How to adapt a NES clone controller to bluetooth using PIC12F675

I bought a Wireless Bluetooth RS232 TTL Transceiver Module from DX (SKU 80711) and wonder what i can do with it.

So, I’m realy nostalgic and decided to build a NES clone crontoller to bluetooth adapter, because, by this way I could play again that amazing games that we all remenber.

A important thing I need to highlight is that in my city is so dificult to find decent eletronic components and parts, so the only controller type a had in hands its the clone type, but its not complicated adapt this instructable to original NES controller.

The whole system it’s so simple, if you PC/notebook have a bluetooh card it’s done, if not you just need a Bluetooth USB dongle.

First of all, if you’ll try to build your own NES clone to bluetooth adapter it’s supposed you have some electronics and programming skills, otherwise some steps, like the uC programming will be a little hard to do by yourself.

Components and parts list:

1 – Wireless Bluetooth RS232 TTL Transceiver Module;
1 – PIC 12F675;
1 – 5 Volts voltage regulator;
1 – 3.3 Volts voltage regulator;
2 – 1uF capacitor;
2 – 4.7 uF capacitor;
1 – 1k2 ohm resistor;
1 – 2k2 ohm resistor;
1 – 4MHz oscilator crystal;
2 – 22pF capacitor;
1 – A CC power source ( >= 8 Volts);

wire, solder wire, pic programmer, solder iron, universal circuit board, etc;

How the controller works

Well, let’s begin by the start. Let’s understand how a NES Controller function, it’s important to say that this step independs if the controller it’s the original one or the clone one, the internal functionality is the same.

Internaly the controller what we call in digital eletronic parallel-to-serial register, a integrated circuit that store the state of each button (pressed or not) when a “lacth” pulse is given, then the register send each state alwaysa clock pulse is given.

So it’s cleare that the controller have 5 wire, they are: VCC, GND, LATCH, DATA, CLOCK.

So the algorithym to read the buttons states is very simple:

1 – Give a latch pulse;
2a – Verify the DATA wire;
2b – Give a clock pulse;
3 – repeat 2a and 2b  until all the buttons states were read;

For more detail: How to adapt a NES clone controller to bluetooth using PIC12F675