Bill Loguidice Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Any further work on a USB controller to Atari/Commodore/etc. adapter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Yes, we're out of stock! LOL! I'm working on a new flashing utility under Java to simplify passing from one firmware to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Yes, we're out of stock! LOL! I'm working on a new flashing utility under Java to simplify passing from one firmware to another. So just so I'm clear, you have a working USB-to-Atari-style-adapter, not just an Atari-style-to-USB-adapter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 So just so I'm clear, you have a working USB-to-Atari-style-adapter, not just an Atari-style-to-USB-adapter? No, not at this point. I already started a project like that but realized that there are too many controllers out there with different ways of connections/ protocol. This is not an easy task, plus the CPU inj the adapter has to be fast enough to act as an USB host. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 No, not at this point. I already started a project like that but realized that there are too many controllers out there with different ways of connections/ protocol. This is not an easy task, plus the CPU inj the adapter has to be fast enough to act as an USB host. Forgive my ignorance here, but couldn't you just focus on one popular protocol, e.g., xinput, and then just support a basic feature set? For Atari-style systems, you really only need directional control and a single button. You wouldn't need to support all the features of a particular controller. Or perhaps there could be a way to "program" the adapter via a PC, e.g., it asks for left and you move left, then button 1, you press button 1, etc., and then it would stay paired with that particular controller until you update the firmware again. (and no worries, this is the last I'll ask about it, it's just that there's a gaping hole in the market for something like this and it really just might be insurmountable from a practical standpoint) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Forgive my ignorance here, but couldn't you just focus on one popular protocol, e.g., xinput, and then just support a basic feature set? For Atari-style systems, you really only need directional control and a single button. You wouldn't need to support all the features of a particular controller. Or perhaps there could be a way to "program" the adapter via a PC, e.g., it asks for left and you move left, then button 1, you press button 1, etc., and then it would stay paired with that particular controller until you update the firmware again. (and no worries, this is the last I'll ask about it, it's just that there's a gaping hole in the market for something like this and it really just might be insurmountable from a practical standpoint) Is it anything like the Rys MkII USB to Amiga or Paul Willingham PSX-> Amiga adapter? You have hook up a Seagull 78 for the 7800, but otherwise I think they are good for 2600, 7800, A8, Amiga and probably ST and TT. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Rys-MKII-Real-USB-HID-Amiga-Adapter-Mouse-Joystick-Pad-Wireless-Wired-560/112379989319?hash=item1a2a5e8d47:g:TwQAAOSwuspY-xQI https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amiga-CD32-C64-Atari-playstation-adapter-PSX-joypad-joystick-interface/222858851980?hash=item33e36c368c:g:SDIAAOxyOlhStDmY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Is it anything like the Rys MkII USB to Amiga or Paul Willingham PSX-> Amiga adapter? You have hook up a Seagull 78 for the 7800, but otherwise I think they are good for 2600, 7800, A8, Amiga and probably ST and TT. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Rys-MKII-Real-USB-HID-Amiga-Adapter-Mouse-Joystick-Pad-Wireless-Wired-560/112379989319?hash=item1a2a5e8d47:g:TwQAAOSwuspY-xQI https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amiga-CD32-C64-Atari-playstation-adapter-PSX-joypad-joystick-interface/222858851980?hash=item33e36c368c:g:SDIAAOxyOlhStDmY That first one looks like something worth trying, thanks (I already have a Totek adapter that does what the second link does--it's how I can use an X-Arcade on Atari-style joystick ports). EDIT: Just saw the price... Never mind I guess. EDIT 2: Guess it's also available here: http://www.vesalia.de/e_rysmk2.htm EDIT 3: Also this - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Amiga-Atari-ST-C64-C128-Commodore-Mouse-Gamepad-Joystick-USB-adapter-TOM/232039311802?epid=931652201&hash=item36069ee9ba:g:iZoAAOSwZVlXpIms , but, based on the manual, here, this is too much trouble! Best just to get a good Atari-specific controller and be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 That first one looks like something worth trying, thanks (I already have a Totek adapter that does what the second link does--it's how I can use an X-Arcade on Atari-style joystick ports). EDIT: Just saw the price... Never mind I guess. EDIT 2: Guess it's also available here: http://www.vesalia.de/e_rysmk2.htm EDIT 3: Also this - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Amiga-Atari-ST-C64-C128-Commodore-Mouse-Gamepad-Joystick-USB-adapter-TOM/232039311802?epid=931652201&hash=item36069ee9ba:g:iZoAAOSwZVlXpIms , but, based on the manual, here, this is too much trouble! Best just to get a good Atari-specific controller and be done with it. Sorry. The price on that Rys MkII is wrong. Weird resellers said they do that when they sell out. ? its available from amigastore for like $30.00. I have one and I did not pay $400 for it. http://amigastore.eu/en/414-rys-mkii-usb-adapter.html I also tried the TOM but I think they have issues. See my reviews in the 2600 and 8-bit sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 That first one looks like something worth trying, thanks (I already have a Totek adapter that does what the second link does--it's how I can use an X-Arcade on Atari-style joystick ports). EDIT: Just saw the price... Never mind I guess. EDIT 2: Guess it's also available here: http://www.vesalia.de/e_rysmk2.htm EDIT 3: Also this - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Amiga-Atari-ST-C64-C128-Commodore-Mouse-Gamepad-Joystick-USB-adapter-TOM/232039311802?epid=931652201&hash=item36069ee9ba:g:iZoAAOSwZVlXpIms , but, based on the manual, here, this is too much trouble! Best just to get a good Atari-specific controller and be done with it. This one looks cool. Wireless Bluetooth. But I have not tried it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-Bluetooth-Mouse-Joystick-Adapter-for-Amiga-Atari-Commodore-Amstrad/272811116348?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_me Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Just received 2 of these adapters via eBay and then found this thread with the discount for AA members. Oh well. So I have questions about flashing. I am using a laptop with Windows 7 Ultimate and all fixes applied. Had to install 2005 Visual C++ to get past the side-by-side configuration error. Wish this were documented as a pre-req. So now I can run HIDBootFlash. With the default fields, it does not find the device. If I change the ProductID to what I find via Control Panel, then the device is found. However flashing never works. I have tried shorting the pins 6 and 8 and have also tried pressing keypad 6 on an attached Intellivision Flashback controller. When I select the firmware file and attempt to flash, it generates many many errors. Interesting the when the device is detected, the last two lines say Page Size: 0000 Device Size 000000000 The flashing errors begin with Data 32640 bytes exceeds remaining flash size! 0x00000...0x0080 Error Flashing device!!!! And these last 2 lines are repeated many times with different address ranges And finally Resetting device! Download failed!!!! The only controllers I have available to plug in are the Flashback controller or an Intellivision II controller. Can't say for sure that I got a great connection on pins 6 and 8. Is there a way to determine what firmware is currently installed? I did notice that in HIDBootFlash, in the firmware select box, it detects the first firmware listed in the directory from which HIDBootFlash is executed so this is not indicative of what is installed. Any help or suggestions is appreciated. My goal is to use this with RetroPie and also directly into a PC or Mac. Hello there, Flashing the adapter need to have something to maintain pin 6 and 8 together while plugging it into your machine. This trigger the bootflash process. The device will appear as HIDBOOT instead of the joystick adapter. Doing this without an Atari joystick can be a bit tricky so try to use a little wire or paperclip. With an original Intellivision controller you can trigger the bootloader mode by holding the top side button while plugging the adapter into a USB port. With an Intellivision Flashback controller you can do the same by holding keypad 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 This USB HID adapter on Vesalia looks fine! I would be curious how it's implemented and what kind of CPU is used... I saw an application note from Atmel for the Atmega32u2 in USB host mode with a gamepad. Maybe this is a spinoff... This CPU is more powerful and has a dedicated USB interface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 This week, we've implemeted the Atari Flashback 1 controller. It works flawlessly! This adapter is using a shift register like the Nintendo and Super Nintendo controllers to serialize the buttons. It was easy to implement. See our download page for 3.x adapter firmware; https://www.retronicdesign.com/en/download/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eighball932 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious or missed something in this very old thread that answers my question...but I've been trying to get one of these to work with C-64 emulators and can't seem to decouple the "FIRE" function from the joystick. When I move in any one direction (depending on the mapping), the "FIRE" button is also triggered. This problem doesn't seem to affect Atari emulators. Maybe this is the entire topic - the two-button support that became necessary during the later years of the Commodore, but I sorta have to skim past the super nerdy stuff because I'm not one who would consider attempting to bust out the soldering iron or roll together any kind of custom solution. What I need is a new adapter or some kind of device that'll allow me to use my old Epyx joystick with C-64 emulators like Vice or Virtual64. My next option will be to resurrect the original hardware, and that's something I'd prefer to avoid if at all possible. I did just come across this site & reached out to its creator ... seems like it addresses the problem I'm running into... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_me Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 (edited) Is your epyx joystick one or two buttons? Test it using a game controller test utility or through the website at the link below. https://html5gamepad.com If the game controller tests fine then the problem is in the emulator software or its settings. Do other game controllers work correctly with vice? If it fails in the test utility then the problem is with the usb adapter firmware and you should contact its manufacturer. Who makes your adapter, where did you get it? [Or like Nitz1976 suggests, the joystick itself could be faulty] Edited January 31, 2020 by mr_me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 hey eightball, With the Retronic Design USB joystick adapter, it should detect it no problem. In fact, it supports 3 buttons out of the box. This one looks like a clone You can also use a multimeter to check if buttons shorts the right pin to ground on the DB9. Check out my site for pinouts; https://www.retronicdesign.com/en/specifications/ Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eighball932 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 1/31/2020 at 9:10 AM, Nitz1976 said: hey eightball, With the Retronic Design USB joystick adapter, it should detect it no problem. In fact, it supports 3 buttons out of the box. This one looks like a clone You can also use a multimeter to check if buttons shorts the right pin to ground on the DB9. Check out my site for pinouts; https://www.retronicdesign.com/en/specifications/ Have fun! Maybe I'm approaching this from the wrong direction then... My problem is figuring out how to shut off the recognition of any more than a single button ... The joystick seems to be recognized no problem, maybe there's a way to set up VICE or Virtual64 so that moving the stick doesn't shoot. I also have a C64 Mini that's collecting dust because of the same problem. I bought it with the hope that I wouldn't have to deal with stuff like this, but also never could have expected the included joystick to be so completely unusable. if I can't use this & similar original joysticks AND support 2-player gaming, there's just no fun in it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_me Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 9 hours ago, eighball932 said: Maybe I'm approaching this from the wrong direction then... My problem is figuring out how to shut off the recognition of any more than a single button ... The joystick seems to be recognized no problem, maybe there's a way to set up VICE or Virtual64 so that moving the stick doesn't shoot. I also have a C64 Mini that's collecting dust because of the same problem. I bought it with the hope that I wouldn't have to deal with stuff like this, but also never could have expected the included joystick to be so completely unusable. if I can't use this & similar original joysticks AND support 2-player gaming, there's just no fun in it for me. Maybe create a new topic in the "emulation" subforum, with more details. What games have you tried. What settings have you tried. What controller hardware do you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telengard Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Anyone using these successfully on Windows 10 x64? I can only get them to work on my Win 7 32 bit machine. Tried 2 diff Win 10 boxes, same behavior. They don’t register as USB devices at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Hummm, this looks like a wrong emulator configuration. It should not shoot while moving directions. Check out the Windows calibration tool and check if moving your joystick around actually shoots. It should not. If it shoots, then you have an issue with your joystick. Open it and clean all contacts. It could be ashort between lines inside as traces comes real close near the wire soldering pads. The adapter should never shoot while waving the joystick around... Let us know your findings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_me Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, telengard said: Anyone using these successfully on Windows 10 x64? I can only get them to work on my Win 7 32 bit machine. Tried 2 diff Win 10 boxes, same behavior. They don’t register as USB devices at all. Yes, Win10 64bit and Linux too. The retronic usb v3 hardware, I believe. And it's recognized by the windows game controller tester in control panel. What device and firmware are you using? Edited February 3, 2020 by mr_me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eighball932 Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 I've been having much more success with my PS4 Dual Shock. But that doesn't cut it for most games, and I still have the 2-player problem. It's definitely a software problem, but I can't figure it out. I can also use the NES Advantage with a Nintendo adapter no problem. I think I'm just going to have to set up the original hardware & see how that goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telengard Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 On 2/3/2020 at 11:01 AM, mr_me said: Yes, Win10 64bit and Linux too. The retronic usb v3 hardware, I believe. And it's recognized by the windows game controller tester in control panel. What device and firmware are you using? I'm not sure what version of the HW I have. I purchased these a few years ago. They are running a slightly older rev of firmware (3.0), was trying to update to the latest. Both of my Win 10 x64 computers have issues, but it works fine on my Windows 7 32 bit computer... the only software component should be the basic Windows HID driver I would think. The error I get is "Unknown USB device (Port Reset Failed)". Happens on 2 diff Win10 boxes, 2 diff Retronic controllers, both in a hub and directly plugged in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitz1976 Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 10 hours ago, telengard said: I'm not sure what version of the HW I have. I purchased these a few years ago. They are running a slightly older rev of firmware (3.0), was trying to update to the latest. Both of my Win 10 x64 computers have issues, but it works fine on my Windows 7 32 bit computer... the only software component should be the basic Windows HID driver I would think. The error I get is "Unknown USB device (Port Reset Failed)". Happens on 2 diff Win10 boxes, 2 diff Retronic controllers, both in a hub and directly plugged in. This is very stange. Heve you tried this tutorial: https://recoverit.wondershare.com/usb-tips/fix-unknown-usb-device-issue.html There is some kind of corruption. Is it a standard us English Windows 10? What version? You can try to use windows update or repair your installation. They normally have no issue whatsoever with any Windows version from 98 up to now. Let us know! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_me Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 10 hours ago, telengard said: I'm not sure what version of the HW I have. I purchased these a few years ago. They are running a slightly older rev of firmware (3.0), was trying to update to the latest. Both of my Win 10 x64 computers have issues, but it works fine on my Windows 7 32 bit computer... the only software component should be the basic Windows HID driver I would think. The error I get is "Unknown USB device (Port Reset Failed)". Happens on 2 diff Win10 boxes, 2 diff Retronic controllers, both in a hub and directly plugged in. What's the controller device e.g. atari paddles, atari joystick, intellivision controller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telengard Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 (edited) On 2/12/2020 at 9:32 AM, Nitz1976 said: This is very stange. Heve you tried this tutorial: https://recoverit.wondershare.com/usb-tips/fix-unknown-usb-device-issue.html There is some kind of corruption. Is it a standard us English Windows 10? What version? You can try to use windows update or repair your installation. They normally have no issue whatsoever with any Windows version from 98 up to now. Let us know! Thanks! English Windows 10, x64, standard Atari joystick attached. I've now tried 3 different computers running that same OS and I get the same behavior with both of my Retronics (which have a small 3.0 label on them). The only difference on this latest test is I had to "show hidden devices" in Device Manager for it to show up (it's the one w/ the Port Reset Failed - attached screenshot). I can't imagine all of my Windows 10 installs are corrupt. I have other USB devices for joysticks that are working. I followed the steps at that link, and shows up as a USB Input Device but "not connected to the computer" (see 2nd screenshot) Edited February 14, 2020 by telengard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.