The history of this project

The Multi Console Controller is one of my long-term projects.
I have been working on this project for over a decade now, with a few breaks (due to other projects).
And now I have reached a stage that I can present to the public.

2012

THe Idea

At that time I was already a collector and had many computers and consoles. While repairing a controller I had the idea that it should be possible to develop a controller that could be connected to almost all known computers and consoles. I took my first notes and started gathering information.

2012 – 2016

The way

Since the first idea, I have spent my free time working on the technology of various computers and consoles and started learning more about microcontrollers.

2016

the First prototype

After learning and trying out a few things, I had the first working prototype. I successfully tested it on C16, C64, Amiga 1200, Atari 520, NES, SNES, Master System and Mega Drive.

2016 – 2022

More experiments

After this proof of concept, I did a lot of experiments with different microcontrollers and FPGAs from different manufacturers and was not satisfied with any of the approaches. Sometimes it failed because of the speed, sometimes because of the connectivity and if everything else was right, then because of the price.

2022

Pi Pico

In mid-2022, I took a close look at the Pi Pico’s RP2040 for the first time and quickly realized that it has the potential to meet almost all of my requirements.

2022 – 2025

More experiments

During this time I tried many experiments to achieve my goal by combining a Pi Pico with other microcontrollers. In the end I came to the conclusion that I should settle for a simpler design for the first fully functional version.

January 2025

First PCB

The first design that most likely meets all my requirements. The boards and parts have been ordered from JLCPCB and LCSC and as soon as I have everything, the experiments will continue…