Intellivision Controllers and Amico System

[Intellivision Controllers and Amico System]

12 minutes ago, flickertail said:

Thanks, after I checked out that page, it became apparent that I'll be able to implement the controllers with the proper conversion cables. Unfortunately, because there is no power pin, the MrBoehm won't be able to backpower off the controller ports, but who knows if that will really be a viable option, even for the Atari's.

 

Should still be able to get it to work with a reasonable USB battery or USB power source. Pin wise, it looks really easy to implement.

Yes, an external power source will be needed.

 

It would be best if you have optoisolaters used between the console and whatever adapter you are planning on building.  This way the console never sees anything other than its own ground signal. 

 

Or at minimum a diode on each pin so the circuit's power isn't fed into the Intellivision console.  Otherwise you can get this issue:

 

 

[Intellivision Controllers and Amico System]

There is no power pin on the Intellivision controller.

 

Pin 5 is the common ground.

 

So as any particular button, or disc direction, is pressed you are simply passing ground to those needed pins.

 

The pins are pulled up in the console, and pulled low by pressing something on the controller.

 

If you measure the voltage of the pins when nothing is pressed, it would measure 5v

[BBlocks (Completed!)]

Yeah, with a 2K game you need to concentrate on the core game, including 2-player support.

 

I am always surprised by how much game can get packed into a 2k game 

 

But your next game, BBlocks 2, will be action packed with additional suggestions, power ups, exploding combos and moreso 

[Intellivision Controllers and Amico System]

You just need to map out to the needed pins on the original console or the Intv2 console.

 

It is all shown here:

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web Archives/Deathskull (May-2006)/games/tech/intvcont.html

 

[Problem Building Intellivisionaries's Flashback Cable]

1 hour ago, nurmix said:

My info is ‘wrong’ but somehow my cables work...

I have seen pin numbering in DB9 connectors shown as left to right, and right to left. My system is based on looking at both the male and female ends facing me, side by side. It just works for my way of thinking about it I guess - even if the numbers are reversed.

Here’s my little ‘cheat sheet’ reference card I use when making the cables.





•Sent from my Intellivision keypad phone

that is correct:

 

Male:

 

 

Female:                                            

 

[Affordable Analog Arcade stick?]

 

3 hours ago, scotty said:

Nothing a 3D printer cant fix.  Would not be hard to make something that slips right over top of it, and you would never know the difference.

 

Yeah, thanks.  That is something I've not thought of.

 

One more reason for me to get a 3D printer

 

These are a little cheaper off of ebay, but i like Adafruit 

 

3 hours ago, scotty said:

Hmmmm, I might have to make my own 5200 controller when I get the time.   

 

For the real 5200 controller experience you can get one of these in the "non-auto-centering" versions 

https://ebay.us/wsyT4r 

 

[Play Your Atari 2600 Games on Intellivision II]

Yeah, the good ol' System Changer. 

 

You could play using Atari controllers or play with Intellivision controllers. 

 

Playing Atari games using the Intellivision controllers never felt quite right. 

 

Atari threatened to sue Mattel, but it was shown to be a clone with all off the shelf hardware, and Atari didn't think they'd win so no lawsuit was drawn up. 

 

 

[Joysticks?]

That's my thought, too

[Joysticks?]

It looks sloppy to me.

 

Zoom in on picture #5. 

 

It looks like a piece of pipe/tubing glued over the stick with a button on it. 

[iCade on Android]

I've never purchased an iCade, but I was looking at one recently that was on the used market.

I was considering whether or not a Raspberry Pi could utilize it via bluetooth and I'd get a small HDMI monitor for it.

 

I know people have rebuilt them using a Pi, but I don't know if the stock iCade is usable as-is on a Pi.

 

Here is one such rebuild:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=159642.0

[Affordable Analog Arcade stick?]

@Andromeda Stardust  Did you ever find an affordable analog arcade stick.

 

I am also looking for one.

 

There is this one from Adafruit for $20 with 10k pots, so that isn't a bad price, but except for the fact that it is a bit on the small side.

 

https://www.adafruit.com/product/3102

 

[Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A]

2 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

There's even been talk of having me go to China and sign them all in the factory to save shipping everything to the Intellivision offices!!  No joke!
 

 

 

 

[Chess]

42 minutes ago, Andrew Davie said:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

[BBlocks (Completed!)]

I've never played Bejeweled, but I like to play the M&M Flip the Mix game

https://archive.org/details/FlipTheMix

 

Are you keeping track of the number of possible moves internally in the background?

 

The M&M Flip the Mix game gives an indication of the number of possible moves/matches.

 

And when there are zero possible moves (game over for your version), then the M&M game gives you three shuffles per game.

 

So the game isn't over until the number of possible matches is zero and there are no shuffles remaining.

 

If displaying the number of possible moves isn't feasible, then how about an indication of some kind when the number of possible moves is 1 or less than 5.  Possible indications could be a change in color of the score, or a change in color of the background, or play a certain sound effect, or the background music changes to something more ominous/scary

 

[The Ultimate Intellivision Flashback]

21 minutes ago, donjn said:

I am not getting why any of you are confused. Lets start over.

 

1. I never said I owned a Pi. What in this sentence sounds like I own one?: "But running a Pi and then through your LCD HDMI seems like there would be some input delay. Thoughts?"

2. I use the Flashback on the Commodore 1702, but it lacks the Tron games.

3. I also use my computer to play Nostalgia for the Tron games.

4. I would like to have ONE PLACE where I can play all of my Intellivision games (preferably on the 1702). I can do this on the Nostalgia but prefer the 1702.

5. I am thinking of getting my Intellivision Flashback modded (hence, why I posted in this thread) 

6. I was concerned about lag but that seems to have been answered because you can do composite out on the Pi instead of going through an LCD which would introduce some lag.

 

 

OK, your original post made it sound like you already have a Pi.

 

No worries, we are all here to help.

 

I've never used the composite out from the Pi, but it is there.

[The Ultimate Intellivision Flashback]

14 minutes ago, donjn said:

I don't think you are understanding me. I do NOT use my computer to the 1702:

 

I use the Flashback on the Commodore 1702.

I also use my computer to play Nostalgia for the Tron games.

 

 

Well I'm confused.

 

 

10 hours ago, donjn said:

But running a Pi and then through your LCD HDMI seems like there would be some input delay. Thoughts?

You state that your Pi is connected to LCD HDMI

 

And mr_me correctly stated:

6 hours ago, mr_me said:

All digital televisions have latency but some models are worse than others, so select the right TV.  You can also improve that latency by turning off picture processing in your TV e.g. game mode.

Do a google search and you can see that this is a quite common issue.

 

So if you don't want lag, then connect your Pi to the 1702, as mr_me recommended:

6 hours ago, mr_me said:

Connect your raspberry pi to your 1702 monitor and you should get similar response as the flashback.

All Pi have composite out, so this will fix your lag issue.

 

You also stated:

21 minutes ago, donjn said:

I also use my computer to play Nostalgia for the Tron games.

So what is your computer's display?  You don't mention if it is an HDMI monitor or not.

 

If it isn't HDMI then you can get a RPi VGA HAT and connect your Pi to the same display as your computer.

 

 

[Happy Birthday America]

Thanks, Hankster.

 

Happy 4th to you and yours, too.

[Gooninuff - work in progress]

4 hours ago, cmadruga said:

Oh so you never saw it on the Jzintv either? I was going to say I’ve been unable to replicate it so far, and I have been using Jzintv only.

 

5 hours ago, skywaffle said:

It's interesting that the behavior doesn't happen on JZIntv.  I've rarely seen differences between testing games on the emulator versus the LTO.  

 

Not sure, but I'd imagine that if there is a difference between jzintv and real hardware, then this may be something that @intvnut may be able to help with to get the emulator emulating the same way as the real hardware.

[SHARK SHARK 2! ADD-ON PACKAGE.]

54 minutes ago, Steve Jones said:

Yes everything you said is correct. To swap a board from an old Intellivision cart, remove the 2 screws on the bottom (use an older cart that has screws, newer ones didn't), take out the existing board, put in the new one, put screws back in. Easy as pie, should take less than 5 minutes. Only possible problem is if you put the new board in upside down.

Yeah, you don't want to put the board in upside down - trying to swim around and eat fish while upside down is quite the challenge 

[Intellivision games matching Star Wars saga scenes]

27 minutes ago, intellivotion said:

in this case I would also put in the list the true Zaxxon game compatible with the Intellivision system: Space Raid

btw, what are you referring to? Rogue One ends with the long battle on planet Scarif

Yeah, the Rebels never really attacked/bombed any city/planet directly with their ships - At least not that I recall

 

The battle at Scarif was a ground assault with a big space battle.

 

[Intellivision games matching Star Wars saga scenes]

2 hours ago, Sinjinhawke said:

Any Intellivision games with bombing?

 

A little game called Bomb Squad 

 

...oh, wrong type of bombing 

 

27 minutes ago, IntyFanMatt said:

Mission X is all about bombing targets. 

[Intellivision games matching Star Wars saga scenes]

These last few entries stretch the imagination some, so I will offer that Pitfall is really the Jedi training on Degobah

[Using 2 mice with Stella emulator]

6 hours ago, RetroBreakout said:

I ordered a 2600-dapter - D9 version a few days ago which should arrive within 2-3 weeks (from usa to uk). I'm really looking forward to trying out my paddles that i've not used since i was a kid. Hopefully i've purchased the correct adaptor. 

Yes, that is good good adapter. 

 

You should be quite happy with it. 

[Using 2 mice with Stella emulator]

Reach out to the makers of the adapter you purchased and see if the paddle support could be added

[paddles will not work]

13 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

I sprayed the ports yesterday with no success. 

 

1 hour ago, emerson said:

When you sprayed the controller, did you open it up and spray the inside of the potentiometer? If not then do that. Spray it and turn the knob full a bunch of times then spray it again and turn the knob a bunch of times then spray it and let it dry. When it's clean you should measure a smooth change in resistance as you turn the knob. While it's drying do a continutiy test on the wires between the potentiometer and the connector that plugs into the console.

 

I think there is some confusion between "I sprayed the ports" and spraying the pots inside the controller - i think he is meaning the DB9 ports on the console, and not the pots into the paddle controller.

 

17 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

I hooked the paddle and driving controllers to another system today and they worked fine.  I sprayed the ports yesterday with no success. Does anyone know if I can purchase new ports from someone Thanks

If the controllers work fine on another console, then spraying the ports on this bad console isn't going to gain you much.

 

You are going to need to dig deeper for the issue.