Atari Trak-Ball CX22 - ID Help needed...

[dibmem]

Hello everyone,

 

I've been working on my Atari stuff this week and came across this CX22.  

It only works in joystick mode and upside down.  

 

The wires are bridged on the board in this manner:

TP1 - TP9

TP2 - TP12

TP3 - TP11

TP4 - TP10

The green wire is not connected at all.  Right and left fire buttons are wired separately, but they do not seem to work independently (tested briefly on a 7800).

 

I have a Wico trackball that also works in the same manner with 2600 games ----  slowly...  You have to spin the ball at least three times to get from one side of the screen to the other in Centipede.  Not what I recall in comparison to the arcade.

 

Tested the trackballs with a 2600 and 7800 - same (lack of) performance.

 

Two questions:

1) Wired upside down -- Someone's home mod or factory?

2) Are all trackball games this slow on the 2600?  

3) Is this a strange Atari AT version of the XC 22?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[fluxit]

So far as the slowness is concerned, that's probably just "joystick mode," though degradation of the rollers can also make a trak-ball feel slow as it reduces their efficiency.

Joystick mode is slow because unlike a real joystick where holding it in one direction produces an 'always on' effect, the trak-ball sends a series of on,off,on,off,on impulses.  They are very rapid, but even if you are spinning the ball perfectly, maximum speed of control will still be feel slower than a joystick.  Real trak-ball mode is a completely different situation.

 

I can't speak to the upside-down, etc. as I only have CX-80s.