PC Gameport Party (a pcb breakout of the db15 gameport) \ VOGONS

PC Gameport Party (a pcb breakout of the db15 gameport)

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First post, by Mu0n

Posted on 2024-11-05, 05:50

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I was tired of these unwieldy, not-so-great custom cables I made for my vintage PC gameport. I needed access to a joystick and MIDI out for msdos classics like: X-Wing, TIE Fighter, Zeliard, Rampart, Micromachines, Wing Commander, Descent, Tyrian, etc.

so, I designed my own PCB board to deal with both of those, plus, might as well put those connections in for MIDI in (think sequencers like cakewalk for msdos, or cubase for win95/98) and a joystick 2 for local multiplayer games (ie Rampart, micromachines, etc)

I guess you need a mpu-401 compatible port ("dumb" uart mode is enough) to get the full midi functionality in. SB16 or similar clones in that era and later cards usually had such a port.
this is among my first project pcbs ever; after a couple months of iterations, the final design works with all the use cases I was after.

You can get one here: https://jcm-1.com/product/pc-gameport-party/

1Bit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9YYXWX1SxBhh1YB-feIPPw
AnyBit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUn0Dp6PM8DBTF-5g0nvcw

Reply 1 of 7, by MAZter

Posted on 2024-11-05, 17:20

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Wow

Doom is what you want (c) MAZter

Reply 2 of 7, by Pierre32

Posted on 2024-11-05, 20:40

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Nice!

Reply 3 of 7, by Mu0n

Posted on 2024-11-05, 23:19

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Oh, I forgot to mention a feature I put in: there's a slide switch on there with 2 modes:

1 player mode: joy1 gets buttons 1,2,3,4 and the X1 and y1 axes - you may or may not use all of that, but a complicated flight stick would need many of those. The joy2 port gets almost nothing so it's basically disabled as joy1 is now all-in

2 players mode: joy1 gets buttons 1,2, axes X1, y1 while joy2 gets buttons 3,4 and axes X1,y2, perfect for those special local multiplayer mode games

1Bit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9YYXWX1SxBhh1YB-feIPPw
AnyBit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUn0Dp6PM8DBTF-5g0nvcw

Reply 4 of 7, by Zup

Posted on 2024-11-06, 05:46

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Does it have MIDI isolation? I remember reading that using opto-couplers was almost mandatory on MIDI ports...

I have traveled across the universe and through the years to find Her.
Sometimes going all the way is just a start...

I'm selling some stuff!

Reply 5 of 7, by RetroPCCupboard

Posted on 2024-11-06, 09:17

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This looks amazing. Well done.

Reply 6 of 7, by Mu0n

Posted on 2024-11-06, 14:43

Mu0n Offline

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Zup wrote on 2024-11-06, 05:46:

Does it have MIDI isolation? I remember reading that using opto-couplers was almost mandatory on MIDI ports...

It does, there's a H11L1 optocoupler for the MIDI IN port.

None on the MIDI OUT port since it's assumed that the target device aimed at will have to deal with an optocoupler in its midi in port.

1Bit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9YYXWX1SxBhh1YB-feIPPw
AnyBit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUn0Dp6PM8DBTF-5g0nvcw

Reply 7 of 7, by Mu0n

Posted on 2024-12-08, 18:49

Mu0n Offline

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There's a limited time coupon with code HOLIDAY2024 to get 10% off anything at https://jcm-1.com through December 13th, and that would include this pc gameport party ofc.

1Bit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9YYXWX1SxBhh1YB-feIPPw
AnyBit Fever Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUn0Dp6PM8DBTF-5g0nvcw

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