Wico 5200 splitter cable to 2600 paddles troubleshooting

[ave1]

So, I don't see a tutorial online for this... but I think I can do this just by comparing the pinouts for the 9 pin connector on the Wico splitter to the 9 pin on the 2600 paddle controllers and make sure each pin is assigned correctly. I have a cord that has a 9 pin male connector (solderless thing I got off Ebay from China) on one end and a 9 pin female connector (solderless too) on the other end.

 

Here's the pinout for the Wico 9 pin connector of the splitter cable:

 

1) +5V

2) -

3) GND

4) Top fire button

5) Bottom fire button

6) Vert POT

7) POT Common

8 ) Horizon POT

9) -

 

Here's the pinout for the Atari 2600 paddle 9 pin connector:

 

1) -

2) -

3) left paddle fire button

4) right paddle fire button

5) right X-axis

6) -

7) +5V

8 ) GND

9) left X-axis

 

So, I made the adapter cable with pin 1 of the Wico 5200 side going to pin 7 of the 2600 side. Pin 3 of the Wico going to pin 8 of the 2600 side. 5 of Wico going to pin 3 of the 2600 side. Pin 6 of the Wico going to pin 5 of the 2600 side. And pin 8 of the Wico going to pin 9 of the 2600 side.

 

When it's plugged in I get the fire button working to launch the ball in Super Breakout, but no bar for hitting the ball appears on the bottom of the play screen. Moving either paddle around does nothing because the bar is absent.

 

I tried disconnecting pin 5 of the 2600 paddle controller from the Wico's pin 6 and got no change in the results.

 

Anyone want to take a stab at explaining what i did wrong? I'd like to get this working.

Edited August 31, 2015 by ave1

[BigO]

I probably should draw a picture before I try to analyze this, but here goes anyway...

 

"Pin 6 of the Wico going to pin 5 of the 2600 side"

 

Pin 6 of Wico is labeled as the vertical pot input on your first pinout.

Isn't the paddle movement of 5200 Super Breakout horizontal?

 

Try connecting pin 8 of the Wico side to pin 5 of the 2600 side?

I also see that you call out connecting to the left paddle fire button (2600 pin 3), but the right pot input (2600 pin 5).

According to the 2600 pinout you supply, I would expect the use of pins 3 & 9 (left paddle), or 4 & 5 (right paddle).

 

 

Before rewiring, you could maybe try a 5200 game that has vertical movement to see if your existing setup provides vertical input as I suspect.

Edited August 31, 2015 by BigO

[bohoki]

paddles for 2600 are reverse what the 5200 does

 

see the 5200 has full hard left be low ohm and full right 500kohm center is somewhere around 240k

 

paddles for 2600 have full left be 1 meg ohm and full right o ohm (so to fix that you open the controller unsolder the wire from the outside contact and attach it to the other side)

 

so when you get it working you will really only be using 100 degrees of movement

 

forget using the 5v line only the trakball uses it on the 5200 but the 2600 5v line = the pot common

 

try using missile command and try spinning the dial both ways to their stops on both controllers

Edited August 31, 2015 by bohoki

[BigO]

Oh, yeah. Been so long since I messed with a 5200 controller, I forgot about the opposite action. That is true.

[ave1]

Okay, I'll make the adjustments this evening when I get home and let you know how it goes.

[ave1]

Alright, bohoki, It works properly now It's great to have a genuine paddle controller because it allows for better pinpoint control. I am really glad this worked! Now I guess I'm going to *have to* get Tempest.

[bohoki]

before you get tempest try playing space invaders and moon patrol with the paddle cause that is what it feels like on tempest

[ave1]

Hmm, ok. I'll also see what the Ultra Racer feels like using your PC controller adapter...

 

Is there a spinner that can plug into your PC adapter that might be better?

[bohoki]

well its 2 issues #1 spinnner is direction and speed like your mouse or the trakball in one axis and #2 the game has to want to deal with that type of movement

 

arcade tempest has a almost spinner absolute position feel but it is not

 

its impossible to replicate a spinner a spinner is a spinner the 2600 did it with the indy 500 controller which was severly underutilized

 

i would have made tempest use the joystick as an absolute position spinner simulation but from that can rise game idiosyncracys

like how fast should you move

 

what if you are at 6 oclock and you shoot straight up to 12 should it take the path around 3 or around 9

 

the only game that comes close to that feel is gyruss but it works with a sort of overlapping bowls technique

 

you can add a switch to choose between pin 12 (trakball power) or the standard

 

 

if you have a switch you from the (take a wire pin 9 to the middle contact), then (a wire pin from 12 to one side of switch )and lastly the wire that was originally attached to pin 9 to the other side of the switch (you should only switch it while the power is off it shoud'nt hurt anything if you do but the console should boot in one or the other)

 

you can notice little differences in movement while in trakball mode and the pole position shift moves to the keypad

Edited September 2, 2015 by bohoki

[ave1]

Interesting stuff- I'll consider it. Appreciate the info

[ave1]

I really have to wonder how the Logitech Cyberman 2 controller might work on Tempest, Super Breakout, or Dreadnaught Factor with the PC gameport controller adapter. Anyone here have one or want to get one so some of us can consider it?

 

There's a 1997 review on this page which mentions that the knob on the controller spins: http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=42141

 

This might be very worth getting for the sake of playing the PC version of Tempest 2000, come to think of it.

Edited September 3, 2015 by ave1

[bohoki]

it will probably not work since it is for win95 only that means to me it is a driver based controller there was a little time before usb when controllers plugged into the gameport and a windows driver would interface with it like a serial device

[ave1]

Well alright then... I am sticking with the Paddles and my Ultra Racer then.

[Lynxpro]

I really have to wonder how the Logitech Cyberman 2 controller might work on Tempest, Super Breakout, or Dreadnaught Factor with the PC gameport controller adapter. Anyone here have one or want to get one so some of us can consider it?

 

There's a 1997 review on this page which mentions that the knob on the controller spins: http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=42141

 

This might be very worth getting for the sake of playing the PC version of Tempest 2000, come to think of it.

 

5200 Tempest is coded to work with the CX-53 Trak-Ball, not rotary/spinner controllers. Jaguar Tempest 2000 has code built-in for a rotary/spinner controller.

 

If you want 5200 Tempest to support spinners, then the homebrew community will have to rally around a 5200 spinner standard and then get Albert and Keithen Hayenga interested in updating Tempest to support it. That and someone doing a binary hack to 5200 Gyruss to also support such a spinner.