hot plug/swap adapter for 9-pin controller ports?

[Swami]

I've been fiddling with a TOM rev2 two controller adapter, apparently designed for STs and Amigas that lets you use USB mice, gamepads and joysticks. One interesting aspect of it is that it allows you to safely hot plug a USB controller into it while it is plugged into the atari console or hot swap between controllers. I was wondering if such a device exists that just allows you to hot plug normal 9-pin controllers into consoles - 2600, 7800, 8-bit, colecovision, etc. I figure it would most likely have been sold for the 2600 if designed. I suspect in the case of the TOM rev2 adapter, it is acting as the controller, but it seems like something might have been made that mimicks that voltage buffer but doesn't alter anything else. USBs are generally hot pluggable in computers and everything else, but I know they still make sudden voltage connections in their ports, unless they were desinged to be buffered, in which case made this could be done with the old consoles.

[fiddlepaddle]

Empirical evidence says you can safely "hot plug" controllers into the 2600 or 7800 without problem.

 

Unfortunately, doing so with the Colecovision CAN result in damage, but I've never heard of a device (vaporware or otherwise) designed to address that. You can, however, safely plug two controllers into the Colecovision simultaneously using a Y-connector.