Custom 5200 controller

[+wongojack]

I've never tried, but have read reference to soldering on contact switches. I think the best electronics website makes reference to this.

 

The contacts on the flex are metal, wouldn't take much to solder a switch on.

[Lynxpro]

I found a somewhat recent blog post where someone built a nice 5200 compatible arcade style controller and details how it was done.

 

 

 

Woah. And here I thought the only NES Advantage conversion had been done for the 7800...

 

Wait...that's a Messiah version of the NES Advantage after the patents expired. Since that's so big, maybe taking the case - or a 3D printed duplicate - of the 5200 TrakBall case and then putting the rest of this project into it would be the ultimate way to go...

Edited July 13, 2013 by Lynxpro

[7800]

After much thought on this subject, and with my limited skill... I have decided the best way for me to build a 5200 digital joystick would be to cannibalize a CX-52 controller and a Coin Controlls Competition Pro Joystick. The Competition Pro is pretty much all set up already wiring wise. All I'd have to do is take a new arcade joystick and two cherry buttons and tap into the existing wiring, just like I did with my 7800 stick. I would use X and Y pots from the CX-52 controller as centering levers, mounted somewhere inside the custom housing... and Competition Pro's harness is already set up with it's built in 15 pin port for the CX-52 controller. The hard part would be soldering new buttons to the rev 9 flex for the numeric key pad and "start" "pause" and "reset" buttons.

 

I am also trying to come up with a decent design for a custom Atari 5200MC (Muti-Controller). The idea is to use an existing CX-53 trak-ball housing. Keep the Trak-Ball functioning while integrating an arcade joystick and replacing the 4 fire buttons with arcade cherry buttons. It would have two wires, one for the ball and one for the stick. I would need to figure out the keypad arrangement since the Trak-Ball and joystick would need their own independent keypad because it's essentially two controllers in one housing, three if you count the CX-52 parts.

[+wongojack]

After much thought on this subject, and with my limited skill... I have decided the best way for me to build a 5200 digital joystick would be to cannibalize a CX-52 controller and a Coin Controlls Competition Pro Joystick. The Competition Pro is pretty much all set up already wiring wise. All I'd have to do is take a new arcade joystick and two cherry buttons and tap into the existing wiring, just like I did with my 7800 stick. I would use X and Y pots from the CX-52 controller as centering levers, mounted somewhere inside the custom housing... and Competition Pro's harness is already set up with it's built in 15 pin port for the CX-52 controller. The hard part would be soldering new buttons to the rev 9 flex for the numeric key pad and "start" "pause" and "reset" buttons.

 

I am also trying to come up with a decent design for a custom Atari 5200MC (Muti-Controller). The idea is to use an existing CX-53 trak-ball housing. Keep the Trak-Ball functioning while integrating an arcade joystick and replacing the 4 fire buttons with arcade cherry buttons. It would have two wires, one for the ball and one for the stick. I would need to figure out the keypad arrangement since the Trak-Ball and joystick would need their own independent keypad because it's essentially two controllers in one housing, three if you count the CX-52 parts.

 

It is waaaay easier to just build an adapter for a PC gameport stick or pad.

[7800]

I like the idea of using the Trak-Ball housing, because it would look like an official Atari arcade stick. Before the 5200 was cancelled, an arcade stick was in development. I wonder what it would have looked like if it were made.

[Lynxpro]

I like the idea of using the Trak-Ball housing, because it would look like an official Atari arcade stick. Before the 5200 was cancelled, an arcade stick was in development. I wonder what it would have looked like if it were made.

 

 

Just don't do such a mod to a working Trak-Ball; only ones that supposedly do not work...

[BigO]

I like the idea of using the Trak-Ball housing, because it would look like an official Atari arcade stick. Before the 5200 was cancelled, an arcade stick was in development. I wonder what it would have looked like if it were made.

http://atariage.com/forums/gallery/album/281-5200-trackball-joystick-mod/

[RetroGameGirl]

Funny seeing my work in forums when I didn't post it myself

 

I wonder how those micro switches were stuck on the controller. (1st pic)

http://retrogamegirl...ntroller-build/

 

If you must know, I soldered them on Just had to make sure to work quick, yet have the iron cool enough to not melt the delicate plastic.

 

I found a somewhat recent blog post where someone built a nice 5200 compatible arcade style controller and details how it was done.

 

 

I actually built two of these, it was a lot of fun and I use them for space dungeon all the time

 

 

I drew that one night after way too many glasses soda and not being able to sleep. I saw some other schematics here as well that looked pretty good The only downside to the digital method of that schematic is you cannot play games that require true analog. In a future version, if I do one, I will just make each potentiometer into a "Spinner" style control so I can play games like breakout

 

I did try to use a digital potentiometer system that utilized a PSP style analog stick as the input, and infact had it all inside an atari 2600 case. It worked ok for what it was, I will have to see if I can find images I took of it This used a pic microcontroller that let me basically select resistances off a resistance ladder to output a pseudo analog feel.

 

and found them!

 

and another version using a PS2 style analog controller with a "resistance magnification" circuit to give a more analog feel.

 

 

Sorry for the large pics, was just excited to see others take an interest in a love of mine

 

~RetroGameGirl

Edited August 1, 2013 by RetroGameGirl

[RodLightning]

Funny seeing my work in forums when I didn't post it myself

 

Cool looking designs, especially the 2600 cartridge version! Back in the day, I wired a pc game port arcade stick to work (not so well) on the 5200. I had more luck putting a db15 male connector onto the chopped cx-52 controller and wiring joystick buttons for controller 1 and 2 to the 5200 pads.

 

These days, I'm satisfied to have at least one functioning stock controller to play with. It's good to see someone still making interesting mods.

 

It inspires me to build a proper arcade stick. Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum.

[RetroGameGirl]

I specifically joined the forum for this thread LOL

 

But now that I am here, I am taking a look into perhaps software development. I have a few ideas that might be fun. I am mostly a hardware person, so software is my weak side.

 

We all have to start somewhere!

 

The little 5200 controller in the atari 2600 case (it used to be E.T.) was a fun experiment that I may recreate as it has been years since I did that build. I was considering using a similar method with a small MCU, perhaps a texas instruments low power one since I have 2 launchpads not being used, in conjunction with a digital resistance ladder type setup. Years ago I also saw and purchased a dedicated IC that was supposed to do something similar with a digital input but it never worked quite right. I wonder if I still have that chip around to tinker with a bit more, back then the output of it was logarithmic and not linear, and that made control extremely skewed. I wanted to build a proper analog joypad for it that was about the same size as my atari 7800 controller builds.

 

The 7800 were more of a conversion tbh, I rewired the internals of Sega Master System controllers so that each button would be recognized by the 7800 independently.

 

I love them

 

 

 

It inspires me to build a proper arcade stick. Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum.

 

and thanks!

Edited August 1, 2013 by RetroGameGirl

[7800]

http://atariage.com/...l-joystick-mod/

 

um, yeah... something like that, but not quite.

[RetroGameGirl]

um, yeah... something like that, but not quite.

 

woah, a trackball as the case? that seems like such a waste of the best controller atari ever made for the 5200 *cry*

[Serious]

I specifically joined the forum for this thread LOL

 

 

Welcome. I hope you stick around.

[7800]

woah, a trackball as the case? that seems like such a waste of the best controller atari ever made for the 5200 *cry*

 

There's plenty of them out there... and I think people are not understanding what I would like to do. The idea was to make a "combo" controller, trak-ball and joystick in one unit to save table space. Everyone knows the 5200 requires many different controllers to play various games... and that takes up space. At any rate, I looked at it further and there really isn't much room to fit those extra components... so the trak-ball controller is saved.

[RetroGameGirl]

... so the trak-ball controller is saved.

 

YAY!

 

It really is one of my favorite retro controllers of all time

 

Rather see someone kill an NES controller instead. I might try my hand at this project again, perhaps for a small D-pad style controller with the keypad in the middle that again uses an even more precise resistor array to allow proper "analog" game control for games like breakout.

[7800]

YAY!

 

It really is one of my favorite retro controllers of all time

 

Rather see someone kill an NES controller instead. I might try my hand at this project again, perhaps for a small D-pad style controller with the keypad in the middle that again uses an even more precise resistor array to allow proper "analog" game control for games like breakout.

 

Your right though... The 5200 Trak-Ball is indeed a solid piece of craftsmanship. I only wish the fire buttons were engineered differently.

[Jess Ragan]

Okay, I'm really going to hurt the AtariAge link protocol. Give me a link, damn it, don't embed the video here if you're not going to jump to a specific time!

Edited August 2, 2013 by Jess Ragan

[Seethransom]

I found this on Youtube the other day. I've never modded a controller, so watch the whole thing before you trust it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8RZWtDAa9w Part One

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vayg2auUWxo Part Two

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVjnlwjCpFw Part Three

 

I hope this helps

[+Allan]

woah, a trackball as the case? that seems like such a waste of the best controller atari ever made for the 5200 *cry*

 

I guess you haven't tried the Atari 7800 Painline controllers or the Intellivision Finger-Tip-Remover controllers or Coleco's Sit-n-Spin controller knobs designed for the hands of a three-year-old. I love all these systems but their controllers were far worse than the 5200 controllers. Finally Nintendo started to get it right although some of the after-market controllers were pretty decent like the Suncom Tac-2. Yea, the Sega Master system controllers weren't too bad as well.

 

Allan

[Jess Ragan]

@RetroGameGirl

Edited August 2, 2013 by Jess Ragan

[RetroGameGirl]

I guess you haven't tried the Atari 7800 Painline controllers or the Intellivision Finger-Tip-Remover controllers or Coleco's Sit-n-Spin controller knobs designed for the hands of a three-year-old. I love all these systems but their controllers were far worse than the 5200 controllers. Finally Nintendo started to get it right although some of the after-market controllers were pretty decent like the Suncom Tac-2. Yea, the Sega Master system controllers weren't too bad as well.

 

Allan

 

Actually I have, that is why I made custom controllers for those systems as well LOL

 

Also, the Tac-2 is one of my favorite joysticks of all time

[RetroGameGirl]

@RetroGameGirl

 

HA !

 

Funny :>

[AtariBrian]

I have never owned a tac 2 but the slik stik is one of my favorites . Is there a difference between the 2 ? Sometimes the slik stiks button can be a bit flat feeling .

Edited August 2, 2013 by AtariBrian

[RodLightning]

The little 5200 controller in the atari 2600 case (it used to be E.T.) was a fun experiment that I may recreate as it has been years since I did that build. I was considering using a similar method with a small MCU, perhaps a texas instruments low power one since I have 2 launchpads not being used, in conjunction with a digital resistance ladder type setup. Years ago I also saw and purchased a dedicated IC that was supposed to do something similar with a digital input but it never worked quite right. I wonder if I still have that chip around to tinker with a bit more, back then the output of it was logarithmic and not linear, and that made control extremely skewed. I wanted to build a proper analog joypad for it that was about the same size as my atari 7800 controller builds.

 

That's far beyond anything I ever considered but it sounds great if such a thing could be possible in hardware. If I understand correctly, tapping the digital input would produce a mid-range resistance while holding the switch long enough would gradually move the value to simulate a 5200 analog stick/pot being pushed all the way over?

 

Stick controllers always give me a headache, especially when having to factor in games that expect either a 4-way or 8-way movement.

[Charlie_]

HA !

 

Funny :>

 

I'm late, but welcome to Atariage. Good to see another 5200 fan in the irc channel as well.