Kempston joystick interface
[Placeholder intro — describe the project in your own words.] The Kempston interface is the classic way to add a proper joystick to a Spectrum, mapped to port 31 and supported by almost every game ever released. This build uses a freshly manufactured PCB from PCBWay and a handful of cheap, easy-to-find components.
Build notes
[Placeholder — gotchas found during the build, soldering order, testing procedure, which games to test with (anything with Kempston support — so nearly everything).]
Build video
Build video coming soon
Component list
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| Component | Qty | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interface PCB | 1 | Custom board — order from the shared project page | PCBWay |
| 74LS244 octal buffer (DIP-20) | 1 | Reads the joystick lines onto the data bus | Buy |
| 74LS138 3-to-8 decoder (DIP-16) | 1 | Port 31 address decoding | Buy |
| DIP IC sockets (16 + 20 pin) | 2 | Optional but recommended — never solder vintage-style logic directly | Buy |
| DB9 male connector, PCB mount | 1 | Atari-standard joystick port | Buy |
| 2×28-way 0.1″ card edge connector | 1 | Spectrum expansion bus — check the keyway position | Buy |
| 100nF ceramic capacitors | 2 | Decoupling, one per IC | Buy |