Need help with SNES to CD-i project

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello everyone. I'm new here and signed up to try and get help with my first experience with Arduino. I apologise if this is posted in the wrong section.

Long story short I recently picked up a Philips CD-i (I don't know why either haha) but it was sold without a controller. I don't fancy paying the £100 or so that the official controllers seem to go for (crazy money) so I found the snes to cdi project on github and though that would work for me.

But it doesn't work and I'm sure its something stupid I've done so I'm here looking help if possible.

I'm using the Arduino Nano rather than the Uno as described in the github (all be it the Nano is confirmed to work also). I have wired everything up as per the attached wiring doc using D5,6,7,10 and A5 on the Nano (which I assume are the same as the pins as described on the wiring diagram attached) connected 5v and grounds. There are 2 5v lines which I've twisted together and soldered to the single 5v hole on the nano. The ground lines I've taken to the 2 ground holes on the Nano, maybe I should twist these and connect to a single hole to ensure ground is passing through OK between the CDi and the SNES controller? I don't think it would make any difference though since all ground pins should be linked on the Nano anyway.

I added the library to IDE as described in the github and compiled sketch and uploaded. The arduino is getting power ok from the CD-i but there doesn't appear to be any activity from the snes controller.

So my first thought is I'm an idiot, this is my first time playing with Arduino and I'm wondering if I have the wires connected to the correct pins on the nano. I have ordered an Uno to try it again exactly as per the schematic but I would prefer to use the nano since i can fit it inside an old SNES controller.

This is the github I have been following GitHub - anarterb/SNEStoCDi: SNEStoCDi allows to use a Nintendo SNES (Super NES) / SFC (Super Famicom) gamepad on a Philips CDi player / game console (Arduino-based project)

Schematic I have been following taken from above.

2

Welcome to the forums. The Nano and Uno use the same atmega328 chip so either will work.

As for your wiring, only you know if you wired it correctly since you did not provide any sort of picture.

I would start by possibly inserting some debug statements [Serial.println("at point x");] in your code to see if you are at least getting the RTS assert

3

Glen_M:
I'm using the Arduino Nano rather than the Uno as described in the github (all be it the Nano is confirmed to work also).

Very sensible! The UNO is not really suitable for most projects as it is difficult to solder connections to it and it is an odd form factor.

Really only useful if there happens to be a "shield" to fit to it which solves your problem neatly in one. :grinning: