I have for some time been tantalized by the possibility of using the joystick (not MIDI) port for capturing data.
When I look at sites like: http://www.epanorama.net/documents/joystick/pc_circuits.html#fake
I see that there are 4 pots connectable from pin 1 to 3, 6, 11, and 13 of 100K.
It seems to me that one could connect a shunted LDR from 1 to each of those other pins to capture data representing something like 10K to 100K.
I am aware this is considered crude and unworthy by many suggesting it is unreliable and or slow.
The data will be collected at no faster than once a minute and across 90K if it is off a little here and there by a few % I think this might be a viable procedure.
Can anyone who has experimented with this clue me in as to the variability in reading (%) and is this even possible??
I will need to get a recycled joystick/MIDI card to do this so does anyone have a reason for particular preferences??

 

I think it's possible, but you will have lots of noise in the reading, as the ADC of a joystick port works by testing the discharge time of a capacitor, and is not accurate. Never throws the same result twice.

 

I have been using a game port (joystick port) for a 4 channel logger for years.-- works great. ---google "thermometer plus"

pilko

 

He actually say "not MIDI" meaning not a gameport.

So are you using an USB joystick, and why do you post images of a MIDI connector?

 

Back in the old days (up to not so long ago), the MIDI connector and joystick connector shared the same connector on audio boards, a D-type 15 pin connector. That's the only connector that should be called joystick connector, as USB is not a dedicated joystick connector.