OG Console Setup Guide

Disclaimer

All instructions are provided as information only and we can not be held responsible for any damage that may be caused to yourself or equipment.

Therefore all of this is undertaken at your own risk.

Overview

The Sinden OG Console Adapter is a DIY project that aims to restore lightgun compatibility to original console games and hardware. By combining a Sinden Lightgun with a Raspberry Pi and a small amount of additional hardware, the adapter translates the Sinden's modern camera-based tracking system into the signals expected by classic consoles. This allows original lightgun titles to be played on genuine hardware and modern displays, without requiring modifications to the console or game software.

Currently focused on the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2, you will be able to build an adapter that restores functionality to G-Con45 (AKA GunCon) and G-Con2 (AKA GunCon2) games, with Konami Hyper Blaster (AKA Justifier) currently in the prototype phase.

Introducing revamped "SindenPS" OG console adapter for 2026

Example of a SindenPS G-Con45 dongle. This would be connected to the PS1/PS2 controller port and to the RPi via USB C cable.

Thanks to the efforts of community member th3drk0ne and his unofficial SindenPS project, the OG console adapter has been completely revamped as of 2026. Improvements include:

• Out-of-the-box support for multiple modules off a single adapter (G-Con45, G-Con2, etc.)
• Custom designed Pi hat for G-Con2
• Custom designed PCB and 3D printed dongles for PlayStation 1 lightguns
• General miniaturisation (Arduino Pro Micro for G-Con2 and Arduino Nano Supermini for PlayStation 1)
• G-Con45 jitter issue addressed (no need for Multitap fix)
• No need for donor controller cable/extension lead, and no crimping and multimeter method
• Automatic device mapping (no manual udev rules)
• Automatic detection of G-Con2/G-Con45 mode (based on detection of PlayStation 1 dongle)
• Software installed directly from Github via a script as opposed to a pre-configured SD card image
• ...Which allows for support for multiple RPi models, all the way down to Pi 0 2W for extreme miniaturisation
• True "headless" operation; the log, services and configuration panel are all available via a web page on your local network, with WiFi connection established during installation

Using SindenPS with the older adapter build

SindenPS is backwards compatible with the older hardware install. As such, if you are perfectly happy with your hardware but want to make use of the new software you can do so by simply re-flashing your SD card.

Just head straight to the SindenPS installation guide for the latest installation instructions.

If you have arrived here looking to troubleshoot your legacy Pi software install, take this as your cue to upgrade to SindenPS instead. It handles a lot of the old headaches automatically.

Resources

The SindenPS adapter is thoroughly documented here:

• SindenPS Github homepage
• SindenPS Wiki

These resources should be considered the proper way to install and use the adapter and in the case of any discrepancies, the SindenPS resources should be considered the correct, more up to date documentation. This guide is written as a basic bullet point overview to help newcomers get started.

The Sinden Lightgun Discord has a channel dedicated to the OG console adapter here:

• #og-consoles-help-🎮

Building a SindenPS

Here is a basic general overview for getting started with SindenPS.

Choices, choices, choices

You do not have to include all modules if you don't need them. SindenPS takes a mix and match approach to the modules and handles various configurations automatically; everything from a fully loaded RPi 5 with two player support for both G-Con45 and G-Con2, to a RPi 0 2W with a single G-Con45 dongle plugged into it.

As long as you select a Raspberry Pi model with the capabilities that you need, you need only build and attach the various modules to it that you actually want to use.

A word on G-Con45 vs. G-Con2

Many PS2 games are (and always were) backwards compatible with the G-Con45, meaning you can build an adapter with pretty broad compatibility with just that component. Wikipedia has a compatibility list here. In general if a PS2 game made no use of the additional G-Con2 buttons (e.g. the D-Pad) then it likely supported the G-Con45.

Furthermore the G-Con45 module has proved to be slightly faster and more responsive than G-Con2 based on our testing - probably something to do with the slow USB 1.1 ports of the PS2, as opposed to the directly connected electronics of the controller port.

Suffice to say that building a G-Con45 only adapter is often a perfectly valid strategy - more-so than you may have thought. On the other hand, the G-Con45 dongle mandates some basic soldering, whereas the G-Con2 has a solder-free alternative build.

One or Two players?

As with G-Con45 vs. G-Con2, you need only implement the player two components if you own a second Sinden Lightgun.

Example of a Pi Zero 2 W adapter powered entirely by the console

Minimalist build suggestion

This project supports several Raspberry Pi models, and in general we recommend the official RPi PSU adapters across the board.

However, if you happen to be considering a single-player, G-Con45-only build and have a non-recoil Sinden Lightgun, this opens up the unique possibility of an inline solution with power drawn directly from the console.

This configuration naturally lends itself to the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W due to its relatively low power requirements, and testing has shown that by using a USB Y-cable (2× male) to leverage the combined power available from both front USB ports on a PlayStation 2, enough power can be drawn to run a Pi 0 2W adapter reliably without the need for an external power supply. Combined with very short USB cables/adapters, this results in an extremely clean installation with very little visible wiring, all connected directly to the console.

Using Y-cables like this is totally legitimate, and was a common workaround for using portable hard drives on older PCs with weak USB power. You will probably find that the product page for the cable discusses this use-case.

Of course, this does leave you in the slightly unusual position of occupying both PS2 USB ports while not actually supporting G-Con2 games - its unfortunate that the PS2 only had the two USB ports, leaving the controller port as the only remaining input. Depending on your goals, this may be a perfectly acceptable trade-off, and there is nothing to stop you from switching to an external power supply at a later date.

One small thing to be aware of is that SidenPS startup takes longer than original hardware, and you will definitely land on the calibration screen before the adapter has finished booting. Just be aware that the gun will be unresponsive for a few extra moments while the adapter loads. TIP: The calibration screen typically dismisses itself when the adapter finishes booting. If you have dialled in calibration/offsets, you shouldn't need to calibrate in-game at all.

As PlayStation 2 hardware revisions vary be sure to test your own setup thoroughly before committing to long-term use. Again, you can switch to a different power supply solution at any time.

Shopping List

Sinden Lightgun/s

• Firmware 2.1 or newer is recommended. Update using the official Sinden desktop software

Upscaler

• You need something capable of drawing a white border around your gameplay area

Raspberry Pi

• Compatible Raspberry Pi
• Confirm the capabilities of the various Pi models before committing to a purchase. For example, Pi 0 does not support two players.
• Official RPi PSU (check whether you need the micro USB or USB C version for your RPi model)
• Micro SD Card
• Bundle of 11mm M2.5 brass or nylon standoff with 4mm M2.5 screws
• If you're using a Pi Zero, you'll need a USB hub such as a Waveshare ETH/USB HUB HAT

G-Con45

• Arduino Nano Supermini (do not purchase a version with legs attached - it will be surface mounted)
• SindenPS PS1 PCB
• SindenPS 3D Printable Case (for PS1 Dongle)
• PS2 Male 90 degree Connector (Search AliExpress)
• Rest assured that despite the product name mentioning the PS2, it's 100% PS1 compatible
• (Optional) PCB Audio Connector PJ-320A 4-pin DIP (for pedal)
• USB to USB C cable (ensure it carries data and is not just a "charger" cable)

G-Con45 Player Two

• In the case of G-Con45, player two is a whole additional dongle, so double up everything in the G-Con45 list

G-Con2

• Arduino Pro Micro (consider purchasing a version with legs pre-attached)
• Unfortunately there are some reports of the USB C version of the Pro Micro being more erratic than the micro USB version. Consider purchasing a micro USB edition for more reliable flashing
• SindenPS PS2 Pi Hat PCB
• ...or see solder-free alternative method
• (Optional) PCB Audio Connector PJ-320A 4-pin DIP (for pedal)
• USB to USB C (or Micro) cable (ensure it carries data and is not just a "charger" cable)
• 40 Pin 2.54mm 2x20 GPIO Female Header

G-Con2 Player Two

• You just need an additional Arduino Pro Micro, USB cable and (optionally) PCB audio connector. The SindenPS PS2 Pi Hat already includes a spot for the second Arduino Pro Micro

Assembly Guide

Completed G-Con45 dongle outside of its 3D printed shell.

Assembly is remarkably intuitive once you have all of the components in front of you.

G-Con45 Dongle

• Solder the Arduino Nano Supermini to the PS1 adapter PCB, face up, so that the USB port is pointed to the edge of the PCB
• Solder the audio connector and male PS2 controller connector. Take care to connect the PS2 connector so it's level
• Place inside the 3D printed shell and screw it together
• Test that it seats correctly when plugged in to a console
• Repeat for player two

G-Con2 Pi Hat

• Solder the Arduino Pro Micro(s) to the Pi hat, face up, so that the USB port is pointed to the edge of the PCB
• Solder the audio connectors to the two pedal connections
• Solder the Pi hat to the RPi and use the standoffs where appropriate for support

Solder-free alternative

G-Con2 wiring diagram. This may help you with solder-free installations.

It is possible to recreate the G-Con2 Pi hat with Dupont wiring. It's not as durable or as clean, but it does at least present a solder-free alternative for G-Con2.

Player 1 Arduino

• Pin 6 of Pi GPIO (Ground) to Arduino ground
• Pin 8 of Pi GPIO (GPIO 14) to Arduino RXI (Serial RX)

Player 2 Arduino

• Pin 34 of Pi GPIO (Ground) to Arduino ground
• Pin 32 of Pi GPIO (GPIO 12) to Arduino RXI (Serial RX)

Pedal/s

• Install a momentary switch between ground and D10 on each Arduino

Installing the SindenPS Raspberry Pi software

At this point you are ready to connect your SD card to your PC and install the all-important SindenPS software. See the SindenPS installation guide for the latest instructions.

Cabling

• As a result of following the SindenPS installation guide you should now be looking at a powered on Raspberry Pi that is quietly running SindenPS. But if you haven't done so already, connect your PSU to the power supply port of your Raspberry Pi
• Connect your Sinden lightgun/s to a Pi USB port/s
• Connect USB to USB C cable/s to another Pi USB port for the G-Con45 dongle/s
• Connect USB cable/s to the Arduino Pro Micro(s) for the PlayStation 2. These cables will ultimately connect directly to the PS2s USB ports

You'll notice that the USB cables are oriented differently for PS1 and PS2, conveniently meaning you can spot at a glance which cable is for which system.

SindenPS boots into G-Con45 mode if it detects that a G-Con45 dongle is connected. You can unplug it from the dongle side to switch to G-Con2 mode, meaning there's no need to mess around inside a case long term.

Programming the Arduinos

The Arduinos each need to be flashed with custom firmware to emulate the original lightguns.

G-Con45

The G-Con45 module can be flashed directly from SindenPS.

• With the dongle connected to the RPi via USB, bring up your SindenPS portal via http://sindenps.local
• Navigate to the Services tab and locate the SindenPS G-Con45 Adapter Firmware section
• Select the appropriate PAL (G-Con45) or NTSC (GunCon) firmware
• Make sure the correct device ID is selected/detected and click Flash Firmware
• Allow the process to complete
• Repeat the process for player two

Alternate method (Arduino IDE)

• Download and install Arduino IDE
• Locate the PS1/G-Con45 .hex file and open it in Arduino IDE
• Make sure the Arduino is detected, and then click the "play" button to compile and upload the software to the Arduino (if you have issues, try selecting the legacy bootloader option)

G-Con2

G-Con2 flashing remains a PC-based process for now.

• Connect the PS2 end of the USB cable to your PC
• Download the latest official Sinden Lightgun drivers from the official Sinden webpage and use the official Sinden Windows application (or avrdude) to flash it
• Unplug the Arduino and then repeat for player two (its recommended that you should only have one Arduino connected at a time when flashing)

Drawing a white border

As you will know, Sinden lightguns work by detecting a white border around the gameplay area. Many devices are capable of drawing the border, but some require more manual config than others.

If you have yet to purchase a scaler and are looking for a recommendation based on lightgun support, then the RetroTINK 4K is arguably the safest choice. Other scalers are offering the border as a dedicated toggle, which makes it easier to use, but there have been several occurrences of the feature being removed without notice (e.g. OSSC) as it requires dedicated developer support. The RT4K method on the other hand makes clever use of integral features (see below) and as such we feel that support is less likely to be dropped arbitrarily.

RetroTINK 5x Pro

On supported firmwares, there is a "Lightgun Border" toggle in the "On-Screen Display" menu that you merely need to turn on to see the border. The border should respect the crop setting giving you some element of control over it.

Check firmware compatibility first; unfortunately the feature comes and goes - but the RT5x supports downgrading firmware if necessary.

RetroTINK 4K CE/Pro

An example of how you might setup the white border on a RT4K. The "scaler" settings may be very different on your setup depending on your input vs. output res, but this gives you an idea.

None of the feature differences between the CE and Pro models have any direct effect on lightgun support.

In the Scaling/Crop menu, go to the Masking Colour section, and choose a pure white colour and then set Show to Always. Then use the various crop and scale options to draw a border of an appropriate size.

You may find that this locks you to a stretched 16:9 aspect ratio, or that the left and right sides of the border occupy the entire 4:3 pillarbox blackspace. To counter this you can force 4:3 by selecting a 4:3 modeline (e.g. 2880x2160) in the Output Resolution section, and then make sure your TV's own aspect ratio setting is set to 4:3.

Consider using a fast sync lock method such as frame lock or gen lock to reduce input lag. If your TV supports it, VRR may reduce input lag further still.

Custom modeline suggestions

The RetroTINK 4K ships with a 2880x2160p59.99 custom modeline pre-installed, which is a 4:3 version of 4K and is a perfectly fine choice if it works on your TV.

• 2880, 48, 32, 160, 1, 2160, 3, 4, 62, 0, 59.99, "2880x2160p59.99"

This version is the same thing but at exactly 60hz:

• 2880, 48, 32, 160, 1, 2160, 3, 4, 62, 0, 60, "2880x2160p60"

The community have come up with some custom modelines that may enhance your experience in various circumstances. As with everything in this guide, custom modelines are used entirely at your own risk.

This modeline is a 4:3 version of 1080p60, which is a more popular resolution and as such may have greater compatibility:

• 1440, 8, 32, 80, 1, 1080, 17, 8, 31, 0, 60, "1440x1080p60"

If your TV supports more exotic modelines (LG OLEDs have good support) and 120hz refresh, then give these a try (requires firmware v1.9.9.5+):

• 2880, 176, 88, 560, 1, 1080, 4, 5, 45, 1, 120, "2880x1080p120", 0, 2.0
• 2880, 176, 88, 560, 1, 960, 4, 5, 45, 1, 120, "2880x960p120", 0, 2.4

Try the 1080p version for PAL, and the 960p version for NTSC. These enable a double-wide resolution for high quality CRT effects inside a 4:3 120hz container with an integer scale and with support for BFI. They should let you draw a correctly sized border without losing much if any gameplay area. It's not confirmed, but it stands to reason that the 120hz refresh would reduce input lag.

Can you just provide profiles for this...?

We're keeping this under evaluation but for now the decision has been made not to upload pre-made profiles. Because there are many permutations (e.g. PAL vs. NTSC, 240p vs. 480i) and because it depends on custom modelines, it would be incredibly difficult to provide profiles with broad support.

PixelFX Retro GEM

The border can be enabled and configured in Video > Lightgun Borders. The border does not work in Direct Video mode, so you may have to revert to normal 1080p mode.

SindenPS User Guide

Congratulations on completing your adapter!

You should now be able to access its web front end via http://sindenps.local to dial in calibration, offsets etc. Having an in-game calibration screen open while you iterate on these settings is a good strategy.

Tip: If your phone is connected to the same WiFi network as the adapter you should be able to access the portal via the phone's web browser.

As always see the SindenPS user guide for more information on how to use it direct from the author.

Friendly reminder - th3drk0ne is a community member, volunteer and author of the SindenPS software only, and is not a representative of the Sinden Lightgun company.

Calibration tips

In common with original lightguns, Sinden lightguns usually require calibration. Calibration is designed to set basic gun alignment, correcting small variances in the camera module's physical position inside the gun.

Calibration can either be stored in the gun itself, or it can be manually entered and saved directly in the SindenPS config as X & Y values. Both achieve the same thing, but because we are correcting physical differences inside each gun, it makes more sense to store the variables there, allowing you to use the gun elsewhere and take its calibrations with you, and use multiple guns with their own calibrations on the same adapter.

In-gun calibration

To use calibration in the gun:

• Turn on the "Enable Calibration" and "Auto Save Calibration In Lightgun" settings in SindenPS
• Make sure that no calibration settings are stored in CalibrateX and CalibrateY (i.e. leave them blank)
• To calibrate, bring up an in-game calibration screen and hold the left d-pad button for two seconds
• You will probably see that the cursor freezes in place somewhere on-screen - this is normal
• Shoot the screen dead in the centre to calibrate
• Shoot the screen again to align the in-game calibration with gun calibration
• Test the tracking, and repeat the calibration as necessary

Config calibration

Pixel perfect refinements are arguably easier when manually entering values into the SindenPS config. However, as above, if there is a "correct" way to calibrate it's to do it in the gun, not the config.

To use SindenPS config calibration:

• Bring up an in-game calibration screen while having the SindenPS portal open on your phone
• Manually enter positive or negative values into the CalibrateX and CalibrateY
• (Optional) Turn off the "Enable Calibration" and "Auto Save Calibration In Lightgun" settings in SindenPS
• You don't have to do this. Any calibration data in the gun should be ignored when CalibrateX and CalibrateY have values in them. However this step might give you greater clarity about where the calibration is coming from
• Tap the save button
• Give the adapter time to restart and aim at your screen
• See how the tracking is. Do not pull the trigger. If you need to make further changes, go back into SindenPS and refine the CalibrateX and CalibrateY settings

Offsets and offset ratios

If you're digging around in the configuration pages you will have noticed some offset settings in addition to the calibration settings.

OffsetX and OffsetY are similar to calibration in that they store X and Y values that adjust the aim of the gun by those values. The key difference is that they are applied after and in addition to calibration. This allows you to combine per-gun calibration with a global offset - i.e. to handle deviations in your border or other display oddities.

OffsetXRatio and OffsetYRatio apply a small multiplier to the calibration + offset values to produce the final value. If your gun tracks well but horizontal tracking is exaggerated or understated, you may need to adjust OffsetXRatio.

OffsetX and OffsetY are expressed as percentages - a value of 50 will offset by a static 50% of the screen width/height. OffsetXRatio and OffsetYRatio are expressed as scale factors - a value of 1.33 will scale the position up by a third (e.g. x = x * 1.33).

Using a 16:9 border around a 4:3 game is a prime example of offset utility. Community member Widge kindly posted a detailed explainer on the Sinden Discord.

Always bear in mind that offsets are in theory only necessary to compensate for border irregularities. If you are able to draw a tight border, with the outer edges of the border matching the outer edges of the gameplay (i.e. border will be covering some gameplay), then the gun's factory assumptions will be correct, and no offset will be required - just calibration. If you have good control over your border, then leaving all offsets default and adjusting the border to align the gun (after calibrating) should work just fine.

In-game calibration?

You are probably well aware that lightgun games typically present you with an in-game calibration screen to set up your gun for each session. However when it comes to the Sinden lightgun, this calibration step is superfluous, and at most should be used for minor tweaks (though it has to be said they are great for general testing). As a matter of fact, some PS1 games do not feature a calibration screen at all, so relying too heavily on in-game calibration is not a good idea.

A properly configured lightgun should mean that the in-game calibration can be skipped entirely. Depending on the game you may be able to skip it by pressing one of the buttons, or by not connecting the gun to the console until after the calibration screen would have appeared. All that being said, if your gun calibration and any offset settings are all dialled in and you are confident your gun is set up correctly, then just completing the in-game calibration as normal simply to get past the screen is fine, albeit a little redundant.

Troubleshooting/FAQ

Here is a collection of some of the more common issues and their solutions.

The game behaves as if no controller is connected - I don't see a calibration screen

This means that the console cannot see the Arduino, or it doesn't recognise the Arduino as a lightgun. Retry flashing the Arduino, and double check your soldering.

It's not impossible that your Arduino is faulty from the factory. It does happen, especially with clones.

The calibration screen appears, but nothing happens when I pull the trigger, not even a gunshot sound

The console is detecting the Arduino and recognises it as a light gun, which is great.

When the gun itself is dead like this the problem usually lies in the connection between the Arduino and the RPi. Check your wiring/soldering.

If it's a USB connection bear in mind that many USB cables do not have the data lines connected and are just "charger" cables, and even many fully wired USB cables are poorly made and prone to internal breakages. Always try a different cable before getting bogged down in more complicated solutions. People tend to vastly overestimate the durability of USB cables.

If you're using the solder-free G-Con2 build, triple check that you have connected the Dupont wires to the correct GPIO pins. It's easier than you think to become blind to a mistake here. It also never hurts to try swapping out the wires in case one of them is bad.

As above, re-flashing the Arduino may help - as may replacing it.

If the Arduino-Pi connection seems solid, at this point you should open the log file in the SindenPS portal to try and determine the issue. If you cannot even access the log file then SindenPS may not be running on the RPi for some reason, in which case it may be simplest to restart the SindenPS installation from the beginning.

The issue could also be between the RPi and the gun itself. Double check that the gun is working in general (i.e. on your PC) and remember that firmware version 2.1 or newer is recommended.

The calibration screen appears, I hear a gunshot, but no cursor ever appears

If you are playing in G-Con2 mode you have to hold d-pad down for a few seconds and then pull the trigger to enable the crosshair on the in-game calibration screen. There's more info on G-Con2 calibration here.

Otherwise, this is actually indicating that the gun is completely unable to make out your border at all, which is quite unusual, assuming you have remembered to enable it. Check that your border looks correct, is bright enough, and have a look at your exposure and brightness settings. It might again be worth checking that the gun is working in general (i.e. on your PC).

The calibration screen appears and the gun is responsive, however tracking is very jittery

The gun is struggling to make out your border. Assuming you already have a tight border around your gameplay area go to the SindenPS portal and start experimenting with exposure and brightness settings - they really do make a difference.

Tracking is smooth but gets jittery near the edges

The gun needs to be able to see all four corners of the border at all times, no matter where you are aiming. You may be sitting too close to your TV.

This could also be related to exposure and brightness.

When I aim near a particular edge of the screen, shots are consistently registered as an off-screen miss

This usually implies that the gun calibration is incorrect, and you have used in-game calibration to compensate, rather than calibrating the gun itself. This causes failures at the edges of the screen.

Take a look at the calibration tips section.

The gun tracks correctly and smoothly, however it drifts near the edges

Take a look at the calibration tips section.

Legacy Adapter (Deprecated)

For completeness and to act as an archive, here is the untouched original guide for the previous version of the adapter.

Click "Expand" to view

Warning: This adapter build is no longer supported. If you decide to proceed be advised there are known issues even with a properly built adapter; first and foremost, it is liable to stop working within about 30 minutes of gameplay, requiring a full reboot. In addition note the requirement for a multitap to resolve jittering on the G-Con45 module.

Legacy G-CON45 Setup for PS1 (Archive)

Here is the full tutorial to create the adapter required and the Pi4 image to get your Sinden Lightgun working with a original PS1 or PS2* console (*G-CON45 games only).

The provided image was a collaboration between Titchgamer, Prof_gLX and Harry Dog who created the original BB image.

Setup Guide

Parts List

• Arduino Uno R3
• PS1/2 controller extension leads.
• Raspberry Pi4 (any RAM model)
• OSSC/RetroTINK-5X/PS1 Digital mod to apply the border.
• 2.54mm Dupont crimping kit.
• Multi Meter/Continuity Tester.
• *Optional* Adaptable Box & cable glands to mount the Arduino inside.

Programming the Arduino

Navigate to the Sinden lightgun driver page  and download the latest software revision if you have not already got it installed.

You should have your gun fully setup and tested in the Windows environment before attempting to connect it to a console and be running at least 1.6 firmware.

To flash the Arduino make sure your Sinden Lightguns are NOT connected to the system then plug in the Arduino you wish to flash.

Be aware that flashing the Arduino overwrites its boot loader so it will not be easy to reflash it again at a later date.

Once it's plugged in Windows should detect it as a new device, Load the Sinden software and navigate to the "Firmware Upgrade" Tab.

In the bottom right corner of the window you should see a white box with your arduino listed inside it, if not press refresh and it should appear.

Once done select the "Guncon 45" option (Either PAL or NTSC depending on your setup) and press the "Flash Arduino" button.

DO NOT interrupt the process, just let it finish and once its done you can unplug it from the computer.

Making up the extension lead

Firstly we need to make a extension lead that will plug into our PS1 to act as the controller.

To do this cut the controller side socket off the PS1/2 controller extension so you will have just the plug that plugs into the PS1 and the cable coming from it.

Next you need to strip approximately 75mm of the outer insulation off the end of the cable to expose the wires inside the lead.

You  then need to strip the insulation off each individual wire.

Next we need to identify which wire is connected to which pin of the PS1 extension lead plug.

To do this use your multi meter/continuity tester.

Put one probe on the first pin inside the plug housing and dab the other probe against each wires stripped end until you find the one that beeps/gives you a reading.

Write this down on a piece of paper as you will need it shortly.

E.G. Pin 1 = Black Wire etc.

Wires connected to pins 2,5 and 7 can be cut off as they are not required.

*NOTE It would be advisable to use the same pin numbering used in the diagrams below in order to avoid confusion!

E.g. Pins 1-9 are pins in order from left to right while looking at the front of the PlayStation.

Remember if you are looking at the end of the plug the pin order will be the opposite!*

Once you have identified each individual wire you need to crimp a male Dupont crimp onto the end of each wire.

If you are unsure how to do this refer to the instructions that came with your crimping set.

Once all your wires are crimped be sure to give them a gentle tug to make sure they are crimped correctly and not going to fall out!

It's also worthwhile re-checking the continuity of each wire to double check the connection is good and you have the correct pin/colour identification before moving onto the next step.

Preparing the box (if you are using one)

Drill the holes for the glands to fit the USB power, Extension lead and foot pedal (if you are using one).

Next mount the Arduino inside the box with whatever method you choose.

A easy solution for this is to use hot melt glue to stick the base plate that comes with the uno to the bottom of the box then use the provided screws to attatch the uno to the base plate.

Wiring the Arduino

Now we need to wire the Arduino up, To do so simply plug the Dupont pins from the extension lead into the Arduino as per the picture below.

If you are using a foot pedal you need to connect one wire from the foot pedal to Pin 4 of the Arduino and the other to the ground (Gnd) Pin.

Next plug the USB cable into the Arduino to complete the wiring.

Flashing the Pi Image

Firstly you need to download and install Win32 Disk Imager from the link below.

Also you will need to download the G-CON45 Pi image.

NOTE: This image was created for the older 1.6 version firmware so if you are running the newer firmware it will need to be updated manually, instructions to do so will be found below.

Connect your 8GB (or more) MicroSD card to your computer and wait for it to be detected.

Once its viewable in your file manager take note of the drive letter Windows has assigned it.

E.g. "F".

Load Win32 Disk Imager and you will see at the top a white box headed "Image File".

Click the little folder button to the right side of the box to bring up the file browser and navigate to and select the Gcon45 image you downloaded before.

Further to the right of the "Image file" box you will see a drop down menu titled "Device" click on this box to select the drive letter Windows has assigned to your MicroSD card.

BE 100% SURE you have selected the correct device as the image burning process will destroy any other data contained on the device so you dont want to accidentally select a external HDD etc!

Once you are satisfied press the "Write" button and wait for the process to finish.

On completion Windows will throw up a error saying the device can not be read and it needs formatting.

DO NOT FORMAT THE DRIVE! It's perfectly normal.

Safely eject the MicroSD card from your computer and install it into your Pi4.

Initial connection setup

Plug the PS1 extension lead from the Arduino into the controller port of the PS1.

Connect the Power cable to the Pi4, You should also connect your Sinden Lightgun into one of the Pi4's USB ports. The Arduino's USB should also be plugged into one of the ports.

Finally between the PS1 and the TV you should have either a OSSC or a RetroTINK5X which will generate the border for the Sinden lightgun to work.

You will also need to have a HDMI connected to a TV and a USB mouse and keyboard plugged in to do the initial configuration of the Pi these can be removed once you have got everything setup.

First power on

Once everything is connected you are ready to power up and start configuring the Pi.

Boot up the Pi and once it's done you should see a white welcome screen where you can bind your controller (keyboard!).

Hold any button down on the keyboard and the screen will change to a key binding screen.

Now follow the on screen prompts to bind the keys as you like.

You only need to map the Up, Down, Left, Right, A, B, Start and Select buttons to be mapped. You can skip all the others by holding down a button you have already mapped.

When you get to the end of the list the last binding should say "Hotkey Enable" Set that to the same button as you mapped for select.

Once you are done you will be brought to the RetroPie main menu.

Next you need to get a network connection to your Pi4, you can plug in an Ethernet cable for ease or you can follow the following procedure to use Wi-Fi:

Using an Ethernet cable

Navigate to the "Retropie" menu and press the "A" button, once in the menu navigate to "Show IP" and write down the IP address your Pi has been assigned you will need this shortly.

Once you have the IP address you can exit back to the RetroPie menus.

Setting up Wi-Fi

Navigate to the "RetroPie" menu and press the A button you just mapped.

Navigate to "Raspi-Config" and press the A button again.

On the new menu that appears navigate to option "5 Localisation options" and press "Enter"

Next select "L4 WLAN Country" and press "Enter"

Now select whichever country you reside in and press "Enter" again.

Now you should be returned back to the config menu, press "Right" until you highlight the "Finish" button and press "Enter", It will then ask if you want to reboot select yes and press "Enter" again to reboot the Pi.

Once rebooted navigate to the "RetroPie" menu again and then select "WiFi".

You should now be taken to the Wifi setup menu.

Select "1 connect to wifi network" and press "Enter"

Next you need to select your home Wi-Fi from the list and press "Enter"

Next it will ask you for the password, Type that in and again press "Enter"

Once complete you should return back to the Wi-Fi menu and you should see at the top of the screen a IP address etc. confirming that your Pi is now connected to your home network.

Write down the IP address shown you will need it later.

Now navigate to the "Exit" button and press ""Enter" to return back to the RetroPie menus.

Setting up WinSCP on your computer

Go to the WinSCP website linked below to download and install WinSCP on your computer.

Once you have it all installed load WinSCP and you will be greeted with a configuration screen.

On the left hand side of the window you will see "New Site" double click on that and set the following:

• File protocol: SFTP
• Host Name: The IP address you wrote down earlier e.g. 192.168.1.17
• Port Number: 22
• Username: root (lower case)
• Password: pi (lower case)

Once you have filled in the required fields press "Save" then press the "Login" button.

Once logged in you will see the screen has two sides.

On the left is your computer and all its files and folders, and on the right you should see all the files and directories on your Pi.

This is a simple file manager where you can drag & drop, move, copy etc files between your PC and Pi.

To upgrade the software version on the Pi image

The original image was made for the 1.6 Software/Firmware and will likely not work with your gun unless you are using old firmware so we need to update the image.

To do so is simple, download and extract the latest software version from the Sinden website.

Once downloaded navigate to the "SindenLightgunLinuxSoftware\Pi-Arm\" folder using WinSCP and use the "lightgun" folder contained within to over write the folder contained in the following folder on your Pi:  "/home/pi/".

Now Restart your Pi4.

Getting the Product & Vender IDs for your devices

Now we need to get the device IDs for our Arduino/guns so we can set this in our config files on the Pi.

To do so once your Pi has restarted and you are back on the EmulationStation menu press your "Start" button to bring up the menu and navigate to "Quit", Press "A" and then navigate to and select "Quit EmulationStation" It will ask if you really want to quit press "Yes".

Once it has exited you will be taken to the Command Prompt/Terminal.

Type the following command into the terminal and press "Enter". Be aware that all the following commands are case sensitive!

lsusb

The terminal will then list all USB devices connected to the Pi.

id number example

Firstly look for the Arduino in the list it should have "Arduino SA Uno R3" or similar written by the side of it.

It will also have a 8 digit number something like "2341:0043" (your number will likely be different).

Take a note of this ID number.

Now we need to do the same for the lightgun, The description of the lightgun will be "Van Ooijen Technische Informatica" find it in the list and again write down the 8 digit code e.g. "16c0:0f01".

Leave the Pi running and return to your PC.

Inputting the IDs into the config files

Back on the PC you need to once again log back into the Pi using WinSCP and navigate to the following folder:

"/etc/udev/rules.d/"

We are interested in the file called "49-sinden.rules"

Double click the file to load it up in a text editor.

You will see 2 lines of code, the first line which has a SYMLINK of "ttySinden" is your lightgun.

The second line with the SYMLINK of "ttyGCON45" is the Arduino.

This is where we need to input the numbers we wrote down in the previous step. So on the first line where it says "ATTRS{idvendor}--"XXXX" insert the first 4 digits of the Sinden Lightgun's code into where it has the "XXXX".

So in the above example it will read: "ATTRS{idvendor}--"16c0".

Now the 2nd set of digits for the gun goes into the "ATTRS{idproduct}--"XXXX" again replacing the "XXXX" for the code you wrote down earlier.

e.g. "ATTRS{idvendor}--"0f01".

Rules file example

Now do the same thing for the second line of code but using the Arduino's codes you wrote down before.

Once done press the "Save" button in the top left corner to save your changes.

Now return to the Pi and reboot it by typing the following command into the terminal:

sudo halt

The Pi will now shut down, once its shut down turn the power off to it then reboot it.

Initial lightgun settings

To change the guns settings such as recoil, exposure, X/Y offsets etc do the following.

Using WinSCP navigate to the following folder on the Pi: "/home/pi/Lightgun/Player 1"  folder.

Once inside the relevant folder you will see a file called "LightgunMono.exe.config".

Double click this file to open it up in a text editor.

You will find every available setting for the gun can be altered in here if required but most people will probably just want to change the recoil settings.

To do so go to the bottom of the text file and you will find the following block:

<add key="IAgreeRecoilTermsInLicense" value="0"/>

<add key="EnableRecoil" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilTrigger" value="1"/>

<add key="RecoilTriggerOffscreen" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilPumpActionOnEvent" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilPumpActionOffEvent" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilFrontLeft" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilFrontRight" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilBackLeft" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilBackRight" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilStrength" value="100"/>

<add key="TriggerRecoilNormalOrRepeat" value="1"/>

<add key="AutoRecoilStrength" value="80"/>

<add key="AutoRecoilStartDelay" value="5"/>

<add key="AutoRecoilDelayBetweenPulses" value="13"/>

These are the recoil settings, To activate recoil you must firstly agree to the disclaimer, to do this simply change the "0" to a "1" on the top line.

You then need to enable recoil so on the second line again change "0" to "1".

0 = Off and 1 = On so you can adjust the other settings as you wish.

Once you are done save the file and restart your Pi.

Initial lightgun testing

Now we have set everything up we can test if the gun is working.

To check everything is working correctly you first need to exit EmulationStation and return back to the Command Prompt/Terminal.

To do so on the Emulation Station menu press your "Start" button to bring up the menu and navigate to "Quit", Press "A" and then navigate to and select "Quit EmulationStation" It will ask if you really want to quit press "Yes".

Once it has exited you will be taken to the Command Prompt/Terminal.

Type the following command into the terminal and press "Enter", Be aware that all the following commands are case sensitive!

cd /home/pi/Lightgun/Player1/

This will change directory (cd) to the lightgun's service folder.

Next enter the following command:

mono LightgunMono.exe

You should now see the Sinden software starting on the screen, it should look something like this and if you see this it means the gun is successfully talking to the Arduino.

Now if you start your PlayStation up with a G-Con45 game loaded and apply the border you should be able to use your gun and play the game!

Automating the start up

Once you have confirmed that the setup is working you will want to automate the process so you dont have to keep quitting out of EmulationStation and inputting the commands to start the service every time you want to play. To do this simply do the following.

Reboot the Pi and then log into the Pi using Win SCP.

Navigate to the following folder: "/opt/retropie/configs/all/"

Find and double click the "autostart.sh" file to open it in a text editor.

You will see it has a single line of code that simply says "emulationstation #auto"

Insert the following lines ABOVE the current line (again case sensitive):

"shell">
cd /home/pi/Lightgun/Player1
sudo mono-service LightgunMono.exe

Then put a # in before the "emulationstation #auto" line.

Once done it should look like this:

Autostart example

Once you are done press the "save" button to save the changes and restart the Pi.

It should now automatically boot and start the software after approx. 45 seconds.

If you ever need to get back into EmulationStation for any reason you will have to log back into the Pi with WinSCP and put the file you just changed back to the way it was.

Downloads

Sinden Drivers

Download latest Sinden drivers and Arduino image from the Sinden Lightgun website

Pi4 Image

Download Pi4 image here from the Mediafire

PSX Wiring

PSX Port wiring pin out diagram (larger version available from Mediafire)

Arduino Wiring

Arduino wiring pin out diagram (larger version available from Mediafire)

Win32 Disk Imager

Download Win32 Disk Imager from the SourceForge website

WinSCP

Download WinSCP from the WinSCP website

Troubleshooting and Upgrading the G-CON45 Setup

If the service does not start on the Pi and shows a error the IDs are probably wrong, double check them.

If the gun seems to be rapidly disconnecting and reconnecting again (the controller screen of point blank seems to be a good test for this) you may need to run your adapter through a Multitap (or 2 for 2 player).

We are unsure exactly what causes this issue at this point in time if it's a power issue or interference but a Multitap seems to fix it!

Legacy G-CON 2 Setup for PS2 (Archive)

Setup Guide

Parts List

Arduino Micro (with headers for ease of use, 1 for each player)

Female to Female Dupont jumper wires (Length depending on how you want to set it up)

Raspberry Pi 4 with a minimum 8gb micro SD card.

OSSC/RetroTINK-5X or other way to apply the border.

Programming the Arduino

Navigate to the Sinden Lightgun driver page and download the latest software revision if you have not already got it installed.

You should have your gun fully setup and tested in the Windows environment before attempting to connect it to a console and be running at least 1.6 firmware.

To flash the Arduino make sure your Sinden Lightguns are NOT connected to the system then plug in the Arduino you wish to flash.

Be aware that flashing the Arduino overwrites its boot loader so it will not be easy to reflash it again at a later date.

Once it's plugged in Windows should detect it as a new device, Load the Sinden software and navigate to the "Firmware Upgrade" Tab.

In the bottom right corner of the window you should see a white box with your Arduino listed inside it, if not press refresh and it should appear.

Once done select the "Guncon 2" option and press the "Flash Arduino" button.

DO NOT interrupt the process, just let it finish and once its done you can unplug it from the computer.

Wiring

G-Con2 player 1 wiring.

Use the female to female jumper wires to connect the Arduino to the Pi4 as per the connection drawings contained within the G-CON2 image pack you should download below.

Note that there is a different wire layout for Player 1 & Player 2 so wire them accordingly.

Installing the Pi Image

Firstly you need to download and install Win32 Disk Imager from SourceForge.

Also you will need to download the Guncon2 Image pack which contains the Pi image from Mediafire

NOTE: This image was created for the older 1.6 version firmware so if you are running the newer firmware it will need to be updated manually, instructions to do so will be found below.

Connect your 8GB (or more) MicroSD card to your computer and wait for it to be detected.

Once its viewable in your file manager take note of the drive letter Windows has assigned it.

E.g. "F".

Load Win32 Disk Imager and you will see at the top a white box headed "Image File".

Click the little folder button to the right side of the box to bring up the file browser and navigate to and select the Sinden Lightgun Gcon2 image that is contained in the pack you downloaded at the start.

Further to the right of the "Image file" box you will see a drop down menu titled "Device" click on this box to select the drive letter Windows has assigned to your Micro SD card.

BE 100% SURE you have selected the correct device as the image burning process will destroy any other data contained on the device so you dont want to accidentally select a external HDD etc!

Once you are satisfied press the "Write" button and wait for the process to finish.

On completion Windows will throw up a error saying the device can not be read and it needs formatting.

DO NOT FORMAT THE DRIVE it's perfectly normal.

Safely eject the MicroSD card from your computer and install it into your Pi4.

Initial connection of the setup

Once you have flashed and wired the Arduino to the Pi4 and installed the image on the MicroSD we are ready to connect everything together.

So connect the Power cable to the Pi4, You should also connect your Sinden Lightgun(s) into the Pi4's USB ports if you are using 2 guns it would be best to plug one into a blue slot and one into a black.

The Arduinos should already be connected via the Duponts to the Pi4 GPIO pins.

The Arduino's USB cable should be plugged into the PS2's front USB ports.

Finally between the PS2 and the TV you should have either a OSSC or a Retrotink5X which will generate the border for the Sinden Lightgun to work.

First Power on

Once everything is connected you are ready to power up, if you are running older 1.6 firmware on your gun and have a older Pi4 then you hopefully wont have to update the image. However if you are using a newer Pi or firmware you will probably find the gun will not work and you will need to update the image using the instructions below.

Either way you MUST turn on the Pi4 first and wait for approx. 90 seconds so it can boot up and start all the services it needs to start.

Once you have left it around 90 seconds turn on the PS2 with a Gcon2 game in the drive and apply a white border to the screen using whichever device you have for the border.

Now test out your Sinden!

Hopefully your gun works at this point but it will not have recoil enabled. But if it does not work or you want to enable recoil carry on reading below for the advanced setup.

Advanced Settings and updating the Image

To carry out any advanced settings on the Pi4 you will firstly need to connect a keyboard and mouse to the Pi4 as well as a HDMI video cable so you can see what's going on.

Boot up the Pi and once its done you should see a white welcome screen where you can bind your controller (keyboard).

Hold any button down on the keyboard and the screen will change to a key binding screen.

Now follow the on screen prompts to bind the keys as you like.

You only need to map the Up, Down, Left, Right, A, B, Start and Select buttons to be mapped. You can skip all the others by holding down a button you have already mapped.

When you get to the end of the list the last binding should say "Hotkey Enable" Set that to the same button as you mapped for select.

Once you are done you will be brought to the RetroPie main menu.

Next you need to get a network connection to your Pi4, you can plug in an Ethernet cable for ease or you can follow the following procedure to use Wi-Fi.

If using a ethernet cable

Navigate to the "RetroPie" menu and press the "A" button, once in the menu navigate to "Show IP" and write down the IP address your Pi has been assigned you will need this shortly.

Once you have the IP address you can exit back to the RetroPie menu.

Setting up Wi-Fi

Navigate to the "RetroPie" menu and press the A button you just mapped.

Navigate to "Raspi-Config" and press the A button again.

On the new menu that appears navigate to option "5 Localisation options" and press "Enter"

Next select "L4 WLAN Country" and press "Enter"

Now select whichever country you reside in and press "Enter" again.

Now you should be returned back to the config menu, press "Right" until you highlight the "Finish" button and press "Enter". It will then ask if you want to reboot select yes and press "Enter" again to reboot the Pi.

Once rebooted navigate to the "RetroPie" menu again and then select "Wi-Fi".

You should now be taken to the Wi-Fi setup menu.

Select "1 connect to wifi network" and press "Enter"

Next you need to select your home Wifi from the list and press "Enter"

Next it will ask you for the password, Type that in and again press "Enter"

Once complete you should return back to the Wi-Fi menu and you should see at the top of the screen a IP address etc confirming that your Pi is now connected to your home network.

Write down the IP address shown you will need it later.

Now navigate to the "Exit" button and press ""Enter" to return back to the RetroPie menus.

Setting up WinSCP on your computer

Go to the WinSCP website linked below to download and install WinSCP on your computer.

Once you have it all installed load WinSCP and you will be greeted with a configuration screen.

On the left hand side of the window you will see "New Site" double click on that and set the following:

• File protocol: SFTP
• Host Name: The IP address you wrote down earlier e.g. 192.168.1.17
• Port Number: 22
• Username: root (lower case)
• Password: pi (lower case)

Once you have filled in the required fields press "Save" then press the "Login" button.

Once logged in you will see the screen has two sides.

On the left is your computer and all its files and folders, and on the right you should see all the files and directories on your Pi.

This is a simple file manager where you can drag & drop, move, copy etc files between your PC and Pi.

To upgrade the software version on the Pi image

Download and extract the latest software version from the Sinden website

Once downloaded navigate to the "SindenLightgunLinuxSoftware\Pi-Arm\" folder using Win SCP and use the "lightgun" folder contained within to over write the folder contained in the following folder on your Pi:  "/home/pi/".

Changing the gun settings

To change the guns settings such as recoil, exposure, X/Y offsets etc do the following.

Using WinSCP navigate to the following folder on the Pi: "/home/pi/Lightgun" and select either "Player 1" or "Player 2" folder.

Once inside the relevant players folder you will see a file called "LightgunMono.exe.config".

Double click this file to open it up in a text editor.

You will find every available setting for the gun can be altered in here if required but most people will probably just want to change the recoil settings.

To do so go to the bottom of the text file and you will find the following block:

<add key="IAgreeRecoilTermsInLicense" value="0"/>

<add key="EnableRecoil" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilTrigger" value="1"/>

<add key="RecoilTriggerOffscreen" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilPumpActionOnEvent" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilPumpActionOffEvent" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilFrontLeft" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilFrontRight" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilBackLeft" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilBackRight" value="0"/>

<add key="RecoilStrength" value="100"/>

<add key="TriggerRecoilNormalOrRepeat" value="1"/>

<add key="AutoRecoilStrength" value="80"/>

<add key="AutoRecoilStartDelay" value="5"/>

<add key="AutoRecoilDelayBetweenPulses" value="13"/>

These are the recoil settings, To activate recoil you must firstly agree to the disclaimer, to do this simply change the "0" to a "1" on the top line.

You then need to enable recoil so on the second line again change "0" to "1".

0 = Off and 1 = On so you can adjust the other settings as you wish.

Once you are done save the file and restart your Pi.

Downloads

G-CON2 Image Pack

Download the G-CON2 image pack from Mediafire

WinSCP

Download WinSCP from the WinSCP website

Win32 Disk Imager

Download Win32 Disk Imager from the SourceForge

Troubleshooting

Please note this image was created using the older version of the Sinden software.

It is a good idea to upgrade it to the latest version and upgrade your guns' firmware too.

It has been found that on newer versions of the Pi that it may not boot with this image. If this is the case for you please download and extract this file from Mediafire.

After extraction, copy the Start4.elf & fixup4.dat files and overwrite the ones in the boot partition of your SD card.