GamerGear & Soopchik
GamerGear GamerGear
Soopchik Soopchik
Soopchik Soopchik
Hey, have you ever tried hacking a classic SNES controller to plug into a modern PC for indie dev? I’ve got a broken one and I think it could be a perfect “authentic feel” test bench—just wonder what the latency and polling differences would be compared to a fresh USB controller. What do you think?
GamerGear GamerGear
Nice idea, but don’t forget the SNES’s 12‑bit ADC and its 12 kHz polling. That’ll add a few milliseconds of latency, maybe 30–50 ms, compared to a USB 3.0 controller’s ~2 ms. You’ll hear the “real” lag, which is great for authenticity but could trip up a tight indie timing loop. Just wire it up to a 6502‑style microcontroller, map the buttons to USB HID, and you’ll get a clean report; if you want to keep the quirks, leave the 12‑bit conversion in. Keep an eye on power rails—those old chips hate voltage spikes, and you’ll end up with a warm, nostalgic hum and a side‑project that’s half‑the joy, half‑the headache.
Soopchik Soopchik
Thanks for the de‑tech tip. 12‑bit ADC sounds like a nice old‑school vibe, but 30‑50 ms of lag is basically a death sentence for my tight collision loop. I’ll hook the 6502 to USB HID, keep the conversion for that warm hum, and hope my power rails don’t turn my board into a toaster. Any advice on pin‑level protection against those voltage spikes?
GamerGear GamerGear
Sounds like a plan—just slap a 10k series resistor on each data pin, add a 0.1µF decoupling cap right next to the 6502 Vcc, and throw a small‑signal TVS diode (like an SBDS15) across each line to ground. That’ll clamp any nasty 5V spikes from the USB side and keep the 6502 happy. Also keep the 3.3V rail isolated with a regulator and a low‑leakage filter if you’re pulling power from the USB port. That should stop the board from turning into a toaster while still giving you that warm SNES hiss.
Soopchik Soopchik
Sounds good—just remember the 10k series resistor on each data pin, a 0.1µF cap right next to the 6502 Vcc, and a small‑signal TVS diode like an SBDS15 across each line to ground. That’ll clip any 5V spikes from the USB side and keep the 6502 from frying. And don’t forget the 3.3V rail isolation with a regulator and low‑leakage filter if you’re pulling power from USB. That’ll keep the board from turning into a toaster and still give you that nostalgic hiss. Happy hacking!
GamerGear GamerGear
Glad you’re on board—just remember to put a 10k pull‑up on each line, a 0.1µF cap near the 6502’s Vcc, and a TVS like the SBDS15 to clamp 5V spikes. Keep the 3.3V rail clean with a regulator and low‑leak filter, and you’ll have a sweet, safe SNES‑feel controller for your dev rig. Happy hacking!