JSX-B

Protocol

Proposal for a protocol to handle joypads with a variable number of sticks and buttons, plug in the MSX’s general purpose port.

This protocol can manage joypads with up to 15 analog axis (one stick requires 2 axis) and 18 buttons.

Pin 8 is used to synchronize data transmission:

• Leaving Pin 8 LOW for long enough (>1 ms, about 3580 t-states) resets the joystick's internal counter,
• then successive pulses on Pin 8 (LOW > HIGH) are used for data transmission (6 bits per 6 bits).

Pin 6 and 7 are used as 2-bit transfer mode identifier:

• 00: Get Device ID
• 01: Serial read of joypad input data (and increment internal counter)
• 10: Reserved
• 11: Reserved

Pin binding for received data:

Bits 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
–-–-–-–-–-–-–-–--–-–-
Pins x x 7 6 4 3 2 1

States

No-communication state

Write R#15

Pin 6: any value

Pin 7: any value

Pin 8: LOW (for >1 ms)

Read R#14

Get 0x11 (JSX idle fingerprint)

Note: It could be any value between 00-3F not already return by other MSX devices)

Device ID

Write R#15

Pin 6: any value

Pin 7: any value

Pin 8: LOW (for >1 ms)

Write R#15

Pin 6: LOW

Pin 7: LOW

Pin 8: HIGH (send device ID)

Read R#14

Get JSX device ID

 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
–-–-–-–-–-–-–-–--
 x x A A A A B B
     │ │ │ │ └─┴── Number of button rows (0-3)
     └─┴─┴─┴────── Number of axis (0-15)

Note: Number of axis or number of button rows can be zero, but not both. So any device ID up to 0x3F is valid except 0x00.

Read bytes

Repeat this step for each axis (if any), then for each button row (if any). Number of axis and button rows is given by the device ID

Write R#15

Pin 6: any value

Pin 7: any value

Pin 8: LOW

Pin 8 have to stay LOW for more than 1 ms for the first read, then less than 1 ms for the next ones

Write R#15

Pin 6: HIGH

Pin 7: LOW

Pin 8: HIGH

Read R#14

Get 6-bits values

For axis: signed 6-bits value [-32 ; 31]

For boutons: bits field for 6 boutons (0: pressed, 1: released)

Example

For a Joypad with a stick with X and Y axis (2 axis), and 4 buttons (1 row), the reading process would be:

• After starting communication, first read to R#14 return the ID.
  ID: 0x09 [00 0010 01] for 2 axis, and 1 buttons row,
• Next reading give X-axis value [-32 ; 31],
• Next reading give Y-axis value [-32 ; 31],
• Next and last reading give button states (for up to 6 boutons).

Note: MSX-HID fingerprint would be: 0Fh, 09h, 0Fh