I'm not sure if I got a defective controller with a marginal chip or if it's a design problem with the Hyperkin Scout. The Scout controller feels well built and the controls are responsive. I'm sure it's a great controller with a SNES or Hyperkin console, and it worked fine on my C128, it just didn't work on the PET. YMMV, but you might consider buying an different SNES controller if you plan to use it with a PET. Adding the diode may not be necessary with other controllers but it probably won't hurt. In any case you'll need to connect 5v to the adapter to get it to work on a real PET. On some PETs, the video output is inverted (logic low for pixel on) so the video out is high most of the time which is enough to power many SNES controllers but the voltage is always changing depending on what's on screen, so it's not a good power source.
You've got 100x times the hardware skills I have, so I no longer feel bad that I had trouble getting the SNES controller to work well on my PET, since it gave even you some trouble. I was preparing to make a video about PETSCII Robots quite a while ago, but got stumped over this and shelved it. Nice to see it solved, great work!
@@HutchCA It was unpowered and would sort of work, but unreliably. And then when I found out it probably needed external power, I was unsure how to approach that; I wish it had some sort of USB connector for power built-on, rather than just a couple pins.
The back of that board should not say "Some PETs may required external power" It should say "WARNING do not use this on a PET without external power as it could damage your PET". That is a logic level output, not designed to power whatever is inside the controler. On the Mini PET it is a CMOS output, on a real PET it is a TLL output with a 1K pullup to 5V. Either way, if that output gate is damaged, you won't get any video on your PET anymore.
@@HutchCA Yes, it's like a basic PWM voltage regulator with no feedback loop. The diode on the adapter board and a capacitor on the controller form a simple half wave rectifier for the pixel data output on that pin. How well it appears to work will vary with model of PET and monitor and on the current consumption and input capacitance of the controller. In short, it might work, but I wouldn't recommended it.
I'm not sure if I got a defective controller with a marginal chip or if it's a design problem with the Hyperkin Scout.
The Scout controller feels well built and the controls are responsive. I'm sure it's a great controller with a SNES or Hyperkin console, and it worked fine on my C128, it just didn't work on the PET.
YMMV, but you might consider buying an different SNES controller if you plan to use it with a PET.
Adding the diode may not be necessary with other controllers but it probably won't hurt. In any case you'll need to connect 5v to the adapter to get it to work on a real PET.
On some PETs, the video output is inverted (logic low for pixel on) so the video out is high most of the time which is enough to power many SNES controllers but the voltage is always changing depending on what's on screen, so it's not a good power source.
GREAT Video!!! TY for the PET content!
Really good troubleshooting.
Yes.
Fun and informative as usual. Thanks Chuck :)
You've got 100x times the hardware skills I have, so I no longer feel bad that I had trouble getting the SNES controller to work well on my PET, since it gave even you some trouble. I was preparing to make a video about PETSCII Robots quite a while ago, but got stumped over this and shelved it. Nice to see it solved, great work!
@@HutchCA It was unpowered and would sort of work, but unreliably. And then when I found out it probably needed external power, I was unsure how to approach that; I wish it had some sort of USB connector for power built-on, rather than just a couple pins.
Interesting that the ARMSID works on your 128. I bought two of them and each one placed in my 128 caused the machine to not even boot up.
The back of that board should not say "Some PETs may required external power" It should say "WARNING do not use this on a PET without external power as it could damage your PET". That is a logic level output, not designed to power whatever is inside the controler. On the Mini PET it is a CMOS output, on a real PET it is a TLL output with a 1K pullup to 5V. Either way, if that output gate is damaged, you won't get any video on your PET anymore.
@@HutchCA Yes, it's like a basic PWM voltage regulator with no feedback loop. The diode on the adapter board and a capacitor on the controller form a simple half wave rectifier for the pixel data output on that pin. How well it appears to work will vary with model of PET and monitor and on the current consumption and input capacitance of the controller. In short, it might work, but I wouldn't recommended it.
So the Paperclip Guy can now kill rare computers without having to touch them.