
Raspberry Pi Pico W Brings Retro Nintendo Controllers to Switch
The $4 Raspberry Pi Pico is quick turning into the glue for retro initiatives, and this challenge David Pagels brings retro Nintendo controllers by way of USB and, in a latest replace, Bluetooth, to Nintendo’s common Swap console.
David Pagel’s Retro-Pico-Swap challenge is easy: Use your outdated Nintendo 64 and Gamecube controllers with a Nintendo Swap. No configuration required; Merely obtain the UF2 file. publications page, get your Pico W able to be flashed, drag and drop the UF2 onto the Pico after which it is going to reboot as a Bluetooth machine. The one barely difficult a part of the challenge is connecting the controller to the Pico. Fortuitously, there are pinout references that can be utilized to map controller pins to Pico. The N64 controller interface has solely three pins. Pin 1 connects to three.6V energy provide, pin 2 is for knowledge and pin 3 is GND. The software program is on the lookout for a connection between pin 2 (knowledge) and Pico’s GPIO 18. A 1 Kilo Ohm resistor is used between pins 2 and 1 to tug the information pin excessive, making certain constant knowledge transmission. Gamecube pinout is a little more concerned with seven pins, however pin 2 (purple wire) is knowledge, pin 6 (blue wire) is 3.3V and pin 7 (black wire) is Floor. The remaining pins are for noise suggestions.
To provide the challenge a clear aesthetic, 3D printable enclosure For Nintendo 64 controller interface. 3D printable elements are small and simple to print with the perfect 3D printers. Enjoying the latest Metroid Prime remaster with an authentic Gamecube controller could be an epic blast of nostalgia.
Pagels’ consideration to element sees the Swap’s dwelling button mapped to a mix of L, R, and Begin buttons, and dynamic scaling is used for every axis of the joystick to account for the decreased vary that older analog controllers had. The challenge leverages the newest replace to the Pico SDK that brings Bluetooth assist to the motherboard’s Infineon CYW43439 wi-fi chip. Bluetooth assist was launched to Raspberry Pi Pico W by way of SDK 1.5.0 in February 2023. Bluetooth assist just isn’t but formally obtainable for MicroPython and CircuitPython, and so Pagels’ challenge makes use of the C SDK.
As a pleasant bonus, the challenge can be utilized on different machines as properly. This makes it an excellent enter for a retro emulation level with actual controllers. 4 gamers Golden Eye And Diddy Kong Racing It can actually profit from the N64 controller.
You possibly can obtain the code and study extra about this nice challenge. Pagels’ GitHub repository. Positive, Nintendo sells Swap-compatible variations of the N64 controller by default, however how a lot enjoyable is that?
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