Abstract: Communication with a computer through a gameport is provided in a fashion which provides an increased information bandwidth, e.g. for coupling three or more joysticks or other peripheral devices and/or a total of five or more buttons. In one embodiment, information from joysticks or other peripheral devices is provided to the synchronous serial digitized form over the 4 button lines. X-A and Y-A lines of the gameport are used for providing, to the external devices, timing information from which load and clock signals are generated to control output of information from the peripheral devices to complete.

Abstract: Communication with a computer through a gameport is provided in a fashion which provides an increased information bandwidth, e.g. for coupling three or more joysticks or other peripheral devices and/or a total of five or more buttons. In one embodiment, information from joysticks or other peripheral devices is provided to the synchronous serial digitized form over the 4 button lines. X-A and Y-A lines of the gameport are used for providing, to the external devices, timing information from which load and clock signals are generated to control output of information from the peripheral devices to complete.

Abstract: A switch joystick including a lever, a switch coupled to the lever and operative in response to deflection of the lever by a selectable amount from a neutral position along a predetermined coordinate axis, and means for adjusting the amount of deflection necessary to operate the switch.

Abstract: An optical encoder having a concentric cylindrically disposed reticle and moving unit with each having alternating transparent and opaque regions. A light emitter is located in each of two windows on one side of the recticle and moving unit while a light sensor is located on the other. The spacing of transparent and opaque regions in the reticle relative to that in the moving unit is such that when the transparent regions in one window are aligned those in the other unit are sufficiently non-aligned to produce quadrature and enable detection of both motion and direction of motion.