Specifications

converter 1.5

2000 - 2005 urr Sound Technologies Inc.
16
Some of the literally hundreds of cards which should also work (since they are supposed to either be
100% hardware or “register-level” compatible with the SoundBlaster Pro standard, or have some sort
of driver which provides the necessary compatibility) are:
•
OPTi MAD16 Pro
•
VIA AC-97 Sound
•
Acer Magic
•
Atlantis CS4232
•
AVM Apex
•
S3 Sonic Vibes
•
Vortex AU8810, Vortex AU8820 AC’97
•
Sound Galaxy Pro
•
Dream 32GM
•
Terratec 128i PCI
•
Media Vision Jazz16
Standard Analog Gameport Interface
DEVELOPMENT INTERFACES: GAMEPORT ON GRAVIS ULTRASOUND, SOUNDBLASTER AWE-64, AWE-32, etc.
The gameport interface that converter supports is the original IBM-spec standard analog gameport,
which was originally available as an add-on card, and eventually became a standard component of
soundcards as they started being manufactured. Therefore, if you have a Gravis Ultrasound,
SoundBlaster 16 or compatible, or SoundBlaster Pro or compatible soundcard, you also have a
standard analog joystick port. Newer types of gameport interfaces, such as advanced force-feedback
digital interfaces, are not supported - however these newer advanced types are much less common,
and certainly not found on legacy soundcards.
Standard Microsoft or Logitech-compatible Mouse
DEVELOPMENT INTERFACES: SERIAL-PORT CIRQUE GLIDEPOINT TRACKPAD, LOGITECH PS/2 WHEEL MOUSE,
LOGITECH PS/2 OPTICAL WHEEL MOUSE, GENERIC SERIAL MOUSE
Any mouse or pointing device which is supported by an appropriate DOS mouse driver is supported by
converter, as it interfaces with the DOS driver that either came with the device or is downloadable from
the manufacturer’s website. Since most manufacturers completely adhere to the Microsoft/Logitech
mouse interface standard, most devices should work automatically – basically any sort of pointing
device that can be plugged into a PS/2 or serial port should work.
Make sure that you load the mouse device’s driver each time you boot into DOS in order for converter
to detect the mouse – a good idea is to place the command to run the driver (ie.
mouse
) in your
autoexec.bat
file, so the driver is automatically loaded each time DOS is booted. DOS mouse
drivers are relatively easy to find on the Internet – there’s always www.logitech.com.
Laptop Support
As many older laptops were manufactured with built-in sound support on their motherboard, usually
with SoundBlaster Pro compatibility and perhaps better, many older original Pentium-level laptops can
theoretically
theoreticallytheoretically
theoretically run converter, providing a portable tool which can be used in live performance without
having to lug a delicate monitor or large computer around. The main thing to be aware of: the laptop
the laptop the laptop
the laptop
wi
wiwi
will need to have either the standard 15
ll need to have either the standard 15ll need to have either the standard 15
ll need to have either the standard 15-
--
-pin joystick/midi breakout connector on its back panel
pin joystick/midi breakout connector on its back panel pin joystick/midi breakout connector on its back panel
pin joystick/midi breakout connector on its back panel
(apparently more common on older higher
(apparently more common on older higher(apparently more common on older higher
(apparently more common on older higher-
--
-end laptops), or some sort of connector (such as on the IBM
end laptops), or some sort of connector (such as on the IBM end laptops), or some sort of connector (such as on the IBM
end laptops), or some sort of connector (such as on the IBM
Thinkpad series) which accepts an adapter cable to provide a 1
Thinkpad series) which accepts an adapter cable to provide a 1Thinkpad series) which accepts an adapter cable to provide a 1
Thinkpad series) which accepts an adapter cable to provide a 15
55
5-
--
-pin joystick/midi breakout connector.
pin joystick/midi breakout connector. pin joystick/midi breakout connector.
pin joystick/midi breakout connector.
Sometimes the 15-pin connector is not on the back panel of the laptop itself, but on the docking station
designed for the particular laptop. Note that the ‘SoundBlaster Pro audio input / MPU-401 midi output”