Prob stupid ? OptiPAC and Atari paddles

[telengard]

Is there anyway to get a pot based control to work
with something like a OptiPac.  I figured not since mice
like devices use optical encoders.  I've built a small
control box that has an IPAC and OptiPac in it.  The IPAC
works great for using Atari 2600 joysticks with PC
based emulators.  I'd like to get the paddles working too.  I have found one site that describes how to graft
a mouse innards into an Atari paddle but I was hoping
for something a little easier.  

~telengard

[paigeoliver]

Ok. Quick instructions.

Get ultra cheap analog joystick from thrift store. Crack it open, if it has any kind of circuit board, then put it back together and get a different one.

Once you find one that just has wires, buttons, and POTS inside, then you are in business.

Open your paddles, replace the paddle POT and buttons wiring with the POT and wiring from the joystick. One joystick should have two pots and at least 2 buttons, so it should be good for two paddles.

[shmokes]

This comes up now and then and never fails to boggle my mind.  It's not like Atari 2600 joysticks were particularly good.  Why not use nice joysticks that work well?

[paigeoliver]

This comes up now and then and never fails to boggle my mind.  It's not like Atari 2600 joysticks were particularly good.  Why not use nice joysticks that work well?

The joysticks weren't too hot, but the paddles were. At least they were for Kaboom!. and that is probably the best 2600 paddle game without an arcade equivalent (well, Avalanhe is just like Kaboom, except with more frustration and less fun).

[telengard]

Ok. Quick instructions.

Get ultra cheap analog joystick from thrift store. Crack it open, if it has any kind of circuit board, then put it back together and get a different one.

Once you find one that just has wires, buttons, and POTS inside, then you are in business.

Open your paddles, replace the paddle POT and buttons wiring with the POT and wiring from the joystick. One joystick should have two pots and at least 2 buttons, so it should be good for two paddles.

I thought of doing this but would that would mean I would have to hook it up to either the USB port or 15 pin joy port?  My controller box only has an IPAC and JPAC in it so I was
hoping to somehow connect it to the JPAC.   I've never heard of a joystick being connected to a JPAC.

[telengard]

This comes up now and then and never fails to boggle my mind.  It's not like Atari 2600 joysticks were particularly good.  Why not use nice joysticks that work well?

Hehe, I do use nice joysticks.  On my XBox & mame cab.  When an old geezer like me wants to play Atari 2600 games I don't want to use some new fancy shmancy joystick.  

[paigeoliver]

Oh. Just to clarify. It HAS to be a gameport joystick. Not a USB (never seen a USB that used POTS anyway).

The sticks you are looking for to hack generally have two little adjustment thingies on base next to the stick. With any luck you can find one with a Tron style handle, which will allow you to save the handle for a future project (I got one like that, $2.10 at the thrift store).

[telengard]

Oh. Just to clarify. It HAS to be a gameport joystick. Not a USB (never seen a USB that used POTS anyway).

The sticks you are looking for to hack generally have two little adjustment thingies on base next to the stick. With any luck you can find one with a Tron style handle, which will allow you to save the handle for a future project (I got one like that, $2.10 at the thrift store).

But can this be connected to a JPAC?

[paigeoliver]

No. The JPAC has no connections for analog controls.

This hooks them up to your gameport. Your computer DOES have a gameport, right? The game port is usually totally unused on most MAME boxes, so it is as good a place to interface as anyplace else.

After you plug it up, then just tell your computer you have a "2 Axis, 2 button joystick".

BTW, the above works almost exactly the same for Star Wars yokes, and STUN Runner yokes (Replace guts of Yoke with guts from cheapo analog stick).

[paigeoliver]

I just realized something.

I think you keep typing J-pac, when you MEAN OPTI-PAC. It wouldn't make any sense to have both an I-Pac and a J-Pac at the same time, since the J-Pac is just an I-Pac with a video input and a JAMMA edge connector on it.

[telengard]

I just realized something.

I think you keep typing J-pac, when you MEAN OPTI-PAC. It wouldn't make any sense to have both an I-Pac and a J-Pac at the same time, since the J-Pac is just an I-Pac with a video input and a JAMMA edge connector on it.

You are absolutely right, I keep getting JPAC confused w/ OptiPAC... no clue why.
Looks like I'm outta luck if I need to connect to the Gameport.