Use 15pin Sidewinder Gameport Through Parallel Port

This instructable will show you how to put your old 15-pin MS Sidewinder to use again.  I had one of these lying around the house and remembered how much I love the button layout mimicking the classic Sega Saturn controller; however, I have no computer with a gameport and the Sidewinder drivers are nonexistent for XP.

I didn’t try to recognize the multiplexer outputs and write my own driver, nor did I try to make this into a USB device.  Rather I broke open the controller and rewired it, then electrically connected each button output to the corresponding buttons on an extra PS1 pad.  Using an old printer parallel port, a custom adapter and PPJoy software I was able to fool XP into thinking I was using a PS1 controller when in actuality playing games on my emulators using the Sidewinder shell.

This project will take you a little time and might not be worth it if you can merely pick up a USB pad or an old Sega Saturn pad (similar button layout) and get that to work through the parallel port, but if you wanna give this a try here’s what you’ll need:

(1) MS Sidewinder gamepad, the original version with the 15pin gameport connector

Windows XP SP3 and a parallel port on your computer (old printer port, 25 female holes)

PPJoy software:  http://rapidshare.com/files/303690305/PPJoySetup-0.8.4.5-early-release.exe

(1) PS1 controller

(1) Male DB-15 connector with other side solder cups, OR re-use the Sidewinder cord you will cut off

(1) Male DB-25 connector with other side solder cups

(5) 1N4148 diodes

22g solid copper wire, wire stripper, snippers, soldering pen, solder.  Also good to have is some flux and a desolder pump.

Step 1

First:  if you do not have a parallel port in your computer, STOP.  Doing the following won’t help you in the least if you can’t plug this in.

Pick up an old PS1 controller.  We’ll need to ensure the computer can recognize it before we go any further; don’t even touch the Sidewinder yet.  Build the DirectPad Pro PS1 to parallel port adapter seen here;  http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/psx_adaptor/psx_adaptor_en.php. You will need five 1N4148 diodes, a male DB-25 with solder cups on the other end, some wire and appropriate soldering tools.  Also, a pair of dykes or a snipping instrument are needed to peel back the plastic around the PS1 controller pins.  Once you’ve completed, plug this into your computer and install PPJoy. 

In the software, add a new PS1 controller and use the DirectPad pro configuration.  Go through all the menus and when you are finished, go into the Game Controllers section in the Windows control panel to verify that the joystick registers.  You should be seeing buttons light up each time you press something on the controller, and the x-y axis should move appropriately.  Make sure everything works before proceeding.

There are many good tutorials out there with more information on constructing this adapter; please consult them as needed.