BTW, it would be really nice if everyone here that has an Arkanoid paddle to check and post here the range of your devices using Danjovic's TESTVAUS.BIN from this page, so we can have more information to delimit the safe range. It seems that there are some variation in the range that these devices produce.
To test the range, turn the knob to the far left, then stop touching the paddle and take note of the value. Repeat for the far right position. Don't force the knob, otherwise the min/max values will be distorted.
This info will help both hardware and software developers. When posting please mention the type of paddle and its range. For example, these are the results for the two devices I have here:
- MSX/Red case: 107 to 386
- MSX/Red case: 108 to 425
So, nobody is interested on testing their Arkanoid paddles? It's a bit hard to add support for this device on games if a programmer can't be sure of their safe range. This also affects the openMSX emulation of this paddle, since currently its emulated range seems to be much more limited than the real device.
I will take care of this task on Sunday, because according to a law of nature it is not possible for my MSX items and my girlfriend to be together in one place. Presumably the space-time continuity would play a trick on them.
according to a law of nature it is not possible for my MSX items and my girlfriend to be together in one place. Presumably the space-time continuity would play a trick on them.
.... It's a bit hard to add support for this device on games if a programmer can't be sure of their safe range....
Though not so many values have been reported I think that is reasonable to assume that the nominal range for vaus paddle begins at 128 and ends at 383 (256 steps).
@hamlet
thank you too for testing! Yours is the first black paddle here, and it brought some interesting findings.
@Danjovic
I'm inclined for that approach, but hamlet's black paddle raised an issue here: it doesn't even covers a whole 256 steps range, and "to add insult to injury" it starts with a lower value than the red paddles.
Will that be the case of all black paddles, or maybe just one that needs some maintenance?
