Genesis and Mayflash (famiclone) DB9 pinouts

[Einzelherz]

I admit to knowing next to nothing about the wiring of hardware but I was wondering if this idea is possible.

I've got two Mayflash NES/SNES to Wii adapters and I wanted to know if it's even possible to rewire the internals of a Genesis controller so that it would work normally if plugged into the DB9 connector on the Mayflash adapter.

I googled for pinouts of each but frankly, I don't really understand them when I manage to actually find them.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[theclaw]

Could be difficult... Genesis pinout was upgraded from Master System, itself an extension of the 70's era Atari/Commodore/etc classic. Quite unrelated to Nintendo.

[skaar]

Besides, everyone knows pig and elephant DNA just don't splice.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

As the author of the conversion of the Mayflash SNES/NES to Wii adapter mod to use actual NES 7-pin controllers, let me explain what's going on to you.

First, it's a good idea to at least skim over my tutorial.

http://wiki.nesdev.com/w/index.php/NES_Classic_Controller_for_Wii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYWVrFq3Cu4

So here's some basic info to help you out:

1. DB-9 is a basic universal controller standard, but the exact pinouts differ depending on their application. Original users of the standard such as the Atari 2600 or Commodore 64 didn't make use of microprocessor control chips, but the NES and Genesis controllers do.

2. The way to think of it is these control chips are like the "brains" of the controller. All modern controllers have these, and if they stop working, the controller becomes "brain-dead" and stops working entirely.

The problem is that only the CPU in the hardware for said controller can understand the control chip and therefore function with the controller. The Mayflash adapter has a chip that converts the DB-9 Famiclone signal into Wii Classic Controller inputs, allowing you to then use a Famiclone controller on the Wii.

3. The Famiclone DB-9 controller standard is a conversion of the NES 7-pin standard, NOT the Sega Master System/Genesis standard. It is therefore possible to replace and rewire the DB-9 Famiclone connection with an NES 7-pin connection as I have done.

4. The Mayflash adapter has no way of reading, much less converting Genesis control inputs to the Wii Classic Controller standard. Therefore, what you are seeking is impossible.


But not all hope is lost! I know of a very skilled modder who has made exactly what you're seeking, a Genesis to Wii adapter.

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/genesis_to_wii/index.php?category=

Based out of Canada, Raphael charges $26.99 plus shipping for a home made adapter that lets you use a Genesis controller on the Wii. Do note that the conversion is to the GameCube controller standard and not the Wii Classic Controller standard. It will only work on Wii software that still has GameCube controller support.

I hope this helps. Anything else just lemme know.

[Einzelherz]

Thanks Satoshi. I actually had used your how-to when I was trying to determine what was wrong with one of the original NES to DB9 adapter cords that came with my mayflash wii converter. After posting this thread I did finally find a good pinout page that said exactly what you just did in that the two controllers speak completely different languages.

Thank you though for the more clear and precise reply.