RARusk

I was doing some research on Google on the Pro Controller, because I wanted to integrate some ideas from that into the interface design, and found that I wasn't the first to do a optical paddle. Dark Knight Games, long gone I believe, had made a Extreme Rotary controller but only made about a hundred of them. According to the information I found they used an optical encoder and made a solid controller from that. But at least I found an alternate solution for an optical device and maybe this information can be used on the optical encoders used for the actual arcade controller for "Tempest". If the arcade controller can be made to work with T2K then that would easily trump what I am doing now. Like they say, "nothing beats the real thing".....

Optical Paddle Solution for "Tempest 2000" I started this topic in the Atari Jaguar section of the forums but I felt I should put a link for it here in the Hardware area. Now that I think about it, I should have started the topic here instead and put a link for it in the Atari Jaguar section. Oh well.....

I finally solved the power issue. As it turns out you can tap the power from the joypad board after all. When I was trying before, I was using a continuity tester, along with the Atari Enhaced Port FAQ, to find what pin (on the part of the board where the joypad cable is soldered) went to what pin on the plug. However, I was getting confusing readings because when I put a wire to pin 9 (+5V DC) I could gat a connection on four of the pins on the board. I used my multimeter to find the voltage and then connected the ground wire to where the black wire came onto the board then connected the power wire to where I thought the real voltage was coming from. Didn't work. So what I did was to desolder the cable from the board and do proper continuity testing. I found out that what I thought was ground wasn't. Normally whenever you open something up you can tell what ground is by finding the black wires. This is considered a universal standard. But in the Tramiel run Atari, universal standards meant shit. In the Jaguar joypad the ground wire is the PURPLE wire not the black. Charming. I also found where the voltage wire was and it wasn't where I thought it would be too. After doing the testing I resoldered the cord back onto the board and soldered the ground and voltage wires leading into the Logitech onto where they are on the board. Now it works fine. Problem solved. But before I continue work on the paddle controller I will make the joypad I am using for my experimentations into an interface device for use with other homebrew controls. However, you would still be able to use it as a joypad should the need arise, the only difference being a plug on the bottom of the joypad. I will also construct a stand and use the screw holes on the backside of the joypad as a means of attaching it to the stand. In the setup I am envisioning I would have the joypad interface to my right where I can use it to set up games and adjust camera angles and have the paddle controller on my lap (which will be connected to the interface via the plug on the bottom of the joypad). Anyway, in the picture below is where you get the +5V DC and Ground from the joypad board. I changed the arrow colors to be brighter so they can be seen due to the lighting of this picture. The ORANGE arrow (on pin 5 in the picture) is +5V DC and is connected to the BLUE arrow in the picture (for the Logitech board) three posts back. The PINK arrow (on pin 7 in the picture) is for Ground and is connected to the GRAY arrow in the picture (for the Logitech board) three posts back.

The part number, based on the unit I have is 863129-0000. Although you can probably just use "Logitech Wingman Warrior" on Google and get quite a few hits (I didn't use the full name on my original search years ago and that is why I didn't get anywhere then). The Wingman Warrior has been out for about ten years and I don't think that they make them anymore. I originally got mine at a thrift store and that is probably the best place to look. The picture below shows a complete unit, and not gutted, like my own. The thing to look out for is the red paddle unit on the left side.

The final picture is the underneath of the Logitech main board. The focal point is the plug where you connect the optical board to the main board. You will see four arrows. The GRAY arrow is for GROUND, the RED arrow is for RIGHT, the YELLOW arrow is for LEFT, and the BLUE arrow is for +5VDC. Simply connect RED to RED, YELLOW to YELLOW. That's it. Simple, and it works. However, you may notice that I haven't gone over where to get GROUND and +5VDC. This is the only snag I've encountered so far. When I made my discovery I got the power and ground from Joyport 2 to power the Logitech. But when I tried to acquire the power and ground from the joypad main board, it wouldn't work. It seems that when the Logitech is hooked up to the joypad it knocks the power down from five volts to 1.22 volts on the joyboard. So now I have to get power from Joyport 2 until I find a solution that will allow the port to be clear and to allow two-player T2K games. Maybe somebody can help me out with that. I also need to start thinking about how to add fire buttons and such to complete the controller modification and turn it into a functional work of art.

Now that you've seen the guts of the Logitech unit it is time to show you how to hook things up. First, you need to take apart a Jaguar joypad and look at the main board (which has the keypad). On one side is a ribbon cable that connects the main board to another board that has the fire buttons and D-pad. In the picture below you can see where the ribbon cable is connected to the main board. The RED arrow is the RIGHT Directionl button and the YELLOW arrow is the LEFT Directional button.

In the picture below you can see the main board and the optical board (plus the underneath of the paddle unit) within the Logitech unit.

A couple of years ago I started the topic "Logitech Wingman to Tempest2K paddle controller?" in an attempt to convert the paddle control into something that could be used for "Tempest 2000". After playing around with it for a little bit, I gave up and placed the unit, and all of the pieces, into a box and let it sit. After doing an A/V modification to my new Jaguar, chronicled in the topic "Jaguar Audio/Video Modification", I decided to revisit the Logitech Wingman Warrior unit. I managed to dismantle the entire paddle unit so I could clean it up then reassembled it. I also took apart one of my Jaguar joypads and looked at the main FAQ on how to hook up a Indy 500 controller for T2K use. I hooked up wires for the Right and Left Directional buttons. After acquiring power and ground from Port 2 to power the Logitech, I began to poke around. With just using one of the directional wires, I noticed that the ship would spaz in place if I touched a certain spot where the plug that connected the main board to the optical board. I also found another spot next to it where the ship would also spaz in place but in a different manner. So then I placed both directional wires to these two spots. The ship would still spaz in place but it was different than the other two. Then I switched the wires around. And the unit came to life. Although a little sensitive this paddle controller works great with "Tempest 2000". At this point all I can do is move the ship around and die since I have no fire buttons hooked up right now. The next few posts will show you where to hook things up and show the unit itself. In the picture below is the Logitech Wingman Warrior joystick unit. I gutted my unit long ago but the thing to look for is the red paddle unit on the left side.

I knew about what was written in the FAQ but I was trying to see if there was any new information on the issue. But I can tell you right now that the hissing is not caused by the RF modulator (since it was removed from this unit) or from the coil. I replaced the coil tonight with one that I picked up when trying to repair my previous unit. This coil is heavily insulated. But after turning on my unit, the hissing noise is still there. As a matter of fact, replacing the coil didn't change anything. I put my ear closely to the board to see if I could pinpoint where the noise was coming from and it sounds like the whole board is making the noise not just any specific part of it. I'm scratching my head here. I will try to use the link to Llamasoft to write up Jeff Minter and show him pictures of the Wingman unit to see if it can work on T2000.

I was kinda hoping that someone might give an answer about the hissing problem by now. But no rush. I'm still playing around with "Hitman: Blood Money" and may go back and revise my "Grand Theft Auto 3" guide. By the way, is there any way to contact Jeff Minter? I got this Wingman joystick with a paddle controller built in and I wanted to ask him if there was a way to use it with "Tempest 2000".

Another bonus to the GBP: If you have an older version GameCube with the Digital AV port and either a Component Video or RGB modified Component Video Cable the GBP can support Progressive Scan. I played "Wings" on my MultiSync 3D monitor at 480p RGB and it looked sweet.

VGA is Progressive Scan RGB Analog (480p) and the Jaguar is only capable of Interlaced RGB Analog (480i). The MultiSync monitor I have is capable of displaying 480i and 480p RGB Analog Video. By the way, I know that most Jaguars make a kind of hissing sound and my first one did the same. However, the new unit hisses louder than the first one. Has anybody ever found out why it hisses and is there a fix for it?

This final picture is of the Jaguar attached to my RGB box, using my custom built PlayStation RGB cable, and running "Pinball Fantasies" on my NEC MultiSync 3D monitor. Looks nice. By the way, if anybody here has ever read my "Grand Theft Auto" guides at GameFAQs (or anywhere else where they are posted), this is where it all happens. My new Mac Mini, which is what I now use to write my work, process pictures (like the ones here), and surf is to the right. All my PS2 memory cards, 20 in all, is near the keyboard. The open folder displayed on the monitor on the left is where I keep my FAQs and guides including my newest guide: "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" (PS2). Now all I need to do is build a proper paddle controller for "Tempest 2000".....

After I finished modifying the case I placed the new board inside and closed it up. In this picture you can see the rear of the newly modified Jag with two Audio/Video plugs, one Jaguar and one PlayStation. The paint used is flat black model paint then, when dry, is buffed with a rag to give it a mattish look.

This picture is the mod but taken from the back. After the unit was tested, and it worked perfectly on all three video modes (Composite Video, S-Video, and RGB Analog video), I reinstalled the ground shield for the port area and added a clear acrylic version of liquid tape to insulate where I soldered the wires.

In this picture you can see the PS plug installed on the new unit. I had to remove the ground shield for the port and the RF modulator. I superglued the PS plug onto plastic and then onto the motherboard. This time I used thin 30-gauge wires and soldered them to the caps beyond the end of the AV port. Because my RGB box, which uses an EL1883 sync chip, can't handle the +10VDC voltage from the AV port, I acquired +5VDC from where the RF modulator got it's power. A much cleaner mod don't you think?

Several years ago I purchased a Jaguar from a friend of mine at work. The problem was that the AV port was busted (left side was broken off) and something had come up through the vents on the bottom and hit the board with such force as to cut a trace (the chroma trace - easily fixed). I got around the busted AV port by installing a DB-15 plug where the RF modulator was (after I removed it of course) and use a custom built AV box. However, I decided to install a PlayStation AV plug (taken from AV adapter they used to make - has a short cord that leads to a small box that has a standard S-Video port, three standard RCA jacks, and another AV plug) because it is easier to find PlayStation AV cables off the shelf and I could also use my PlayStation RGB cable that I made so I can use the Jag's pristene RGB Analog video signal. Then, last year, I opened up my Jag because I was curious about the blank parts on the AV port. I am an occasional contributor to the GamesX wiki site and I noticed that the page on the Jag AV port had a lot of ?? on it. So I decided to figure it out. I was also using a multimeter to figure out voltages as I was poking around on the port. Then I accidentally crossed the +10VDC trace with something else and ruined the Jag. This also goes to prove, and I am saying it before anybody else does, that curiousity did indeed kill the cat. I also put up a topic here called "Texan Needs a New Jag" to see about acquiring a new unit. After several months, GameFellas in Austin finally got one in and I acquired it. Unlike my dead unit this one had a working AV port. At that time I was doing work on making a guide for "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" (PS2) for GameFAQs and I decided to finish it up before modifying the new unit. With a working AV port you are probably asking why modify it? For the same reason I added the PS plug to the old one - because getting PS cables is a lot easier that going after the Jag ones. Besides, with this setup I can use TWO TV sets and/or monitors at the same time if I wished to do so. The new motherboard is to go into the old case since the case had to be modified to use the PS plug. I had to remove the plastic that covered up the busted AV port and redid the PS plug area. I also had to cut away a little bit of plastic from the controller port area so I could insert the motherboard rear first. I also had to remove the PS plug from the dead unit and clean it up so I could use it again in the new unit. In the picture below is the dead Jag board. Near the bottom you can clearly see where the port got broken. At the top is where the PS plug was (I removed it long before this picture was taken). Since the port was already broken I decided to solder wires directly to the contacts. You can also see that this was a messy mod but it did work perfectly.

"If it moves shoot it" Believe it or not, I actually gametested that title for Broderbund years ago. I thought I would never hear about that title again. I did both the PC and Amiga versions. However, once I gave the greenlight for them to release the Amiga version, they canned it.

I am happy to report that, after several months, I now have a new Jaguar. GameFellas came into posession of one and they were selling it as a bundle with several games, a joypad, an AC adapter, and a RF adapter. Unfortunately I was unable to get them to just sell the console which was the only thing I needed. Oh well, at least I have a spare joypad and AC adapter which is always good to have. After I complete my guide for "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" (PS2) for GameFAQs I will remove the RF modulator from the Jag and replace it with a PS2 AV plug to allow me to use PS2 AV cables including my RGB hookups. On my first Jag I HAD to do this because the previoous owner had busted the AV port and I had to hack the thing to put in a AV plug to get any kind of picture. With this new one the AV plug is intact but I will still install the PS2 plug to give me another option and to allow the use of my PS2 Monster Cable S-Video cable.

During a trip to a local Barnes & Noble I stumbled onto something I thought I wouldn't see again: "Retro Gamer" magazine. I hadn't seen any mention of this on the message boards so I figured I should let you guys know that it is back. However, the only place I found it is at Barnes & Noble. In addition, they abandoned the cover disc, probably to save costs, until they can get back into the swing of things. They also changed the layout a bit too but it still has lots of retrogaming goodness.

I do believe that this platform appeared on the first level. I don't think I've ever played the Apple IIe version and therefore it may not be in it but it is definitely in the C64 and Amiga ones.

Along with "Shufflepuck Cafe", "Stunts", "Centauri Alliance", "Joan of Arc", "Wolfpack", and just about every Carmen SanDiego game in existence at that time I also gametested "Wings of Fury" (mainly on the C64 and Amiga). One little secret in the game is that you can fly "around the world" meaning that you can just go in one direction and end up back at the opposite end of the area. However, on some levels at least (as far as I can remember) there is a small platform you can sink if you fly out far enough. I discovered this on the C64 version and also found it in the Amiga version. I don't know about any other versions.

Back in the late '80s I was a gametester for Broderbund. One of the games I tested was "Shufflepuck Cafe". It was certainly an interesting and fast paced game. I did better on the DOS version because I could the analog sticks and whip them around similar to the motion you used when using a real...err...shuffle. Oddly enough, I was never able to play though a complete game perfectly. There was one character that always managed to get one past me so I would end up with a score of 15-1. Everybody else I managed to blank on a regular basis.

Sony would've sold a ton of HDD's if Rockstar Games made official support of the HDD for "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" because that game needs a hard drive because of all the constant accessing.

"Where had you short cut the 9V with the synchro on the board?" I don't have a clue on that one. I moved the board a little to get a good angle to try to find the video sync and that's when the problem happened. My X-Acto knife accidently rolled under the board as I was moving it and it touched the underneath of the board. I will look at the picture you gave the link for and see what I can do. I think that I may have gotten a 220uh coil on my shopping trip. I'll probably replace the old coil with this one since I think that it will not make any hissing noise like the last one.