Can I use a RS232 9pin manual switcher to plug in a joystick and paddle into the same port?

[Cador]

Basically, I'm tired of having to reach to the back of my Atari 2600 and unplug a joystick, then plug in the paddles every time I want to play Kaboom!, Video Olympics, or Warlords.  Call me lazy, but this type of process creates a disincentive for me to actually play paddle games.  It would be nice to be able to use a manual switch so that I can choose a joystick or paddles at the push of the button.

 

I'm looking to buy something like this:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32809416772.html

 

Are there any technical limitations as far as using this device with my Atari 2600?  If there are alternative solutions, please let me know as well. I presume that I wouldn't be able to use an RS232 9pin splitter cable as this would likely create a conflict with both joystick and paddles sending signals to the controller port at the same time.

Edited February 26, 2022 by Cador

[Keatah]

I suppose the question to ask and investigate is are all the pins switched?

[Cador]

19 hours ago, Keatah said:

I suppose the question to ask and investigate is are all the pins switched?

I presume they wouldn't be.  If they were, then it would definitely not work.  As far as I can tell from my cursory reading about DB9 joysticks is that they're based on the 9 pin RS232 standard.

 

I'm surprised that nobody else has inquired about my question before.

[emerson]

8 hours ago, Cador said:

I presume they wouldn't be.  If they were, then it would definitely not work.

I think you have it backwards. If they didn't switch all pins it would defeat the purpose. I suppose if the box were made after serial modems died out then it could omit the ring indicator (pin 9) as a cost savings measure but in all the AB-Y boxes I've taken apart they switch every pin. These switches do not put both peripherals in parallel with each other, but rather connect only one device at a time to the output.

 

8 hours ago, Cador said:

As far as I can tell from my cursory reading about DB9 joysticks is that they're based on the 9 pin RS232 standard.

There seems to be a misunderstanding here. This may be true for something like an IBM PC joystick that plugs into an actual RS232 serial port. Joysticks for systems like atari and commodore are entirely passive devices and do not utilize any type of communication protocol. Most every AB-Y box like the one you linked to will be entirely passive as well. The only similarity between a 9 pin RS232 serial devices and a 2600 joystick is that they both use a DE9 connector. DE9 is technically the correct name but DB9 is more commonly used.

 

8 hours ago, Cador said:

I'm surprised that nobody else has inquired about my question before.

I suspect most of the folks around here that game on actual hardware don't mind unplugging a controller and putting it away when it's not in use. It's kind of like unplugging a cartridge and plugging another one in, isn't it?

 

 

If you can find an AB-Y box that switches all 9 pins then your idea will work. Be sure to use a straight-thru cable between the AB-Y box and the console, not a null-modem cable. Also know that the metal connectors on this or any switch box will chew up the ends of your joysticks because they have dimples around the inside edges.

[Danjovic]

Paddles and standard joysticks can coexist. get someone to build ou a Y cable, or build it yourself, and you will not even need to flip the switch.