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Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
alfonzotan:
Working on a little hack for my multi-vector cab that I've done multiple times in the past, but can't get working now for some random reason: taking an old ball mouse and rewiring it to act as a USB interface for an optical board, in this case a Tempest spinner. I've tried two different mouse boards and can't get any screen motion on a PC, a Mac or a Pi. I know the optical board works, the spinner tests fine in my actual Tempest cabinet, and I know the mice (mouses?) worked, they both tested working as well.
Looking at the schematic and the board, I think I've got this right, but I can't get any computer to recognize it. Please have pity and sanity-check me:
PL1:
--- Quote from: alfonzotan on October 08, 2024, 05:30:49 pm ---Looking at the schematic and the board, I think I've got this right, but I can't get any computer to recognize it.
--- End quote ---
To confirm that you have the pin numbers right, apply power to the board and use your phone camera to see if the IR LEDs light.
- If they light, the pin numbers are right because the LEDs are forward biased.
- If they don't light, the pin numbers are backward because the LEDs are reverse biased.
If the LEDs light but you get no movement when you block/unblock the optos, you may have an active-high opto board and an active-low mouse encoder. (or vice-versa)
- What voltages do you get for logic HIGH and LOW?
Scott
alfonzotan:
Thank you, looks like this one is active high. No wonder it wasn't working.
RandyT:
The schematic suggests that the outputs need to be pulled low externally. Whatever you are connecting to it, may not be doing this, or doing it in such a way that the waveform isn't readable by that device. That's my thought anyway.
alfonzotan:
--- Quote from: RandyT on October 10, 2024, 11:19:18 am ---The schematic suggests that the outputs need to be pulled low externally. Whatever you are connecting to it, may not be doing this, or doing it in such a way that the waveform isn't readable by that device. That's my thought anyway.
--- End quote ---
Thanks!