Using gamecube joysticks with N64 controllers

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ShockSlayer

Probably SS
YOU CANNOT USE A CONTROLLER THAT NINTENDO MADE. THE END.

A good friend of mine, Krepticor, summarizes why:
Krepticor said:
this issue is that the third party controllers like to use pots to designate the axis

While 1st party use photo-diodes

Gamecube joysticks use pots.

That said, onto business.

This was originally discovered by my friend Donald, that guy who tried to use a HDD and CF card with a Gamecube.

This is a nice guide on how you perform this mod. It was written by bentomo.

thewise1 said:
First you'll have to know that the official nintendo 64 controller will not work with this mod. The technology is different.

Modern joysticks use something called a potentiometer, which is a variable resistor. Digital waveforms interface with the joystick, moving the joystick changes the resistance to the wave. This tells the controller how far you are moving the stick.

The original nintendo 64 controller has small square holes in the joystick, which breaks the laser inside the joystick shell, and then the laser counts the breaks and tells the n64 how far you've moved the controller.

All in one sentence: The original official N64 controller will not work with this mod.
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1. Here's a good controller, it's one of the most common.
83d5_1.JPG


The brand doesn't matter. Most of them don't even have a label on them. It's just like the psone screen. Other companies take the same controller and stamp their brand name on it and sell it.

There are other third party ones that will also work but I know that this one works. Just make sure it looks like this and has the turbo and slow buttons.
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2. You'll need a gamecube joystick:

gamecube_controller.jpg


If you already have one that you are willing to dissect that you've used a lot, then you may want to use the c-stick instead. The c stick is not used nearly as much, wear on the c stick will be a lot less and it will last longer. The tops on the sticks are interchangeable so you can take the gray rubber part off the joystick and place it onto the c-stick potentiometer.

Another advantage to using the c-stick is that on the official controller it's on a separate board. So it's easier to remove.
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3. Here's some pictures of the inside of the back of the controller with the original joystick still in it.

DSC00215.jpg


The Z button is attached to the back of the joystick, just slide it out.

DSC00217.jpg


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4. Here's the wiring diagram for the Joystick. Note that this is on the back of the board and 1-4 is from right to left on the from of the board.

Note that the gamcube joystick has 6 pins on it. 4 of them will be bridge into 2 pairs.

Joystickguide.jpg


This should be clear enough for anyone to understand.
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Notes:

1. Right now I don't know of any other joysticks that will work with this. (ps2, etc.) UPDATE: According to evilteddy xbox pots will work with this mod. Also wii nunchuck and classic controller joysticks will work with this as well according to shockslayer.
I'm also not sure of any third party gamecube controllers working with this.

2. To get the gamecube controller open you'll either need a tri-wing screw driver or a small flat head screw driver.

3. Attaching anything else to the potentiometers is not wise. (pardon the pun of my name) It will mess with the waveforms and cause the whole joystick to fail. (It won't break though)

4. If you have a third party N64 controller then you can try this mod by attaching the gamecube joystick the same way as the old joystick was wired. So before you remove anything, take a picture or wright down how it was attached.
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I'm not a pro at this of course, so anyone with more experience with this please correct me on anything that is wrong with this guide!
 
Hey, I told him we moved it over, I'm sure he doesn't mind. If he does, I can just delete him. :p

Or the thread, that works too!

SS
 
Just a note, that controller pictured rarely works with this. You want a superpad or a superpad plus.
 
what? :oops: I HAVE 2 OF THEM :cry4: I'll trade somebody my grey retro64(same one pictured) with another one like the superpad 64 :gonk:
 
Shut up drue, you don't know anything about portablizing. :awesomedrue: Retro64 controllers always worked fine for me, they are just a repackaged yobo.

SS
 
marshallh said:
I have the exact same controller as in the pics above. I tried it with a 5k analog. Didn't work at all.

Tried with a 10k analog. Worked fine, but my range of motion was limited (I did this by coding a n64 program to output values straight from the controller) I was only able to get 1/2 range of travel with the 10k pots.

With the original 50k pots I had just over full range.

So my theory is that the controller assumes the pot readings upon startup are the center values, but the pots MUST be somewhere around 20-30-40kohms to get the full range necessary.

:eurddrue:
 
Well I know that the yobo works all the time %100 with official gamecube joysticks. And that's good enough.
 
I got mine wo partially work, but the cables kept popping off. Gonna try again. like tonight.
 
FYI, who cares what some random guy I've never heard of says. I've done it. Gamecube joysticks can be different, too.

Also, drue, I've seen your soldering work. Search your heart, you know it to be true.

SS
 
It worked right, it just was a tiny area. Like, mario tiptoed in SM64, and so did banjo in Banjo-Kazooie. :sweat:
 
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