Different results using driving controllers on Stella vs hardware

[quohog]

I'm sure this is due to me having the wrong settings in Stella but I've tried everything and can't make it work. Any help you can offer is appreciated! Here is the story so far:

 

Hooked up a driving controller using a 2600-daptor II. Playing Indy 500 in Stella and it works great! Everything normal. 

 

Then I write a simple number drawing program to display the contents of SWCHA. Running this in Stella, turning the controller to the right, i get the sequence 01-10-11 repeated which is bad and wrong! ?

 

Moving this .bin to hardware on a Harmony cart, and everything works great. The sequence when I turn right is 00-10-11-01 which is right and good!

 

So how do I have things set up wrong on my Stella? 

 

Including a screenshot of OPTIONS/GAME PROPERTIES/CONTROLLERS page. It's weird that auto-detect shows joysticks detected, but remember, this WORKS in Indy 500. When I change that setting to "driving" Indy 500 stops working. So confused.

 

Anyone know anything about this? Or just some random guesses? I'm in total darkness here.

Thanks!

 

 

[RevEng]

2 hours ago, quohog said:

Then I write a simple number drawing program to display the contents of SWCHA. Running this in Stella, turning the controller to the right, i get the sequence 01-10-11 repeated which is bad and wrong! ?

Stella believes you're using a joystick, so it's blocking impossible joystick directions. 00=up+down

 

Indy500 is set for driving controls, because stella knows the rom. You need to set yours the same.

[quohog]

Thank you, RevEng! That's very helpful! Yes, the zero was missing.

 

So when I do auto-detect in Stella, it detects "joystick" but the driving controllers work, with the zero omitted. If I force the controller setting to "driving" nothing works at all. The numbers don't change, the controller is unresponsive. But if I then go back and pick auto-detect, it then will detect "driving" and then go back to 'working' like before, with the zero omitted. 

 

BUT I am coming from my editor--Visual Studio Code with Atari Dev Studio. I compile and start Stella from there. If, instead, I just boot up Stella from scratch and then load my .bin, the driving controls work great. 00-10-11-01! The strange thing is, here is what I see in the options screen when things are working great. Both controllers are set to "joystick!" :0 

 

That's confusing. But if it's working, I'm happy. But I wish I knew why, and I wish I knew what my editor was setting that's messing up the driving controls. Because that workflow sure is convenient.

 

Are there other places besides game properties/Controller where controller options are changed? 

 

[RevEng]

You're welcome. I'm not entirely sure about your stella settings for driving controls, as I don't have a stelladaptor. Hopefully @stephena has the answer.

 

If ADS happens to use the stella setting "-joyallow4 1", then it would explain why it works when stella is launched there. That setting allows contradictory joystick positions. Not saying ADS does use that setting, just a guess.

 

[+mksmith]

@quohog Firstly thanks for trying out Atari Dev Studio - hope you are enjoying using it.

 

To help answer your question ADS only includes the Stella binaries and no setting files so I would assume it must be using some defaults in this instance.  What might be a problem is what permissions Stella launches with via ADS and whether any changes are saved due to either this permission or where the extension is located. Can I ask what OS you are using?

[quohog]

Thanks for helping!

I'm on Windows 10.

 

So does ADS have it's own copy of Stella? I thought it was just calling the Stella I already have installed on my machine.

[+mksmith]

1 minute ago, quohog said:

Thanks for helping!

I'm on Windows 10.

 

So does ADS have it's own copy of Stella? I thought it was just calling the Stella I already have installed on my machine.

Ok - thanks I'll have a play around and see what might be happening. I've got a feeling it might be permissions...

 

The Atari Dev Studio extension includes the full compilers for batari Basic, 7800basic and dasm and the A7800 and Stella emulators. This helps make it easy to ensure users don't need to install and configure anything to get up and running.  As you may have seen the settings do allow you to configure using your own installs.  Perhaps you could try overriding the included version and using your local copy (accessible via Files > Preferences > Settings):

 

My example path this shown.  Copy your path in (including the exe) and it will use that

 

[quohog]

Hey, that fixed it! I put in my own Stella path and now I'm getting 00-10-11-01...

 

Thanks!

[+mksmith]

26 minutes ago, quohog said:

Hey, that fixed it! I put in my own Stella path and now I'm getting 00-10-11-01...

 

Thanks!

Pleasure!

[Tantan]

Thought I also share my project where i can control driving controller sensitivity for superiors Indy 500 play.  

 

[MissCommand]

I just got a Driving Controller off EBay to use with Indy500.  I'm using Windows 10, Stella 6.4, 2600-dapter.  I noticed the same, if I set to Game Properties -> Controllers to Driving, nothing works.  If I set to Auto-Detect (it sees Joystick) or set directly to Joystick... it partially works.  The rotary encoder works in turning the car, but when I press the fire button (and hold)... it just lurches forward in short spurts... about every second it makes a short spurt forward (which of course, makes it easy to drive around the track! ?)  Is there a Stella setting that is off for me? Or possibly the controller is damaged as I did get off EBay?

 

I do notice if I continue to press the button really fast, it does not do the lurching but accelerates as you might imagine it should... although, impossible to drive doing that!

 

Another unrelated Stella question... while messing the the Stella Options, my ROM now comes up with a black screen and buzzing and I cannot get it back.  Is there a way to clear any kind of settings I have associated with the ROM?  The manual mentions something about an SQLite file... but I do not see anything like that in my %APPDATA%/Stella directory.

 

UGH!

 

Any help is appreciated!

[dualcam]

Sounds like the controller itself - button not making reliable contact.  Could also be the plug - could try wiggling it.  You can check it in the windows game controller app (joy.cpl) and eliminate any Stella issue.

 

There was recently a driving controller bug in Stella.  I'd update to the latest release 6.5.3.

 

Tom

http://2600-daptor.com/

[MissCommand]

On 10/9/2021 at 12:07 PM, dualcam said:

Sounds like the controller itself - button not making reliable contact.  Could also be the plug - could try wiggling it.  You can check it in the windows game controller app (joy.cpl) and eliminate any Stella issue.

 

There was recently a driving controller bug in Stella.  I'd update to the latest release 6.5.3.

 

Tom

http://2600-daptor.com/

Hello,

 

  I did update to the latest Stella (6.5.3) and went through the joy.cpl (interesting, did not know about this app).  It showed the 2600dapter was OK. I went into preferences to check... and rotary moves the crosshair up to down (or down to up, depending on the direction turning), and the firebutton shows steady on while depressing... I imagine that is correct with this driving controller.  Stella does respond differently with auto-detect finding "driving" instead of joystick.  I tried each (auto detect, joystick, driving) then Ctrl-R... still same functionality...  rotary seems to turn car okay, but firebutton gives me one second lurches.

 

  It does seem interesting that quohog works fine.  I am using 2600dapter and he is using 2600dapter II... I wonder if that could be it?  I would use my 2600dapter II, but it is flashed to work with AtariVox (which has been working great! *knock on wood*).

 

  I don't know if @stephena is reading this forum, but I am still getting a rom that comes up with a black screen and buzzing.  I can't get it reset by updating stella or redownloading or renaming the ROM.  How do I disassociate what Stella knows about that ROM?

 

Thanks!

 

[dualcam]

13 hours ago, MissCommand said:

Hello,

 

  I did update to the latest Stella (6.5.3) and went through the joy.cpl (interesting, did not know about this app).  It showed the 2600dapter was OK. I went into preferences to check... and rotary moves the crosshair up to down (or down to up, depending on the direction turning), and the firebutton shows steady on while depressing... I imagine that is correct with this driving controller.  Stella does respond differently with auto-detect finding "driving" instead of joystick.  I tried each (auto detect, joystick, driving) then Ctrl-R... still same functionality...  rotary seems to turn car okay, but firebutton gives me one second lurches.

 

  It does seem interesting that quohog works fine.  I am using 2600dapter and he is using 2600dapter II... I wonder if that could be it?  I would use my 2600dapter II, but it is flashed to work with AtariVox (which has been working great! *knock on wood*).

 

  I don't know if @stephena is reading this forum, but I am still getting a rom that comes up with a black screen and buzzing.  I can't get it reset by updating stella or redownloading or renaming the ROM.  How do I disassociate what Stella knows about that ROM?

 

Thanks!

 

It is working in the game controller app, so it is something with the emulator.  Just double checked it here - Stella 6.5.3, Win7 32, Original 2600-daptor - Indy 500 is working fine with a driving controller.

 

Guessing a problem with the saved settings.  Not sure I recall where that is, I think this is it -

C:\Users\(your user name)\AppData\Roaming\Stella

 

I think I'd try - uninstall Stella, delete any leftover Stella folder out of AppData, then reinstall Stella.

 

Tom

http://2600-daptor.com/

 

[MissCommand]

Great suggestion!  I uninstalled Stella and removed the associated folder in AppData. Then reinstalled. Stella immediately detected the driving controller on Indy 500 and now it works perfectly! Thank you! 

 

Unforn, now AtariVox is not working... even though I hear the "AtariVox" greeting when resetting.  I still see COM1 and COM8 in "device manager", but Stella is only showing COM1 in "Devices and Ports" tab.  I looked at my original posting and I said when I first got 2600dapterII... it worked right off.  I know it was working recently, I had played WizardOf Wor a few days ago.  Any ideas?

 

Oh... I also confirmed it still showed AtariVox in port 2 for the ROM.

Edited October 13, 2021 by MissCommand

[dualcam]

On 10/13/2021 at 4:44 AM, MissCommand said:

Great suggestion!  I uninstalled Stella and removed the associated folder in AppData. Then reinstalled. Stella immediately detected the driving controller on Indy 500 and now it works perfectly! Thank you! 

 

Unforn, now AtariVox is not working... even though I hear the "AtariVox" greeting when resetting.  I still see COM1 and COM8 in "device manager", but Stella is only showing COM1 in "Devices and Ports" tab.  I looked at my original posting and I said when I first got 2600dapterII... it worked right off.  I know it was working recently, I had played WizardOf Wor a few days ago.  Any ideas?

 

Oh... I also confirmed it still showed AtariVox in port 2 for the ROM.

 

 

The COM# of the AtariVox may need to be set.  Look in Input Settings->Devices & Ports, at the bottom is AtariVox serial port COM#.  To check what COM# the AtariVox is, look in windows device manager under Ports.

 

Tom

http://2600-daptor.com/

Edited October 14, 2021 by dualcam
clarify

[dualcam]

Should have also said that in the windows device manager, it will just show as a generic "USB Serial Port".  If there are several, or you want to double check you are seeing the correct one, you can double click it to go into Properties and the Manufacture will be Microchip Technology, Inc.  Further you can go into Detail, select Hardware IDs which is USB\VID_04D8&PID_000A.  The Port Settings - BAUD, bits, etc - do not matter.

 

Tom

http://2600-daptor.com/

[MissCommand]

  My AtariVox is working again!  Yay!  Never did found out why the new Stella did not pick up all my COM ports for the "Devices and Ports", but I started Stella with the "-avoxport" command set to COM8 (on my system) and it came set up correctly and now appearing on the D&P interface.. and it saves it now so I don't have to use the command line each time.  They might be a possible bug in the newest Stella.  But all is working to include my Driving Controller, so smiles once again.  ?  Thanks Tom.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

29 minutes ago, MissCommand said:

Never did found out why the new Stella did not pick up all my COM ports for the "Devices and Ports", but I started Stella with the "-avoxport" command set to COM8... 

Why did you not just edit the value in the dropdown?

[MissCommand]

21 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

Why did you not just edit the value in the dropdown?

Because it did not appear in the dropdown. 

 

[Thomas Jentzsch]

3 hours ago, MissCommand said:

Because it did not appear in the dropdown. 

That's why we made the dropdown editable.  

 

BTW: Which OS are you using? Windows? There we found and fixed a bug for the next release.

[MissCommand]

20 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

That's why we made the dropdown editable.  

 

BTW: Which OS are you using? Windows? There we found and fixed a bug for the next release.

In which way is a dropdown editable?  The only item there was COM1 (my AVox was COM8). It appeared in the dropdown after using the command line option.

 

I am using Windows 10 (21H1).  What was the bug?

[MissCommand]

20 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

That's why we made the dropdown editable.  

 

BTW: Which OS are you using? Windows? There we found and fixed a bug for the next release.

Never mind... DUH! I never noticed the drop-down was editable.  Okay, that wouild have been a lot easier than the command-line option!  ?  My only defense is that normally drop-downs are not editable objects.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

52 minutes ago, MissCommand said:

My only defense is that normally drop-downs are not editable objects.

Yes, this is rather new functionality added to Stella. We tried to make this obvious by giving editable dropdowns a different background color (same as editable text fields). Looks like this is not obvious enough.

The Windows bug was, that under certain circumstances only the first or only some COM ports were listed. As it seems thid was the case for you. 6.6 (coming soon) will fix that.

[MissCommand]

21 minutes ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

Yes, this is rather new functionality added to Stella. We tried to make this obvious by giving editable dropdowns a different background color (same as editable text fields). Looks like this is not obvious enough.

The Windows bug was, that under certain circumstances only the first or only some COM ports were listed. As it seems thid was the case for you. 6.6 (coming soon) will fix that.

Yep...  I have two COM ports on my setup, and it was only picking up the first one.  But all is well now... the command line option worked for me (and probably the editable field would have been as well).