Difference between revisions of "Control Pad (Mega Drive)"

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| maker=[[Sega]]
 
| maker=[[Sega]]
 
| madefor=[[Sega Mega Drive]]
 
| madefor=[[Sega Mega Drive]]
| releases={{releases
+
| releases={{releasesMD
 
| md_date_jp=1988
 
| md_date_jp=1988
 
| md_code_jp=SJ-3500
 
| md_code_jp=SJ-3500
| md_rrp_jp=2,000 {{ref|http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/pad.html}}
+
| md_rrp_jp=2,000{{ref|http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/pad.html}}
 
| md_date_eu=1990
 
| md_date_eu=1990
 
| md_code_eu=
 
| md_code_eu=
 +
| md_rrp_uk=14.99{{fileref|SegaForce UK 02.pdf|page=65}}
 
| md_date_us=1989
 
| md_date_us=1989
 
| md_code_us=MK-1650
 
| md_code_us=MK-1650
| md_date_ca=19xx
+
| md_date_ca=1989
 
| md_code_ca=1650-22
 
| md_code_ca=1650-22
 
}}
 
}}
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The '''Sega Mega Drive Control Pad''' (コントロールパッド) is the official controller of the [[Sega Mega Drive]] (or Sega Genesis in North America). Three button controllers are known officially as '''Control Pads''' in both North America and Europe, and '''SJ-3500s''' in Japan (following a system set up by the [[SG-1000]]). There are many "updates" and alternatives to this controller, the most notable being the [[Six Button Control Pad (Mega Drive)|Six Button Control Pad]]. This article covers only the basic three button variants.  
 
The '''Sega Mega Drive Control Pad''' (コントロールパッド) is the official controller of the [[Sega Mega Drive]] (or Sega Genesis in North America). Three button controllers are known officially as '''Control Pads''' in both North America and Europe, and '''SJ-3500s''' in Japan (following a system set up by the [[SG-1000]]). There are many "updates" and alternatives to this controller, the most notable being the [[Six Button Control Pad (Mega Drive)|Six Button Control Pad]]. This article covers only the basic three button variants.  
  
 +
==Hardware==
 
Mega Drive control pads are the logical progression from [[Control Pad (Master System)|Master System control pads]], replacing {{1}} and {{2}} with {{A}} and {{B}} respectively, while adding an extra two face buttons, {{C}} and {{Start}} to bring the total number of buttons to four. Also featured is a circular D-Pad, designed to allow for movements in eight directions. Unlike [[Nintendo]]'s systems, the buttons (or "triggers" as they were initially called) are arranged in alphabetical order from left to right, a practise which would continue not only with future Sega consoles, but would inspire the controllers of the Neo Geo, 3DO and [[Xbox]] lines.
 
Mega Drive control pads are the logical progression from [[Control Pad (Master System)|Master System control pads]], replacing {{1}} and {{2}} with {{A}} and {{B}} respectively, while adding an extra two face buttons, {{C}} and {{Start}} to bring the total number of buttons to four. Also featured is a circular D-Pad, designed to allow for movements in eight directions. Unlike [[Nintendo]]'s systems, the buttons (or "triggers" as they were initially called) are arranged in alphabetical order from left to right, a practise which would continue not only with future Sega consoles, but would inspire the controllers of the Neo Geo, 3DO and [[Xbox]] lines.
  
 
Mega Drive controllers are notable for being one of the first control pads to be ergonomically designed for the user's hands. Though improvements were made in the coming years, previous systems had cornered edges with their controllers, meaning they were often uncomfortable to hold after several hours of play. The Mega Drive controller is rounded, and has its buttons placed in easier to reach positions.
 
Mega Drive controllers are notable for being one of the first control pads to be ergonomically designed for the user's hands. Though improvements were made in the coming years, previous systems had cornered edges with their controllers, meaning they were often uncomfortable to hold after several hours of play. The Mega Drive controller is rounded, and has its buttons placed in easier to reach positions.
  
==Variations==
+
===Variations===
Control pads remained mostly the same across regions, but the colouring can determine the region and revision of the accessory. A minor addition added in the early 90s is a little plastic lump on the {{B}} button, presumably to help users recognise where their right hand thumb was.
+
Control pads remained mostly the same across regions, but the colouring can determine the region and revision of the accessory. A minor addition added in the early 1990s is a little plastic lump on the {{B}} button, presumably to help users recognise where their right hand thumb was.
  
Early versions of this controller used the same internals as the original design, but later models have an improved D-Pad mechanism, employing a metal ball-bearing for the pad to rock on.  This prevents wear which plagues the original design, which uses a plastic nub for the rocking motion and will eventually wear down with frequent use.
+
Early versions of this controller used the same internals as the original design, but later models have an improved D-Pad mechanism, employing a metal ball-bearing for the pad to rock on.  This prevents wear which plagues the original design, which uses a plastic nub for the rocking motion and will eventually wear down with frequent use. Later versions employ a D-Pad with a two-piece fulcrum design as seen on the Six Button Control Pad and all Sega Saturn pads.
  
 
<!-- rewrite  
 
<!-- rewrite  
Line 33: Line 35:
 
<gallery widths="200px">
 
<gallery widths="200px">
 
File:Pad MD JP I.jpg|SJ-3500 (Japan; 1988)
 
File:Pad MD JP I.jpg|SJ-3500 (Japan; 1988)
 +
File:MD JP Control Pad late model.jpg|SJ-3500 (Japan; 1991)
 
File:Pad_gen_v1.jpg|MK-1650 (US; 1989)
 
File:Pad_gen_v1.jpg|MK-1650 (US; 1989)
File:Pad MD Gen.jpg|MK-1650 (US; 199x)
+
File:Pad MD Gen.jpg|MK-1650 (US; 1991)
File:Pad_gen_v3.jpg|MK-1650 (US; 199x)
+
File:Pad_gen_v3.jpg|MK-1650 (US; 1991)
 
File:MDControlPad EU 3BV2.jpg|(Europe; 1990)
 
File:MDControlPad EU 3BV2.jpg|(Europe; 1990)
 
File:Pad MD PAL I.jpg|(Europe; 1991)
 
File:Pad MD PAL I.jpg|(Europe; 1991)
 
File:Pad MD PAL II.jpg|(Europe; 1993)
 
File:Pad MD PAL II.jpg|(Europe; 1993)
File:MDControlPad SK 1.jpg|(South Korea; 199x)
+
File:MDControlPad SK 1.jpg|(South Korea; 1990)
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==Technical Information==
+
==Reverse mode==
 +
While the Mega Drive control pad is primarily designed so be played with the D-Pad on the left and the buttons on the right, plans were at one stage put in place to encourage developers to support a "reverse" orientation - where the control pad is flipped upside down, with the buttons on the left, D-Pad on the right and the controller cord coming down. The concept was discussed before the console's launch, but like many early hardware plans, was rarely mentioned after 1988.
 +
 
 +
The concept of catering for both left and right-handed play is more commonly associated with joysticks, but occasionally worked its way into gamepads (the Gravis PC GamePad, which became something of an icon for IBM PC users in the early 90s has a physical switch to turn the controller into left-handed mode). On the Mega Drive, reverse mode was expected to be implemented in software, meaning it was never a guarantee that such a feature would exist. In practise this made very little difference - the majority of console manufacturers have opted for the so-called "right handed" design, suggesting it does not cause significant problems for left-handed customers.
 +
 
 +
===List of games which support reverse mode===
 +
Very few games support reverse mode - the only known coverage of its existence is in the November 1988 edition of ''Beep!'' magazine, whose contents were not made widely available until nearly 30 years after the console launched.
 +
 
 +
*''[[Grind Stormer]]''
 +
 
 +
==Technical information==
 
The chip inside the control pad is a 74HC157. This is a high-speed CMOS quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer.  Basically, how this works is there are two inputs ( A and B ) for every output ( Y ).  There are four groups like this.  There is one select signal for the whole chip. When the select signal is low, the output ( Y ) is the same as input A.  When the select signal is high, the output Y is the same as input B.  The pinout for the chip is as follows:
 
The chip inside the control pad is a 74HC157. This is a high-speed CMOS quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer.  Basically, how this works is there are two inputs ( A and B ) for every output ( Y ).  There are four groups like this.  There is one select signal for the whole chip. When the select signal is low, the output ( Y ) is the same as input A.  When the select signal is high, the output Y is the same as input B.  The pinout for the chip is as follows:
  
Line 80: Line 93:
 
|}
 
|}
  
All the controls are done with switches.  Up is a switch, Down is a switch, etc. Now, I will be referring to the output of these switches later on.  The output is usually high when the switch isn't pressed. When the button is pushed, the output goes low.  This is accomplished by connecting the output to +5V through a 10k resistor.  The button is then attached between the output and ground.  It looks like this:
+
All the controls are done with switches.  Up is a switch, Down is a switch, etc. The output is usually high when the switch isn't pressed. When the button is pushed, the output goes low.  This is accomplished by connecting the output to +5V through a 10k resistor.  The button is then attached between the output and ground.  It looks like this:
 
   
 
   
 
     +5V -----/\/\/------+--------- Output
 
     +5V -----/\/\/------+--------- Output
Line 106: Line 119:
 
|Line 4||Pin 7 of the chip. Output 2Y.
 
|Line 4||Pin 7 of the chip. Output 2Y.
 
|-
 
|-
|Line 5||This line carries in +5V.  It is connected to the +5V bus line.
+
|Line 5||This line brings in +5V.  It is connected to the +5V bus line.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Line 6 (TL)||Pin 9 of the chip. Output 3Y.
 
|Line 6 (TL)||Pin 9 of the chip. Output 3Y.
 
|-
 
|-
|Line 7 (TH)||Pin 1 of the chip. This carries in a select signal from the Genesis. This is a signal which varies rapidly and controls which input goes through the output
+
|Line 7 (TH)||Pin 1 of the chip. This carries in a select signal from the Genesis. This is a signal which varies rapidly and controls which input goes through the output.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Line 8||Ground. This is connected to the Ground bus line.
 
|Line 8||Ground. This is connected to the Ground bus line.
Line 118: Line 131:
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Now for the chips pin connections:
+
Now for the chip's pin connections:
 
   
 
   
 
{|class="prettytable"
 
{|class="prettytable"
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==Reading==
 
==Reading==
Access to controller ports is from bytes $A10003 (controller 1) and $A10005 (controller 2). TH must be set for output and the other pins for input, so bytes $A10009 and $A1000B must be set to $40 to read the respective controller.
+
Access to the controller ports is from bytes $A10003 (controller 1) and $A10005 (controller 2). TH must be set for output and the other pins for input, so bytes $A10009 and $A1000B must be set to $40 to read the respective controller.
  
 
{| class="prettytable"
 
{| class="prettytable"
Line 174: Line 187:
 
Bit 7 latches the value written to it. It takes approximately the equivalent of two nop instructions for other types of controllers (such as the six-button controller) to respond to a TH change.
 
Bit 7 latches the value written to it. It takes approximately the equivalent of two nop instructions for other types of controllers (such as the six-button controller) to respond to a TH change.
  
==External Links==
+
==External links==
* [http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/pad.html Sega of Japan catalogue page (Japanese)]
+
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/pad.html Sega of Japan catalogue page (Japanese)]
  
==Physical Scans==
+
==Physical scans==
 
{{Scanbox
 
{{Scanbox
 +
| console=Mega Drive
 +
| region=JP (1988)
 +
| front=MDController SJ3500 JP Box Front.jpg
 +
| back=MDController SJ3500 JP Box Back.jpg
 +
| spinemissing=yes
 +
| square=yes
 +
}}{{Scanbox
 +
| console=Mega Drive
 +
| region=JP (1991)
 +
| front=MDController SJ3500 1991 JP Box Front.jpg
 +
| back=MDController SJ3500 1991 JP Box Back.jpg
 +
| spinemissing=yes
 +
| square=yes
 +
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| region=US (1989)
 
| region=US (1989)
Line 195: Line 222:
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| region=US (1993)
 
| region=US (1993)
| front=
+
| front=ControlPad MD US Box Front 1993.jpg
 
| back=
 
| back=
 
| spinemissing=
 
| spinemissing=
Line 208: Line 235:
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
| region=JP
+
| region=EU (1993)
| front=MDController SJ3500 JP Box Front.jpg
+
| front=MDControlPadEU93 front.JPG
| back=MDController SJ3500 JP Box Back.jpg
+
| back=MDControlPadEU93 back.JPG
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| square=yes
 
| square=yes
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
| region=CA (19xx)
+
| region=CA (1989)
 
| front=ControlPad MD CA Box Front Old.jpg
 
| front=ControlPad MD CA Box Front Old.jpg
 
| back=
 
| back=
Line 223: Line 250:
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| region=CA (1993)
 
| region=CA (1993)
 +
| front=ControlPad MD CA Box Front 1993.jpg
 +
| back=
 +
| spinemissing=
 +
| square=yes
 +
}}{{Scanbox
 +
| console=Mega Drive
 +
| region=CA (1993; newer)
 
| front=ControlPad MD CA Box Front New.jpg
 
| front=ControlPad MD CA Box Front New.jpg
 
| back=ControlPad MD CA Box Back New.jpg
 
| back=ControlPad MD CA Box Back New.jpg
Line 229: Line 263:
 
}}
 
}}
  
 +
==References==
 +
<references />
 
{{MegaDrive}}
 
{{MegaDrive}}
  
[[Category:Control Pads]]
+
[[Category:Control pads]]

Revision as of 16:30, 20 July 2018

Pad MD JP I.jpg
Control Pad
Made for: Sega Mega Drive
Manufacturer: Sega
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥2,0002,000[1] SJ-3500
Sega Mega Drive
US
MK-1650
Sega Mega Drive
EU
Sega Mega Drive
CA
1650-22

The Sega Mega Drive Control Pad (コントロールパッド) is the official controller of the Sega Mega Drive (or Sega Genesis in North America). Three button controllers are known officially as Control Pads in both North America and Europe, and SJ-3500s in Japan (following a system set up by the SG-1000). There are many "updates" and alternatives to this controller, the most notable being the Six Button Control Pad. This article covers only the basic three button variants.

Hardware

Mega Drive control pads are the logical progression from Master System control pads, replacing 1 and 2 with A and B respectively, while adding an extra two face buttons, C and  START  to bring the total number of buttons to four. Also featured is a circular D-Pad, designed to allow for movements in eight directions. Unlike Nintendo's systems, the buttons (or "triggers" as they were initially called) are arranged in alphabetical order from left to right, a practise which would continue not only with future Sega consoles, but would inspire the controllers of the Neo Geo, 3DO and Xbox lines.

Mega Drive controllers are notable for being one of the first control pads to be ergonomically designed for the user's hands. Though improvements were made in the coming years, previous systems had cornered edges with their controllers, meaning they were often uncomfortable to hold after several hours of play. The Mega Drive controller is rounded, and has its buttons placed in easier to reach positions.

Variations

Control pads remained mostly the same across regions, but the colouring can determine the region and revision of the accessory. A minor addition added in the early 1990s is a little plastic lump on the B button, presumably to help users recognise where their right hand thumb was.

Early versions of this controller used the same internals as the original design, but later models have an improved D-Pad mechanism, employing a metal ball-bearing for the pad to rock on. This prevents wear which plagues the original design, which uses a plastic nub for the rocking motion and will eventually wear down with frequent use. Later versions employ a D-Pad with a two-piece fulcrum design as seen on the Six Button Control Pad and all Sega Saturn pads.


Reverse mode

While the Mega Drive control pad is primarily designed so be played with the D-Pad on the left and the buttons on the right, plans were at one stage put in place to encourage developers to support a "reverse" orientation - where the control pad is flipped upside down, with the buttons on the left, D-Pad on the right and the controller cord coming down. The concept was discussed before the console's launch, but like many early hardware plans, was rarely mentioned after 1988.

The concept of catering for both left and right-handed play is more commonly associated with joysticks, but occasionally worked its way into gamepads (the Gravis PC GamePad, which became something of an icon for IBM PC users in the early 90s has a physical switch to turn the controller into left-handed mode). On the Mega Drive, reverse mode was expected to be implemented in software, meaning it was never a guarantee that such a feature would exist. In practise this made very little difference - the majority of console manufacturers have opted for the so-called "right handed" design, suggesting it does not cause significant problems for left-handed customers.

List of games which support reverse mode

Very few games support reverse mode - the only known coverage of its existence is in the November 1988 edition of Beep! magazine, whose contents were not made widely available until nearly 30 years after the console launched.

Technical information

The chip inside the control pad is a 74HC157. This is a high-speed CMOS quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer. Basically, how this works is there are two inputs ( A and B ) for every output ( Y ). There are four groups like this. There is one select signal for the whole chip. When the select signal is low, the output ( Y ) is the same as input A. When the select signal is high, the output Y is the same as input B. The pinout for the chip is as follows:

Pin 1 Select
Pin 2 1A
Pin 3 1B
Pin 4 1Y
Pin 5 2A
Pin 6 2B
Pin 7 2Y
Pin 8 Gnd
Pin 9 3Y
Pin 10 3B
Pin 11 3A
Pin 12 4Y
Pin 13 4B
Pin 14 4A
Pin 15 G (? must be low)
Pin 16 Vcc (+5V)

All the controls are done with switches. Up is a switch, Down is a switch, etc. The output is usually high when the switch isn't pressed. When the button is pushed, the output goes low. This is accomplished by connecting the output to +5V through a 10k resistor. The button is then attached between the output and ground. It looks like this:

    +5V -----/\/\/------+--------- Output
              10k       |
                        |
               /        |
  Ground -----/  -------+
             button
             (normally open)

The line numbers are determined as follows, looking straight at the plug on the front of the Genesis the numbers are:

	1 2 3 4 5
	 6 7 8 9
Line 1 Up output.
Line 2 Down output. These are the only two direct connections.
Line 3 Pin 4 of the chip. Output 1Y.
Line 4 Pin 7 of the chip. Output 2Y.
Line 5 This line brings in +5V. It is connected to the +5V bus line.
Line 6 (TL) Pin 9 of the chip. Output 3Y.
Line 7 (TH) Pin 1 of the chip. This carries in a select signal from the Genesis. This is a signal which varies rapidly and controls which input goes through the output.
Line 8 Ground. This is connected to the Ground bus line.
Line 9 (TR) Pin 12 of the chip. Output 4Y.


Now for the chip's pin connections:

Pin 1 Line 7 (select)
Pin 2 Ground (1A)
Pin 3 Left (1B)
Pin 4 Line 3 (1Y)
Pin 5 Ground (2A)
Pin 6 Right (2B)
Pin 7 Line 4 (2Y)
Pin 8 Ground (GND)
Pin 9 Line 6 (3Y)
Pin 10 Button B (3B)
Pin 11 Button A (3A)
Pin 12 Line 9 (4Y)
Pin 13 Button C (4B)
Pin 14 Start (4A)
Pin 15 Ground (G)
Pin 16 +5V (Vcc)

Reading

Access to the controller ports is from bytes $A10003 (controller 1) and $A10005 (controller 2). TH must be set for output and the other pins for input, so bytes $A10009 and $A1000B must be set to $40 to read the respective controller.

Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Pin - TH TL TR R L D U
TH = 0 ? 0 S A 0 0 D U
TH = 1 ? 1 C B R L D U

Bit 7 latches the value written to it. It takes approximately the equivalent of two nop instructions for other types of controllers (such as the six-button controller) to respond to a TH change.

External links

Physical scans

Mega Drive, JP (1988)
MDController SJ3500 JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngMDController SJ3500 JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, JP (1991)
MDController SJ3500 1991 JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngMDController SJ3500 1991 JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, US (1989)
MDControlPad US 3BV1 Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngMDControlPad US 3BV1 Box Front.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, US (1992)
ControlPad MD US Box Back 1992.jpgNospine-small.pngControlPad MD US Box Front 1992.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, US (1993)
ControlPad MD US Box Front 1993.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, EU (1990)
MDControlPad EU 3BV2 Box Front.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, EU (1993)
MDControlPadEU93 back.JPGNospine-small.pngMDControlPadEU93 front.JPG
Cover
Mega Drive, CA (1989)
ControlPad MD CA Box Front Old.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, CA (1993)
ControlPad MD CA Box Front 1993.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, CA (1993; newer)
ControlPad MD CA Box Back New.jpgNospine-small.pngControlPad MD CA Box Front New.jpg
Cover

References

Sega Mega Drive
Topics Technical specifications (Hardware comparison) | History | List of games | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise | Cartridges | TradeMark Security System
Hardware Japan | North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | South America | Asia | South Korea | Australasia | Africa
EZ Games | LaserActive | Mega Jet | Mega PC | Mega Play | Mega-Tech System | Nomad | Teradrive | Mega Drive Mini | Mega Drive Mini 2
New Mega Drive | Tianli VCD/DVD Players | "Consoles on a chip" | Licensed clones (Magic 2 | Mega Game II | Power Pegasus | Super Bitman)
Unlicensed clones
Add-ons Game Box | Power Base Converter | Mega-CD | 32X (Mega-CD 32X) | Mega Modem | Demo System DS-16
Cases Sega Genesis Nomad Carrying Case | System Carry Case
Controllers Control Pad | Six Button Control Pad | 6 Button Arcade Pad | Arcade Power Stick 6B | Konami Justifier | MK-1470
Action Chair | Activator | Arcade Power Stick | Keyboard | MegaFire | Mouse | Mega Stick | Menacer | Remote Arcade System | Ten Key Pad | Third Party Controllers
Accessories 4 Way Play | Cleaning System | Control Pad Extension Cord | Genesis Speakers | Headset | HeartBeat Catalyst | Microphone | Region converter cartridges | Mega Terminal | Nomad PowerBack | RF Unit (Mega Drive 2) | SCART Cable (Mega Drive 2) | Stereo Audio Video Cable | Team Player | Video Monitor Cable | Third Party Accessories
Network services Sega Channel | Sega Game Toshokan | Mega Anser | Mega Net | TeleBradesco Residência | XB∀ND
Development tools ERX 308P | ERX 318P | Sprobe | SNASM68K | SNASM2 (Mega Drive) | SNASM2 (32X) | PSY-Q Development System (Mega Drive) | PSY-Q Development System (32X) | 32X CartDev | Sega Mars Development Aid System | Sega 32X Development Target
Unreleased Edge 16 | Floppy Disk Drive | Mega Play 1010 | Sega VR | Teleplay System | Video Jukebox