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Hand Controller Diagram


wongojack

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Is there a disassembly diagram somewhere for the hand controller? I've got one where I can't get the pot working, and I wanted to take it completely apart.

 

I don't think that I've seen a diagram of the Astrocade's hand controller. Nor do I recall a picture of the inside of the controller. The next time that I open a controller up, I'll take some pictures of it. The value of the pot is 50K ohms. The Bally/Astrocade FAQ has the pinouts of the Astrocade controller:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/faqs/bally-astrocade_faq.txt

 

Be careful when you're taking the controller apart, as the screws tend to strip the plastic when you're putting the controller back together.

 

Adam

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I don't think that I've seen a diagram of the Astrocade's hand controller. Nor do I recall a picture of the inside of the controller. The next time that I open a controller up, I'll take some pictures of it. The value of the pot is 50K ohms. The Bally/Astrocade FAQ has the pinouts of the Astrocade controller:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/faqs/bally-astrocade_faq.txt

 

Be careful when you're taking the controller apart, as the screws tend to strip the plastic when you're putting the controller back together.

 

Adam

 

Thanks - and yes not all the screws went back in tightly. I do believe some of the holes are now stripped in another one I worked on. I think it happened taking the screws out. It was kind of difficult to get the screws out. Not really sure what to do about that exactly.

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yes not all the screws went back in tightly. I do believe some of the holes are now stripped in another one I worked on. I think it happened taking the screws out. It was kind of difficult to get the screws out. Not really sure what to do about that exactly.

 

The Astrocade controllers are made of a plastic used in the plumbing industry. I can't remember which plastic exactly, but I think it's ABS, the same type of plastic used to make Lego blocks. There is special glue made for this that you can use to glue the plastic back together easily. However, if you use it to glue your Astrocade controller back together, then you'll have a really hard time opening it again. This glue is best used on the Astrocade controller if a piece breaks off of it. I've not done this before, but I've heard it works great.

 

It's a little late now, but the next time you take apart an Astrocade controller and are tightening the screws, start off by turning the screw in the wrong direction (left) until the screw "clicks" into place (about 1/4-to-1/2 a turn), then tighten the screw as normal. This allows the screw to find its threading and prevents it from re-threading and thus stripping the plastic.

 

Since you already took your Astrocade hand controller apart, did you manage to fix the pot? Was it just dirty?

 

Adam

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Good tip on how to screw it back together.

 

I did fix one controller by cleaning the pot with some contact cleaner. It is the same stuff I use on 2600 paddles and it really works.

 

However, that didn't work for the other controller. It is very strange, I can measure the resistance on the pot with a meter both directly on the pot and on the pins in the controller DB9 cable. I can watch it roll from 0 up to 55, but when I try to play gunfight, the gun won't move a millimeter. There's no jitter or anything on screen that would make it seem like the pot is turning at all.

 

I was trying to take the pot completely apart, but I don't really know if that is possible since the astrocade has those long pot stems. I'm not really sure what to try next.

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It is very strange, I can measure the resistance on the pot with a meter both directly on the pot and on the pins in the controller DB9 cable. I can watch it roll from 0 up to 55, but when I try to play gunfight, the gun won't move a millimeter. There's no jitter or anything on screen that would make it seem like the pot is turning at all.

 

Hmmm, that's a puzzler. When you say you can watch the values go from "0 up to 55," you mean K ohms, right? If not, then there is your problem. If resistance is reading up to about 50K ohm, then I'm not sure how to steer you in the right direction now.

 

I did remember that "ArcadeUSA" made a video of the Astrocade controller, here:

 

 

It would be cool to make a review of just the Astrocade controller. It remains a unique controller (on a home control) to this day.

 

I've noticed lately that Astrocade controllers are for sale on ebay for about $50. I'm not sure if they fetch that price, but I was a little surprised. I guess I shouldn't be though, as there is no alternative for the Astrocade controller. Sure, you can use an Atari-compatible joystick on the Astrocade if you make an adapter, but you won't have the function of the Astrocade's knob.

 

Adam

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It is K Ohms, and I can measure from 0 to 55 quite easily with the controller disconnected.

 

I still can't figure this out. I thought I was onto something for a few minutes when I discovered a measurable resistance value between each of the pot pins and the joystick ground (should be 0). I straightened out the cord real good and got readings I expected, but there is still no movement on screen in gunfight.

 

With the controller open, I was able to get readings from the pot pins while turning the knob and it went up to 40 K Ohms. It could be that under load the readings are different. I haven't done the same test with a working controller. Thing is that the knob was still varying the resistance so you'd think the Astrocade would detect some change and move the gun up and down a little. I'm not an engineer, so I don't know how valid that assumption is really.

 

My only idea at this point is to try and clean the inside of the pot components, but I don't really know how to disassemble them. It could be they can't really be taken apart in an easy way, so I may have to resort to shoving and prying.

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My only idea at this point is to try and clean the inside of the pot components, but I don't really know how to disassemble them. It could be they can't really be taken apart in an easy way, so I may have to resort to shoving and prying.

 

Even if the pot is dirty, you should get some movement on the screen when turning the pot. Even if it is really dirty, then the worst that would happen is that the movement would be jittery. I've opened and cleaned pots (using Isopropyl alcohol-- not rubbing alcohol) on the 2600 paddles, and it makes them work like new again. They're really not meant to be opened, but you can pry them open with a screwdriver (but even if you're very careful you might still ruin the metal parts that hold the pot together). I'm guessing that this would work with an Astrocade pot, but I'm not sure.

 

I suppose that it's possible that the Bally's custom I/O chip (part # 0066-117xx) has an issue, and even a good known-good controller won't work, but I'm not sure how to test for this problem (uh, except the obvious, with a working controller).

 

Adam

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Thanks for the continued responses . . . yeah if a dirty pot is the problem, it should move somehow right?

 

FYI, a working controller works on the same Astrocade. I tried multiple ports too . . . well at least player 1 and player 2

 

I pried the metal end off of the pot (done that with 2600 paddles too), but because the pot knob is so long, I need to detatch a couple clips and somehow remove the knob to get everything completely apart. I'm not really sure if it is worth it. Perhaps I put this back together and mark it as a joystick/fire only controller. In the process of my tinkering, I've also disconnected the "up" wire, so until I fix that, I'm doing more harm than good.

 

 

. . .

 

 

One idea I've had is to attach new wires to the two pot leads and then feed them into a breakout board. From the board, I'd connect a spare DB9 to the Astrocade. I could then essentially eliminate the cord on the controller as a possible problem (or confirm it as the issue). I suppose if I go through all that, I would probably build an adapter for 2600 paddles and joysticks to the Astrocade and vice/versa. I guess it would take a big capacitor to deal with the different resistance levels. I'd have to research that (again, not an engineer).

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Thanks for the continued responses . . .

Sure. I like talking about the Astrocade. We've got to work together to keep the oddball system going, you know?

 

if a dirty pot is the problem, it should move somehow right?

Yes, even a dirty pot should allow for some movement on the screen.

 

a working controller works on the same Astrocade. I tried multiple ports too . . . well at least player 1 and player 2

It's great to hear that a known-good working hand controller works on your Astrocade.

 

Perhaps I put this back together and mark it as a joystick/fire only controller.

I literally have a small box of Astrocade controllers that are all marked with what is wrong with them. Most of them just have jittery pots, but a few probably have broken wires in the cord, as they have a direction that doesn't work. I'm sure that most of these hand controllers are likely easy fixes, but since I have working controllers that have no issues, I don't bother with them. All of those controllers are my backups.

 

One idea I've had is to attach new wires to the two pot leads and then feed them into a breakout board.

The Antic podcast #40 talks about a joystick breakout board for the Commodore 64 that works just fine with the Atari 8-bit computer. If the board is just a straight pass-through from the joystick ports, then it should work on the Astrocade too. Here's a link to the (completed) ebay auction for that board:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Joystick-Breadboard-Breakout-for-C64-VIC20-Atari-2600-VCS-Development/332087625644

 

If you pick this up and it works with the Astrocade, then let us know.

 

I suppose if I go through all that, I would probably build an adapter for 2600 paddles and joysticks to the Astrocade and vice/versa. I guess it would take a big capacitor to deal with the different resistance levels. I'd have to research that (again, not an engineer).

I've never made an adapter for the 2600 paddles, but I have made one adapter that I use on a regular basis that allows me to use any 2600-style joystick. I love it. I use it with my NES pad that I converted into a SMS controller. I also use it with the Edladdin controller. Great stuff. One bit of advice about a useful cord is getting an official Sega Genesis extension cable. It uses all nine wires, and they're high-quality thick wire. This is what I used for my Atari-to-Astrocade adapter and it works fantastically.

 

Adam

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The Antic podcast #40 talks about a joystick breakout board for the Commodore 64 that works just fine with the Atari 8-bit computer. If the board is just a straight pass-through from the joystick ports, then it should work on the Astrocade too. Here's a link to the (completed) ebay auction for that board:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Joystick-Breadboard-Breakout-for-C64-VIC20-Atari-2600-VCS-Development/332087625644

 

If you pick this up and it works with the Astrocade, then let us know.

 

 

 

Cool! I was just thinking I would do it the old school way. I'll cut the ends off of another 9pin cord and plug one end into the controller and the other into the Astrocade. Then I'll just have to map the loose wires on the board. I've done this for other controller projects.

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