Adapter for MAPLE (Release)

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megavolt85
Developer
Posts: 1782

Adapter for MAPLE (Release)

Post#1 » Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:26 pm

I decided to feel the MAPLE bus and connect something to it
I originally planned to connect only the PlayStation controller, but in the process Wishlist (not only mine) grew and as a result, gamepads from Saturn and MegaDrive were sent to me for experiments

At the moment, the adapter can connect to DreamCast:

1) controllers from PlayStation 1 and 2 with vibration support
2) six button gamepads from SEGA MegaDrive / Genesis
3) six button gamepads from SEGA Saturn
4) keyboards with PS / 2 interface
5) PS / 2 mice
6) up to 16 VMUs, depending on the installed memory

limitations and bugs:

1) the adapter works only on the console without overclocking, in the future I will overclock the console to 220 MHz and make separate software for the console with overclocking
2) in the emulation mode of the keyboard in games sometimes buttons stick
3) VMU emulation in WINCE games does not work in mouse emulation mode

what remains to be completed:

There is very little to complete, I want the adapter to connect to the USB of the computer so that I can read / write the image of emulated VMUs

Device Diagram:

SMPMK2DC schematic.png


Features:

1) Very low cost
2) You can unlock extra blocks in VMU
3) Change of VMU banks by clamping hot keys on the controller

Disadvantages:
1) due to software emulation protocol does not work on overclocked consoles
2) not all PS / 2 mice work (partially solved, only one new low price mouse does not work)
3) the PS / 2 keyboard is not stable (most likely the problem is my old keyboard, beta testers don't have problems)

A little bit about VMU emulation:

only memory from the 25PE series is supported, this is not my whim, but a technical limitation
it is best to look for 25PE16, this is the maximum at which 16 VMUs will be emulated, for example, when using 25PE80 there will be only 8 VMUs, with 25PE40 - four, etc.

Hotkeys:

PS1 / 2:
L1 + R1 + SELECT + LEFT / RIGHT - previous / next VMU bank
L1 + R1 + SELECT + X - standard controller mode (default)
L1 + R1 + SELECT + [] - mode of all buttons and axes
If the controller supports pressing force, then L2 R2 will be sensitive to pressing

SATURN:
L + R + START + LEFT / RIGHT - previous / next VMU bank
L + R + START + A - standard controller mode
L + R + START + X - ASCII controller mode + two triggers (default)

MegaDrive:
MODE + START + LEFT / RIGHT - previous / next VMU bank
MODE + START + A - standard controller mode
MODE + START + X - ASCII controller mode + MODE as D button (default)

Keyboard:
lCTRL + lALT + lSHIFT + PAGE UP / DOWN - previous / next VMU bank

Mouse:
left + right + middle buttons + up / down wheel - previous / next VMU bank


Firmware for STM32F103C8T6

SMPMK2DC_firmware.7z
(16.79 KiB) Downloaded 993 times


Program for reading / writing VMU banks via USB

VMU Dumper.7z
(182.15 KiB) Downloaded 808 times


Enter to USB mode occurs if you connect the adapter without inserted joysticks / keyboard / mouse, or if you set the Boot1 jumper to position 1 before powering up
In USB mode, the green LED will flash


Arcade Stick
Twin Stick
Last edited by megavolt85 on Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:12 am, edited 5 times in total.

User avatar
K470r
undertow
Posts: 28

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#2 » Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:48 pm

megavolt85 wrote:I decided to feel the MAPLE bus and connect something to it
I originally planned to connect only the PlayStation controller, but in the process Wishlist (not only mine) grew and as a result, gamepads from Saturn and MegaDrive were sent to me for experiments

At the moment, the adapter can connect to DreamCast:

1) controllers from PlayStation 1 and 2 with vibration support
2) six button gamepads from SEGA MegaDrive / Genesis
3) six button gamepads from SEGA Saturn
4) keyboards with PS / 2 interface
5) PS / 2 mice
6) up to 16 VMUs, depending on the installed memory

limitations and bugs:

1) the adapter works only on the console without overclocking, in the future I will overclock the console to 220 MHz and make separate software for the console with overclocking
2) in the emulation mode of the keyboard in games sometimes buttons stick
3) VMU emulation in WINCE games does not work in mouse emulation mode

what remains to be completed:

There is very little to complete, I want the adapter to connect to the USB of the computer so that I can read / write the image of emulated VMUs

Device Diagram:

SMPMK2DC schematic.png

Features:

1) Very low cost
2) You can unlock extra blocks in VMU
3) Change of VMU banks by clamping hot keys on the controller

Disadvantages:
1) due to software emulation protocol does not work on overclocked consoles
2) not all PS / 2 mice work
3) not stable operation of the PS / 2 keyboard

A little bit about VMU emulation:

only memory from the 25PE series is supported, this is not my whim, but a technical limitation
it is best to look for 25PE16, this is the maximum at which 16 VMUs will be emulated, for example, when using 25PE80 there will be only 8 VMUs, with 25PE40 - four, etc.



Great megavolt85. I am already understanding well how it will work.
PRESS START

User avatar
fafadou
Gold Lion
Posts: 1650

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#3 » Sat Jun 27, 2020 5:13 am

"in Q3 arena and Unreal Tournament second mode work fantastic, need test more games"

This work you have done with this adapter is wonderfull !

I guess there is a program to inject in the arduino, so I guess the project is not totally finish yet ?

User avatar
megavolt85
Developer
Posts: 1782

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#4 » Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:18 am

Arduino is a development environment for beginners
she is just awful for an experienced programmer

User avatar
fafadou
Gold Lion
Posts: 1650

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#5 » Sat Jun 27, 2020 10:12 am

I see, I'm sorry I was sure it was an arduino.

cloofoofoo
Dreamcast Swirl
Posts: 534

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#6 » Sat Jun 27, 2020 12:07 pm

What bout using the control port to send programs to the console? Like connects to the control port then USB to the PC. Maybe it would make Homebrew more accessible than the serial port.

User avatar
megavolt85
Developer
Posts: 1782

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#7 » Sat Jun 27, 2020 12:21 pm

no, MAPLE work on speed 2 Mbps, serial in soft SPI work on speed 5-7 Mbps
HDD - 80 Mbps

User avatar
megavolt85
Developer
Posts: 1782

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#8 » Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:19 pm

schematic updated
fix for mouse

Alexislight
minority
Posts: 67

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#9 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:58 am

good work megavolt! thanks for share it.
the stm32... is a very low cost chip.
any software to program the spi m25pexxx, or how it will work?

User avatar
Dakangel
letterbomb
Posts: 151

Re: Adapter for MAPLE (WIP)

Post#10 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:30 am

The real questions are
1. can wireless donges/controllers work with this device?
2. Cheap Wireless dreamcast controllers can be built using 2.4 ghz transcievers?
3. If vmu, rumble and maple are emulated via your device connected to the console, no.2 coul be possible as a simple proto controller (or usb one) with a rumble motor and full capable maple button support (a b c d x y z s l r lpad rpad lstick rstick ltrigger rtrigger) for homebrew?

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