The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Xochi 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!! :)
-
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
-
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
-
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. :)
-
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
-
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...
(http://www.arcadepinball.com/basement/images/mamehac/arkball.jpg)
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
-
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 :)
-
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