Proline trak-ball model NO. CX22

[djmips]

Here's what I know. In my photos of my CX22 It has 5 chips.

LM339

4013

4538

4011

4019

 

Now in AtariAge CX22 schematic (here) You will notice that the chips listed are only the first four from my list (does not include 4019). If you look at the all black CX22 that 'LiQuiD iCe 9' has posted, it only has the first four chips as well. So it's closer to the AtariAge schematic than my CX22.

 

I don't know a source of a CX80 schematic. I wouldn't mind also seeing the schematic for that proposed 7800 unit.

 

Here is another point of interest. I have delved into the coding side of reading the CX80 vs the CX22 trackballs and it seems likely that the CX80 trackball would have much simpler hardware than the CX22 (also BTW the CX80 is 'compatible' with the driving controller and the Atari ST mouse)

 

Based on all of this it would seem that this black unit has the guts of an CX22 (it looks like it matches the AtariAge schematic) and it doesn't look simple enough to be a CX80.

 

But I've uncovered another minor mystery. I don't know what the additional 4019 is used for on my unit.

[LiQuiD iCe 9]

well, the schematic for cx-22 is dated 1983 my pcb is dated 1982 and labeled rev.1. how can it predate the schematic thats dated 12-26-83 (almost 1984)?

 

But I've uncovered another minor mystery. I don't know what the additional 4019 is used for on my unit.

just the 4 chips in mine since i have no switch maybe something has to change with the circut when you switch modes. i'm not seeing a switch in the schematic, but i don't read them to well (self taught).

 

does anyone know the release dates on cx-80 (post 1984?) and cx22 (pre 1982?).

djmips what year is your pcb?

 

an article and scan said to be from a 1983 Atari Game Catalog showing an all black 2600 trak ball and other peripherals. also predates the schematic if it was printed in 1983. this is the closest thing i can find to a date so far any other date i find says "198X".

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/...2006/06/page/2/

 

i'm just guessing, it could be a first version release and they must have had plans in the making for the switch option or maybe the option was droped and brought back later. It's most likely a cheaper last run for the 2600 trk-ball, if the white unit predates it, they were moving to the 5200 then, but why a newer schematic?

 

i'm starting to think the only way to findout is to ask someone who was there and-or incharge of it at the time. its looks to be such a mess they may not even remember how it played out.

[+Mitch]

 

Here is another point of interest. I have delved into the coding side of reading the CX80 vs the CX22 trackballs and it seems likely that the CX80 trackball would have much simpler hardware than the CX22 (also BTW the CX80 is 'compatible' with the driving controller and the Atari ST mouse)

 

 

You do know there are two different version of the CX80, right? Only one of them is Atari ST mouse compatible.

 

Mitch

[Danno]

 

Here is another point of interest. I have delved into the coding side of reading the CX80 vs the CX22 trackballs and it seems likely that the CX80 trackball would have much simpler hardware than the CX22 (also BTW the CX80 is 'compatible' with the driving controller and the Atari ST mouse)

 

 

You do know there are two different version of the CX80, right? Only one of them is Atari ST mouse compatible.

 

Mitch

The other is a CX-22 in a CX-80 case. These are the ones that Best Electronics sells.

 

I have one of these, and a real CX-22, with a BLACK bottom, not a white bottom. It also has the trak-ball/joystick switch removed, but the hole covered up on the casing. I gutted it, and wired the optics to a Mitsui Serial Mouse, and use it as a Trackball for Mame, and Saved the CX-80(22) for use with my 7800. Centipede-TB is awesome.

[LiQuiD iCe 9]

when i saw it i figured if it didn't work i'd just gut it for a mame trak ball. but it works so i want to try to find a way to leave the guts and run both.

has anyone tried one of those 2600 to usb adaptors with the trak ball?

 

i'm not fallowing Danno

I gutted it, and wired the optics to a Mitsui Serial Mouse, and use it as a Trackball for Mame,

are you saying you used the serial mouse(as in serial port?) and jumped the optics from the atari trak-ball pcb to the mouse's optics on its pcb?

or did you do somthing else?

how does it work for mame?

 

so far the best game i've played with it is starwars emipre strikes back you have so much precision it makes it almost to easy

[Danno]

when i saw it i figured if it didn't work i'd just gut it for a mame trak ball. but it works so i want to try to find a way to leave the guts and run both.

has anyone tried one of those 2600 to usb adaptors with the trak ball?

 

i'm not fallowing Danno

I gutted it, and wired the optics to a Mitsui Serial Mouse, and use it as a Trackball for Mame,

are you saying you used the serial mouse(as in serial port?) and jumped the optics from the atari trak-ball pcb to the mouse's optics on its pcb?

or did you do somthing else?

how does it work for mame?

 

so far the best game i've played with it is starwars emipre strikes back you have so much precision it makes it almost to easy

 

I unsoldered the optics from the Mitsui Serial Mouse, filed down the Atari Pcb to disconnect the optics from the rest of the atari circuitry, and then jumped the Trak-Ball optics to the PCB of the Serial Mouse.

 

To do this properly on the Original Atari CX-22 - you need to file down the Trak-Ball PCB between teh optics and teh rest of teh circuits, so that the optics contacts aren't connected to the CX-22 circuitry anymore. You cannot run it as an Atari Trak-Ball and a Serial mouse simultaneously. The circuits on the Atari PCB cause the Mitsui serial mouse to fail, and your PC to hang when wired parallel with the Atari CX-22 circuits still connected.

 

Incidentally - the CX-80 (with CX-22 circuitry) from Best Electronics has the optics on separate PCBs, with a 4 connector wire attaching them the the Trak-Ball's mainboard. It's MUCH easier to modify one of these to be a Serial/PS2 Trackball mouse. You can even wire in switches to leave it intact as both, but taht was more work than I was willing to put into it.

 

I just bought Two. One for the Atari, which I left alone, and one for the PC to use as a Trackball for mame. It's an AWESOME MAME trackball, and should cost about 1/4 of the HAPP or X-Arcade ones.

[LiQuiD iCe 9]

thanks for the info on the Trak-Ball to mouse mod. those happ and x-arcade ones a way to pricy for me to justify one. i like some TB games but $130 for parts and up and still have to build it. ouch!

 

i'll go through my 2600 games and see if its worth putting switches in to make it atari and pc compatible. I'm sure it'll be a pain probly have to cut traces and such. I think it might be (for me anyway) my games and stuff take up more space than i want already. so dual purpose is good

[Dauber]

Ten and a half year necrobump here!

 

I just got one of these same switchless CX-22 trackballs, and of course...Centipede TB on the 7800 doesn't work with it. That was the main reason I bought the trackball, too...

 

Ah well...

[Swami]

Ten and a half year necrobump here!

 

I just got one of these same switchless CX-22 trackballs, and of course...Centipede TB on the 7800 doesn't work with it. That was the main reason I bought the trackball, too...

 

Ah well...

 

Don't ask me why, but early CX-22's were joystick only. Looks like they planned for trackball with the case, but then decided against it - because no trackball games? Then later they started adding trackball mode, maybe because trackball mode missile command came out on the 800xl. CX80s all have both.

[@RealActorRob]

 

Don't ask me why, but early CX-22's were joystick only. Looks like they planned for trackball with the case, but then decided against it - because no trackball games? Then later they started adding trackball mode, maybe because trackball mode missile command came out on the 800xl. CX80s all have both.

 

Yeah, only the first 15,000 were joystick only. Service Manual.

[ITG33K]

On 5/27/2019 at 6:12 PM, @RealActorRob said:

 

Yeah, only the first 15,000 were joystick only. Service Manual.

So sad it took 10 years for someone to identify the rarity of the CX22 Proline Trak-Ball units.  And to think someone in this thread bastardized one of only 15,000 produced into a mouse mod.  *smh*

[Fruktodlaren]

On 10/26/2019 at 4:40 PM, ITG33K said:

So sad it took 10 years for someone to identify the rarity of the CX22 Proline Trak-Ball units.  And to think someone in this thread bastardized one of only 15,000 produced into a mouse mod.  *smh*

I recently got my hands one a Proline Trak-Ball in a mostly decomposed box. I got it because I wanted to use it for my vectrex. But joystick mode only does not do me any good in the trackball games.
Is there a way to hack the trackball functionality back into this one, or should I rather try to trade it for a regular white bottom CX22 trackball with someone?