Joystick Compatability

[gliptitude]

I haven't got an Apple II or any vintage computers but I have the means to use gameport analog PC joysticks on my Atari 2600 using an adapter I bought on eBay from a guy in Greece who makes them. It's pretty cool when it works.

 

I'm posting here to ask about Apple joystick conventions, which seem to vary. And I'm wondering if there is any compatibility with other computers, (or if there is maybe any existing products to make them compatible).

 

As far as I know, "gameport" is a PC convention. It uses a 15 pin male serial plug.

 

I see "Apple II" joysticks on eBay with a variety of plugs. It seems like usually either a male db9 or the primitive and fragile looking type with pins sticking out the bottom of an elongated cube. .. Then I see some that look like 15pin serial. Sometimes they are called "8 pin" and only have 8 pins, but they look like they are still in a 15pin serial plug.

 

Do these conform to gameport standards?

 

Here's one I'm looking at right now:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TG-Products-Vintage-Apple-II-Joystick-Controller-Tan-Black-and-Red/352188598905?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055359.m2763.l2649

 

.. I have another joystick I bought on eBay which does NOT work with my adaptor because it requires a BASIC program to calibrate it on the PC. Is this the sort of issue I'd run into with Apple 15 pin joysticks? Maybe they have different potentiometer values or something?

 

.. On a side note, I really like the joysticks and paddles that I've seen made by TG, and they seem to have focused on Apple, but I rarely see them for sale. If anyone in these Apple boards has any TG devices to sell or trade please let me know.

 

I have some TG paddles for Apple, (with the primitive pin sticking out plug) which are so damn sexy, but I have no way to use them. I'd love to figure out a way to play on the 2600 with them, especially if it could be done with some sort of adapter and without hacking the paddles. .. I also have a rare pair of Atari joysticks made by TG that I absolutely love, but have broken down with use.

[Keatah]

The stick you are looking at is likely a made-for-the-PC stick from T.G. It seems to follow the PC pinout, at least that's what the photo shows.

 

Is it a stock photo? Is it of the actual stick you're going to get?

 

Also, consider, the Apple II was out before the PC. And TG made their joystick early on. So. It's likely they adapted it to the PC when the PC came to market. It's a good quality stick that uses and R/C gimbal mechanism, and the pots are good quality too.

 

There's this:

http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/GS.WorldView/Resources/ARTICLES/A2.to.PC.Joystick.Conversion.ht

I just skimmed it, so I can't speak too much for accuracy and practicality. But it may give you some ideas. It appears you can match the pots with a 300K resistor. And of course the stick would need to be re-wired to match the connector.

 

I bet you could build an adapter with the resistors outside of the joystick, thus not modding the stick in any way.

 

What a cool little weekend project for beginning electronics students!

 

There's likely more little projects like this if you search.

[gliptitude]

Hmmm. So you don't know of any Apple II computers taking a joystick plug like the one in the photos? .. I don't know where anyone would get a stock photo of such an obscure joystick, so I think it's got to be the actual item. .. The Apple-first-adapted-later-by-the-manufacturer explanation makes some sense and I had gotten a similar theory on Atariage in the past when asking questions about my strange 2600 joysticks made by TG.

 

There's this:

http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/GS.WorldView/Resources/ARTICLES/A2.to.PC.Joystick.Conversion.ht

I just skimmed it, so I can't speak too much for accuracy and practicality. But it may give you some ideas. It appears you can match the pots with a 300K resistor. And of course the stick would need to be re-wired to match the connector.

Thanks for finding and providing this. It's definitely interesting and relevant. I was actually just messing around inside another Apple joystick hoping to adapt it but not understanding what I saw. This article confirms there is a bit more going on in there. .. If I land this TG one for sale it will be an interesting comparison.

 

.. Trying to bargain with this seller I'm going to mention that it doesn't look like it's Apple compatible. The price seems way high to me.

[Keatah]

I've seen TG sticks move at 2x or 3x that price. Take it down $5 for the win.

[carlsson]

I've built a PC joystick adapter according to this scheme, which works well if you follow the spec and don't try to be smart and "fix" what you think is "broken" in the scheme (nothing is broken, just my mind).

 

 

http://www.apple2faq.com/knowledgebase/pc-apple-ii-joystick-adapter/

 

If you build it youself, it should only cost a few dollars in materials, or $40 for a ready built product. The latter however still requires a DE9 connector on the Apple computer, rather than mounting it on a DIL socket inside the computer.

Edited January 23, 2018 by carlsson

[eightbit]

Many PC/Apple joysticks of the era were just PC sticks with an apple II adapter and the joystick had a switch for IBM or APPLE. I have a few of these. Sadly on ebay a lot of sellers sell these joysticks and do not have the adapter included. Some others I have just have both style connections built into the cable.