Use SNES Pads on your PC
SNES pads are classic, they are fantastic. And if you play SNES emulators on your PC, then you really want to be playing them with proper Super Nintendo control pads. It's not to difficult to make an adapter for this. This guide will cover making an adaptor for 2 pads, if you want more pads, then reading this guide and referencing the original source should give you enough of an idea to include them, there is room on this design board for 4 pads in total. It is very easy to solder.
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Use the following diagrams, pictures and table to make sure you solder the correct wire to the correct hole on the Vero Board and the correct pin on the DB25 plug.
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| Signal | DB25 Pin | Vero Board Location | |||
| DB25 Wire | Pad 1 | Pad 2 | USB | ||
| Power | - | - | 4A | 5A | 3A |
| Ground | 18 | 2B | 4B | 5B | 3B |
| Clock | 2 | 2C | 4C | 5C | - |
| Latch | 3 | 2D | 4D | 5D | - |
| Data Player 1 | 10 | 2E | 4E | - | - |
| Data Player 2 | 12 | 2F | - | 5F | - |
mmmonkey used the following components, a DB25 male connector and plastic casing, an old USB lead, some short pieces of wire, a piece of Vero / Strip Board and 2 rubber grommets (only really used to tidy it up, you don't have to use them). mmmonkey would definitely recommend buying 2 SNES controller extension leads to chop up, please don't cut up your cables on your SNES pads! Here's everything minus the wires and cabling.
mmmonkey intends to use rubber grommets to tidy up the holes where the extension leads and USB lead enter the Parallel Port casing. Cut a hole in the side of the parallel port case, and file it until the grommet fits. The existing hole was made larger to fit the larger (10mm) grommet. Part of the inside of the case was cut away, look on the pictures below, this is to make room for the USB grommet and lead. The reason the USB lead comes out the side is to leave enough room for expansion to add more pads if you want to. If you intend to only ever use 2 pads, then don't worry about the side hole, or cutting away some of the internals, as the USB lead can use the main hole.
Now cut the Vero Board so it is 8 tracks wide, by 7 holes tall. This is bigger than is needed, but it ensures a good fit inside the plug, and leaves room incase you want to add more pads. Test that the Vero Board fits inside the case with the parallel port connector.
Now we need 5 pieces of short wire, strip both ends and melt a small amount of solder onto them - this is "tinning" them. Then prepare the DB25 connector, melt solder onto the inside of pins 2, 3, 10, 12 and 18. (mmmonkey used different coloured wire to make the photo's clearer for you)
Solder the wires to the board they go on the second row as shown below, remember to trim the wires from the underside of the board. The wires go in holes 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F.
Now prepare the USB lead. The the lead so it's long enough to reach from your parallel port to a free USB port, then strip the cable revealing the wires inside. The only wires we need are the ones carrying 5 volts and Ground, in all the cables that mmmonkey has tried these have been Red for 5v, and Black for Ground (if you're unsure, then use a multimeter to test). If you have made a side hole for the USB lead, then remember to put the grommet on it now, then solder into place. It goes on the third row, 5 volts goes to hole 3A, Ground goes to 3B.
Now it's time to solder the wires from the Vero Board to the parallel port. Press the "tinned" wire onto the the prepared pin on the DB25 connector, heat them up with the soldering iron and it should all very easily fit into place. The wires are soldered so that 2B goes to pin 18, 2C to 2, 2D to 3, 2E to 10 and 2F to 12.
Before going further, just check that what you have done so far fits into the case properly.
