Serial port query

[Amorphous]

Note: I'm not an incredibly technical person (er, obviously) and therefore have no idea how stupid the following question may be. My apologies if it makes anybody wince.


I have a Playstation1-style controller for PC with a 15-pin (7+8) male plug. This was fine on my old computer, but my new(ish) one doesn't have a corresponding female for it. It does, however, have a 9-pin male marked 'IOIOI' which my dad thinks means it is a serial port. The only other port available is a 15-pin (5+5+5) female for the monitor which is not in use because the monitor now plugs into a graphics card.

I've seen 15-to-9 adapters of all shapes (sexes?) available from internet stores and places like that; assuming I can get my hands on one, should the controller actually work using the serial port or will it depend a bit on drivers/software that my computer has? I don't want to waste money or make my computer catch fire. :-/

Thanks for any help. I had my last exam today so I'm looking to while away the holiday staring at a computer screen...

[Fawksie]

That'll be a gameport connector. DA15M connectors aren't conventionally used for serial. If you've got USB something like this *might* work, I've never tried one before.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000A03JP/203-3445543-8783145

Otherwise you could put in a soundcard with an integrated gameport. Or a gameport card if they still exist nowadays.

[niall]

ooh, that might come in handy, instead of buying new midi cables!

[hr]

do you have a tastyspoon?

http://www.tastyspoon.com/forum

[thebrookster]

Ebay for gamesport cards etc is your best bet, as I have never yet found any adapter that works properly, thou I was trying to use MIDI style keyboards!