Playstation to 5200 controller adapter - demo units for CGE

[Clay Cowgill]

Hey everyone,

 

Nothing like a deadline to hurry me up... As many of you probably remember, I showed off my Mastercontrol5200 Playstation to 5200 controller adapter in the forums here a (long-ish) while back. Anyway, I had a self-imposed deadline of getting them ready for production by CGExpo this year.

 

To make a long story short, I'm going to have some demo units available for CGExpo. I don't think I'll have time to get enough built to sell, but they'll otherwise be complete and maybe I'll see if I can't donate a couple as door-prizes or something.

 

Anyway, here's the question-- if anyone from here is going to be showing off their 5200 wares at CGE and would be interested in a loaner Mastercontrol5200 to show, drop me an email! ([email protected])

 

I've got the 'hard' stuff done finally (custom strain-relief molding for the cables, milling machine setup for modifying the plastc cases, components for all connectors purchased, etc.), so I'll be going to 'production' shortly.

 

Feature-wise the unit is about the same as described here:

 

http://www.multigame.com/mastercontrol5200.html

 

(The cables now have molded strain-reliefs on the ends that go in the box)

 

The only new addition (but it's incredibly cool! ) is that I have added support for the new Logitech 2.4GHz wireless controllers. I didn't think that would be a big deal, but it's probably my favorite feature now... Wireless analog control that's actually *good* with the 5200.

 

Anyway, anyone that wants to show one in their booth at CGE, please let me know. I'll cut you a deal on the price of it when the show's done and/or we could work something out if you wanted to raffle it or something. I'm guessing I'll have maybe half a dozen or so available. Probably the only 'catch' is that I'd like to give you a little stack of 1/4 page flyers to put on the table next to it during the show...

 

Thanks,

-Clay

[atari_aaron]

Sounds like I'll need to track down a couple of black playstation controllers. If she can play PacMan, maybe she'll buy me an adapter for Christmas, and finally let me move the 5200 to the living room. I can only hope.

[atari_aaron]

Sorry, ignore this post. I accidentally hit the back button.

[NoahsMyBro]

As I said before (Last summer?) I WANT ONE! TWO, if I can afford it when they're ready. PLEASE MAKE ENOUGH. I won't be able to make CGE, and don't want to be left out in the cold for this.

 

Hey, how's this for an idea? A Bundle with the MasterControl 5200, Adventure II, and Klax? Yeah, now you're talking. Looks like Clay, John, Ron, you guys need to get together and have lunch!

 

 

--Steve

[ziggystar]

What happened to crystal castles 5200! Don't make me do that one too!

[+Allan]

What happened to crystal castles 5200! Don't make me do that one too!

 

I triple that! I want Bently Bear!

 

Allan

[voiddweller]

I remember Albert's post a while back and it generated a lot of interest.

 

Clay -

 

Glad to see that you're done! I can't wait own one!

 

- VD

[Clay Cowgill]

What happened to crystal castles 5200! Don't make me do that one too!

 

I'll drag a copy with me to CGExpo. I'll probably entrust it to Lee with NWCGE if they have a 5200 around to show it on. I had a contract job that looked like about ~3 months of work and turned into ~9 months, so I had a "disappear" for a while there...

 

I'm back at it now though! Been adding a few bits and pieces to the MasterControl5200 and getting the MasterControlVectrex ready for CGE too.

 

The MC5200 now supports right/left "thumbed" people. Press the Joy Left or Joy Right buttons down and the control layout switches to use that analog stick. (For those of you unfamiliar with playstation joypads, the "dual shock" analog joypads have two analog sticks-- one for your left and right thumb.)

 

FWIW, the neGcon is great fun with Kaboom and Pole Position!

 

-Clay

[Clay Cowgill]

I triple that! I want Bently Bear!

 

Crystal Castles is fully functional, but there are a few things I wanted to add:

 

1) highscore table on cartridge

2) trakball support

3) some graphics and features from the XE version

 

The Trakball support might not happen. The 5200 trakball just plain sucks. It emulates the joystick, but in a very twitchy way. I wish Atari would have just had it be an absolute position encoder output, but then their "joystick-only" game compatibility would have sucked. Oh, well. Maybe I'll put in a "good" trakball mode in the MasterControl5200 (use it with a PSX mouse?)...

 

The XE version of CC threw me for a loop because it has some things "better" that the old 16K 8-bit version didn't, but the rest of the game is "worse". (Too easy-- the 16K version is much more faithful to the arcade.) The PM's are a little better and the color changes on each level are better. The flashing "witches hat" effect is really hokey though. So, there's lots of code to wade through trying to decide what to salvage and merge into the 5200 version and what to just rewrite.

 

-Clay

[+Allan]

I triple that! I want Bently Bear!

 

Crystal Castles is fully functional, but there are a few things I wanted to add:

 

1) highscore table on cartridge

2) trakball support

3) some graphics and features from the XE version

 

The Trakball support might not happen. The 5200 trakball just plain sucks. It emulates the joystick, but in a very twitchy way. I wish Atari would have just had it be an absolute position encoder output, but then their "joystick-only" game compatibility would have sucked. Oh, well. Maybe I'll put in a "good" trakball mode in the MasterControl5200 (use it with a PSX mouse?)...

 

The XE version of CC threw me for a loop because it has some things "better" that the old 16K 8-bit version didn't, but the rest of the game is "worse". (Too easy-- the 16K version is much more faithful to the arcade.) The PM's are a little better and the color changes on each level are better. The flashing "witches hat" effect is really hokey though. So, there's lots of code to wade through trying to decide what to salvage and merge into the 5200 version and what to just rewrite.

 

-Clay

 

Cool.

 

What's the '1) highscore table on cartridge'? You mean a battery-back-up system to store the high scores. That would be great, especially if you can eventually adapt it for other games.

 

As far as the track-ball debate goes, I always thought the 5200 trackball was fine. I love playing Millipede with it. I wish you would add it but not if it's going to drive you crazy and delay the game a long time. I guess being used to the much nicer arcade trackballs can spoil you. I wish Curt Vendal would scan those 5200 Trackball docs he said he was going to post a while back. Curt?

 

Allan

[NoahsMyBro]

So, what's the latest with the Masterplay? Are we there yet?? Huh? Huh? Are we there yet??

 

[bargora]

Yes. Our frothing demand for this peripheral increases!

[Clay Cowgill]

What's the '1) highscore table on cartridge'? You mean a battery-back-up system to store the high scores. That would be great, especially if you can eventually adapt it for other games.

 

As far as the track-ball debate goes, I always thought the 5200 trackball was fine. I love playing Millipede with it. I wish you would add it but not if it's going to drive you crazy and delay the game a long time. I guess being used to the much nicer arcade trackballs can spoil you.

 

re: High Scores-- yep, I've got a serial EEPROM hanging out in the cartridge that saves high scores while the power is off (no batteries required).

 

re: Trakball-- I actually had a long chat with Dan Kramer (he designed the 2600 and 5200 trakballs) at CGE and after getting to try the units he had at CGE I'm now thinking that there's something wrong with mine. It could be that the Trakball code I had was working all along!

 

I took my 5200 trakball apart and found an IC leg bent under (not in a socket), but after fixing that it's still crappy. I played Centipede at Dan's booth and it looked good though, so either his prototype trakballs are better, or there's still something wrong with mine...

 

-Clay

[Clay Cowgill]

So, what's the latest with the Masterplay? Are we there yet?? Huh? Huh? Are we there yet??

 

Now that I've got time to work on it again, it's a lot closer. :wink:

 

Actually it's pretty good to go. Case, cables, PCB's, etc. are all working fine. After getting to test on more 5200's at CGE I'm going to add a digital 'centering' function just in case-- there was one 5200 at CGE that could have used a little trim on the stick. That's easy enough to do, I'll save the setting to EEPROM in the adapter so it only needs to be done once (and even then only if your 5200 needs it). Basically you just plug the adapter in and start something like Missile Command-- if the crosshair doesn't sit in one spot, press and hold the "select" key for over 2 seconds and 'calibrate' comes on. Then just move the D-pad on the joystick until the crosshair stops moving. Press 'select' again and the adapter will be centered for your 5200 from then on.

 

I have neGcon support in now (fun with Kaboom and Pole Position). Pole Position uses the top buttons on the neGcon to shift up and down which is kinda cool.

 

Auto-fire is available on B1 and B2 and if you'd like to use the right-joystick on a dual-shock type stick you can just push down on the stick and the buttons remap automatically.

 

I just got one of the big old Sony "dual analog flight stick" things, so since that's one of the few sticks that supports the "green" analog mode I'm going to get that working too. Might as well be compatible with everything.

 

-Clay

[+Mitch]

re: Trakball-- I actually had a long chat with Dan Kramer (he designed the 2600 and 5200 trakballs) at CGE and after getting to try the units he had at CGE I'm now thinking that there's something wrong with mine.  It could be that the Trakball code I had was working all along!

 

I took my 5200 trakball apart and found an IC leg bent under (not in a socket), but after fixing that it's still crappy.  I played Centipede at Dan's booth and it looked good though, so either his prototype trakballs are better, or there's still something wrong with mine...

 

-Clay

 

If you want to send me the ROM I'll be happy to test it out with my two 5200 trackballs.

 

Mitch

[ToddUGA]

This is just the thing to get me playing my 5200 again. I'll be keeping an eye on the progress.