Use a PS3 controller as joystick on an AMSTRAD CPC.
- PS3 controller
- ESP32
- 74LS38
- Resostor 1K
In case you haven't yet, you can add the ESP32 boards to your Arduino IDE by adding them to the Boards Manager: Open File -> Preferences, and paste the following URL in the Additional Boards Manager URLs field:
https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json
Open the Boards Manager with Tools -> Board: "xxx" -> Boards Manager, look for esp32 (probably the last one in the list), and click Install.
Finally, select the ESP32 board you have with Tools -> Board: "xxx" under the section ESP32 Arduino (I always have ESP32 Dev Module selected).
You can install the Arduino library from within the Arduino IDE. Open the Library Manager with Sketch -> Include Library -> Manage Libraries....
Search for PS3 Controller Host, and click Install.
Compile and download the code on the ESP32 Dev Module.
On the serial console, the ESP32 Address is displayed. This address must be paired on the PS3 controller.
In the tool folder, compile sixpair.c and use it as describes in the tool/README.md.
The keyboard and joysticks are scanned using the AY-3-8912 PSG and the 8255 PPI.
It is necessary that you understand how to use these before you continue to read this document.
The keys on the keyboard, and the joystick directions and buttons, are arranged in an 10 by 8 matrix. Each element of the matrix is a switch and represents the state of a key or a joystick button.
The matrix is read a column at a time, each column is read as a byte, and this holds the state of 8 switches.
When the matrix is read, a switch will be "0" or "1".
If the switch is "0" then the key/joystick button corresponding to that bit is pressed, If the switch is "1" then the key/joystick button is not pressed, Joystick 0 occupies it's own space in the matrix and is accessed at line 9. Joystick 1 shares line 6 with the keyboard. As a result, it is possible to simulate the state of joystick 1 by pressing the appropiate keys on the keyboard.
The position of each key/joystick button in the matrix is shown in the table below.
| bit | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | f. | f0 | Ctrl | > , | < . | Space | V | X | Z | Del |
| 6 | Enter | f2 | ` \ | ? / | M | N | B | C | Caps Lock | Unused |
| 5 | f3 | f1 | Shift | * : | K | J | F / Joy 1 Fire 1 | D | A | Joy 0 Fire 1 |
| 4 | f6 | f5 | f4 | + ; | L | H | G / Joy 1 Fire 2 | S | Tab | Joy 0 Fire 2 |
| 3 | f9 | f8 | } ] | P | I | Y | T / Joy 1 Right | W | Q | Joy 0 Right |
| 2 | Cursor Down | f7 | Return | @ | O | U | R / Joy 1 Left | E | Esc | Joy 0 Left |
| 1 | Cursor Right | Copy | { [ | = - | ) 9 | ' 7 | % 5 / Joy 1 Down | # 3 | " 2 | Joy 0 Down |
| 0 | Cursor Up | Cursor Left | Clr | £ ^ | _ 0 | ( 8 | & 6 / Joy 1 Up | $ 4 | ! 1 | Joy 0 Up |
Note:
- Bit 6 on lines 9 and 6, may be used to report a third fire button on a joystick. This bit is also used as the middle button on an AMX compatible mouse.
- For CPC464 and CPC664 users: Those keys prefixed with an "f" are located on the numeric keypad.
- "f." is the "." key on the numeric keypad.
- For CPC464 and CPC664 users:
- ENTER is the small ENTER key,
- RETURN is the large ENTER key
- If matrix line 11-14 are selected, the byte is always &ff. After testing on a real CPC, it is found that these never change, they always return &FF.
- Watch out for KEYBOARD CLASH!
| Amstrad pin | Description |
|---|---|
| 01 | Up |
| 02 | Down |
| 03 | Left |
| 04 | Right |
| 05 | Spare |
| 06 | Button2 |
| 07 | Button1 |
| 08 | Common |
Refer to the folder hardware to read information to build the hardware.