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how is the first cd-i controller (with 4 buttons) different from the latter one (3 buttons)...?

Did the first have two button 1's?

Why did they change it? Is it because the newer one was cheaper to produce?

Peculiar isn't it. I would suggest some boffin had the bright idea that the configuration of a four button controller could also double for two player action as it did in Micro Machines!!

how are the buttons defined? there are still just two action buttons, right?

There are still only two "logical" action buttons, yes. One of the "physical" buttons will act as if both "logical" buttons to be pressed, the remaining one is a duplicate.

The buttons should be appropriately marked with one or two dots; I have this controller at home.

Terratron will publish an article about the 'Pointing Device' and how to manipulate it for other devices. Very interesting. This made me re-think this topic. As you know, as I asked, the gamepad only has two action buttons (plus the third one which is a combination of button 1+2, so no real button)

However, look at the connection port:



that's eight connection points! 4 for the 4-way button, and 2 action buttons....

Are the other two only being used for the modem or something?

CD-i pointing devices use only pins 2, 5, 7 and 8; see the pointing devices information on ICDIA here for more technical information.

The pointing device protocol is serial, at 1200 or 9600 baud. The pointing device ca transmit an "id" byte to identify itself. Several device types are defined: relative and absolute coordinate devices, keyboard, modem.

However, all CD-i players have at least one "full-blown" serial port capable of normal RS232 serial communication; you can really connect anything to this port and communicate with it using custom CD-i software. Several companies used this to control custom hardware.

the full article is online here at Le Monde. Unfortunately, you need, again, to log-in, which i don't like, it makes it not accessible to just everyone. I hope they'll notice in the future it's better for them to release that damned log-in for everything. It'll increase the amount of visitors a lot...

Nonetheless, this is interesting! Well, the serial port was known for other hardware to be connected with, but the fact about how to manipulate the firmware, that's interesting.

Is this the same thing as how newer cd-i discs make use of newer driver versions and load it into memory before an application is loaded? Or can you permanently update the firmware (BIOS) of the cd-i player? (these are the same right?)

I'm trying to get the hang of it a little....

Great work Terratron! Can you defend your comment about to connect it to internet again? I think the cd-i player would be way too slow for that. Other than that, the browser is missing a lot of software to view the web acceptable. Your two cents?

The serial port has nothing to do with driver updates; that is an entirely separate mechanism.

What I failed to mention was that direct serial port access is already supported by the CD-i BIOS; there is no need to reprogram anything.

I've added a comment to the article at TWOC (LMCD?) explaining this.

I'm sorry I'm not an expert on any hardware related issues

So there is no need to reprogram the CD-i BIOS; direct access to the serial port is fully specified by the Green Book and supported by nearly all CD-i Players... Well, we'll see how it develops.

We need more people like you, cdifan!

Bas wrote:We need more people like you, cdifan!

Nah, he can handle it by himself

Some company from former CD-i developers would be nice, of course, but I suspect that most of them are still having nightmares from the machine or have "therapeutically" forgotten it ever exists.

Personally, I am quite fond of the machine, though; can you tell?

cdifan wrote:Personally, I am quite fond of the machine, though; can you tell?

lol only just, isnt too noticable though lol.

Apparently we're in a visitor tug-of-war. Terratron, when I ask something here i don't expect you to answer on another forum

"On the CDInteractive forum Bas wrote: Can you defend your comment about to connect it to internet again? I think the cd-i player would be way too slow for that. Other than that, the browser is missing a lot of software to view the web acceptable...

As it's been posted on Le Monde, please continue there (only without me)

cdifan wrote:Personally, I am quite fond of the machine, though; can you tell?

No, i'm not convinced until I see Digital Video Support... well either that or direct keyboard control whichever comes first