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Installation & Flashing Guide

How to update firmware on your Joypad adapter.

Pre-Built Hardware

The easiest way to get started without DIY. Upcoming dev kits: - USB2USB — USB controller passthrough adapter - BT2USB — Bluetooth-to-USB controller adapter

Visit joypad.ai/products for current availability.

Legacy Controller Adapter Hardware

The following Controller Adapter products are fully compatible with joypad-os firmware: - USB-2-PCE — PCEngine/TurboGrafx-16 - GC USB — GameCube/Wii - NUON USB — Nuon DVD Players - USB-2-3DO — 3DO Interactive Multiplayer

These legacy devices can be flashed with the latest joypad-os firmware using the instructions below.

Downloading Firmware

  1. Go to GitHub Releases
  2. Download the latest .uf2 file for your product:
  3. joypad_<commit>_usb2pce_kb2040.uf2 - PCEngine adapter
  4. joypad_<commit>_usb2gc_kb2040.uf2 - GameCube adapter
  5. joypad_<commit>_usb2nuon_kb2040.uf2 - Nuon adapter
  6. joypad_<commit>_usb23do_rp2040zero.uf2 - 3DO adapter
  7. joypad_<commit>_usb2loopy_kb2040.uf2 - Casio Loopy adapter (experimental)

Flashing Instructions

Standard Method (Most Adapters)

Works for: USB-2-PCE, NUON USB, USB-2-3DO, USB-2-Loopy

  1. Prepare adapter
  2. Disconnect adapter from console

  3. Disconnect all USB devices from adapter

  4. Enter bootloader mode

  5. Hold BOOT button on adapter
  6. While holding BOOT, connect USB-C cable to computer
  7. Release BOOT button

  8. A drive named RPI-RP2 should appear

  9. Flash firmware

  10. Drag and drop the .uf2 file onto the RPI-RP2 drive
  11. Wait for file to copy (usually instant)

  12. Drive will automatically eject

  13. Verify

  14. Adapter LED should light up
  15. Reconnect to console
  16. Connect USB controller and test

GC USB (No BOOT Button Method)

The GC USB adapter automatically enters bootloader mode when powered on without a GameCube console connected.

  1. Prepare adapter
  2. Disconnect adapter from GameCube console

  3. Disconnect all USB devices from adapter

  4. Enter bootloader mode

  5. Connect USB-C cable to computer (no button press needed)

  6. A drive named RPI-RP2 should appear

  7. Flash firmware

  8. Drag and drop .uf2 onto the RPI-RP2 drive
  9. Wait for file to copy

  10. Drive will automatically eject

  11. Verify

  12. Adapter LED should light up
  13. Reconnect to GameCube
  14. Connect USB controller and test

Troubleshooting

RPI-RP2 Drive Doesn't Appear

On Windows: - Check Device Manager for "RP2 Boot" device - Try a different USB port - Try a different USB cable - Restart computer

On macOS: - Check Disk Utility for unmounted drive - Try a different USB port - Try a different USB cable (must be data cable, not charge-only)

On Linux: - Run lsusb to check for "Raspberry Pi RP2 Boot" - Check dmesg for mount errors - May need to mount manually: sudo mount /dev/sdX /mnt

BOOT Button Not Working

  • Make sure you're holding BOOT before connecting USB
  • Hold BOOT for full 3 seconds while connecting
  • Try different USB cable
  • Check if BOOT button is physically functional

Firmware Flash Fails

  • Check that .uf2 file isn't corrupted (re-download)
  • Ensure enough disk space (firmware is ~500KB)
  • Don't rename the .uf2 file
  • Try copying via command line instead of drag-drop

Adapter Not Working After Flash

  • Verify you flashed the correct firmware for your product
  • Try reflashing firmware
  • Check all cable connections to console
  • Test with known-good USB controller
  • Check adapter LED status

LED Status Indicators

During normal operation: - Solid Green - No controllers connected - Solid Blue - 1 controller connected - Purple - 2 controllers connected - Red - 3+ controllers connected

During profile change: - Yellow flash - Profile changed - Controller will also rumble if supported

Bootloader mode: - No LED (RPI-RP2 drive appears on computer)

Profile Switching

Several adapters support switchable button mapping profiles:

GameCube (USB2GC)

  • Hold Select for 2 seconds
  • Then press D-Pad Up/Down to cycle profiles
  • Profiles: Default, SNES, SSBM, MKWii, Fighting
  • See GameCube docs for details

3DO (USB23DO)

  • Hold Select for 2 seconds
  • Then press D-Pad Up/Down to cycle profiles
  • Profiles: Default, Fighting, Shooter
  • See 3DO docs for details

Nuon (USB2Nuon)

  • In-Game Reset (IGR): Hold L1+R1+Start+Select
  • Tap: Stop button (return to menu)
  • Hold 2 seconds: Power button (power off player)
  • See Nuon docs for details

Verifying Firmware Version

After flashing, you can verify the firmware version:

  1. Connect adapter to console
  2. Check serial output via UART (developers only)
  3. Or test functionality with your specific console

Console-specific features will match the version in the release notes.

Downgrading Firmware

You can flash any previous firmware version:

  1. Download older .uf2 from Releases
  2. Follow same flashing procedure
  3. No need to erase current firmware first

Factory Reset

To reset adapter to default settings:

  1. Flash the latest firmware (this resets all settings)
  2. Or manually clear flash memory (developers only - requires recompile)

Note: Adapters with profiles store profile selection in flash. Reflashing firmware does not erase saved profile (by design). To reset profile to default, switch to profile 0 (Up on D-Pad during profile change).

Getting Help