Is there a common pin arrangement for D-Sub controllers?

[Mikey]

I'm soon to make a PS1 H-type dual shock box with a 25-pin D-connector. Before I decide on the pin arrangement, I'd like to know if others use any particular setup, so that sticks and controller boxes might be compatible or near compatible if ever we trade them?

I know it's always possible to detach the connector and resolder the wires for a different arrangement, but at least to have the ground and direction wires on the same pins would help.

[gray117]

If there is it'd be interesting to know, but I don't think so. Project boxes are relatively rare compared to integrating the pad into a controller or wiring a pad hack directly via screen-ins/clamps inside a cab... Perhaps with this thread you could attempt to start a standard?

Also, I believe the most common connector is often a 15-pin d-sub to keep sizes down?...

[Mikey]

I was going to use 15-pins, but the PS1 pad has 16 connections, and the newer console pads must go near or above 15 also, I'd imagine.

If anyone has suggestions as to a logical pin arrangement, please let me know.

[speedlolita]

Why more than 15?

1. Triangle
2. Circle
3. Square
4. Cross
5. Start
6. Select
7. R1
8. R2
9. L1
10. L2
11. Left
12. Right
13. Up
14. Down
15. Ground

Right?

[Mikey]

There's the 'analog' button too. I don't know if it's essential, but it's there.

[speedlolita]

It's not essential, I wouldn't bother with it.

[iatneH]

For something relatively unimportant (but very DualShock-specific) as the Analog select button, I think you might be fine with just using a pushbutton on the project box itself rather than dedicating an entire line on your D-sub which essentially is only going to be used on a single controller.

One more thing - If you are willing to use the shell of the D-sub (the metal outer casing), you can get 26 lines from a DB-25. I wouldn't really recommend doing it that way, but if you really need an extra data line, it can work.

I do this with my personal DB-9 RGBS/stereo ports on my superguns, so I have +5V, R/G/B/Sync, L/R-aud, VGND, AGND on the pins, and GND on the shell.

edit:
DB-15 are common because NeoGeo uses it. I would avoid using a DB-15 on anything needing more than 5 trigger buttons though, since it will not be NeoGeo-compliant and you (or somebody you trade with) might accidentally plug it into one.

So far, I have been mostly fine using NeoGeo-compatible DB-15 adaptor boxes, since most games I want to play on any system with an arcade stick don't need more than 3 or 4 (often only 2) trigger buttons anyway.

[mikoto]

I do this with my personal DB-9 RGBS/stereo ports on my superguns, so I have +5V, R/G/B/Sync, L/R-aud, VGND, AGND on the pins, and GND on the shell.

May I ask about the reason for separate audio and video ground? :-)

Do you have a cable where the audio wires have separate shielding inside the cable, shielding for the video wires and a separate shield on the cable as a whole? Because that would make perfect sense.

Or do you just have three ground wires in the cable? Not to be rude but what would be the point of that? :-) They are all part of the machines same common ground(or rather supergun for you). Having separate grounds for shielding signals from each other is great practice, but often a bit expensive one since those cables are harder to manufacture and therefore has higher prices. But if one were to just keep three wires it would make little difference compared to just having one.

Or do you have another reason?

[johnwroachiii]

I also use 25-pin connectors. My arrangement is a little ... peculiar.

Starting at Pin 1 (cuz that's a good place to start): Ground, up, down, left, right, button 1, 2, 3, etc.

Then, starting at pin 25 and working backward, Start, Credit, "XBOX button" (or whatever), +5 volt.

Now, this is my joystick for everything, so I've got a total of 11 buttons: 8 game buttons (damn you, Saturn) and 3 "system buttons."

I've left the gap in the middle in case the Xbox 720 has 10 buttons or some such nonsense. Always room to expand.

[iatneH]

May I ask about the reason for separate audio and video ground?

Do you have a cable where the audio wires have separate shielding inside the cable, shielding for the video wires and a separate shield on the cable as a whole? Because that would make perfect sense.

Or do you just have three ground wires in the cable? Not to be rude but what would be the point of that? They are all part of the machines same common ground(or rather supergun for you). Having separate grounds for shielding signals from each other is great practice, but often a bit expensive one since those cables are harder to manufacture and therefore has higher prices. But if one were to just keep three wires it would make little difference compared to just having one.

Or do you have another reason?

I don't understand the principle myself, and with my materials it probably doesn't make much of a difference since the wires don't have individual shielding. JAMMA itself has separate audio and video grounds. From what I read (rather, what I vaguely remembered having read), wiring them all up could cause undesirable effects like screen flashing when there are loud sounds (i.e. explosions in a shooting game).

Anyway, getting off-topic :p
I would say, either use a NeoGeo-compliant DB-15 if you don't plan on using more than 5 action buttons, or just whatever you like on a DB-25, and include a sheet with the pinout with every sale or trade.

[Mikey]

Thanks for the advice. I've decided to use the 25-pin. I have 15-pin plugs and sockets but I was sent the wrong covers, and in any case I don't fancy having to put extra buttons on the pad box.

I suppose the most common setup for the D connectors is to have the plug on the device (stick) with the socket on the cable, VGA style?