Games for Atari Trackball

[+DrVenkman]

I'm not sure if any damage has actually occurred or not - I have seen photocopies of Atari Engineering notebooks back in the day, made by Dan Kramer, that show measured current draw and concerns that it could overtax the VCS circuitry. I don't recall the notes recording any concerns regarding use with the 400/800 machines.

 

I had a WICO trackball as a kid but I used it with my 800.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Interesting stuff. So the Centipede does not support Trackball, and there are at least three different versions of the Atari trackball (not counting the fake Wico) with differing schematics which may not be compatible with each oher.

 

As for damage caused by Wico, I've heard it said the Genesis 3-button controller could damage the Atari. I've studied the schematics and can't find any evidence to support this.

 

Someday when I finally get the 5200, I'll get a trackball controller and build a DIY digital joystick. That should account for 90% of the titles...

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Three? From Atari I know about two different schematics (plus another one from Commodore's Amiga mouse).

From software perspective, their only difference are the 2 bit Gray codes produced when moving the ball:

CX-22: 00, 01 and 10, 01

CX-80: 00, 01, 11, 10

Amiga Mouse: 000, 100, 101, 001

[high voltage]

Millipede also has a Trackball icon on the back

[Mef]

difference are the 2 bit Gray codes produced when moving the ball:

CX-22: 00, 01 and 10, 01

 

How's flipping all bits at the same time considered Gray code?

[+DrVenkman]

Millipede also has a Trackball icon on the back

 

So it does. And indeed an Atari Trak-Ball or WICO Trackball will produce simulated joystick output and let you play using the controller. It won't be the same as real rolling, proportional Trak-Ball control however.

 

Typical Atari, Inc. at work here, folks: produce a really cool home input device, then essentially ignore everything about it that makes it unique and cool. Those in charge of managing the Home Computer and 2600/7800 game development processes SHOULD have issued edicts demanding that arcade conversions of Trak-Ball games in fact use the very device Atari themselves produced for home use, then provided all the resources necessary to make it happen such that the resulting games would truly reflect the fantastic capabilities of the hardware. More ROM space for the necessary input code and graphics, extra programming help and resources to squeeze performance out of games that used the input code, etc.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Three? From Atari I know about two different schematics (plus another one from Commodore's Amiga mouse).

 

From software perspective, their only difference are the 2 bit Gray codes produced when moving the ball:

CX-22: 00, 01 and 10, 01

CX-80: 00, 01, 11, 10

Amiga Mouse: 000, 100, 101, 001

Um, proper gray code is 00, 01, 11, 10... Atari Driving controller does this. You can't flip multiple bits at once or it will generate potential errors.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Yea, CX-80 uses the original Gray code, Amiga mouse a slight variation.

 

The CX-22 however produces different 2 bit sequences, depending on the rotation direction. So that's no real Gray code.

[Lynxpro]

Can someone contact Ken Silders and ask him if he'll agree to allow Albert to sell 7800 Centipede-TB in the AtariAge Store?

[+DrVenkman]

Ken's website doesn't have contact info that I can see, unfortunately. You could try PM'ing him here.

 

http://kensclassics.org/#home