Ben Heck: new Atari 5200 controller

[karokoenig]

I would guess some people here will be interested in this:

 

 

If it already has been posted, please feel free to merge threads or let this one die.

[0078265317]

Neat

[Goochman]

Put me on the preorder list

[amiman99]

Schematic and code would be nice.

[jaybird3rd]

"New Atari 5200 Controller that Ben Heck?"

[Koa Zo]

He built a new analog controller but then played Pac Man to show it off?

[dj_convoy]

Yeah. The ultimate 5200 controller would also feature a four way or eight way controller input in addition to the analog stick.

[Dr Manhattan]

I truly hope someone sees this idea and decides to produce a new Atari 5200 controller. If the Atari Jaguar can get new pro-controllers in 2018, a new 5200 controller could be possible as well.

[bohoki]

is it just me or did he use an analog controller but then just set it with trigger values so it acts like 4 way

 

oh well since there is only like 5 analog necessary games superbreakout,kaboom,missile command,star wars,gorf

 

he could have done it with resistors 4 buttons and a nes dpad instead of a PIC

[BassGuitari]

A thumbstick control pad with actual ergonomics? On the Atari 5200? What kind of madness is that?

oh well since there is only like 5 analog necessary games superbreakout,kaboom,missile command,star wars,gorf

And River Raid, Galaxian, Star Raiders, Rescue On Fractalus, Centipede (if you don't have a Trakball), The Dreadnaught Factor...

[Osgeld]

is it just me or did he use an analog controller but then just set it with trigger values so it acts like 4 way

 

oh well since there is only like 5 analog necessary games superbreakout,kaboom,missile command,star wars,gorf

 

he could have done it with resistors 4 buttons and a nes dpad instead of a PIC

 

no he used a micro to read the analog thumbstick and then sent that out to a digital pot that matches the range of the 5200's analog input so it still acts like an analog stick, and finding a thumbstick in the required range is almost impossible (not that I have ever found one, but nothings totally impossible)

[Koa Zo]

 

no he used a micro to read the analog thumbstick and then sent that out to a digital pot that matches the range of the 5200's analog input so it still acts like an analog stick, and finding a thumbstick in the required range is almost impossible (not that I have ever found one, but nothings totally impossible)

Why doesn't he show it working?

It seems very odd to go through the effort and then not show it doing what it is meant to do.

I mean they chose a 4-way digital control game (Pac Man), and then a 2-way control game (Mario Bros) to showcase the new analog controller. WTF?

Edited April 28, 2018 by Koa Zo

[Osgeld]

I dunno maybe that's the games it came with

 

It does say in the video what I just described though

Edited April 28, 2018 by Osgeld

[ToddUGA]

Throw a digital D-pad on there to complement the analog stick and you have the perfect 5200 controller.

[BIGHMW]

Put me on the preorder list

here here,add me in, he would make a fortune off of this!!! Ben Heck, what is your PayPal address???

[TrekMD]

Please, tell me these are going to be produced! I want one!

[CPUWIZ]

Cool, a HackADay and an AtariAge sticker behind the Makerbot.

[Omega-TI]

Interesting. I'd prefer an actual joystick, but if the price was right, I suppose I could learn how to use a game pad. My 5200 hasn't been touched in months due to joystick 'issues'. Until now, I've not been able to bring myself to pay $80+ for a game controller considering the fact I'm only into the thing $65.00 and that includes my paltry 13 game collection. For a nice, small and clean design with a long cord, I could consider prying my wallet open for something NON-TI.

[Osgeld]

Cool, a HackADay and an AtariAge sticker behind the Makerbot.

 

yea he chimes in here once in a while, and I exchanged a email like once in passing while I worked at for hack-a-day (I actually never stepped foot in the home base, and that was back when Caleb was juggling things)

Edited April 29, 2018 by Osgeld

[CPUWIZ]

 

yea he chimes in here once in a while, and I exchanged a email like once in passing while I worked at for hack-a-day (I actually never stepped foot in the home base, and that was back when Caleb was juggling things)

 

Oh, yes, I know Ben is here.

 

Really, "worked", or "contributed"? Either way, cool, been reading it forever.

[Osgeld]

both

 

I contributed for several years, I received real deal paychecks, a irs form and owed taxes for 2 almost 3 years but my dumbass went and started working in automotive, had a kid and bought a house so time became precious

[SpotAnime]

Yeah I saw this pop up on my subscription feed and watched it yesterday. Pretty freaking cool! It seemed from the video that the controller chip was translating to keyboard (digital) input, so I was interested in seeing how this would work with analog games. Or are all games on theback5200 just receiving digital input?

 

I was hoping he would have modded it so that there was no need for the breakout box for power or display. Ever since someone here did the power mod and discovered that there is a separate RCA jack internal to the console, I'm interested in seeing what that looks like.

[ave1]

A thumbstick control pad with actual ergonomics? On the Atari 5200? What kind of madness is that?

 

 

And River Raid, Galaxian, Star Raiders, Rescue On Fractalus, Centipede (if you don't have a Trakball), The Dreadnaught Factor...

 

River Raid, Galaxian, Centipede, and Dreadnaught Factor may be 'analog-preferred' games, but they aren't 'analog-necessary' games... Not sure about the other two.

 

Yeah that gamepad he made is very interesting - want two of them

[deepthaw]

Would missile command even be playable with a digital stick? It seems like one of the few games that works really well with the 5200 controller.

[tripletopper]

I have a Digital Joystick for the 5200, and you can either aim at the center, the center of the 4 edges, and the 4 corners in Missile Command.

 

This is not the droid I'm looking for.

 

I would want a fight stick for digital games for games better with digital games, like most of the the arcade translations. Star Wars, Missile Command, and Kaboom would be be better with an actual 5200 analog controller which DOESN'T self-center. But I can see Galaxian working with this.

 

But a Left Handed joypad? Couldn't there be a right handed joystick version, too? Or better, make it 180 degrees flippable, or like the prototype Genesis ambidextrous controller pad, (I would link to it but the only link is a long expired ebay auction for a non-funtional design prototype) where buttons and the joystick are placed on either side in a case? (I do remember it.)