Using atari hardware to emulate an emulator?

[Silntdoogood]

With the release of Halo 2600, I started paying with ROMs (okay, that's still the only ROM I have so far) When I have the keyboard controls it just doesn't feel like an atari game. Now, the atari controller works with a simple matrix (I believe "matrix" is the word for when you have many buttons, but the leads combine in ways that you have only a handful of connections where each button has a unique combination, eliminating wires, but keeping functionality. I got the term from an instruction sheet in a project box I bought from Radio Shack years ago. It was long enough ago I may have misread the word, if someone can confirm my definition, I'd appreciate it!) and a keyboard works on a more complex matrix. If I combine the two, I should logically be able to use the actual Atari controller to emulate pushing keyboard keys to run the emulator.

 

I have messed with this project for about a week, and have failed at just about everything, including painting the case. Originally I connected the Atari controller leads to the keys that the Stella Emulator uses. This doesn't work because in the five keys, there are three different ground connections. Connecting the three sends an invalid return to the keyboard controller. I can accept this. I looked over the board, and found five keys on the same ground. I have adopted them. The 9-pin serial port I'm using came from a '92 desktop PC and has this handy female plug on the end that I'd like to use for two reasons:

1) Easy disassembley if I ever need to

2) I spent a half hour finding where all the pin slots go

To solve the dilemma of "I have no pins for the female plug on the port" I took a hacksaw, and removed the front USB connections of a dead motherboard. It works quite well. Now I have a small board, all the leads running from the keys appropriately into the pins on it. Those pins appropriately correspond with the correct places on the port for the Atari controller to communicate the proper signals, and yet, when I have these connections in place, the keyboard throws errors, and just all around fails at typing.

 

This is an older keyboard, when I disconnect the connections I have made, it all works fine. I have used two different serial ports, two different boards, three different controllers and new wires each time I resoldered. What is actually erroring varies. I've had it down to as simple as when you push either "G" or "L" it types "GL" to as complex as nearly every key typing two to three extra characters, or in the case of "2" not working at all.

 

The only theory I can come up with is the board controller measures how much resistance has been applied from the printed circuitry to help determine which key has been pressed. This seems a bit advanced for a cheap-o 1997 keyboard. Like I said, I've been at this for several days, not every day has been devoted to just this problem, but this is one that seems to elude me.

 

 

~~Also~~

As a side note:

If someone could put my mind to ease by explaining the legality of making your own hardware for the Atari system. I like to stay diligent of copyrights, patents etc. I'm rather new to these forums, if you'd rather this be in a second post, I will do so, and this appendix may be disregarded. I feel like it is something that has a post already, but I can't find one. A link to such a place would be appreciated via PM or post here.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my giant story!

-Spence

[Rybags]

I think you're going the long, hard way about things.

 

There's ready made and DIY projects like Stelladaptor, DirectPad and the like. They usually have drivers which allow an Atari stick to be used as a DirectInput device, and possibly even to map joystick movements to keys.

[Albert]

There's ready made and DIY projects like Stelladaptor, DirectPad and the like. They usually have drivers which allow an Atari stick to be used as a DirectInput device, and possibly even to map joystick movements to keys.

The Stelladaptor will also let you use Paddle and Driving Controllers, and is the only such device that I'm aware of that supports these controllers (there are a million that support joysticks only).

 

..Al

[Silntdoogood]

I think you're going the long, hard way about things.

 

There's ready made and DIY projects like Stelladaptor, DirectPad and the like. They usually have drivers which allow an Atari stick to be used as a DirectInput device, and possibly even to map joystick movements to keys.

 

Haha, yes I am. I know that. In my mind this is simpler than any of the projects I have seen. I just can't get it to work...

As far as buying kits and/or adapters, I've seen Stella adapters go from $30-50. There are probably cheaper out there, but the problem that caused me to start this project in the first place is not having access to a paypal account to buy a physical Halo2600 cart. There fore, I have difficulty in buying an adapter

[Nukey Shay]

Cheap DIY solution? Wire an Atari stick to an old gamepad. People were doing that for years before Stelladaptor came along.

[Silntdoogood]

Cheap DIY solution? Wire an Atari stick to an old gamepad. People were doing that for years before Stelladaptor came along.

That was originally what I was going to do, but I have only one clicky Atari controller, and I don't care for the ones that don't click. I really don't want to slaughter my favorite controller, and half the time I find my self using a genesis controller anyway.

[Silntdoogood]

(couldn't let my account sit on 13 posts)

[Rybags]

Some people have hacked keyboards to use as controllers for MAME boxes, usually just wiring in external buttons to the contacts on the keyboard.

 

Problem of course is that you can get the old problem of ghosting or keys not recognised when you have multiple keypresses going on.

 

These days though, you can get microcontroller based units with a dozen or more pins that you can wire up as you please.

 

Wiring the comms side of an old joypad to an old Atari style controller sounds cool... those cheap USB PS1 clone sticks usually break after a month or two, and there'd likely be heaps of room inside most Atari type sticks to fit the comms electrics into.

[Nukey Shay]

That was originally what I was going to do, but I have only one clicky Atari controller, and I don't care for the ones that don't click. I really don't want to slaughter my favorite controller, and half the time I find my self using a genesis controller anyway.

 

No slaughter necessary. Just chop off the end of a joystick extension or DB9 computer cable, and wire that to the traces in the gamepad. Then you can plug in whatever stick you choose at the time.

[Silntdoogood]

That was originally what I was going to do, but I have only one clicky Atari controller, and I don't care for the ones that don't click. I really don't want to slaughter my favorite controller, and half the time I find my self using a genesis controller anyway.

 

No slaughter necessary. Just chop off the end of a joystick extension or DB9 computer cable, and wire that to the traces in the gamepad. Then you can plug in whatever stick you choose at the time.

When you mentioned the DB9 computer cable, it made me think, I'm merging several levels of computer into one. At that, not being very careful, just kind of using what I need. I'm using a hacksawed off piece of motherboard for the pins for the actual DB9 plug. I pulled the rows of pins off the motherboard piece, and soldered just the leads to the pins. It was much more difficult, and some board would have helped, but it works now!

 

I guess there was some printed circuitry on the USB pins I had used. I wasn't using much o he board at all, and don't see anything that connects. It either means there were connections in a sub-level, or when I cut it, a bunch grounded with each other on the edge.

 

I digress, it works I'll attach some pictures, and post a video in a sec if anyone is interested.

Thanks for your help everyone! XD

[Silntdoogood]

Oh, and Al had commented on the functionality of a paddle controller. I guess the project isn't "done" now until I can get that done.

 

I'm hosting the pictures my self because I already wasted the time to upload them there for the video description. I might as well save some atariage space while I'm at it.

 

pictures:

http://www.silntdoogood.webs.com/atarik1.jpg

http://www.silntdoogood.webs.com/atarik2.jpg

http://www.silntdoogood.webs.com/atarik3.jpg

 

video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0m9AW1EtqQ

 

Thanks again everyone!

[Silntdoogood]

Um...youtube refused to finalize the first video here's a functioning link, if anyone is actually interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymb5soohYA0