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 joystick having a casing, a pair of gimbal plates mounted in the casing each slidable orthogonally with respect to the other and a pair of transducers, a control member of each coupled to a corresponding gimbal plate. A handle is coupled to the casing having a gimbal actuating sphere engaging each of the gimbal plates with the handle being universally pivotal throughout a portion of a spherical arc whose center lies intermediate the actuating sphere and an opposite end of the handle. Movement of the handle results in corresponding movement of the gimbal plates by an amount proportional to the component of displacement of the handle along the direction of movement of each of the gimbal plates. Each gimbal plate is biased so that it is urged towards a neutral position in the event of displacement on either side of the neutral position. External contacts are coupled to the transducers to allow the joystick to the electrically coupled to an external electrical line.