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Breaking news: Intellivision flashback coming to retail


Rev

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I will publish the details here shortly. Right now I just have my pen and paper notes / sketches of the changes needed. I have to put something together that's a little more 'readable' before I post it here.

 

How about just the pinout of the "new" controller. That would be enough for me. Even if you have to reference it in comparison to the original. Pin 1 is now Pin 7 etc

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Like the 2600 FB controllers, these should have been plug-in compatible in the first place. Why are they not?

 

That's the danger of overly long threads. The same topics get rehashed again and again (not a criticism, just that the last several posts have been things well covered here). As nurmix hinted at, it was a simple miscommunication between corporate and engineering, as the intention was always for them to be cross-compatible (in fact, that was one of the things I stressed to them early on as being a great feature if they could make it happen). Same thing on the ColecoVision Flashback side (though I won't test that myself until tonight, but the reports that the buttons are reversed don't give me hope). I don't know if either will be fixed for this run of the product (I consider that extremely unlikely), but if there are "2" versions (late 2015), it will almost certainly be rectified.

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It basically comes down to mis-wired pins.

 

 

To quickly add to this: The ColecoVision Flashback seems to be the exact same case. I didn't have time to document everything, but when I tried a CVFB controller on my 1982 ColecoVision using AtariMax's Diagnostic Cart, up/down/left/right/numkeypad were all producing different (but functional) results.

 

It appears we'll just need to engineer an adapter. I'd be interested in trying nurmix's adapter straightaway to test the results on the CVFB!

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Since I likely won't have time to make a more official 'document' for a while (with podcast production and Classic Gaming Expo preparations, not to mention 'real life' responsibilities), I'll just post my scanned paper notes and diagrams that I made as I worked out the differences between the two controllers.

 

The first thing I did was place the 2 matrices side-by-side, flattened out. Then with a multimeter, I made sure each "zone" (for lack of a better term) of the Flashback matrix matched up with the corresponding zones of the original matrix. For those who don't know, basically the Intellivision controllers send multiple signals on different pins, depending on what buttons or button & disc combinations are being pressed.

 

Once I knew the traces and zones were the same, it came down to mapping which zones went to which trace ends, and what the corresponding wire / pin was on the plug.

 

 

 

Note: In my images, the numbers, symbols and colors I used are just arbitrary things I created as I mapped things out.

 

post-19229-140908023949_thumb.jpg

 

post-19229-140908025722_thumb.jpg

 

post-19229-140908026858_thumb.jpg

Edited by nurmix
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To quickly add to this: The ColecoVision Flashback seems to be the exact same case. I didn't have time to document everything, but when I tried a CVFB controller on my 1982 ColecoVision using AtariMax's Diagnostic Cart, up/down/left/right/numkeypad were all producing different (but functional) results.

 

It appears we'll just need to engineer an adapter. I'd be interested in trying nurmix's adapter straightaway to test the results on the CVFB!

 

I haven't had a chance to open up a CV Flashback controller, but it sounds like it's a similar issue; although the Colecovision controllers work in a different way electrically than the Intellivision controllers. Therefore I'm doubtful my Intellivision adapter would work as is on a CV Flashback controller. But I'm sure one can be made quite easily.

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I'd consider that unlikely at this point, but if it changes, I'll let everyone know.

 

Went to my local Toys R Us and they had four in stock. Went to pay for one and the lady told me they can't sell it to me. Their system flags the release date of 10/1. They came in last week and the four has been sitting in the locked shelf. After I tried to buy one, they took all four back into the stock room.

 

Oh well......

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No worries.. Haha.

 

You can archive / post that information on your site too if you want, Rev.

Thats the plan man. I was going to try and use photoshop and make a cleaner diagram too.

 

Unless someone else can who is more qualified!

 

 

I was also going to attempt the fix myself internally, bypassing the need for an adapter.

 

Thanks

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Since I likely won't have time to make a more official 'document' for a while (with podcast production and Classic Gaming Expo preparations, not to mention 'real life' responsibilities), I'll just post my scanned paper notes and diagrams that I made as I worked out the differences between the two controllers.

 

The first thing I did was place the 2 matrices side-by-side, flattened out. Then with a multimeter, I made sure each "zone" (for lack of a better term) of the Flashback matrix matched up with the corresponding zones of the original matrix. For those who don't know, basically the Intellivision controllers send multiple signals on different pins, depending on what buttons or button & disc combinations are being pressed.

 

Once I knew the traces and zones were the same, it came down to mapping which zones went to which trace ends, and what the corresponding wire / pin was on the plug.

 

 

 

Note: In my images, the numbers, symbols and colors I used are just arbitrary things I created as I mapped things out.

 

attachicon.gifImageUploadedByTapatalk1409080231.214620.jpg

 

attachicon.gifImageUploadedByTapatalk1409080248.814455.jpg

 

attachicon.gifImageUploadedByTapatalk1409080263.131664.jpg

I love this information and it may be more simple to you and others, but please make that adapter you mentioned and it would be perfect for all of us! that would be awesome! Dale

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Thats the plan man. I was going to try and use photoshop and make a cleaner diagram too.

 

Unless someone else can who is more qualified!

 

 

I was also going to attempt the fix myself internally, bypassing the need for an adapter.

 

Thanks

Oh yeah, that's certainly an option. I forgot to post the Flashback matrix connector pictures. Anyway, you just need to de-solder the wires from the Flashback controller 'daughter board', then re-solder them in the correct order.

 

Keep in mind this would be more of a 'permanent' controller mod, making the controller only work on an original Intellivision console. But if that's your goal, this eliminates the need for any kind of adapter.

 

post-19229-140910308776_thumb.jpg

 

post-19229-140910311199_thumb.jpg

 

post-19229-140910316298_thumb.jpg

 

post-19229-140910328193_thumb.jpg

Edited by nurmix
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Intellivision Flashback

 

I wonder if they left the Easter Eggs in the games? Yes Intellivision games had Easter Eggs in them even though no magazines ever seemed to publish them other then Beauty and The Beast Easter egg.

 

On Space Armada try holding on the right controller both lower fire buttons and on the left 4 and 6 or on the right controller both lower fire buttons and on the left enter and then hit reset. Wait a minute I don't think that can be done since the reset button resets back to the game select screen. So I guess even as good as this Flash Back may be it's still not as good as the real hardware.

They should have put 3 buttons on the flash back unit, Power, Reset and menu.

Edited by daldude
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So my partner struck out at the Centennial location... but lo and behold, our friend Mike snagged one of the Colecos for me... and reported to me that, at the TRU up his way (Thornton/Westminster), they did indeed sell him the product (he picked up the complete pair for himself as well), but then went to stuff the remaining quantity into the back room to await the street date.

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I wonder if they left the Easter Eggs in the games? Yes Intellivision games had Easter Eggs in them even though no magazines ever seemed to publish them other then Beauty and The Beast Easter egg.

 

On Space Armada try holding on the right controller both lower fire buttons and on the left 4 and 6 or on the right controller both lower fire buttons and on the left enter and then hit reset. Wait a minute I don't think that can be done since the reset button resets back to the game select screen. So I guess even as good as this Flash Back may be it's still not as good as the real hardware.

They should have put 3 buttons on the flash back unit, Power, Reset and menu.

I wonder if pressing those when selecting the game is possible.

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Diagram Layout courtesy of Nurmix. Thanks

 

attachicon.gifintellivision flashback to mattel intellivision controller conversion wiring diagram.jpg

 

Ill edit with better colors after I take mine apart.

 

Which perspective are the top and bottom from? In other words, is the top diagram female (what the cable end is) and the bottom male (the receptacle in Intv II and the Sears that has the gold pins)?

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Which perspective are the top and bottom from? In other words, is the top diagram female (what the cable end is) and the bottom male (the receptacle in Intv II and the Sears that has the gold pins)?

Hmm, have to have nurmix chime in, i just copied his hand drawn specs.

 

 

Im 'assuming' they are controller cord ends....not the console.

Edited by revolutionika
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