Do we know TB Montego J-Stick Port is Digital?

I purchased a Montego A3D Xstream last week, but I haven't had a chance to install it yet. The box says nothing about the joystick port being digital. It says it's "Speed Compensated". The "Getting Started" guide makes no mention of the joystick port being digital either. I saw no reference to a digital joystick port on the Turtle Beach home page either. Combatsim states that it is a digital port. I didn't see it reviewed in PCME, but I might have missed it. There is also some confusion about the ability to turn off this port. I'm thinking of going with the PDPI some time. Thanks Larry

< Snip > < Snip > OOPS, I saw the reference to a digital port in the TB home page. Does anybody know how this technology compares to PDPI's? Is there any technical info, for programmers, available for either device? Thanks Larry

It is digital. I can tell because it clearly dampens rapid changes in joystick input, presumably to eliminate jitter and provide more solid centering. I'm happy with the performance of this gameport so far. Why would you want to do that? -- Rob

You cannot turn off this port, so make sure you can turn off any existing ports. Mike

I'm not a hardware expert by any means, but I think it can function as either. You get a choice of "Standard Gameport" and "TBS Montego Gameport Interface" when configuring your controller. The controller behaves quite differently depending on which one you choose. Of course, there's absolutely no mention of this anywhere in the documentation so I could just be crazy... -- Brian

< Snip > Oh, I don't know, I just want to know my options. Mike King doesn't believe this is one of them. The Combatsim report by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson referred to the L4 as "the absolute best" Thanks guys. Larry

On Mon, 20 Jul 1998 16:06:28 -0700, Laurence Lindstrom > The Combatsim report by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson referred >to the L4 as "the absolute best" And for $100.00 US it had better be. :-) -- Nos Delete REMOVE from address to reply via email http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/2671/index.html

>>I purchased a Montego A3D Xstream last week, but I haven't >>had a chance to install it yet. >> The box says nothing about the joystick port being digital. [snip] >It is digital. I can tell because it clearly dampens rapid changes in >joystick input, presumably to eliminate jitter and provide more solid >centering. I'm happy with the performance of this gameport so far. Are you certain that *any* soundcard joystick port has a specifically 'digital' mode of operation? The first digital joysticks appeared before there was any suggestion of digital ports. As I understand it the standard 'joystick' port on a sound card has two uses. First as an analogue joystick input that enables 4 analogue channels and 4 buttons. It's other mode is to act as a 'midi' port and I had an understanding that that mode is exploited by the 'digital' joysticks. If I am wrong (quite possible :-)) then a third mode has been introduced as the two basic ones must continue to be supported. -- -------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------

>I'm not a hardware expert by any means, but I think it can function as >either. You get a choice of "Standard Gameport" and "TBS Montego >Gameport Interface" when configuring your controller. The controller >behaves quite differently depending on which one you choose. Yep, in my case I can use my analog TopGun Stick with the FCS Driver just fine, but if I choose to use the TBS Montego Gameport Interface, it causes my hat switch to lock up in one direction and also causes drift. Is that port for digital sticks only?? Yep, and TBS wont even answer my email with even an automated response, sheesh! Oh well, still a nice sound card though.

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> On Mon, 20 Jul 1998 16:06:28 -0700, Laurence Lindstrom > > The Combatsim report by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson referred > >to the L4 as "the absolute best" > And for $100.00 US it had better be. :-)

And it is. I was completely amazed at how good the PDPI gameport is. Only one minor problem... it's incompatible with Nascar2 in its Digital mode. Trips

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>>I'm not a hardware expert by any means, but I think it can function as >>either. You get a choice of "Standard Gameport" and "TBS Montego >>Gameport Interface" when configuring your controller. The controller >>behaves quite differently depending on which one you choose. >Yep, in my case I can use my analog TopGun Stick with the FCS Driver just >fine, but if I choose to use the TBS Montego Gameport Interface, it causes >my hat switch to lock up in one direction and also causes drift. Is that >port for digital sticks only??

No, it works great with my analog Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, and pedals. My stick does not use the Thrustmaster hat implementation, though. -- Rob

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>> On Mon, 20 Jul 1998 16:06:28 -0700, Laurence Lindstrom >> > The Combatsim report by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson referred >> >to the L4 as "the absolute best" >> And for $100.00 US it had better be. :-) >And it is. I was completely amazed at how good the PDPI gameport is. >Only one minor problem... it's incompatible with Nascar2 in its Digital >mode. >Trips

Same with CH gear when the stick makes a call to a proprietary .vxd instead of vjoy.vxd (like the CH Combat stick, ForceFx, etc.) Turns the acclerated port back into analog. Defeats the purpose... Mike from PDPI said if they can't get CH to work with them on this, they might have to come up with their own CH drivers... Gordon Berg "Please pass the ketchup, http://www.cris.com/~grognard - Daffy Duck Have you had your therapy today? -> http://www.gamepen.com/therapy/pc.flight-sim

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>>>I purchased a Montego A3D Xstream last week, but I haven't >>>had a chance to install it yet. >>> The box says nothing about the joystick port being digital. >[snip] >>It is digital. I can tell because it clearly dampens rapid changes in >>joystick input, presumably to eliminate jitter and provide more solid >>centering. I'm happy with the performance of this gameport so far. >Are you certain that *any* soundcard joystick port has a specifically >'digital' mode of operation?

No, I am not certain of this. On the contrary, I know for a fact that many soundcard gameports are _not_ digital. Where did you get the impression that I was implying otherwise? You are confusing two unrelated concepts. Digital joysticks send digital information modulated onto an analog signal that is compatible with old-style analog gameports. The newer digital gameports are not really "digital," they simply offload the polling work from the CPU for normal analog joysticks. Some people have had problems using digital joysticks with "digital" gameports. No, there are still just two modes. My Turtle Beach Montego can be set up as a normal run-of-the-mill "analog" gameport or as a "digital" gameport under Control Panel->Game Controllers->Advanced. When set up in "analog" mode, it's just like the gameport on the original Soundblaster--it can be used as a joystick connector or for MIDI. -- Rob