Joystick Autofire Support for linux

HI!

For linux I made the kernel patch that adds autofire support for old mechanic joysticks that don't have it. The linux personna in charge doesn't want this functionality in kernel because he thinks it belongs to the application but I don't think so because I know there exist some joysticks with autofire hardware TTL circuits built in.

Please forward this patch to some xmame related site so people can use it.. it is for 2.4 and 2.6 kernels.

Best regards, and Happy New Year
Emard

drivers/char/joystick/db9.c renamed from drivers/char/joystick/db9.c.orig +13 -9

@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@
 
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Vojtech Pavlik <[email protected]>");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
-MODULE_PARM(db9, "2i");
-MODULE_PARM(db9_2, "2i");
-MODULE_PARM(db9_3, "2i");
+MODULE_PARM(db9, "2-3i");
+MODULE_PARM(db9_2, "2-3i");
+MODULE_PARM(db9_3, "2-3i");
 
 #define DB9_MULTI_STICK		0x01
 #define DB9_MULTI2_STICK	0x02

@@ -77,15 +77,16 @@ MODULE_PARM(db9_3, "2i");
 #define DB9_GENESIS6_DELAY	14
 #define DB9_REFRESH_TIME	HZ/100
 
-static int db9[] __initdata = { -1, 0 };
-static int db9_2[] __initdata = { -1, 0 };
-static int db9_3[] __initdata = { -1, 0 };
+static int db9[] __initdata = { -1, 0, 0 };
+static int db9_2[] __initdata = { -1, 0, 0 };
+static int db9_3[] __initdata = { -1, 0, 0 };
 
 struct db9 {
 	struct input_dev dev[2];
 	struct timer_list timer;
 	struct pardevice *pd;	
 	int mode;
+	unsigned int autofire, autofire_hammer;
 	int used;
 };
 

@@ -108,6 +109,7 @@ static void db9_timer(unsigned long priv
 	struct parport *port = db9->pd->port;
 	struct input_dev *dev = db9->dev;
 	int data, i;
+	unsigned int autofire = (db9->autofire_hammer ^= db9->autofire);
 
 	switch(db9->mode) {
 		case DB9_MULTI_0802_2:

@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ static void db9_timer(unsigned long priv
 		case DB9_MULTI_STICK:
 
 			data = parport_read_data(port);
-
+			data |= autofire;
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_X, (data & DB9_RIGHT ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_LEFT ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_Y, (data & DB9_DOWN  ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_UP   ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_key(dev, BTN_TRIGGER, ~data & DB9_FIRE1);

@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ static void db9_timer(unsigned long priv
 		case DB9_MULTI2_STICK:
 
 			data = parport_read_data(port);
-
+			data |= autofire;
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_X, (data & DB9_RIGHT ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_LEFT ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_Y, (data & DB9_DOWN  ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_UP   ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_key(dev, BTN_TRIGGER, ~data & DB9_FIRE1);

@@ -306,7 +308,7 @@ static struct db9 __init *db9_probe(int 
 	if (config[0] < 0)
 		return NULL;
 	if (config[1] < 1 || config[1] >= DB9_MAX_PAD || !db9_buttons[config[1]]) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "db9.c: bad config\n");
+		printk(KERN_ERR "db9.c: bad config %d,%d,%d\n", config[0], config[1], config[2]);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 

@@ -328,6 +330,8 @@ static struct db9 __init *db9_probe(int 
 	memset(db9, 0, sizeof(struct db9));
 
 	db9->mode = config[1];
+	db9->autofire = config[2];
+	db9->autofire_hammer = 0;
 	init_timer(&db9->timer);
 	db9->timer.data = (long) db9;
 	db9->timer.function = db9_timer;

drivers/input/joystick/db9.c renamed from drivers/input/joystick/db9.c.orig +13 -9

@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ MODULE_AUTHOR("Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@u
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Atari, Amstrad, Commodore, Amiga, Sega, etc. joystick driver");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
 
-MODULE_PARM(db9, "2i");
-MODULE_PARM(db9_2, "2i");
-MODULE_PARM(db9_3, "2i");
+MODULE_PARM(db9, "2-3i");
+MODULE_PARM(db9_2, "2-3i");
+MODULE_PARM(db9_3, "2-3i");
 
 #define DB9_MULTI_STICK		0x01
 #define DB9_MULTI2_STICK	0x02

@@ -76,15 +76,16 @@ MODULE_PARM(db9_3, "2i");
 #define DB9_GENESIS6_DELAY	14
 #define DB9_REFRESH_TIME	HZ/100
 
-static int db9[] __initdata = { -1, 0 };
-static int db9_2[] __initdata = { -1, 0 };
-static int db9_3[] __initdata = { -1, 0 };
+static int db9[] __initdata = { -1, 0, 0 };
+static int db9_2[] __initdata = { -1, 0, 0 };
+static int db9_3[] __initdata = { -1, 0, 0 };
 
 struct db9 {
 	struct input_dev dev[DB9_MAX_DEVICES];
 	struct timer_list timer;
 	struct pardevice *pd;	
 	int mode;
+	unsigned int autofire, autofire_hammer;
 	int used;
 	char phys[2][32];
 };

@@ -343,6 +344,7 @@ static void db9_timer(unsigned long priv
 	struct parport *port = db9->pd->port;
 	struct input_dev *dev = db9->dev;
 	int data, i;
+	unsigned int autofire = (db9->autofire_hammer ^= db9->autofire);
 
 	switch(db9->mode) {
 		case DB9_MULTI_0802_2:

@@ -365,7 +367,7 @@ static void db9_timer(unsigned long priv
 		case DB9_MULTI_STICK:
 
 			data = parport_read_data(port);
-
+			data |= autofire;
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_X, (data & DB9_RIGHT ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_LEFT ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_Y, (data & DB9_DOWN  ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_UP   ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_key(dev, BTN_TRIGGER, ~data & DB9_FIRE1);

@@ -374,7 +376,7 @@ static void db9_timer(unsigned long priv
 		case DB9_MULTI2_STICK:
 
 			data = parport_read_data(port);
-
+			data |= autofire;
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_X, (data & DB9_RIGHT ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_LEFT ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_abs(dev, ABS_Y, (data & DB9_DOWN  ? 0 : 1) - (data & DB9_UP   ? 0 : 1));
 			input_report_key(dev, BTN_TRIGGER, ~data & DB9_FIRE1);

@@ -527,7 +529,7 @@ static struct db9 __init *db9_probe(int 
 	if (config[0] < 0)
 		return NULL;
 	if (config[1] < 1 || config[1] >= DB9_MAX_PAD || !db9_buttons[config[1]]) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "db9.c: bad config\n");
+		printk(KERN_ERR "db9.c: bad config %d,%d,%d\n", config[0], config[1], config[2]);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 

@@ -551,6 +553,8 @@ static struct db9 __init *db9_probe(int 
 	memset(db9, 0, sizeof(struct db9));
 
 	db9->mode = config[1];
+	db9->autofire = config[2];
+	db9->autofire_hammer = 0;
 	init_timer(&db9->timer);
 	db9->timer.data = (long) db9;
 	db9->timer.function = db9_timer;

joystick-parport.txt renamed from joystick-parport.txt.orig +33 -3

@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ ports.
   Apart from making an interface, there is nothing difficult on using the
 db9.c driver. It uses the following kernel/module command line:
 
-	db9=port,type
+	db9=port,type[,autofire]
 
   Where 'port' is the number of the parport interface (eg. 0 for parport0).
 

@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ db9.c driver. It uses the following kern
 your parallel port is recent enough, you should have no trouble with this.
 Old parallel ports may not have this feature.
 
-  'Type' is the type of joystick or pad attached:
+  'type' is the type of joystick or pad attached:
 
 	Type | Joystick/Pad
 	--------------------

@@ -491,6 +491,37 @@ Old parallel ports may not have this fea
   Should you want to use more than one of these joysticks/pads at once, you
 can use db9_2 and db9_3 as additional command line parameters for two
 more joysticks/pads.
+
+  'autofire' is bitmask of the controls for which you want to enable
+autofire. This means when e.g. Button 1 is pressed and the autofire 
+control bit is set (nonzero) for this button, then it will keep sending 
+rapid button press and release events until the Button 1 is released.
+
+	Autofire | Control
+	------------------
+	   0     | None
+	   1     | Up
+	   2     | Down
+	   4     | Left
+	   8     | Right
+	  16     | Button 1
+	  32	 | Button 2
+	  64	 | Button 3
+	 128     | Button 4
+
+Caveat: autofire option takes effect only for multisystem joyticks 
+of types 1 and 2. However it is easy to add support for other types 
+as well. If you do own such joysticks, support it, test it and send 
+the patch.
+
+Usage example:
+
+On parport0 (port=0) is connected Commodore 64 joystick 
+(type=1, Multisystem 1-button joystick). 
+Let autofire be enabled for the 'Button 1' (Control=16) 
+and 'Up' (Control=1), (autofire = 16+1 = 17)
+
+modprobe db9 db9=0,1,17
 
 3.3 turbografx.c
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
----- End forwarded message -----

I'm not the mantainer of XMame since 1999; anyway, i'll try to forward your mail to xmame and l-kernel lists

A few comments on your code an a humble opinion. Note that I'm a kernel "observer" not "programmer" :-)

- Joystick api is too simple: just a syscall to read events and an ioctl's to set device. It's responsability of the user to make polling ant take note on extra features. There are lot of devices in Linux kernel that follow this approach

- DB9 joysticks are really old. If you really want to implement autofire, perhaps a better approach is to make it a generic
option, not exclusive to db9 joysticks... A doubt: are there similar features in HID devices ? (keypads, mouse buttons...)

- Some middleware already implements autofire features. No real need of doing it at kernel level. In fact, i remember some games that takes care on it... my very (very) early versions on Xmame, for instance... :-)