# Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## Overview ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/329/medium800/adafruit_products_5753-06.jpg?1691412617) Ladyada writes: Back in _my_ day, we used to have these big chunky PC joysticks that would plug into the back of your PC. No, not through USB, they had a DE-15 port and they'd go into the [Game Port your sound effects card](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_port). Now, of course, we have tons of USB ports and quality audio is built into every computer. But what if you want to re-live your Commander Keen days? ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/330/medium800/adafruit_products_5753-05.jpg?1691412706) This board has a 15 pin D-Sub socket port, that you can plug any classic PC joystick into. Onboard is a ATtiny816 helper chip that [acts as a I2C peripheral using our 'seesaw' library](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-attiny817-seesaw). Two [STEMMA QT](https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-adafruit-stemma-qt) ports mean you can plug this board in using a 4-pin JST SH cable to any microcontroller or microcomputer with I2C support and read the joystick X & Y plus the two buttons, even if your main chip doesn't have analog inputs. There's even a 5V power generator on-board since joysticks are expecting that voltage. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/331/medium800/adafruit_products_5753-03.jpg?1691412720) Great for converting old controllers without needing to cut any cables. We have example code for Arduino and CircuitPython / Python to make your next _pew pew_ project a breeze. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/332/medium800/adafruit_products_5753-00.jpg?1691412779) Ships fully assembled and tested. If you prefer working on a breadboard, each order comes with a small piece of header. You'll need to solder the header onto the PCB, but it's fairly easy and takes only a few minutes even for a beginner. # Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## Pinouts ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/333/medium800/adafruit_products_5753-05.jpg?1691413325) The default I2C address is **0x49**. ## Power Pins - **VIN** - This is the power pin. To power the board, give it the same power as the logic level of your microcontroller - e.g. for a 3V microcontroller like a Feather RP2040, use 3V, or for a 5V microcontroller like Arduino, use 5V. There is a 5V boost converter onboard to supply an attached PC joystick with 5V. - **GND** - This is common ground for power and logic. ## I2C Logic Pins The default I2C address is **0x49**. - **SCL** - I2C clock pin, connect to your microcontroller I2C clock line. There's a **10K pullup** on this pin. - **SDA** - I2C data pin, connect to your microcontroller I2C data line. There's a **10K pullup** on this pin. - [**STEMMA QT**](https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-adafruit-stemma-qt) **-** These connectors allow you to connect to development boards with **STEMMA QT** / Qwiic connectors or to other things with [various associated accessories](https://www.adafruit.com/category/619). ## Interrupt Pin and LED - **IRQ** - This is the interrupt output pin. It can be configured to pulse low whenever an input from an attached PC joystick is detected so you do not have to spam-read the I2C port to detect input. - **Interrupt LED** - On the front of the board, directly above the IRQ pin, is the interrupt LED. It is the red LED and turns on whenever an interrupt is detected. ## UPDI Pin - **UPDI** - This is the single-pin **U** nified **P** rogram and **D** ebug **I** nterface. This pin is for external programming or on-chip-debugging for the ATtiny816 running the [seesaw firmware](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_seesawPeripheral). We have a [page in the ATtiny Breakouts with seesaw Learn Guide](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-attiny817-seesaw/advanced-reprogramming-with-updi) detailing how to reprogram these chips with your own firmware (at your own risk). We don't provide any support for custom builds of seesaw - we think this is cool and useful for the Maker community. ## 5V LED - **5V -** On the front of the board, next to the IRQ LED, is the 5V LED, labeled **5V**. It is the green LED. It acts as a power indicator LED that receives power from the 5V boost converter.  ## DE-15 Port The large, chonky port on the adapter board is a 15 pin D-Sub socket port. Your vintage analog PC joystick will plug into this port, just like how you used to plug into your [Game Port on your PC add-on card](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_port). You'll be able to read the joystick X & Y plus button inputs. If you're curious what these analog joysticks look like inside, check out the teardown that Ladyada did with the Gravis Advanced Classic PC Joystick in the [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl37qqzW7t4 "PC 15 pin D-Sub Joystick Teardown") below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl37qqzW7t4 # Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## CircuitPython and Python It's easy to use the **PC Joystick to seesaw adapter** with Python or CircuitPython, and the [Adafruit\_CircuitPython\_seesaw](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_seesaw) module. This module allows you to easily write Python code that reads the movement of the joystick and button inputs over I2C. You can use this adapter with any CircuitPython microcontroller board or with a computer that has GPIO and Python [thanks to Adafruit\_Blinka, our CircuitPython-for-Python compatibility library](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-raspberrypi-linux). ## CircuitPython Microcontroller Wiring First wire up an I2C adapter to your board exactly as follows. The following is the adapter wired to a Feather RP2040 using the STEMMA connector: - **Board STEMMA 3V** to **adapter VIN (red wire)** - **Board STEMMA GND** to **adapter****  GND (black wire)** - **Board STEMMA SCL** to **adapter****  SCL (yellow wire)** - **Board STEMMA SDA** to **adapter****  SDA (blue wire)** ![adafruit_products_cpSTEMMA_bb.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/410/medium640/adafruit_products_cpSTEMMA_bb.jpg?1691712494) The following is the adapter wired to a Feather RP2040 using a solderless breadboard: - **Board 3V** to **adapter VIN (red wire)** - **Board GND** to **adapter****  GND (black wire)** - **Board SCL** to **adapter****  SCL (yellow wire)** - **Board SDA** to **adapter****  SDA (blue wire)** ![adafruit_products_cpBB_bb.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/411/medium640/adafruit_products_cpBB_bb.jpg?1691712577) ## Python Computer Wiring Since there are _dozens_ of Linux computers/boards you can use, we will show wiring for Raspberry Pi. For other platforms, [please visit the guide for CircuitPython on Linux to see whether your platform is supported](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-raspberrypi-linux). Here's the Raspberry Pi wired with I2C using the STEMMA connector: - **Pi 3V** to **adapter** **VIN (red wire)** - **Pi GND** to **adapter** **GND (black wire)** - **Pi SCL** to **adapter** **SCL (yellow wire)** - **Pi SDA** to **adapter** **SDA (blue wire)** ![adafruit_products_piStemma_bb.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/412/medium640/adafruit_products_piStemma_bb.jpg?1691712617) Here's the Raspberry Pi wired with I2C using a solderless breadboard: - **Pi 3V** to **adapter** **VIN (red wire)** - **Pi GND** to **adapter** **GND (black wire)** - **Pi SCL** to **adapter** **SCL (yellow wire)** - **Pi SDA** to **adapter** **SDA (blue wire)** ![adafruit_products_piBB_bb.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/413/medium640/adafruit_products_piBB_bb.jpg?1691712688) ## Python Installation of seesaw Library You'll need to install the **Adafruit\_Blinka** library that provides the CircuitPython support in Python. This may also require enabling I2C on your platform and verifying you are running Python 3. [Since each platform is a little different, and Linux changes often, please visit the CircuitPython on Linux guide to get your computer ready](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-raspberrypi-linux)! Once that's done, from your command line run the following command: - `pip3 install adafruit-circuitpython-seesaw` If your default Python is version 3 you may need to run 'pip' instead. Just make sure you aren't trying to use CircuitPython on Python 2.x, it isn't supported! ## CircuitPython Usage To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install the **Adafruit\_CircuitPython\_seesaw** library, and its dependencies, into the **lib** folder on your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Then you need to update **code.py** with the example script. Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the **Download Project Bundle** button below to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, and copy the **entire** **lib** **folder** and the **code.py** file to your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Your **CIRCUITPY/lib** folder should contain the following folders and file: - **adafruit\_bus\_device/** - **adafruit\_seesaw/** - **adafruit\_pixelbuf.mpy** ![CIRCUITPY](https://adafruit.github.io/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Bundle/seesaw_seesaw_joy_featherwing.py.png ) ## Python Usage Once you have the library `pip3` installed on your computer, copy or download the following example to your computer, and run the following, replacing **code.py** with whatever you named the file: `python3 code.py` ## Example Code **If running CircuitPython:** Once everything is saved to the **CIRCUITPY** drive, [connect to the serial console](https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-circuitpython/kattni-connecting-to-the-serial-console) to see the data printed out! **If running Python:** The console output will appear wherever you are running Python. https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_seesaw/blob/main/examples/seesaw_pc_joystick.py Plug in a PC joystick to the 15 pin connector socket port on the adapter. Then, start up the example code. The serial console will print out whenever a button is pressed or the joystick is moved. The loop uses some math to take an average reading of the two analog pins for the joystick potentiometers since they can be really jittery. This provides a more stable reading from the controller. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/429/medium800/adafruit_products_cpJoySerial.png?1691768260) # Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## Python Docs # Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## Arduino Using the PC joystick to seesaw adapter with Arduino involves wiring up the adapter to your Arduino-compatible microcontroller, installing the [Adafruit\_Seesaw](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Seesaw) library, plugging in a PC joystick to the adapter and running the provided example code. ## Wiring Wire as shown for a **5V** board like an Uno. If you are using a **3V** board, like an Adafruit Feather, wire the board's 3V pin to the adapter VIN. Here is an Adafruit Metro wired up to the adapter using the STEMMA QT connector: - **Board 5V**  to  **adapter **** VIN (red wire)** - **Board GND**  to **adapter**  **GND (black wire)** - **Board SCL**  to **adapter**  **SCL (yellow wire)** - **Board SDA**  to **adapter**  **SDA (blue wire)** ![adafruit_products_metroSTEMMA_bb.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/414/medium640/adafruit_products_metroSTEMMA_bb.jpg?1691712988) Here is an Adafruit Metro wired up using a solderless breadboard: - **Board 5V**  to  **adapter **** VIN (red wire)** - **Board GND**  to **adapter**  **GND (black wire)** - **Board SCL**  to **adapter**  **SCL (yellow wire)** - **Board SDA**  to **adapter**  **SDA (blue wire)** ![adafruit_products_metroBB_bb.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/415/medium640/adafruit_products_metroBB_bb.jpg?1691713041) ## Library Installation You can install the **Adafruit\_Seesaw** library for Arduino using the Library Manager in the Arduino IDE. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/416/medium800/adafruit_products_Arduino_Open_Library_Manager.png?1691713073) Click the **Manage Libraries ...** menu item, search for **Adafruit\_Seesaw** , and select the **Adafruit seesaw** **Library** library: ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/432/medium800/adafruit_products_lib.png?1691769822) If asked about dependencies, click "Install all". ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/433/medium800/adafruit_products_depends.png?1691769834) If the "Dependencies" window does not come up, then you already have the dependencies installed. Warning: ## Example Code https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Seesaw/blob/master/examples/PC_Joystick/PC_Joystick.ino Plug in a PC joystick to the 15 pin socket port on the adapter. Upload the sketch to your board and open up the Serial Monitor ( **Tools -\> Serial Monitor** ) at 115200 baud. You'll see the seesaw firmware recognized by the code. Then, when you press the buttons or move the joystick on your connected controller it will print to the Serial Monitor. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/431/medium800/adafruit_products_arduinoSerial.png?1691769571) # Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## Arduino Docs # Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter ## Downloads ## Files - [ATtiny816 Datasheet](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/118/838/original/ATtiny816-Datasheet.pdf?1677164075) - [PC Game Port Pinout](https://allpinouts.org/pinouts/connectors/input_device/joystick-pc-gameport/) - [IBM Game Control Adapter manual](https://www.minuszerodegrees.net/oa/OA%20-%20IBM%20Game%20Control%20Adapter.pdf) (PDF) - [EagleCAD PCB Files on GitHub](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-PC-Joystick-to-seesaw-PCB) - [Fritzing object in the Adafruit Fritzing Library](https://github.com/adafruit/Fritzing-Library/blob/master/parts/Adafruit%20PC%20Joystick%20seesaw%20Breakout.fzpz) - [3D models on GitHub](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CAD_Parts/tree/main/5753%20PC%20Joystick%20Adapter) ## Schematic and Fab Print ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/334/medium800/adafruit_products_schem.png?1691414144) ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/123/335/medium800/adafruit_products_fab.png?1691414152 dimensions are in inches) ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/141/436/medium800/adafruit_products_5753_PC_Joystick_Adapter.jpg?1764797301 ) ## Primary Products ### Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter - STEMMA QT / Qwiic [Adafruit PC Joystick to seesaw I2C Adapter - STEMMA QT / Qwiic](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5753) Back in _my_ day, we used to have these big chunky PC joysticks that would plug into the back of your PC. No, not through USB, they had a DE-15 port and they'd go into the [Game Port your sound effects card](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_port). Now, of... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5753) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5753/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit LTC4316 I2C Address Translator](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ltc4316-i2c-address-translator.md) - [MIDI Laser Harp with Time of Flight Distance Sensors](https://learn.adafruit.com/midi-laser-harp-time-of-flight-sensors.md) - [Adabot Operation Game](https://learn.adafruit.com/adabot-operation-game.md) - [CircuitPython Elgato WiFi Light Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-elgato-wifi-light-controller.md) - [The Well-Automated Arduino Library](https://learn.adafruit.com/the-well-automated-arduino-library.md) - [Adafruit LTR-329 and LTR-303 Light Sensors](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ltr-329-ltr-303.md) - [ABC Soundboards with NeoTrellis](https://learn.adafruit.com/abc-soundboards-with-neotrellis.md) - [Adafruit PiOLED - 128x32 Mini OLED for Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pioled-128x32-mini-oled-for-raspberry-pi.md) - [Adafruit I2S Audio Bonnet for Raspberry Pi ](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-i2s-audio-bonnet-for-raspberry-pi.md) - [Adjustable Breadboard Power Supply Kit](https://learn.adafruit.com/adjustable-breadboard-power-supply-kit.md) - [Adafruit BNO055 + BMP280 BFF](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-bno055-bmp280-bff.md) - [Adafruit USB Type C Power Delivery Switchable Breakout](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-usb-type-c-power-delivery-switchable-breakout.md) - [CircuitPython Turbo: Go Blinka!](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-turbo.md) - [MEMENTO Wireless Remote with TouchOSC](https://learn.adafruit.com/memento-wireless-remote.md) - [Adafruit Swirly Aluminum Mounting Grid for 0.1" Spaced PCBs](https://learn.adafruit.com/swirly-grid.md)