Help! How do I get a 2600-compatible (like a CX40) controller to work on a 7800???

[BIGHMW]

I am having issues with the CX24 ProLine controller not being able to move right or for most of the pop-o-matic button contacts not working when they need to and wanted to use my dependable CX40 joystick from my old Flashback 9 instead with my 7800 and Concerto.

 

She worked fine through the Concerto menu but when I went to play the selected game itself the fire button would not work, is there an adapter that will allow 2600 controllers (like the CX30 paddle controllers and the CX22 and CX80 trak-balls as well as all 2600-compatible joysticks) to work properly with the 7800 or do I have to put up with the ProLine and its issues???

[+DrVenkman]

A standard 2600-compatible joystick should work fine with your 7800 depending on the game I often use a TAC-2 myself. Some games require a two-button controller, and some game (homebrews mostly) have different controller options depending on how the difficulty switches are set.  For games that require a two-button controller, I like a Sega Genesis controller connected through an Edladdin Seagull 78 adapter.

 

It might help figure out what's going on for you if you tell us what game(s) you've tried and are having problems with.

[CPUWIZ]

8 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

It might help figure out what's going on for you if you tell us what game(s) you've tried and are having problems with.

 

This.

[BIGHMW]

Cool, I'll check the difficulty switches and the game of issue was Galaxian, I can't fire any missiles or start the game (I had to use the reset button on the console) using the fire button, would switching the difficulty switch do the trick?

[John Stamos Mullet]

5 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

Cool, I'll check the difficulty switches and the game of issue was Galaxian, I can't fire any missiles or start the game (I had to use the reset button on the console) using the fire button, would switching the difficulty switch do the trick?

Galaxian for the 2600 or the 7800?

[BIGHMW]

18 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

Galaxian for the 2600 or the 7800?

7800.

[+x=usr(1536)]

It's working on my 7800 with a CX24, CX78, and Wico 'The Boss' one-button stick.

 

Which post did you get the Galaxian ROM image from?

[BIGHMW]

2 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

It's working on my 7800 with a CX24, CX78, and Wico 'The Boss' one-button stick.

 

Which post did you get the Galaxian ROM image from?

This one: 

 

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/315930-you-guys-can-thank-uniwars-for-this-one-galaxian/?do=findComment&comment=4729959

 

I just downloaded the newest one, I'll try it and see what happens.

[BIGHMW]

Just tried both the new upload and also the one from 1/19/21, the one I was talking about. Worked fine on the Concerto menu, selecting the game was no problem, but, no dice though after that (once the game is dialed in, no start, no missiles, etc.).  

[John Stamos Mullet]

The problem is not the 7800, or the rom. It's the concerto. It's still a WIP. Some games have issues detecting the buttons on some 7800 consoles when using the concerto. Also - Galaxian is a very early WIP rom for a completely unfinished game.

Edited February 21, 2021 by John Stamos Mullet

[BIGHMW]

41 minutes ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

The problem is not the 7800, or the rom. It's the concerto. It's still a WIP. Some games have issues detecting the buttons on some 7800 consoles when using the concerto. Also - Galaxian is a very early WIP rom for a completely unfinished game.

Thanks. And yes but Galaxian is just too playable to be a "completely unfinished WIP", much like @splendidnut's Chaotic Grill! was for the 2600 when it came out back in 2019. Genius!  Indeed Bob has yet another winner on his hands already.  

[CPUWIZ]

Anything that isn't finished, is a WIP.

[John Stamos Mullet]

5 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

Anything that isn't finished, is a WIP.

And continually asking why completely unfinished WIP products aren't functioning perfectly as if they were finished is...  tedious.

[CPUWIZ]

I'll complain to Bob, this is outrageous.

[BIGHMW]

3 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

I'll complain to Bob, this is outrageous.

No I was just saying that this is "too good", as a compliment, not a complaint, but I'm sure you already knew that.  

[CPUWIZ]

No, I have had it with Bob, I setup an email bot to his personal email address, that pings one of my servers.  So, I know if he read it and doesn't finish TEHROMZ soon ... ZIP ZOOM BANG ... TO THE MOON.  It keeps re-sending the email everyday, with interesting topic names.

[Swami]

I'm blitzing Bob's in-box with porn as we speak

[BIGHMW]

Problem (somewhat) solved, I just decided "F" it and went through my stockpile of CX24 sticks and found one that has 100% working fire buttons and directional contacts and went with it, No problems for now, I guess it just might be that 2600 sticks behave somewhat differently than 7800 sticks do on a ProSystem. It seems like the single fire button on a 2600 acts as the alternate ("B") fire button rather than the main ("A") fire button.

 

Oh well, Atari-wise, once I get my income tax refund (and one for a few thousand bucks at that too!) I intend to do a huge Atari order, first ordering 2 modded CX24 7800 sticks and one gold-modded CX52 5200 one (I have one already) and a pair of 12 ft. RCA-to-PAL antenna Euro game cords from Best (for my RF-to-HDMI converter and my newly-obtained RF-to-composite converter, its sister unit) and then ordering a molded 3-D printed CX24 twin controller holder to go with the 5200 one I have had since 1983. and then it's just search until I can find a Redemption 5200 2600 adapter to go with the 7800 one I have that I use with her.

[PacManPlus]

Something to keep in mind: In case you try using the 'Flashback' Joysticks (from whatever version of the Flashback lets you 'Pause', 'Rewind', etc.), the 7800 thinks those joysticks are a ProLine instead of a single-button joystick like the CX-40 (including the 2nd player one that does not have the 'Pause', 'Rewind', buttons on it).  So the buttons don't work on a 7800 as it's expecting one type of button press but getting another.  I was pulling my hair out trying to see what I did wrong a while back (forget which game I was working on), until I used a standard CX-40 and everything was fine (turning the console off between joysticks).

 

I found this one out the hard way, still need to take a multi-meter to it to see what they did differently; especially the 2nd player one which doesn't have any special circuitry.

Edited February 21, 2021 by PacManPlus
Edited for grammar

[+x=usr(1536)]

Bob, I overnighted a box of live (and extremely venomous) snakes to you.  As the issue seems to be resolved, please disregard them when they arrive.  Thanks!

[BIGHMW]

3 hours ago, PacManPlus said:

Something to keep in mind: In case you try using the 'Flashback' Joysticks (from whatever version of the Flashback lets you 'Pause', 'Rewind', etc.), the 7800 thinks those joysticks are a ProLine instead of a single-button joystick like the CX-40 (including the 2nd player one that does not have the 'Pause', 'Rewind', buttons on it).  So the buttons don't work on a 7800 as it's expecting one type of button press but getting another.  I was pulling my hair out trying to see what I did wrong a while back (forget which game I was working on), until I used a standard CX-40 and everything was fine (turning the console off between joysticks).

 

I found this one out the hard way, still need to take a multi-meter to it to see what they did differently; especially the 2nd player one which doesn't have any special circuitry.

Thanks Bob, I was only using the P2 (2nd player version , the one WITHOUT the start/rewind/options, etc. buttons) sticks on her, so either the OG versions or perhaps my WICO stick might work instead???

[PacManPlus]

Yep, the Wico stick *should* work (I don't have one so I don't know for sure)