Sega Controller Assembly Details

The following instructions describe how to wire a sega game controller to the parallel port of a pc.

Click here to download a NeatTools "ntl" file to use with this controller. Right click on "Segajoy1.ntl" to download the file.


When wiring the circuit board inside the standard sega controller, the basic idea is that one has to solder wires to the contact plates that are under each rubber button pad. The buttons on the controller simply make contact between the two plates thereby sending a digital signal. The signal wires have a ground wire and the corresponding contact plate wire.



In the image above, I have hightlighted the ground on the circuit board in blue. Each button on the controller is connected to the common ground. The ground wire on the parallel port (pin #22), can be soldered anywhere in this blue area.

(Note: not all game controllers use this exact circuit boad, so be sure to find the common ground on the specific board you have)

The schematic for the wires and pins for the parallel port are shown below:

In NeatTools, the values for the channels are: channel 1 = value 1 (2 to zero power) channel 2 = value 2 (2 to first power) channel 3 = value 3 (2 to second power) etc... Pin number 22 is ground on the parallel port. Pins #2 - #9 can be used, therefore using all 8 digital channels of the parallel port

Note: the easiest way to solder wires to the circuit board is to drill a hole where the wire should go, then scrape the coating off the conductive metal. Bring the wire from the backside, up through the hole, and solder to the bare metal. Be sure not to overheat the circuit board. The ground wire can be soldered on the board anywhere in the blue area. 2 to zero power = 1 (pin 2) 2 to first power = 2 (pin 3) 2 to second power = 4 (pin 4) 2 to third power = 8 (pin 5) 2 to fourth power = 16 (pin 6) 2 to fifth power = 32 (pin 7) 2 to sixth power = 64 (pin 8) 2 to seventh power = 128 (pin 9)

The following shows the set up preferred and recommended by the widgiteering masters.

For the "8 way thumb control pad":

Pin #2 wired to "left"
Pin #3 wired to "right"
Pin #4 wired to "up"
Pin #5 wired to "down"

For the buttons:

Pin #6 wired to "A"
Pin #7 wired to "B"
Pin #8 wired to "C"
Pin #9 wired to "start"

This page created by Matt Carbone and Rahul Panesar. Last updated 1-28-99 at 2:30 pm.