The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. The Light Phaser is a light gun modeled after the Zillion gun from the Japanese anime series of the same name. It basically consists of a light sensor in the tip of the gun, which is focussed on a small area of the screen; and a trigger which corresponds to joypad button 1. When the trigger is pulled, the game flashes the screen in a way that is detectable by the light sensor, and hardware built in to the console allows the game to determine where the gun is pointing.
9 PIN D-SUB (DE-9) MALE at the computer.
| Pin | Signal | Dir | description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up | n/c | |
| 2 | Down | n/c | |
| 3 | Left | n/c | |
| 4 | Right | n/c | |
| 5 | VCC | ||
| 6 | TL | IN | trigger |
| 7 | TH | IN | light sensor |
| 8 | Gnd | ground | |
| 9 | TR | n/c |
Notes
- The controller ports are active-low (this is achieved in hardware by leaving lines unconnected when inactive, and connecting them to Gnd when active):
- 1 in the corresponding port register means “not pressed” or “dark”
- 0 in the corresponding port register means “pressed” or “light”
References
- SEGA Mark III / Master System Hardware Reference Manual (1986) — official Sega documentation of the I/O system and 9-pin controller ports.
- Software Reference Manual for the Sega Mark III — describes the Light Phaser interface: trigger input and the light-sensor beam-detection pulse on the controller port.
- Sega Master System Service Manual — system service documentation including controller-port wiring.