Controllers producing zero input - quick way to test Controllers vs. Console ports?

[Xebec]

Hi there!

 

I have recently been gifted a 4-port Atari 5200 (thanks Mom and Dad ), and I'm unable to generate any input from either of the two 5200 style controllers it came with.  I've plugged them into ports 1, 2, 4, and also via an adapter that appears to allow you to connect both a 5200 style and a 2600 style 9-pin controller.. with no luck.  

 

I'd like to artificially produce a 'start' button signal to make sure the Joystick 1 port is at least accepting some input before cleaning/replacing/repairing the joysticks - are there a few pins I can short or similar on the first joystick port?

 

Googling for schematics - I'm a little confused on how exactly to produce "Start".  I think maybe connecting pins 4 and 7 would work?

 

(another option if it's easier - is I could push button '2' for Pacman which wants 1 or 2 for # of players).

 

Thanks!

John

 

P.S. Diagram I'm referencing:  https://allpinouts.org/pinouts/connectors/input_device/joystick-atari-5200/

Edited November 30, 2022 by Xebec
wording

[8bitAndy]

The controllers are old school, so you can cross wires to test. Be careful, you could break something if you cross the wrong wires.

 

The keypad and the start, pause, reset buttons are triggered by crossing a row and a column wire. See the matrix table on your link. For instance, Start would be Pin 7 (row for 1,2,3 and Start) crossed to Pin 4 (column for Start, Pause and Reset)

 

The fire buttons are crossed to ground. The bottom fire button is pin 13 to pin 15. The top fire button is pin 14 to pin 15.

 

There is voltage on pins 9 and 12, don't cross anything with these.