DE-9 Connector

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DE-9-Connector-Male.jpg


Pinout

Male Connection Female Solder Female Connection Male Solder

Pinout at the solder side in the computer is equivalent to the pinout at the outside of the plug at the cable, pinout at the solder side of the plug at the cable is equivalent to the pinout at the outside of the computer.


Pin Chameleon Atari 800
Atari VCS
Atari 7800
(*1)
Atari ST
(*2)
VIC-20
C-64
C64GS
(*3)
Amiga CD32
(*4)
Amstrad
CPC
MSX
X68000
(J-PC)
Master System
(*6)
Mega Drive
(Genesis)
(*6)
Saturn
(*6)
Sinclair
(*7)
1 /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up /Up Ground Unused
2 /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down /Down Down GND
3 /Left /Left /Left /Left /Left /Left /Left /Left /Left /Left 1Y (-, /Left) Up unused
4 /Right /Right /Right /Right /Right /Right /Right /Right /Right /Right 2Y (-, /Right) VCC Button
5 /Button 3 Paddle B Button Right unused Button 3 (POTY) /Button 3 (POTX) Shift Load OUT /Button 3 VCC VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) Select OUT 1 Up
6 /Button 1 /Button Button common /Button 1 /Button 1 /Button 1 /Fire, Clock OUT /Button 2 /Button 1 TL (/A) TL (/A, /B) Select OUT 2 Right
7 VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) VCC (+5V) /Button 1 /Button 2 TH (unused) TH (Select OUT) Right Left
8 GND GND GND GND GND GND GND GND (Row 9) (*5) Strobe OUT GND GND Left GND
9 /Button 2 Paddle A Button Left /Button 2 Button 2 (POTX) /Button 2 (POTY) Serial Data IN GND (Row 6) (*5) GND TR (/B) TR (/Start, /C) VCC Down

(*1) The Atari 7800 buttons require special wiring.

(*2) Pin9 (RMB) of the first port is shared with Pin6 (Fire) of the second port to be able to use a mouse with two buttons (in the first port). On the second port, Pin9 is not connected. That means only the first port supports two buttons, and only when the second port is not used at the same time. Atari STe and Atari Falcon have two DE-15 Extended Joystick Ports, which could with a passive adapter be connected to two DE-9 joysticks (see here). Atari Jaguar Controllers also have DE-15 connectors, but with different pinout which exposes a button matrix (see here).

(*3) For the second button/right mouse button the POT X line is used (and for 3rd button/middle mouse button POTY), which - different to the other lines - must be pulled to VCC via the button.

(*4) The CD32 supports "gamepad mode" and uses pin 5 to switch to it (it is pulled to active high by the CD32). Actual CD32 controllers have active components. Regular "Atari" joysticks will work at the CD32, but CD32 controllers will not work on, for example, a C-64 (see here and here)

(*5) The respective GND lines are pulled low to select the respective "row". Regular Joystick uses row 9.

(*6) Sega controllers cannot be converted into Atari controllers simply by rewiring them. Unlike regular Atari sticks, they contain pull-up resistors for each signal line (which might interfere with scanning the keyboard on C64) and some controllers may contain active circuits and will not work without the VCC. The Mega Drive controllers use an active circuit. (see here or here). The Saturn controllers also contain an active circuit and are wired up completely non-standard. Mega Drive controllers can be used as Atari controllers with a simple adapter, see here.

(*7) Pinout refers to Interface Two (Sinclair aka +3)

The Apple-II uses analog joysticks and can not use the common digital joystick with the pinout shown above, see here.

Like Sega Saturn controllers, the ColecoVision and Intellivision II controllers work entirely different. (see eg here and here)

The Sinclair-QL has completely different controller ports. (The US and German versions of the QL later made by Samsung both had standard 9 pin serial and joystick ports, meaning that any Atari standard joystick could then be used.)

The Commodore C16/C116/Plus4 have two mini-DIN ports which are electrically compatible with standard DB9 ports, so they can be used with an adapter.

The Covox Sound Master is a rare PC Soundcard that has two Atari-compatible DB9 joystick ports.