Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Discuss hardware-related topics, such as development cartridges, CopyNES, PowerPak, EPROMs, or whatever.

Moderator: Moderators

modology
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:57 am

Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by modology »

This game called IDE YOSUKE JISSEN MAHJONG 2 comes with custom controller

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/-/173632428 ... _cvip=true

I've been wondering how does this custom mahjong famicom controller work?
I've thought that NES/Famicom will not support any extra buttons aside from the standard buttons on standard controller?
Does it means that one could develop a game with custom controllers that provide more buttons than standard controllers?
User avatar
Memblers
Site Admin
Posts: 4044
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:04 am
Location: Indianapolis
Contact:

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Memblers »

Yes, you can read more than 8 buttons. You can use an SNES controller easily, the only difference is the connector. Spookotron is one NES game that uses an SNES controller. I built the adapters that shipped with the game.

I'm not sure what's inside that Mahjong controller, but most likely it's the usual shift register chip used in NES controllers, and you can simply chain several of them together.
tepples
Posts: 22705
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:12 pm
Location: NE Indiana, USA (NTSC)
Contact:

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by tepples »

Thwaite for NES can read a Super NES Mouse through the same adapter, and the Mouse's report is 32 bits long.
lidnariq
Posts: 11429
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by lidnariq »

We've documented this controller here: nesdevwiki:Jissen_Mahjong_controller
Koi-Koi
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:22 am
Location: UK

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Koi-Koi »

Hi.

Perhaps a strange question but how would this function, if at all, through a NES to USB or NES to Wii adapter?

I'm thinking about getting one to use in emulators.

Thanks!
tepples
Posts: 22705
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:12 pm
Location: NE Indiana, USA (NTSC)
Contact:

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by tepples »

Based on a cursory reading of the wiki page, a program running on an NES or an adapter's MCU that expects a standard controller would see this on the second expansion controller:

A: H
B: G
Select: F OR N
Start: E OR M
Up: D OR L
Down: C OR K
Left: B OR J
Right: A OR I
Koi-Koi
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:22 am
Location: UK

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Koi-Koi »

Thanks.

I think it's worth a try then.
Pokun
Posts: 2675
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 5:49 am
Location: Hokkaido, Japan

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Pokun »

Since it can't change rows you will only get one of the two letters that Tepples listed for each button though. And you are also missing a lot of buttons, so you won't be able to play mahjong like that.
Koi-Koi
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:22 am
Location: UK

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Koi-Koi »

I bought one.

Given the above, my plan is to convert it to USB using a Pro Micro Arduino. I should be able to piggy pack the PCB traces.
Koi-Koi
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:22 am
Location: UK

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Koi-Koi »

Image

Image
lidnariq
Posts: 11429
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by lidnariq »

Thank you very much for sharing nice pictures of the circuit board!
Pokun
Posts: 2675
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 5:49 am
Location: Hokkaido, Japan

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Pokun »

In case anyone wonders about the katakana, they are marking the wire colours for each point.

アカ(アカいろ) - red
キー(キいろ)- yellow
ダイ(ダイダイいろ)- orange
ムラ(ムラサキいろ)- purple
ミド(ミドリいろ)- green
アオ(アオいろ) - blue
チャ(チャいろ) - brown
lidnariq
Posts: 11429
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by lidnariq »

Additionally, on the other side, the numbers are the pin numbers from the expansion port.
Koi-Koi
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:22 am
Location: UK

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by Koi-Koi »

A year passes...

I finally got around to doing this!

It uses a Pro Micro (Arduino Leonardo compatible) to poll the NES controller 3x per loop, and types a corresponding key as a USB keyboard.

In between me asking in this thread and today some other crazy SOB did exactly this and shared their code on GitHub last February. So it was a purely hardware modding challenge.
Attachments
615BE145-3A5A-4589-9498-BDB89BBF261A.jpeg
lidnariq
Posts: 11429
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Famicom Mahjong controller and how does it work?

Post by lidnariq »

Nicely done! I'm impressed how well the microB plug fits in there.
Post Reply