I'm using a Compaq Portable III (286). I forgot the card brand but I vaguely recall it might also be Kraft. I'm programming in the BASICA from the correct Compaq-branded boot disk. I use the STICK command; not PEEK/POKE. I can test the same joystick against the Apple side tomorrow. In a test program, I was only getting a range of about 5 to 195, vs. 0-255. To "port" the code from Apple to IBM platform, I replaced the Applesoft PDL(0) and PDL(1) commands with STICK. The way my code works is, when I move the stick beyond a neutral range (say, within 75 of either end), then it turns on the robot motors on the correct directions. The logic is fine: works with the Apple joystick on the Laser 128, and as I said I'll test that again with the Kraft tomorrow on the Laser. But when I tried it on the Compaq, only two of the directions work correctly. It was something like left and forward; I forget exactly. One other direction turns on the wrong bits (1 and 4, same as its opposite direction, rather than 2 and 3 which it should be), even though I'm a million percent certain the code is right. Another direction works (bits 2 and 4) if I move the stick to its extreme edge, but while en route it turns on bit 3 for a second. That makes no sense! That's why I think the stick might be funky or somehow misadjusted even if it does work on the Apple side. On Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 9:36 AM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Bob/All, In IBM systems one typically needs the drivers, controller card, and joystick to all be designed to work together. Also, the software often expects one of a few model joystick to be available. So, in Evan's case he needs to look at the software and documentation of the program that will use the joystick to see what kind of joystick it's looking for. It may be that the original IBM PC "Game Control Adapter" is an option, in which case you'd need something compatible with that. May be easy and you can get away with a serial port joystick. And so on. From there, find something compatible, install the drivers into autoexec.bat and config.sys and go from there. Newer machines often pair a soundcard like SoundBlaster with a Microsoft joystick.
Evan may have working joysticks that "don't work" because the drivers are not yet loaded.
Bill
On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 8:38 AM Bob Aviles via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Hi, I have an IBM joystick, look at the picture and tell me if it works on your systems.
Bobby On Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 1:20:45 AM EDT, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
I'm having issues with the VCF supply of Kraft joysticks, and there is no time to fix them before HOPE. Does anyone have a tested and fully-working / known-good IBM (or other non-Kraft) joystick which I could borrow? I need it by Friday in order to test it at the museum this weekend. Dean said he may have one, but in case he doesn't....
My backup plan is to program for keyboard control instead of joystick control, but that's not nearly as much fun.