MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Discussion of keyboards, gamepads, joysticks and other input related peripherals.
RetroGeek76
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MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by RetroGeek76 »

I have had my MiSTerX from antoniovillena for a few weeks now as I got it to use it as an upgrade to my existing Minimig v1.1

So far it works very well with most things I have tried and is a big upgrade from my old Mimimig as long as I don't try and use it with DP9 joysticks or megadrive controllers.

As it would seem pressing the fire button also always sends the <esc> at the same time both in the Amiga core (and Atari ST one), plus all the MiSTer menus even with no cores loaded.

I am using a provided pre configured SSD card and so far I have tried both update all and clearing both the clearing the remap keyboard define joystick buttons for both the main Systems settings and the core. Plus using difference DP9 joystick without any luck fixing the issue.

As I cant find that much info about my exact board I thought I would try asking here and see if anyone has any suggestions as I would really like to use real Amiga joysticks with my MiSTer as without usb adapters as that is one of the main selling points for me over just using an emulator.

Also let me apologise in advance if I am just missing a basic setup step or instructions, I have done quite a bit of googling and reading this forum and I cant see anyone else reporting the same issue.

FPGA64
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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by FPGA64 »

The DP9 is not a standard feature of Mister, as such it needed forked cores to work. These forked cores are not part of the official distribution. They can be got by configuring update all but be warened dont use this option if you dont have the DB9 and also be warned that the cores may be behind the main cores in functionality

RetroGeek76
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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by RetroGeek76 »

yeah I am aware the DP9 port is not found on all Mister I/O boards, and needs to be supported my cores to work, but as I am having input issues even before loading a core I was hoping that someone could help me with the input system and config for MiSTer as that seems to be were my issue is.

I have tested with 5 different DP9 joysticks and 2 CD32 joypads and all seem to be sending the <esc> as well as button one in the menus when you press fire (button1) .

I have also tried clearing the input mappings from the menu without any luck. So I was hoping someone could explain how to clear them at a MiSTer config level.

If I am off topic or this is not the best place to ask about MiSTer config issues can anyone can point me to links to were I should ask instead for help Thanks.

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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by FPGA64 »

Isnt the DB9 ports some form of SNAC. If so then the menus will never work. They simply dont take SNAC input. Try connecting a USB controller or a bluetooth controller

RetroGeek76
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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by RetroGeek76 »

That was what I thought as well but the menus do control with the joystick (at least I can move up down left and right) the issue is that when I press button one fire it is aloe sending the <esc> key at the same time.

From wjhat I have read here its actually a SNAC8 port https://github.com/antoniovillena/MiSTe ... d-snac8.md But I am not sure how that differs from a regular USB style SNAC port.

As this happens both in the standard MiSTer menu before loading a core and in forked cores and I can see that all the other inputs are just sending one signal with the Amiga diagnostic Kit running in the minimig core but the fire button is sending both a joypad/joystick button A and keyboard <esc> key code at the same time.

It does not look like a port issues connect my MT-32 to the same port and use it with any of the cores that support a real MT-32 midi device it works fine.

Equally if I use my DP9 SNAC adapter with a supported console core that also seems to work fine, but it could also be sending an <esc> keyboard press on button a fire, as I dont have any megadrive roms that would allow me to test that and don't know if the megadrive ever had a keyboard addon :-)

But if I cant figure it out I guess I can always just use the regular usb ports and find a low lag DP9 to USB adapter and use my old joysticks that way with the normal non forked core ports.

Anyway as I am new to the whole MiSTer thing and the forum I used to use for support with my old Minimig V1 no longer exists I am still trying to work best place to ask questions and how everything is configured with a MiSTer setup.

Still playing with these things and working out how it all works is a big part of the fun for me anyway, so I am not going to let any of these small issues put me off playing with my new toy.

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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by FPGA64 »

SNAC is directly wiring the outputs of the joystick to the core. The core sees the controller as if its native. As such SNAC cant be used to navigate menus.

I dont know about the DB9 SNAC as its non standard HW and as such needs those forked cores and I would want nothing to do with cores that have to be recompiled to use unoffical HW.

In short though a DaemonByte or Reflex Adapt connected to USB has sub 1 m/s lag as such its not detectable and has the benefit that the controller will work in all cores and the Menu. Snac is really only of use for obscure controllers and light guns.

RetroGeek76
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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by RetroGeek76 »

OK after further reading it would seem that what I am seeing is normal and expected MiSTer behaviour with DP9/SNAC core support enabled.

From the doc's :
How to control the OSD from a SEGA Mega Drive Gamepad connected via SNAC8 / DB9

Code: Select all

Start+C -> Show OSD menu
A -> Enter
B -> Esc

Standard Atari, Kempston and Amiga controllers all map first joystick button as B resulting in a <esc> character being sent to the core as well as button one press.

Which sadly makes a lot of Amiga and ST games unplayable as they take the <esc> key-press as the user pressing <esc> on the keyboard to quit.

I am just posting this here in case any other Minimig owner are trying to do the same as me in the future and upgrade to a newer FPGA without giving up using the standard controllers that shipped with All Amiga's and Atari ST's. If I find an actual solution I will report back.

FPGA64
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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by FPGA64 »

You can easily fix it by uisng a Daemonbyte of reflex adapt without going down the unsupported HW route of the DB9. For those standard joysticks SNAC is giving you nothing.

RetroGeek76
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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by RetroGeek76 »

Sorry but I dont think that very expensive adapter helps as all I am trying to do is use original Amiga controllers including Amiga light guns with the Minimig Amiga core like I could with the original Minimig v1 and my real Amiga which is exactly what I was under the impression SNAC was for but currently I cant as when I press pull the trigger on the light gun or press fire on a joystick it send and escape key press and quits back to the games main menu.

Above I was just explaining what I had do to try and debug the issue using more standard Amiga joysticks rather than 30+ year old Phazer light gun and CRT screen setup.

I dont have any need for menu support from the controller or support for the controllers under any other core.

I was planning to set my Mister up to auto boot into the Amiga core and have it pugged into a real Commodore Amiga CRT using the same VGA to SCART adapter I use with my old Minimig.

Anyway I did not come here to start an argument I just came here as amigastore.eu ( https://amigastore.eu/en/866-mister-min ... puter.html ) links this as place to get support for this hardware and the Input devices part seemed like the right place to post my questions. I guess I can always sell or try and get more Amiga compatible MIST 1.5 MIDI FPGA computer if people think that would work better for my needs ( https://amigastore.eu/en/358-mist-15-mi ... puter.html ).

The main reason I purchased a MiSTer is that I have been without my real Amiga A1200 for more than 6 months now after sending it away for repair after a different Amiga supplier damaged the board while re-capping it. Plus I have 2 more failed A1200 setups that dont want to send away and risk getting further damage to them until I get the first one fixed.

So as you can imagine I can see the real value in a Modern hardware solution to replace my ageing vintage computer hardware as its quite clear it wont last for ever.

I even have a old A500 (saved from an A500+ with unrepairable main board batter damage) case from a keyrah and an A1200 keyboard that fits the case nicely so if I can get everything working with some 3d printed mounting parts and an micro sdport extender should be something that looks and acts like a real Amiga, even if its a lot slower than my Amiga 060 card or a PiStore solution would be. But both of those rely on old hardware that wont last forever.

Anyway sorry for the extended and sightly off topic post, but it beginning to feel like I have walked into some sort of existing argument that I was unaware of and all I am trying to do find a modern solution to replace failing vintage hardware that allows me to use the original input drives and display unlike using WinUAE (Which I have used a lot in the past with a Catweasel mk4 to setup harddisks and CF cards for real amiga).

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Re: MiSTerX DP9 joystick sending <esc> as well as fire button.

Unread post by FPGA64 »

RetroGeek76 wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 2:18 am

Sorry but I dont think that very expensive adapter helps as all I am trying to do is use original Amiga controllers including Amiga light guns with the Minimig Amiga core like I could with the original Minimig v1 and my real Amiga which is exactly what I was under the impression SNAC was for but currently I cant as when I press pull the trigger on the light gun or press fire on a joystick it send and escape key press and quits back to the games main menu.

Above I was just explaining what I had do to try and debug the issue using more standard Amiga joysticks rather than 30+ year old Phazer light gun and CRT screen setup.

I dont have any need for menu support from the controller or support for the controllers under any other core.

I was planning to set my Mister up to auto boot into the Amiga core and have it pugged into a real Commodore Amiga CRT using the same VGA to SCART adapter I use with my old Minimig.

Anyway I did not come here to start an argument I just came here as amigastore.eu ( https://amigastore.eu/en/866-mister-min ... puter.html ) links this as place to get support for this hardware and the Input devices part seemed like the right place to post my questions. I guess I can always sell or try and get more Amiga compatible MIST 1.5 MIDI FPGA computer if people think that would work better for my needs ( https://amigastore.eu/en/358-mist-15-mi ... puter.html ).

The main reason I purchased a MiSTer is that I have been without my real Amiga A1200 for more than 6 months now after sending it away for repair after a different Amiga supplier damaged the board while re-capping it. Plus I have 2 more failed A1200 setups that dont want to send away and risk getting further damage to them until I get the first one fixed.

So as you can imagine I can see the real value in a Modern hardware solution to replace my ageing vintage computer hardware as its quite clear it wont last for ever.

I even have a old A500 (saved from an A500+ with unrepairable main board batter damage) case from a keyrah and an A1200 keyboard that fits the case nicely so if I can get everything working with some 3d printed mounting parts and an micro sdport extender should be something that looks and acts like a real Amiga, even if its a lot slower than my Amiga 060 card or a PiStore solution would be. But both of those rely on old hardware that wont last forever.

Anyway sorry for the extended and sightly off topic post, but it beginning to feel like I have walked into some sort of existing argument that I was unaware of and all I am trying to do find a modern solution to replace failing vintage hardware that allows me to use the original input drives and display unlike using WinUAE (Which I have used a lot in the past with a Catweasel mk4 to setup harddisks and CF cards for real amiga).

Its not an argument . I am just pointing out that apart from lightguns then you really dont need snac to run standard Amiga Joysticks. Daemonbytes can be purchased or just made by yourself

https://github.com/MickGyver/DaemonBite ... ollers-USB

Its a really simple soldering job, I myself have made a few, buy a cheap Arduino, an extensio cord off ebay, cut off one end and solder it to the arduino and bob is your uncle, or if that is beyond what you want

https://ultimatemister.com/product-cate ... -adapters/

are good quality and fairly cheap.

The reflex adapt https://misteraddons.com/products/refle ... f4f9&_ss=r

is more expensive but the adapt only requires a different cable for each system and these cables can alos be used in his SNAX lineup.

What I was getting at it is the DB9 option you chose although in the HW to start is an unofficial HW branch that requires custom compiled cores. I believe it to be a wrong turn. The issue you will have is there are many many fewer people running that DB9 HW than are running the offical HW and so help will be harder to come by.

Snac is available on the standard HW as a port that looks like a USB 3 on the IOBoards and I feel this would have suited you more than going the route you chose.

Lightguns will need SNAC, but they will also need a CRT TV, unless you go the Sinden ( Custom cores) or Gun4IR

I too love the Amiga. Ihave a A1500 with a Pistorm and a CD32 with a 68030 Terrible fire. One thing to be aware of is the Minimig core is good but its AGA timings are not perfect. This is mostly seen on demo scene releases. Its also restricted to a 68020 so again some of the more esoteric demos wont work/

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