Decathlon/Track & Field custom controller?

[Scott Stilphen]

In isssue #50 of the 2600 Connection, someone wrote in who mentioned that he built a custom "switcher" controller for these games. It sounds like a simple enough circuit - does anyone know how to make one? (I emailed the guy, but the email address is no longer valid)

[Charlie_]

I wouldn't know how to make one, but I see those controllers on ebay for cheap from time to time.

 

Charlie

[Mot]

If you look at the AtariAge's T&F's conrol page, you will see it is the same wiring as a joystick. So you can you the joystick wiring to make one. This should be very, very easy. Hope this helps.

[Scott Stilphen]

The controller this guy built is actually a circuit that does the Left/Right movements at top speed.

[jsoper]

Just get an autofire circuit from somewhere, send the signal to joystick east, send the intverted signal to joystick west. No problem.

 

If you want to build the circuit from scratch, do a www.deja.com search for:

Autofire circuit wanted

 

Some guy published one awhile ago on usenet.

 

John

[Scott Stilphen]

An auto-fire circuit wouldn't work, since it only pulses 1 line.

 

Chris Wilkson designed this circuit, which is what I was looking for:

 

[Marco(2)]

bah, cheaters!

 

In 1984 I built a big joystick-table exclusively for use with Decathlon. This device (approx 25x25x20") had a regular Atari joystick in the middle, screwed onto the table. It enabled you to use excessive force from whatever position (during the 1,500 meters I was usually standing (or lying on the floor, towards the end)) you liked to just wiggle that joystick as fast as you could. I also built a big lever that let you hit the fire button very easily: it was so big you just couldn't miss!

 

It didn't result in any super-scores, but it sure was fun

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[jsoper]

Scott,

Read what I said. I was talking about

an autofire circuit pulsing two lines at different times.

John

[Scott Stilphen]

I did read it. I don't understand what you mean, though. All the auto-fire circuits I've seen pulse 1 closure (such as FIRE+GROUND) whereas the circuit I was looking for pulses between 2 closures (in this case, LEFT+GROUND and RIGHT+GROUND). If you can, post a diagram of an auto-fire circuit used in this manner.

[Ze_ro]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scott Stilphen:

I did read it. I don't understand what you mean, though.

---

 

He's talking about using an inverter so that when the signal to joystick left goes high, then the signal to joystick right goes low, and vice versa... sounds like a good idea to me. In fact, I think this is exactly what the circuit you posted a picture of does. I can't recall part numbers very well, but I think the 74HC14 is a quad inverter (I think we actually used these in Electronics class last year). You'd have to stick the button into that circuit somewhere though, otherwise you'll have no control over it...

 

However, I agree with Marco on this one... y'all are damn cheaters What's the fun of the game if you just hold down a button?

 

--Zero

[Scott Stilphen]

{bump}

 

Chris just redesigned the circuit, which now appears above.

[Ze_ro]

Is this meant as an adaptor that you plug a regular joystick into?

 

Personally, I'd rather have the two-button controllers myself, but oh well...

 

--Zero

[jsoper]

Yep, that's an oscillator circuit all right. Should do the job.

 

By the way, if you only connect the and not the it will act like a autofire for paddle games.

 

It could be connected like a standard autofire also.

John

[jsoper]

Sorry, wanted to say, if you only connect the Right and not the Left.

John