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Author Topic: Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?  (Read 3442 times)

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Xochi

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Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« on: June 03, 2003, 01:35:29 pm »
I'm trying to get some controls together for my MAME cab and scrounging around in my storage room I found an old Atari 2600 'trakball(tm)'! I'm thinking hacking this thing to work with my MAME PC would be a lot cheaper than buying a real trackball from Happ, et al. (Can't believe how much they cost).

Anyone know anything about interfacing these puppies to a PC? I searched the net and wasn't able to find much. I figure someone has almost certainly already figured it out...

It would be cool if I could hack this for the PC to see it as a mouse. Any info much appreciated!!  :)

rampy

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2003, 01:58:40 pm »
Hmm... I'm pretty sure it can be done.  But there's some hacking involved.

Let me ask you something.  How well does it roll?   It might not be worth the trouble if rolls/feels crappy.

*shrug* sorry I couldn't be of more help.

rampy

Tiger-Heli

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2003, 02:09:56 pm »
http://www.cheeptech.com/cuhack.html

Example uses an ADB mouse (macintosh), but you could do the same thing with a USB mouse.  Oscar's ($9) hack is an option as well, except it would need to be custom as you would still need the mouse encoders and receivers.  You might try E-mailing Kelsey about it, though. ;D
« Last Edit: June 03, 2003, 02:27:13 pm by Tiger-Heli »
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Xochi

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2003, 01:41:43 pm »
http://www.cheeptech.com/cuhack.html

Example uses an ADB mouse (macintosh), but you could do the same thing with a USB mouse.  Oscar's ($9) hack is an option as well, except it would need to be custom as you would still need the mouse encoders and receivers.  You might try E-mailing Kelsey about it, though. ;D

Sounds interesting, thanks for the info, I'll check it out. I figured any hacks would involve tearing apart a mouse too. :)
 

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2003, 02:15:15 pm »
I've got one of those atari trackballs with the 9 pin adapter...doesn't someone make a nice 9 pin adapter for these!?!?!? :D

9 pin to 15 pin?

WHATS WRONG WITH YOU PEEEEOPLE ANYWAYS!?!?!?! :D
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Mameham

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2003, 02:19:55 pm »
  I've done this with an old Atari 2600 Wico trackball... it was an incredibly easy direct to Optipac hack... I haven't gotten around to writing it up yet though...

 

  Check out Mamehac on my website for some more pics -

 http://www.arcadepinball.com

  I'll see what I can do about writing something up...

- Mameham


Xochi

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2003, 01:34:19 pm »
 I've done this with an old Atari 2600 Wico trackball... it was an incredibly easy direct to Optipac hack... I haven't gotten around to writing it up yet though...

  I'll see what I can do about writing something up...

That sounds very cool. I'm using I-PAC for the keyboard interface, so I'd defiinitely consider this hack since the Opti-Pac is so similar and reasonably priced.

Re: Other msg about the '9pin interface': I actually have an Atari to PC gameport joystick adaptor (haven't tried it with the ball because I'm looking for mouse style operation... ) In the back of my head, I'd sort of hoped maybe someone had figured out a way to interface it to the serial port and make it look like a serial mouse or something, making the whole thing trivial  :)

Mameham

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Re:Atari 2600 Trackball interface to PC for MAME Cab?
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2003, 03:33:24 pm »
 It was actually basically straight forward with the Wico and the Optipac... I opened up the Wico, saw the 4 wire plug going to the optical sensors on the board, cut them, wired them to the Optipac and I was done.
 If you need more of a walk through, let me know... I'll write something up...

 - Eric