{"id":57,"date":"2022-01-30T14:02:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T13:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techblog.dansbo.dk\/?p=57"},"modified":"2024-01-04T14:31:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T13:31:38","slug":"turning-an-arduino-uno-or-nano-into-a-usb-joystick-controller-for-atari-commodore-joysticks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techblog.dansbo.dk\/?p=57","title":{"rendered":"Turning an Arduino Uno or Nano into a USB Joystick controller for Atari\/Commodore Joysticks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have never been able to get used to playing Commodore 64 games in Vice with the keyboard or a gamepad. I don\u2019t have any USB joysticks and I find the ready-made USB to Atari joystick controllers too expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I thought that maybe I could use one of my Arduino Nano\u2019s as a Joystick controller, I did find a couple of article that talk about using the Arduino as joystick controller, but it needs to be specific models that are able to act as a USB keyboard in order to function. I don\u2019t have any of those models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had almost given up when I stumbled upon a post in the\u00a0Arduino Forums<\/a>\u00a0named\u00a0Turning an Arduino nano into a joystick<\/a>. This was exactly what I was looking for and it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have basically copied the content from that post, some I have changed to fit my own needs and some I believe I have improved upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to know pinout of the DB9 connector. Fortunately Wikipedia has us covered with\u00a0an article describing just that<\/a>. This picture is taken from there:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When a button is pressed or joystick i pushed in a direction, the corresponding pin is pulled to ground. This means that all we need to do is connect ground and the different direction- and trigger- pins to the arduino.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I was unable to find a symbol for the DB9 plug as well as the Arduino Nano so you will just have to use your imagination or below table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DB9 pin<\/strong><\/td>Arduino pin<\/strong><\/td>Description<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>GND<\/td>Ground connection<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>2<\/td>Fire\/Trigger button<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>3<\/td>Right<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>4<\/td>Left<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>5<\/td>Down<\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>6<\/td>Up<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once things are wired up, it is time to do a bit of programming of the arduino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n