Atari 2600 Hardware Mod for remote console switches

[MitchSchaft]

It's time to get back to it, buddy!

[Pioneer4x4]

UGH, 2 friggin years!!! Gimme a week

[Pioneer4x4]

UGH, 2 friggin years!!! Gimme a week

OK, 7 years later... I got the bug again. I dug it out, and it is still intact as I left it. I got the bug again because of a PC issue with massive corruption that I just recovered from and had to dig real hard to find my source code for projects I used to work on. But I think I'm back for a bit, and will work on this some more until the weather breaks and I can go back to putzing with my 1967 El Camino, which is what sucked me away from Atari stuff years ago...

[Pioneer4x4]

Well, I'm about %80 there, I have it all mocked up and working for 8 of the 12 buttons.

The the left and middle column work %100, and the right hand column works, but seems to be introducing random jitter. After you hit one of those 4 buttons every now and then it will cycle through as if all 4 are being pressed momentarily. I am setting the pins high and reading for a high, and I ground pin 7 which takes care of the one problem I was having. I'm going to try reversing everything and setting pins low, and putting pin 7 to V+ to see if that takes care of the issue. If not, I am going to try adding a delay check to each button press, kinda a debounce in software.

The odd think is according to the controller schematic, that column and the center column are wired the same and the center one works fine for me.

Anyway, here is my code so far.

The "portc"s are the outputs to the rows, reading pin0-2 are the inputs from the columns. The setting 0-7 high or low is turning things on or off. I have 2 seperate lines for power control since I will do it via a relay. There will be a delay that you have to hold it down for so long so you don't accidentally bump power off, currently 3 seconds. Using a picaxe chip, you can reprogram it in circuit very easily. So once installed in a 2600 it can still be modified to new button arangements, delays, stuff like that.

 

 

main:
high 0
pause 1000
low 0
low portc 4
low portc 5
low portc 6
low portc 7
ScanFirstRow:
		low portc 5
		low portc 6
		low portc 7
		high portc 4
		if pin1=1 then gosub Color
		if pin2=1 then gosub Sel
		if pin0=1 then gosub PauseOn
ScanSecondRow:	
		low portc 4
		low portc 6
		low portc 7
		high portc 5
		if pin1=1 then gosub BW
		if pin2=1 then gosub Res
		if pin0=1 then gosub PauseOff
ScanThirdRow:	 
		low portc 4
		low portc 5
		low portc 7
		high portc 6
		if pin1=1 then gosub LdifOff
		if pin2=1 then gosub RdifOff
		if pin0=1 then gosub PowerOn
ScanFourthRow:	 
		low portc 4
		low portc 5
		low portc 6
		high portc 7
		if pin1=1 then gosub LdifOn
		if pin2=1 then gosub RdifOn
		if pin0=1 then gosub PowerOff
goto ScanFirstRow
Color:	high 3
		pause 100 if pin1=1 then goto Color
		return
BW:		low 3
		pause 100 if pin1=1 then goto BW
		return
LdifOn:	high 4
		pause 100 if pin1=1 then goto LdifOn
		return
LdifOff:	low 4
		pause 100 if pin1=1 then goto LdifOff
		return
Sel:
		high 5
		pause 100 if pin2=1 then goto Sel
		low 5
		return
Res:
		high 6
		pause 100 if pin2=1 then goto Res
		low 6
		return
RdifOn:	high 7
		pause 100 if pin2=1 then goto RdifOn
		return
RdifOff:	low 7
		pause 100 if pin2=1 then goto RdifOff
		return
PauseOn:	high 2
		pause 100 if pin0=1 then goto PauseOn
		pause 500
		return
PauseOff:	low 2
		pause 100 if pin0=1 then goto PauseOff
		pause 500
		return
PowerOn:	high 0
		pause 100 if pin0=1 then goto PowerOn
		low 0
		return
PowerOff:	pause 3000
		if pin0=1 then high 1 endif
		pause 500
		low 1
		return

 

I will check and see if this matches the newest source code I can find on my old PC's HD. I think it is.

[MitchSchaft]

Ha, can't believe I'm still alive.

[Pioneer4x4]

I just re-read this thread, and dang. I'm glad I wrote it. I couldn't remember why some of what I did, I did that way. I need to find my pause kit, and get it working as well. It wasn't chucked in with that 2600 and circuit board. Also I need to see if it is safe to run the PICAXE chip off of 5v directly from the 7805 on the 2600 chassis, I think they should be fine, by default you run them off of 3 AAs which is probably very close to 5v with fresh cells.

[Pioneer4x4]

Well, I found my pause kit, so I got that going for me!

[rorysl]

Still following intently, with a touchpad controller ready to mod.  

[CPUWIZ]

My 7800 is Alexa controlled.  It also controls IR, so I can turn the CRT on, etc.!