Atari ST 520 Controller Problems

[Austin]

Probably a stupid question, but I am curious what controllers/joysticks are compatible with the Atari ST systems? In particular, I have an Atari ST 520. I actually received this system about a year ago, but honestly, I haven't gotten any controllers to work with it fully. I was thinking, "Hey, it's got Atari/Sega ports on it," so I tried both 2600 and Sega Genesis and Master System controllers/joysticks on it, but no go. I don't even think the Atari joysticks worked right, and the Sega controllers acted weird.. Super finicky. I am starting to think the joystick port on it is wonky or doesn't work, but that's no good because apparently keyboard controls don't work at all in the games I have tried (such as R-Type). I am really curious to know what people have gotten to work with their computers, or if perhaps mine is completely busted. (which would suck!).

[Sub(Function(:))]

Atari joysticks should work fine,

 

That is to say anything working on Atari 8bit/2600/C=64

 

how is you mouse behaving?

Edited September 16, 2013 by Sub(Function(:))

[GadgetUK]

OK, basically any joystick that works with the Amiga, or C64 will work with the ST. Also the original Atari one button sticks that have the D type connector also work fine with the ST.

 

If you are using one of those and getting problems with certain directions or fire not working its likely dry solder joints on the ports - it's a very common problem. I describe the fix here in the last few mins of this video I did recently - Jump to about 27 minutes in.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NecW-gh6jKM

[Charlie_]

Try the joysticks in port 2. (if you haven't already)

[Austin]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I have come to the conclusion then that it's likely bad ports. I will check the video linked above to see about correcting it.

 

It's a shame the games I have tried don't support control via the keyboard. Is this typical for ST titles?

[GadgetUK]

You can probably test if its the ports by wiggling the connector around whilst its plugged in and holding a button / direction on the joystick or mouse. If it shows some sign of life when doing that it is just the old dry joint problem.

[tjlazer]

Yes port 1 is for the mouse! So if you are trying to use a joystick in port 1 it wont work in a game unless if supports it for Player 2. Use port 2 and try any game.

[twoquickcapri]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I have come to the conclusion then that it's likely bad ports. I will check the video linked above to see about correcting it.

 

It's a shame the games I have tried don't support control via the keyboard. Is this typical for ST titles?

If you want to send it back to me I can fix the problem. Its weird that your having a problem with the ST, I put around 4-6 hours of game play on it before I sent it to you.

[Austin]

If you want to send it back to me I can fix the problem. Its weird that your having a problem with the ST, I put around 4-6 hours of game play on it before I sent it to you.

 

You know what the problem may have been? I think at the time (about a year ago) I may have only been testing it with a Genesis controller. Having made this topic, I decided to bring it back out tonight and I tried a VCS joystick (which I didn't have last year), and sure enough, it works fine. I also tested it with my 7800 euro style control pad, and it works with that as well (I don't know why I didn't bother trying that last year, I did have that then). The last test was with a Master System controller, and thankfully it works great with it (I don't know if I could have stood another level of R-Type with the VCS joystick, haha!). Of course, that's keeping in mind the recommendation to put it into the *second* controller port, not the one with the mouse icon on it.

 

So, it looks like there wasn't ever a problem to begin with. Total user error, hehe. I'm glad that turned out to be the case. Now to try these games I have.

[Charlie_]

You know what the problem may have been? I think at the time (about a year ago) I may have only been testing it with a Genesis controller. Having made this topic, I decided to bring it back out tonight and I tried a VCS joystick (which I didn't have last year), and sure enough, it works fine. I also tested it with my 7800 euro style control pad, and it works with that as well (I don't know why I didn't bother trying that last year, I did have that then). The last test was with a Master System controller, and thankfully it works great with it (I don't know if I could have stood another level of R-Type with the VCS joystick, haha!). Of course, that's keeping in mind the recommendation to put it into the *second* controller port, not the one with the mouse icon on it.

 

So, it looks like there wasn't ever a problem to begin with. Total user error, hehe. I'm glad that turned out to be the case. Now to try these games I have.

 

I had troubles using 7800 controllers with the ST. If it was plugged in when I turned the system on the keyboard would not work correctly.

I had to plug the 7800 pad in after the system was on and booted. The master system pad is a better option but that d-pad is hard for me to use. I'm always hitting a diagonal with it.

[+DarkLord]

AND that in itself can be dangerous. I've always been told to never plug/unplug

joysticks or mice on the ST with the power on, because it can blow something...

[GadgetUK]

Not sure about the ST, but that's certainly the case with the Amiga - unplugging and plugging controllers and mice whilst powered on can damage CIA chips.

[oky2000]

Nah after 28 years of using Amigas never blown an IC via D9 ports. The printer/serial ports however can easily fry logic ICs yes.

 

I ALWAYS have problems using Sega 16bit joypads on my STs, bloody annoying. Still I have 4 decent joysticks (Zipstick/Competition Pro) so it's all good (especially as I mainly use Megas or STMs so the ports are not under the machine).

[MrMaddog]

I played around with using Genesis controlers on the ST years ago. They and the 7800 joysticks use paddle signals for the extra buttons which screw up the ST's keyboard chip. In fact when you boot up, it'll freeze as it can't read the keyboad, joystick and mouse. The SMS gamepad will work as the 2nd button doesn't use the paddle signal (I used an Atari 8-bit to test controlers to see how they work). Though you can use the Genesis gamepad in the mouse port with no problems for two player games....

[GadgetUK]

Nah after 28 years of using Amigas never blown an IC via D9 ports. The printer/serial ports however can easily fry logic ICs yes.

 

I ALWAYS have problems using Sega 16bit joypads on my STs, bloody annoying. Still I have 4 decent joysticks (Zipstick/Competition Pro) so it's all good (especially as I mainly use Megas or STMs so the ports are not under the machine).

 

It's a fact, it's just not very common. I've never worked out if its static elecricity that causes it or what but when I was in the repair trade I had quite a few in where someone had plugged a stick or mouse in and then found the system died. A guy from Commodore also talked about this in a video, and in particular why the CIAs on the C64 were extremely prone to that type of failure.

[twoquickcapri]

So, it looks like there wasn't ever a problem to begin with. Total user error, hehe. I'm glad that turned out to be the case. Now to try these games I have.

Have you had time to play any games on it yet? What do you think? R-type and UN Squadron? Don't really remember what other games I sent along with it. Lotus maybe.

[Austin]

Have you had time to play any games on it yet? What do you think? R-type and UN Squadron? Don't really remember what other games I sent along with it. Lotus maybe.

 

The R-Type games and UN Squadron are a bit tough to play due to choppiness and slowdown, but Lotus runs great and is a blast to play. Nebulus is pretty impressive and is much more involved from a visual perspective than the 7800 version I'm used to. Parasol Stars is a pretty solid port, despite its framerate choppiness as well. Dynamo (I think that's it?) is a pretty cool platformer. Nice visuals and sound overall in that one. The pinball game (Pinball Magic, I think?) is a bit weak (which was expected, hehe), and there was one more pseudo Space Harrier-esque game that impressed me, but was pretty difficult, that I can't remember the name to. All in all though, you bundled some really cool games with it. If I get another ST with more memory down the line, maybe some of these will run better (like the arcade conversions).