Atari 2600 Controls to PC?

[JesterDEV]

Does anyone sell Atari 2600 to PC adapters? Also looking at converting the paddles but I think that will be a hard one..

Or if someone have some instructions I could use those also.

I did a google search, and only ended up with one site in Japanese. My 2600 is all but dead, and I really don't want to buy a new one right now. My uncle who bought me my first atari back 1980 is looking forward to playing a few games on x-mas (as always).  

[DarkKobold]

Both are pretty simple.... The A2600 joystick can hook directly to any keyboard encoder, if you already have one with 5 inputs free.... I'm pretty sure you don't even need the five volt input

check this link
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/joystick/tvgames.html

Next, for the paddles, you need any interface that hooks up to pots (potentiometers) I know plenty of people on this board know of the correct interface... it escapes me now.... You could most likely use an optical interface... or any analog interface....

http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/2600.htm

(the 5 NC is actually P1 Paddle)

[crsdawg]

you can connect an atari 2600 joy to a keyboard encoder(keywiz, ipac.....), keyboard or pc gamepad hack.

this byoac search brought up a lot of info.......atari 2600 joystick

[grafixmonkey]

Just found this while cleaning up some of my old stuff.

Thought you might be interested.  It's the board that was inside a 2600 joystick of mine.  The joystick cord has colored wires with little tiny quick-disconnects on the ends that fit over the board where the slots are.

[grafixmonkey]

If you follow the wire labeled BLK around on the board, you see it's just a ground loop, and the bubbles are switches that are pressed by the underside of the joystick and buttons.  

The bubble on the top left was the red button.  The other four were the joystick directions.

[paigeoliver]

The paddles are an EASY hookup.

Get yourself one cheapo analog gameport joystick. The kind that has the little adjustment dials on the base (between 50 cents used, and MAYBE $8 new).

Rip apart the gameport stick.

Rip apart the atari paddles.

If you need any further instruction it is only because you bought the wrong gameport joystick.

[Stingray]

Paige, does this also apply to USB analog sticks or is there a reason why it has to be a gameport stick? The reason I ask is that I use Mac which have USB, but does not have a gameport.

-S

[crsdawg]

i just want to mention that if you want to use your 2600 joy for pc you don't have to rip apart the joystick at all. just use a female d-sub9 and wire the solder side of it as follows.

Pin:
1-up
2-dwn
3-left
4-right
5-not used
6-fire
7-not used
8-ground
9-not used

and here's the pinout for a d-sub 9 female connector.

                    5 4 3 2 1
                      9 8 7 6

[Brad Lee]

^^^^^^^^^
Thats exactly what I did. Found a female 9pin with long leads(i think they were about a foot long), and conencted the correct wires right to my wiring block. Right now the 9pin connecter is dangling inside my cabinet, but eventually Ill get it mounted somewhere.

That way when playing Atari roms, the Activision collection, or even mame games with 1 button, Ill be able to kick back on the couch like the good ol days

[grafixmonkey]

Cool!   Now, what about paddles?

I love "Warlords".  It's an awesome game on the 2600, but it's much much better on the arcade platform.  Four Atari paddles would be an excellent way to get that game playable.

[paigeoliver]

Paige, does this also apply to USB analog sticks or is there a reason why it has to be a gameport stick? The reason I ask is that I use Mac which have USB, but does not have a gameport.

-S

It HAS to be a gameport stick to be quick and easy. Those old cheapo analog gameport sticks literally do not have anything inside them other than 2 pots, and the buttons, there is no PCB and all the wires lead directly to the gameport.

To use a USB one, you would need to find one that actually uses POTS (and isn't hall effect, or something else).

[IceCold]

PaigeOliver - what emulater are you using that supports paddles like that?  I did that modification a couple months ago, but I dont' know which emulator to use...

BTW - if you do that, make sure there is a also a pot(or resistor) on the y axis also.  If there isn't, it won't detect it(or wouldn't for me)

[paigeoliver]

PaigeOliver - what emulater are you using that supports paddles like that?  I did that modification a couple months ago, but I dont' know which emulator to use...

BTW - if you do that, make sure there is a also a pot(or resistor) on the y axis also.  If there isn't, it won't detect it(or wouldn't for me)

Oh, I never said any of the Atari 2600 emulators actually supported the paddles, I just described how to hook them up.  

[IceCold]

Oh, I never said any of the Atari 2600 emulators actually supported the paddles, I just described how to hook them up.  

LOL  

[MinerAl]

i just want to mention that if you want to use your 2600 joy for pc you don't have to rip apart the joystick at all. just use a female d-sub9 and wire the solder side of it as follows.

Pin:
1-up
2-dwn
3-left
4-right
5-not used
6-fire
7-not used
8-ground
9-not used

and here's the pinout for a d-sub 9 female connector.

                    5 4 3 2 1
                      9 8 7 6

If you want two buttons, and can find an Atari 7800 joystick (or compatible) you can wire as above except:
5=right fire button
6=either fire button
9=left fire button

Because of pin 6 being either button, if you want to use each button seperately, you'll have to not connect pin 6, which means you can no longer use a 2600 joystick.  

I will eventually have a switch on my setup that does bridge pins 6 & 9 for using a 2600 joystick or doesn't for the 7800.  That way if the switch bridges 6 & 9 the one button on the 2600 or either button on the 7800 would be the Player 1 Button 1, and if it was switched to isolate 6 & 9 then the left button would be P1 BT1 and the right would be P1 BT2 (or the other way round if you prefer).