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SEGA Saturn to Neo-Geo controller adapters

This is an awesome project. Huge thanks to @Arthrimus and Frank for putting it together.

I've been working on these over here https://www.arcade-projects.com/thr...shared-sat2neo-saturn2db15.18282/#post-295204 Great success, works as expected.

Works great with the official Sega Saturn 6 button gamepad (grey, white and clear).
Does not work quite right for me with the offical Sega Saturn Virtua Stick - the japanese one (HSS-0136)

On the HSS-0136 the directions and the start button work as expected, but the face buttons dont work. This is expected behavior the first time a new sat2neo is attached. But when using the virtua stick I cant get the button combos work for me either, 3 buttons + start does nothing, and I cant enter remap or autofire mode. Again, this works perfectly with the saturn gamepads, its just the Virtua Stick that has the problem.

If I put it into remap mode and program the butons with the gamepad then the HSS buttons dont work
if I put it into remap mode with the gamepad, then swap controllers to the HSS to program the buttons it gets a little weird. When I hit the buttons on the HSS the indicator LED does not blink like it normally would when reprograming buttons. After I'm done and hit "start" to save the map the buttons still dont work on the HSS. AND If I swap back to the gamepad the buttons now dont work there either. So it's clearly remapping something, just not the expected thing.

Has anyone had success using an HSS-0136 with the Sat2Neo? I'm guessing that the HSS-0136 will either have a different MUX IC, or it is somehow tied up with the autofire selecter switches that the HSS-01136 has. I'm perfectly happy to pull it to bits and start poking around, just checking that it might already be a solved problem?

Saturn_HSS-0136.jpg
 
Update: Fixed. It was in fact the autofire selector switches that were stopping this from working correctly.

I had fantasies of hooking this up to a oscilloscope, measuring the output pulse, then modifying the code to support. But when I pulled the HSS-0136 open I discovered a much simpler fix. Someone had spilled cola(?) into the selsector switches and several had failed closed. 10 mins with the IPA and fibreglass pen fixed that.

Now working perfectly. Can confirm that HSS-0136 functions as intended when free of 20 year old food.
IMG_7909.jpegIMG_7908.jpeg
 
Finally got around to building a few of these and ran into some trouble, so I thought I'd share.

I'm using an ATmega328p. From the Github repo the only hex I could get to work was "saturn_controller_demux_RMAF_Retro_Bit_Fix.ino_atmega328p_8000000L.hex". None of the other hex files in the repo worked. But I wanted to use the latest version of the code so I could map the coin button, so I compiled my own hex:
  • Download and install Arduino.
  • Go to Preferences and add in "https://mcudude.github.io/MiniCore/package_MCUdude_MiniCore_index.json" under "Additional Boards Manager URLs".
  • Go to Tools > Boards > Boards Manager.
  • Search for "MiniCore" and install.
  • Open "saturn_controller_demux_RMAF_RBF_SLFIX.ino" in Arduino.
  • Under Tools set:
    • Board: MiniCore - ATmega823p
    • BOD: disabled
    • Clock: Internal 8 MHz
  • Sketch > Verify/Compile
  • Sketch > Export compiled Binary
  • Sketch > Show Sketch Folder
  • You should now have "saturn_controller_demux_RMAF_RBF_SLFIX.ino_atmega328p_8000000L.hex
To program the chip I used a Pocket AVR from Sparkfun and avrdude. Since I did this on my Mac the easiest way to install avrdude was to use Homebrew and "brew install avrdude". The command I used to write the file was "avrdude -c usbtiny -p atmega328p -e -U flash:w:saturn_controller_demux_RMAF_RBF_SLFIX.ino_atmega328p_8000000L.hex -U lfuse:w:0xe2:m"

Hope that helps someone.
 
Anyone know of a good source of the extension cable? Seems like all of the ones available now are much lower quality. I bought 3 from different sources and they're all the same. The controller plug is very loose and basically falls right out, there is no grip. I had one that I bought 2 years ago on Amazon that was much better, but they're no longer available. I can tell a difference in the plastic piece in the middle. The older (higher quality one) is beveled on the sides and the newer ones are just flat all the way across.
 

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I bought a cheap original 6-player adapter from yahoo auctions and used those ports as I had the same experience with the extension cable ports.
 
nnap said:
I bought a cheap original 6-player adapter from yahoo auctions and used those ports as I had the same experience with the extension cable ports.
Click to expand...
That's not a bad idea. Did they mount easily to the adapter pcb? I think the ports on an actual saturn are two in one molded piece so I assumed the multitap would be the same.
 
I ended up buying an OEM Saturn multitap and the connectors are the same 2-in-1 package I was thinking of. I decided I wanted to try to use them unmodified since there really isn't a good source of the Saturn connectors at the moment and you can't really beat OEM. I whipped up a board that is essentially two identical Arthrimus designs on one board, but it allows for easy use of the multitap connector. The board is intended to be used with the Minigun Supergun. I've attached the Gerbers for anyone who wants to make one. BOM is just 2x the Arthrimus design.
 

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Apocalypse did me a favor and worked on the code for the original frank_fjs version of this adapter that uses a PIC16F690. This update allows newer controllers to also work and not just the OG controllers. This has been tested with my Clear Pink Retrobit/Limited Run Breast Cancer Awareness controller. With this code the newer controller works perfectly fine. OG controllers still work as well.

For some reason Retrobit used a different protocal than the original controllers did and while it works ok on the Saturn it caused these adapters to have issues.

Code is attached. Erase the current chip and write this code to it. Make sure to secure the chip or it won't work correctly. Please test this with other newer controllers to se if the fix works for them as well.
 

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For those of you still using the old Frank_fjs version of this device apocalypse has increased its abilities a ton. He has improved compatibility and it now works with OG AND newer controllers such as those made by retrobit. Previously Reyrobit controllers did not work. They were also troublesome on the new version. Not sure if that got fixed.

Also the old version can now use AUTO-FIRE!!

GET MORE INFO HERE:

https://www.arcade-projects.com/thr...s-version-sat2neo-adapters.23908/#post-389672
 
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I recently bought one of these DB15 to Saturn adapters from Arithmus' website, but I can't seem to get button remapping to work. It works on my other USB and PSX adapters, so I'm pretty sure I'm doing it right... but if I hold two buttons and start for three seconds, nothing happens, and the red light on the device doesn't light up. I can't seem to trigger turbo setup either. I've tried all sorts of face button combos with start.

Any ideas?
 
kyletwentytwo said:
I recently bought one of these DB15 to Saturn adapters from Arithmus' website, but I can't seem to get button remapping to work. It works on my other USB and PSX adapters, so I'm pretty sure I'm doing it right... but if I hold two buttons and start for three seconds, nothing happens, and the red light on the device doesn't light up. I can't seem to trigger turbo setup either. I've tried all sorts of face button combos with start.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
When you plug the adapter in does the LED flash rapidly for a second or does it light up solid for a second?
 
Arthrimus said:
When you plug the adapter in does the LED flash rapidly for a second or does it light up solid for a second?
Click to expand...
Sorry for the late reply, when I plug it in I just get a single solid light for a second. Is there a lock of some kind? Sorry if I missed this info somewhere.

Edit: got it! It was in HAS mode, I just needed to RTFM.... sorry 😬
 
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