bfollett Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I just recently found this web site, and it has me thinking about getting 8 bit Atari hardware again. I know I foolishly got rid of my 130XE and 1050 drive a decade ago, but I remembered I still have several add-ons and cartridges in my attic, so I decided to dig through them today. I easily identified most of the gear, but I had this one double joystick port cable with large black connector on the end that has me stumped. I have to admit to usually tearing apart items that break or no longer have any value to me, so the big black connecter may have actually been embedded in a device. Does anyone recognize it, or have a short list of Atari peripherals that used 2 joystick port. The heads of the joystick connectors have Atari's name and logo on them, so I think it may have been an add-on from Atari and not a third party. Thanks, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgle Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 80 column board? http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1484834 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted March 17, 2008 Author Share Posted March 17, 2008 80 column board? http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1484834 Although I remember wishing I'd owned an 80 column adapter, I never actually did. The only device I remember owning that used 2 joystick ports was computer eyes, but I still have that and its intact, so this cable rig had to have come from something else. This may just have to remain a mystery. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinosaur Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Could this be a joystick interface for some unusual printer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted March 17, 2008 Author Share Posted March 17, 2008 Could this be a joystick interface for some unusual printer? Well the only printer I owned for my Atari was the Okimate 10, and that didn't hook up to the joystick ports. I finished going through my attic today and I didn't find anything that those cables could have belonged to, so I guess its no big deal if it remains a mystery. I just hate to admitting to the whole declining memory thing, because I have no clue what I took those out of. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathy Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Hello yorgle 80 column board? http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1484834 AFAIK the ACE80 only emulates 80 columns. Meaning you get smaller characters using less pixels, instead of smaller characters with the same amount of pixels. Greetings Mathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 It's too difficult to tell exactly what that end connector is in the picture. Can you please take a front angle shot of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender II Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 (edited) I don't recall which Atari had inputs labeled Left & Right... Were those on the 2600 or 7800 or? Maybe it is for an input device for one of those? Edited March 18, 2008 by Defender II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 It has left/right obviously as it's converting the I/O from the big plug to two joystick ports. I'm thinking maybe it's just some sort of adapter for a newer controller - but it would be 10 times easier to guess if there was a proper view of the other plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender II Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Maybe an adapter to connect an arcade machine joystick? I've seen the inside of the Atari remote sticks and that's not it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayoK Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 If its marked left / right, then that would suggest a front facing machine (excludes XL and XE). Now the 800 has 4 ports, so I'd imagine it would indicate the port number then. Could it be something from 2600 / 5200 / 7800 range? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merrick Bill Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Is it possible that it's a replacement cable for the receiver unit for the Atari Wireless Joysticks? The receiver was a black box with an antenna and two joystick cables. It had a jack for the Atari power supply and a cable that came out of it and then plugged into the Atari power jack. The two wireless joysticks looked like original Atari joysticks except the base was much thicker and had an antenna sticking out. They had a power switch on the front and used 9 volt transistor batteries. Just a thought. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgle Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Hello yorgle 80 column board? http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1484834 AFAIK the ACE80 only emulates 80 columns. Meaning you get smaller characters using less pixels, instead of smaller characters with the same amount of pixels. Greetings Mathy There was a reference in that thread to Computer Eyes which apparently used the joystick ports. I guess I could have been more specific in my response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBoris Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 The connector is quite unusual, it looks very industrial from what I can see in the picture, reminds me of the type of connectors used in automobile wiring harnesses. It also looks like there are a bunch of jumper connections that loop back on that connector. If this cable was designed specifically for the device it was connecting to, these wouldn't be necessary since they would just do this on the PCB. This would lead me to believe that this cable connects to something that wasn't originally intended to be hooked to a computer, or at least to an Atari computer. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 If its marked left / right, then that would suggest a front facing machine (excludes XL and XE). Now the 800 has 4 ports, so I'd imagine it would indicate the port number then. Could it be something from 2600 / 5200 / 7800 range? I never owned a 5200 or 7800. My family did have a 2600 once apon a time, but we never bought any fancy hardware attachments for it. Mystery continues Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 The connector is quite unusual, it looks very industrial from what I can see in the picture, reminds me of the type of connectors used in automobile wiring harnesses. It also looks like there are a bunch of jumper connections that loop back on that connector. If this cable was designed specifically for the device it was connecting to, these wouldn't be necessary since they would just do this on the PCB. This would lead me to believe that this cable connects to something that wasn't originally intended to be hooked to a computer, or at least to an Atari computer. Dan I agree, the big black connector does look very industrial and it did remind me of an automobile wiring harness when I first pulled it out of storage. And yes, I did install audio hardware in my own cars back in the 80's, but I really don't remember any equipment in my car that had 2 atari joystick cords sticking out from it. I'd also be a little surprised that a manufacturer would purchase the cables from Atari. There were many 3rd party cables around that would have been cheaper. So strange, I just can't think of where the darn thing came from. LOL, and now I'm not only racking my brain considering Atari add-ons, now you have me trying to remember every piece of audio equipment I've purchased. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noelio Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Just a thought but I read before that "all data" used to use STs for auto shops and training systems. Perhaps its an interface for auto diagnostics? If not I would say it plugged into an 80 column device or a parallel print interface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybernoid Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) Weren't there some multiplexer hardware boxes that fit into the 8bit's joystick ports? Granted this looks like the Molex connectors found in arcade cabinets or under the dash in a car... Edited March 19, 2008 by Cybernoid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Weren't there some multiplexer hardware boxes that fit into the 8bit's joystick ports? Granted this looks like the Molex connectors found in arcade cabinets or under the dash in a car... So far, I didn't own any of the 2 port Atari hardware suggested by other forum members (other than computer eyes, which is still intact), so perhaps it was from something installed in a car. As someone earlier posted, it seems strange that an Atari device would label the joystick cords as left and right instead of 1 and 2. Left/Right would seem to be more in line with stereo gear. On the other hand using those types of cables on a car audio device also seem odd, so who knows! Maybe I should find car audio forum somewhere and see if there's some recognition there. The storage trunk I found that cable in was mostly filled with Atari gear, but now that I think of it there was also a car antenna booster in there, so its not outside the relm of possibility that this cable is also car related. Lol, in which case, I'm sorry for racking everyones brains. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayoK Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Hmmm... looking at the pictures even more, it seems that from each D9 connector there's all 9 cables. Tough to count, but it looks like that. If this is the case, then for each cable there is: 4 Data lines 1 5V+ 1 GND 2 POT lines 1 Trigger x2 cables, that's a lot of needs doesn't really site with an A8.It's possible that the manufacturer of this just used the Atari cables and wasn't an Atari themselves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Hmmm... looking at the pictures even more, it seems that from each D9 connector there's all 9 cables. Tough to count, but it looks like that. If this is the case, then for each cable there is: 4 Data lines 1 5V+ 1 GND 2 POT lines 1 Trigger x2 cables, that's a lot of needs doesn't really site with an A8.It's possible that the manufacturer of this just used the Atari cables and wasn't an Atari themselves? I just did a wire count. One connector uses 6 wires the other uses 8. See now I'm even more perplexed. If it was to some stereo equipment, you would think there would be equal lines going to both left and right channels. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgle Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 It appears to me that the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" labels are handprinted, perhaps with a paintmarker, suggesting that this may be homemade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roydea6 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The connector is quite unusual, it looks very industrial from what I can see in the picture, reminds me of the type of connectors used in automobile wiring harnesses. It also looks like there are a bunch of jumper connections that loop back on that connector. If this cable was designed specifically for the device it was connecting to, these wouldn't be necessary since they would just do this on the PCB. This would lead me to believe that this cable connects to something that wasn't originally intended to be hooked to a computer, or at least to an Atari computer. Dan Talking about industrial uses. In the mid 80's while visiting a friends shop. I saw a milling machines set up with DC motors driven by an atari 400 via the joystick ports. Never inspected the set up or cabling, but the programing drove the DC motors causing the table to move up,down, and side to side. The quill even had a DC motor on it connected to the 400.. The operator told me he had a program that would machine his name on a flat bar in cursive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBoris Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 It appears to me that the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" labels are handprinted, perhaps with a paintmarker, suggesting that this may be homemade. Hard to tell if they are hand printed. The piece the labels are on is probably shrink tubing. It's possible the text was printed on the tubing first, then it was shrunk on. This would lead to the text being a little uneven. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 That looks like controller harness from an Atari 2600 POP kiosk, it plugged into a coin-op type connector on the main PCB.... I've seen something similar to that in the past. Curt I just recently found this web site, and it has me thinking about getting 8 bit Atari hardware again. I know I foolishly got rid of my 130XE and 1050 drive a decade ago, but I remembered I still have several add-ons and cartridges in my attic, so I decided to dig through them today. I easily identified most of the gear, but I had this one double joystick port cable with large black connector on the end that has me stumped. I have to admit to usually tearing apart items that break or no longer have any value to me, so the big black connecter may have actually been embedded in a device. Does anyone recognize it, or have a short list of Atari peripherals that used 2 joystick port. The heads of the joystick connectors have Atari's name and logo on them, so I think it may have been an add-on from Atari and not a third party. Thanks, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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