SNES to Parallel Port

Step 2 Powering the controller

There are several ways to power the controller. The cleanest way is to draw power directly from the parallel port with diodes. You can also get power from the USB port or from an extra power cable inside of the computer (if you aren't using a laptop).

To draw power from the parallel port attach a diode to pins 4-9 on the parallel port connector according to the diagram below. The +5V end attaches to the white wire on the controller (make shore that the diodes are aligned correctly, the black stripe should point away from the parallel port).

Otherwise you can strip a spare USB cable and attach the controller's power (white) wire to the red 5V wire on the USB cable and the ground (brown) wire on the controller to the black/ground wire in the USB cable.

Comments

[Someguy_0069]

for this... can you hook all the wires onto the usb cable and it still work?

[Hungry_Myst]

If you use the USB cable, you don't need this. You use one or the other to get 5V (this or the USB cable).

[Someguy_0069]

I meant to ask where the rest of the wires would need to go in order for the controller to fully function, and I think this is being asked in the wrong step, not sure though.
I deleted my previous comment and just replied to this post so I'd avoid double posting :)

[Hungry_Myst]

The USB cable is just to provide power, the only wires from the controller that hook up to it are the white and brown ones. The rest of the wires need to connect to the parallel port.

[Someguy_0069]

OK, I've found a page that I can infer the usages of the DB25 to DB15, and I will proceed. I really hope this doesn't take any soldering @_@

[Someguy_0069]

Ah... Thanks very much! One question... does it have to be DB25 or can it be a DB15? If the latter: Would you explain how it would go with all the pins on the 15-connector?

[Hungry_Myst]

As far as I know, it has to be DB25. I've never tried DB15, tough it might be possible.

[jfar_22]

Whats kind of diode is that and its rating?

[deathknell]

what might happen if the diodes where left out entierly?

[Hungry_Myst]

I doubt the controller would work at all, but at the very least you risk damaging your parallel port/motherboard. These pins are not designed to provide power to devices, they are intended to transfer data. (From what I understand) the driver is fudging things a little by sending a constant stream of 1's out these pin's, which we are using to provide power. The diodes prevent the power from one pin feeding back into another pin that might (at least at that moment) not be sending out a '1'. This not only prevents damage to your computer, but it helps keep the voltage supply to the controller as steady as possible. For the sake of your computer and controller, just use the diodes if you want power from the parallel port. However, there are plenty of 5V power sources on a computer that you can use instead. If you have a spare USB cable/connector, you can get power from the USB port. Cut off the end of the usb cable (you want the end that plugs into the computer), leaving lots of wire to work with. Solder the white wire from the SNES controller to the red wire in the USB cable, and the brown wire from the SNES controller to the black wire in the USB cable. This way you can get power from the USB port, and you won't need the diodes at all.

[deathknell]

Soooooo, um, I'm like a really super cheapo, so could you just rout all the pins mentioned above through the same diode?

[Hungry_Myst]

No, the idea is to protect the individual pin's. Routing trough a single diode would defeat the point.

[chanfle]

...what? I think this step needs actual pictures in progress..