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Sources for Bulk Plastic DB-9M Joystick Connectors?


jaybird3rd

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I'm working on a hardware project which will involve Atari-compatible joystick ports, and I'd like to use plastic DB-9 PCB connectors, similar to the ones Atari used:

 

atarijoy.jpg

 

I know that several component vendors carry metal-hooded DB-9 connectors (like the ones used for PC serial ports), and I know that vendors like Best Electronics have a limited supply of NOS plastic connectors, but I want to avoid these options if possible.

 

Plastic connectors just like these are being used today in the Atari Flashback consoles, so I'm sure they're still being manufactured, but does anyone know of a reasonably-priced source for them? I'll probably need two or three hundred connectors to start with.

 

Thanks in advance!

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only one's I can find are IDC style (crimp to ribbon cable) and thus stupid expensive. One would think that a PCB mount right angle DE9 would be easy to find considering every 9 pin console used them along with consumer computers, and a lot of other devices. But I only seem to find them on pre 1990's devices

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I'm working on a hardware project which will involve Atari-compatible joystick ports, and I'd like to use plastic DB-9 PCB connectors, similar to the ones Atari used:

 

attachicon.gifatarijoy.jpg

 

I know that several component vendors carry metal-hooded DB-9 connectors (like the ones used for PC serial ports), and I know that vendors like Best Electronics have a limited supply of NOS plastic connectors, but I want to avoid these options if possible.

 

Plastic connectors just like these are being used today in the Atari Flashback consoles, so I'm sure they're still being manufactured, but does anyone know of a reasonably-priced source for them? I'll probably need two or three hundred connectors to start with.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

do you want them as pictured, i.e. db9 to board? Do they need to have the bottom 3 posts?

 

I like the TE black / gold ones but they are very expensive.

 

I'm trying out these for my latest project, as they have an attached cable, are black and gold and very low cost.

 

Digikey

H7MXH-0906M-ND

post-27883-0-14607500-1388910261.png

Edited by grips03
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do you want them as pictured, i.e. db9 to board? Do they need to have the bottom 3 posts?

Yes, these connectors will need to mount directly to the PCB, as pictured. The bottom posts aren't critical, but all connectors of this style seem to have them.

 

I'll look at the ribbon cable part that you linked to.

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Yes, these connectors will need to mount directly to the PCB, as pictured. The bottom posts aren't critical, but all connectors of this style seem to have them.

 

I'll look at the ribbon cable part that you linked to.

 

Newark has these for .77 cents

1-1634580-2

post-27883-0-15634900-1388911401.png

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I'll use metal-shell connectors if I have to, but in the meantime I'll keep looking for plastic-shell parts.

 

That's actually a lower price than my regular sources, so I'll keep it in mind.

they also have some from FCI for ~50 cents, for a joystick to PCB I would include with boardlocks (large pins) on the side that you solder

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these ones from TE are close, price is high

 

745001-3

 

- edit - looks like plastic boardlocks :(

They also have mating connector locks. The board I'm designing will be an upgrade board, designed to be mounted inside an enclosure which has DB9 joystick port openings that are sized for the original Atari-style connectors, and I'm not sure these would fit.

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they also have some from FCI for ~50 cents, for a joystick to PCB I would include with boardlocks (large pins) on the side that you solder

Yes, if I go with a metal-shell connector, I'll definitely need one with board locks, but without jack screws, like the one in your picture.

 

It's amazing that the plastic connectors seem to be so hard to find these days. Somewhere in the world, somebody must have a barrel full of these connectors.

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Jay, how does this look? The first item in the upper left of the list. (I'm in a rush to get out to Mass, so this was the result of just a passing glance. Forgive me if I'm overlooking the obvious as to why this is wrong.)

 

http://www.surplussales.com/computeraccess/dbconn-1.html

Very interesting! Those certainly look like the right type of connector; I'll order some samples to be sure. Thanks for finding this!

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Here is a possibility -----> HERE >>

And a photo...

 

... of course other places probably have them cheaper.

Thanks. I've bought several of B&C's NOS replacement connectors in the past, and since they're Atari originals, they're naturally a perfect match for vintage systems. If my project works out, though, I'll need a few hundred of these connectors, and I don't want to deplete B&C's or Best's inventory (assuming they'd even be willing to sell them all to one person). That's why I've been looking for other sources. The supplier that MAC-42 linked to just might be the solution; I'll know for sure once my samples arrive.

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  • 6 months later...

Jay, how does this look? The first item in the upper left of the list. (I'm in a rush to get out to Mass, so this was the result of just a passing glance. Forgive me if I'm overlooking the obvious as to why this is wrong.)

 

http://www.surplussales.com/computeraccess/dbconn-1.html

 

Following up on this... I did order and receive some excellent DB-9 connectors from Surplus Sales of New Jersey last week. These are a phenomenal match for ColecoVision controller ports, and the cost was mere pennies ($10 minimum order btw)!

 

One very important note: the pins were larger than the original connector... only a thousandth of an inch, but large enough to where I had to carefully enlarge the holes on the PCB without damaging the traces. It was doable, and I succeeded, but be warned!

 

As for the 2600, I haven't checked compatibility yet.

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  • 7 months later...

Did they ever arrive, jaybird3rd? Did they work well? They appear to be a nice match.

Wow, I forgot all about this thread! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting! Thanks to e5frog for bumping this for me. I did indeed order some samples from Surplus Sales of Nebraska (the vendor that MAC-42 linked to), and I did indeed find them to be an excellent match for the all-plastic DB-9M ports that Atari and others used. I don't know how close of a fit they are for the ColecoVision ports, but I did use two or three of them in some Atari machines, and I don't recall any particular problems making them fit. Just the same, I'll remember your warning when I measure them for my new boards.

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