Using a Jag controller on an Intellivision

[liveinabin]

Right, I'm going to rebuild the Intellivision (basically putting the innards with speech unit in one box with some proper controller ports and maybe an external psu), aaaanyway, I've been looking for a controller to replace the famously awful INTV1 controller and the Jags is nigh on perfect. Same amount of keys on pad, the three fire keys respond to the (effectively) 3 INTV side keys.

Now, while there are docs on the internet about how to wire a standard 8 way pad to replace the nightmare disc, I don't know how to wire up the intv keypad also.

i need help, I'll be putting everything through 9 pins (like INTV2) so that'll mean lopping off the jag controller cord but thats no problem.

Anyone a bit clever with electronics - please help!!!!

[jsoper]

Well, it's doable, but are you sure you're up to it?

http://users.erols.com/tiltonj

has the needed info on intv and jag controllers.

 

I looked at things a couple minutes and this is probably the most straightforward way to do it:

 

Build a 555 circuit to clock a counter IC

 

The counter IC is decoded to drive the jag controller just like the jag console did (pull one address pin low at a time)

 

Store the results of the 4 readings into 4 register chips

 

Put a bunch (50+) diodes on the register ouputs to pull the proper intellivision input signals low.

 

For example, pushing jag controller button "5":

 

when the decoder circuit drives jag pin 2 low, pin 11 will be read as low and stored into its register location.

 

The output of that register location is connected to two diodes, one pulls down to intv pin 3, the other pulls down intv pin 7

 

When the intv sees that pins 3 and 7 are low, it knows a number "5" was pushed

 

Maybe you could build an adapter for a genesis controller, then see if you have any energy left.

John

[cschell]

As long as you're going to lop off the cable end, there's no reason to keep Jag compatibility.

 

Lee Krueger adapted a Jag pad by just soldering wires to the Jag buttons to form the same matrix as the Inty controller. I believe it's on his website. Do a search for "resqsoft" and atari, it will probably show up.

 

It's much more straight forward than building an actual adapter circuit.

 

Chad

[ubersaurus]

I liked the INTV controller myself. Jag ones are rather large. But hey, it works.

[liveinabin]

This is it, all I'm using the Jag controller for is as a shell with some buttons in, I'll rewire the innards totally.

Its just that, when looking inside the INTV controller, working out what key does what is a total nightmare!