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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: alfonzotan on October 08, 2024, 05:30:49 pm

Title: Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
Post by: alfonzotan on October 08, 2024, 05:30:49 pm: 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:

(https://i.ibb.co/zs4nK3V/TMPSTSPNR.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/4F52FyW/IMG-3581-3.png)
Title: Re: Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
Post by: PL1 on October 09, 2024, 03:52:33 am: 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.
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
Title: Re: Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
Post by: alfonzotan on October 09, 2024, 01:53:00 pm: Thank you, looks like this one is active high. No wonder it wasn't working.
Title: Re: Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
Post by: alfonzotan on October 10, 2024, 01:41:05 pm: 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.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Atari Tempest spinner pinout sanity check for USB hack
Post by: alfonzotan on October 15, 2024, 05:23:51 pm: Rather than keep fighting with this setup, I just sprung for an Opti-Pac, set P1 Spinner X to active high with the little utility application, and boom, it works.

Yes, I probably could have found a cheaper fix...