Custom 5200 controller

[Jess Ragan]

That... is a lot to digest. I'm aware of Ohm's law, but I don't remember the specific formula. (I took an electrical class, but didn't do well and don't remember much from it.) Wiki says that it's I = V / R, where I is current, V is voltage, and R is resistance. I also understand that tilting the thumbstick adjusts resistance, and by proxy, voltage, which the how the Vectrex reads the thumbstick.

 

I'm looking at the schematic, and from what I'm seeing, it looks like I need to attach the middle pin of the thumbstick's X-axis to pin 5 (X), the left pin to a 4.7K resistor and then to pin 9 (-5V), and the right pin to a 10K resistor and then to pin 7 (+5V). Would that be a good start?

[SoundGammon]

Anyone have the diagram for Electra Concepts Masterplay Interface? My idea is to convert the 3 & 4 ports on a 5200 4-port model to 9 pin 2600/Sega Master System ports and interface it with ports 1 & 2. Then just use 5200 controllers in 1 and 2 for keypad input. Then just plug in 2600/Master System controllers in 3 & 4 to play!

[AtariBrian]

Anyone have the diagram for Electra Concepts Masterplay Interface? My idea is to convert the 3 & 4 ports on a 5200 4-port model to 9 pin 2600/Sega Master System ports and interface it with ports 1 & 2. Then just use 5200 controllers in 1 and 2 for keypad input. Then just plug in 2600/Master System controllers in 3 & 4 to play!

Very nice idea

[BigO]

I will take you up on that LOL I would love to try repairing one, maybe do a video teardown and repair on my channel

 

Failing that, maybe converting it :>

Next time I'm in the attic, I'll see what I still have.

Note: in AZ, we tend not to spend any more time than necessary in the attic during the summer. Then again, who really does spend more time in the attic than necessary any time of the year?

 

Shipping to AK might be prohibitively expensive?

[BigO]

That... is a lot to digest. I'm aware of Ohm's law, but I don't remember the specific formula. (I took an electrical class, but didn't do well and don't remember much from it.) Wiki says that it's I = V / R, where I is current, V is voltage, and R is resistance. I also understand that tilting the thumbstick adjusts resistance, and by proxy, voltage, which the how the Vectrex reads the thumbstick.

 

I'm looking at the schematic, and from what I'm seeing, it looks like I need to attach the middle pin of the thumbstick's X-axis to pin 5 (X), the left pin to a 4.7K resistor and then to pin 9 (-5V), and the right pin to a 10K resistor and then to pin 7 (+5V). Would that be a good start?

Sounds right. That other variable resistor that I mentioned should only be necessary to fine tune the centering so you can get started without it.

Left pin, right pin...as long as you have the center/wiper in the right spot switching the other two around would only make it work backward so not much to fret about there.

[RetroGameGirl]

Next time I'm in the attic, I'll see what I still have.

Note: in AZ, we tend not to spend any more time than necessary in the attic during the summer. Then again, who really does spend more time in the attic than necessary any time of the year?

 

Shipping to AK might be prohibitively expensive?

 

flat rate box USPS It is no more expensive than shipping anything to anywhere else in the USA

[BigO]

flat rate box USPS It is no more expensive than shipping anything to anywhere else in the USA

I was kinda thinking it wouldn't fit in one of the flat rate boxes. Seems like nothing I ever ship does fit them; as if they were designed that way.

We'll check out that option.

[Lynxpro]

Just a random thought I had when thinking about the original not centering, why not use a spring to pull each pots down to the mid position, I am illustrating it here with a rubber band as a proof of concept, but perhaps drilling a small hole under each one to attach a small spring that has a loop on each end, pulling it to the proper mid position. This would aid the original rubber boot. There are walls on each side of the pots that could be used as a possible mounting position.

 

 

 

I also had another idea, of using 2 springs to do basically the same thing, this might be useful for the bottom pot as the possible mounting positions are a bit limited without getting creative.

 

 

This doesnt do much for the button response, but that can be fixed with either gold contacts or other methods.

 

In place of a rubber band, I was thinking of using small springs, like these

 

 

Anyway, just a random thought on how to make the original joysticks self center without a huge modification.

 

Cheers

 

Bump!

 

RetroGameGirl:

 

Have you tried adding a spring to any 5200 pots in the past two years?

 

Supposedly, Atari had pots with springs in a variant of the 5200 joystick toward the end of the console's life. They were never released.

 

Curt Vendel has mentioned this before.

 

Now, there seems to be conflicting information back on his Atari Museum website. He has pictured the "Type 2" self-centering joystick which has a spring loaded module. It apparently doesn't have any pots yet the write-up seems to indicate it isn't a digital joystick since it mentions Atari engineers were working on a digital joystick as well as a [digital] arcade joystick.

 

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/5200joy.html

 

Not mentioned on the site is the even later version of the 5200 joystick that had 2 hard plastic fire buttons - like the 7800 ProLine Joystick - in the place of the mushy 4 fire buttons of the standard 5200 joystick. I believe that is the version of the joystick with the pot connected to a spring. I believe Curt has referred to it as a "5200L". It got canned as Atari Inc was transitioning to the 7800 in the traumatic early months of 1984 before Warner pulled the plug and sold the remnants of Atari Consumer to Jack Tramiel who sh*t canned most of the existing projects.

 

Other [known] 5200 controllers that were in various states of development that never were officially released included the 5200 Kids Controller, the 5200 Asteroids Controller, and Dan Kramer's side projects which would've been the 5200 Driving Controller [based upon Atari's Pole Position arcade steering wheel and shifter] and the 5200 Yoke Controller [based upon Atari's Star Wars arcade yoke]. That's also not counting the 5200 Paddles that were commonly created back in Atari's Consumer Engineering Lab for its own employees but apparently there were no plans to ever commercially release them.

[turbofly]

It's really too bad that version shown in the Atari museum link didn't make it to the mainstream. Looking at the pictures the joystick internals look a lot like the insides of a Nintendo 64 analog stick.

[fokakis79]

All of these ideas sound great for the Atari 5200. I wish I understood or had the know how to make a controller for Atari 5200. Does there exist a tutorial or a guide on how to build or mod a controller for the Atari 5200?

 

I wish someone would come up with a cheap alternative. I would pay 25.00 for a controller but it seems like all of the alternatives that are out there are 50.00 and above. Sadly, I don't have that much money laying around.

 

My only option is to build one myself. If someone has or can make a guide for us to use that would great. I understand I might be asking a lot. I also I understand it might not be possible.

 

I think every Atari 5200 fan on here would be very appreciative of it.

 

Thanks for this informative thread, though, it has got me excited about trying this project out.

[+grips03]

All of these ideas sound great for the Atari 5200. I wish I understood or had the know how to make a controller for Atari 5200. Does there exist a tutorial or a guide on how to build or mod a controller for the Atari 5200?

 

I wish someone would come up with a cheap alternative. I would pay 25.00 for a controller but it seems like all of the alternatives that are out there are 50.00 and above. Sadly, I don't have that much money laying around.

 

My only option is to build one myself. If someone has or can make a guide for us to use that would great. I understand I might be asking a lot. I also I understand it might not be possible.

 

I think every Atari 5200 fan on here would be very appreciative of it.

 

Thanks for this informative thread, though, it has got me excited about trying this project out.

 

 

this is what I use

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/231738-atari-5200-controller-pcb-eagle-files-to-download

[unicyclesuck1992]

All of these ideas sound great for the Atari 5200. I wish I understood or had the know how to make a controller for Atari 5200. Does there exist a tutorial or a guide on how to build or mod a controller for the Atari 5200?

 

I wish someone would come up with a cheap alternative. I would pay 25.00 for a controller but it seems like all of the alternatives that are out there are 50.00 and above. Sadly, I don't have that much money laying around.

 

My only option is to build one myself. If someone has or can make a guide for us to use that would great. I understand I might be asking a lot. I also I understand it might not be possible.

 

I think every Atari 5200 fan on here would be very appreciative of it.

 

Thanks for this informative thread, though, it has got me excited about trying this project out.

I totally understand where you're coming from man, but I picked up one of best electronics refurb cx52's and while they are pricey i can say it was well worth the money. unfortunately it seems thats the best option available at the moment, though i wish they would come up with an alternative cause I hate the way 5200, intellivision, and coleco controllers are laid out. down right uncomfortable.

[unicyclesuck1992]

 

 

this is what I use

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/231738-atari-5200-controller-pcb-eagle-files-to-download

do you by chance sell just the boards?

[+grips03]

do you by chance sell just the boards?

 

$20 for pcb with all the electronics on it, NOTE: pcb requires 2 normally open and 2 normally closed joystick microswitches. If the joystick microswitches have 3 terminals on them your all set.

$15 db15 cable

$7 keypad

$12 JST XH internal wiring (goes to buttons, keypad, and joystick)

$3 reset button

[bohoki]

you dont need to have nc/no miroswitches when i use leaf switch joys for right and down you can just connect the x and y to the fire button ground through the switch

 

 

ooops sorry that is your board's requirement

Edited February 18, 2016 by bohoki

[+grips03]

you dont need to have nc/no miroswitches when i use leaf switch joys for right and down you can just connect the x and y to the fire button ground through the switch

 

 

ooops sorry that is your board's requirement

yeah your design is slightly different than the one I use

[unicyclesuck1992]

 

$20 for pcb with all the electronics on it, NOTE: pcb requires 2 normally open and 2 normally closed joystick microswitches. If the joystick microswitches have 3 terminals on them your all set.

$15 db15 cable

$7 keypad

$12 JST XH internal wiring (goes to buttons, keypad, and joystick)

$3 reset button

Good to know man, perhaps when I come into more spending cash I'll have a new project to keep me busy