NES Left - Famicom Right

WHITE -> BROWN (5V)
RED -> WHITE (CLOCK)
ORANGE -> YELLOW (LATCH)
BROWN -> RED (GROUND)
YELLOW -> ORANGE (DATA)

Going to solder this now.
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Yeah this won't work.

I guess I'll just kill myself.

Unless, is there a Famicom controller that hooks onto the exp port that can act as P2? That's all I care about. I have a fully working P1 NES adapter that's direct into the mobo.

And I guess Battletoads US is impossible on a famicom co-op, because P2 never had a start button to begin with.
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Voultar
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Voultar »

MidOrFeed2015 wrote:Yeah this won't work.

I guess I'll just kill myself.

Unless, is there a Famicom controller that hooks onto the exp port that can act as P2? That's all I care about. I have a fully working P1 NES adapter that's direct into the mobo.

And I guess Battletoads US is impossible on a famicom co-op, because P2 never had a start button to begin with.

Your controller extension cables, are you buzzing them out to make sure that you have the right wire for each corresponding pin?
MidOrFeed2015
Posts: 168
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:11 am

Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by MidOrFeed2015 »

Voultar wrote:
MidOrFeed2015 wrote:Yeah this won't work.

I guess I'll just kill myself.

Unless, is there a Famicom controller that hooks onto the exp port that can act as P2? That's all I care about. I have a fully working P1 NES adapter that's direct into the mobo.

And I guess Battletoads US is impossible on a famicom co-op, because P2 never had a start button to begin with.

Your controller extension cables, are you buzzing them out to make sure that you have the right wire for each corresponding pin?
Buzzing? With a multi-meter or something you mean? I didn't do any kind of buzzing and I don't have the tools for that.
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Syntax
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Syntax »

There are the tools to make a buzzer/continuity tester in every house.

You could find a torch and put some tape between the batteries and a wire either side PRESTO light continuity tester.

Or buy a $5 meter lol.
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Voultar
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Re: I need help with an NES to Famicom controller modificati

Post by Voultar »

MidOrFeed2015 wrote:
Voultar wrote:
MidOrFeed2015 wrote:Yeah this won't work.

I guess I'll just kill myself.

Unless, is there a Famicom controller that hooks onto the exp port that can act as P2? That's all I care about. I have a fully working P1 NES adapter that's direct into the mobo.

And I guess Battletoads US is impossible on a famicom co-op, because P2 never had a start button to begin with.

Your controller extension cables, are you buzzing them out to make sure that you have the right wire for each corresponding pin?
Buzzing? With a multi-meter or something you mean? I didn't do any kind of buzzing and I don't have the tools for that.

Your wiring is wrong because you're relying on the colors and not probing the lines.

Go buy an $8 multi-meter and set it to continuity.
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