The SNK Neo Geo AES home console and MVS arcade board, both released in 1990, share an identical controller port using a proprietary deep DA-15 (15-pin D-sub) connector with a non-standard plastic shroud that prevents standard DA-15 plugs from mating without modification. The port carries four directional inputs (Up, Down, Left, Right), six button inputs (A, B, C, D, Select, Start), three output lines used by the BIOS to identify the attached controller type, and a +5 V supply line. All button and directional inputs are active-low: each line is pulled high inside the console and is driven to ground when the corresponding switch is pressed. AES controllers are electrically compatible with MVS boards and vice versa.
14 PIN CANNON (2 ROWS) at the Computer
| Pin | Name | Dir | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GND | - | Ground |
| 2 | n/c | - | Not connected |
| 3 | SELECT | IN | Select Button |
| 4 | BUTTOND | IN | “D” Button |
| 5 | BUTTONB | IN | “B” Button |
| 6 | RIGHT | IN | Right |
| 7 | DOWN | IN | Down |
| 8 | n/c | - | Not connected |
| 9 | BUTTOND | IN | “D” Button, again? |
| 10 | n/c | - | Not connected |
| 11 | START | IN | Start Button |
| 12 | BUTTONC | IN | “C” Button |
| 13 | BUTTONA | IN | “A” Button |
| 14 | LEFT | IN | Left |
| 15 | UP | IN | Up |
Notes
Direction is Computer relative Joystick.
The connector is a proprietary deep DA-15 variant; SNK’s modified plastic shroud prevents standard DA-15 plugs from mating without physical adaptation. All input lines are active-low (logic 0 = pressed), pulled to +5 V inside the console via 330 Ω series resistors and 1 kΩ pull-up resistors with 33 nF bypass capacitors. Three output lines (not pulled high, driven by open-collector drivers through 22 Ω resistors) allow the BIOS to detect the controller type: 0 = none, 1 = normal, 2 = expanded, 3 = mahjong, 4 = keyboard. The +5 V supply on pin 8 is not used by the original AES arcade stick but is required by the Neo Geo CD pad and later controller designs. Player 1 input states are read at hardware address 300000H; Player 2 at 340000H.
Pin 9 carries a second connection labelled “D” Button in existing documentation; its precise function in the context of the controller circuit is not publicly documented in available manufacturer materials.