User Tools

Site Tools


controls:megadrive_genesis_controller_3

This is an old revision of the document!


Genesis / MegaDrive 3-Button Controller

The Genesis, like most post-NES systems, uses fewer wires than buttons, and an encoder is used to 'compress' the eight buttons into six wires. The mechanism is simple: a 74157 chip takes two pairs of four inputs, delivering one set of four to the console based on the status of the SELECT line. Paraphrased, the console asks for the first set by keeping select HIGH, and the second set by holding select LOW.

The schematic is very simple:

  • The resistor array (RA, at the top of the schematic) holds each input HIGH until pressed (the resistor value is unknown FIXME) [EDIT] 10kohm is perfect for that purpose.

Data for this originally taken from Neal Patrick Howland.

controls/megadrive_genesis_controller_3.1218698324.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/08/27 20:44 (external edit)