Finished project, want to add NES controller ports

Loren

I have a functioning pi3 SNES with the control block.

I was wondering if it's possible to wire up a couple of the newer style ports in anticipation of the NES that nintendo is releasing next month.

Specifically this one:
alt text

Can it be connected in tandem with the SNES? Am I dumb for wanting to do this? haha

I love the idea of using brand new NES controllers once they get released.

suprjami

You're not dumb at all, you definitely won't be the last person with this idea!

Unfortunately that's not a NES controller port, it's a Wii Extension port.

To my knowledge there is no existing driver to allow a Raspberry Pi to communicate with a Wii controller over the Extension port.

You'd need to learn how to signal to the controller over GPIO with the following specifications:

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wiimote#Buttons

Then learn how to feed data to the kernel with uinput like RetroGame and SNESDev-RPi and others do:

http://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Retrogame

https://github.com/petrockblog/SNESDev-RPi

Not an easy project for a beginner or even for someone who's done a bit of GPIO programming before.

It would probably be easier to just get USB NES clone controllers and plug them into the regular USB ports.

If you want a high quality NES-style wired controller, you can use an 8BitDo NES30 (non-pro) with a long MicroUSB cable.

Loren

@suprjami

Thanks for your input. Sorry when I said I have a working pi 3 SNES I meant to say I built one that already uses the OEM controller ports on a SNES. So I'm already using wired OEM super nintendo controllers.

Nintendo is set to release a new nintendo called the classic mini. http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic

As you can see they are re-releasing old school controllers, the only downside being they have this new connection not the old one.

If this is not possible or easy (as I suspect), my plan is to just use the old school connectors (cutting out an area to mount them) and ditch this idea.

Loren

The connections aren't the same as OEM controllers which have 5v, clock, latch, data, and ground (earth). So I sort of knew this was probably an impossible thing to do.

I just liked the idea of it.

And who knows, maybe I can pick up a couple of the new controllers and wire in the old connectors or something. It's cheap enough to try so maybe I'll give that a shot.

obsidianspider

Why not take some NES controllers and rewire them to use Super Nintendo plugs? Or just make an adapter to plug into the SNES controller port? I've seen a few writeups online

obsidianspider

If it were me, I'd get some SNES extension cables for the male end to plug into the SNES and then a repro NES female end and connect it up.

edmaul69

@Loren i have everything and ready to mod an nes mini. To wire up like that you can buy the circuit board and cable or the cable fully assembled from usb to wii classic controller from raphnet-tech.com. I already have two usb to wii classic controller circuit board that i am going to wire to the existing controller ports on the nes mini. But in your case you probably just want to buy the complete cable.

edmaul69

@Loren

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/wusbmote_adapter/index.php

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/wiimote_connector/index.php

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/wiimote_extension/index.php

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/wusbmote_circuit/index.php

Loren

Hmmm ok.

Loren

Thanks for all the help.

I decided to just add OEM NES ports as it turned out to be one of the cheapest options sans changing out the cords on an OEM NES controller.