7800 controllers on the PC

[HammR25]

Is there a way to hook up 7800 controllers on the PC and have them operate like 7800 controllers? I figured you'd probably have to have a proper driver to get the buttons mapped correctly but was curious to see if anyone had tackled this.

 

After getting the Space Invader controllers back from Jay the thought has been popping into my mind. It would be nice to be able to hook one of these up to the computer.

Edited April 15, 2006 by HammR25

[jaybird3rd]

This is a VERY old-fashioned interface by today's standards, but here is a site that has wiring diagrams for connecting a number of classic controllers to the PC's parallel port. The Atari/SMS diagram claims to support two-button operation, but since I haven't tried it myself, I can't confirm that it works with 7800 controllers. I can attest that their driver works very well, even though it only supports Win95/Win98; I built their NES adapter to connect four FB1 joysticks to my Win98 emulation box.

 

The other option is, of course, the Stelladaptor, which supports modern OSes and the USB interface but (as far as I know) is limited to one action button.

 

EDIT: I just looked over that interface a little more closely, and it seems that it does not use pin 5 on the Atari side (the right action button), so chances are it will NOT work in two-button mode with 7800 controllers. The two-button support might be limited to the SMS controllers.

Edited April 16, 2006 by jaybird3rd

[Prodos8]

You could certainly wire it through a keyboard adapter like the MAME cabs use or hack up an old keyboard, crude but effective, and make your own adapter.

[Paranoid]

That'll be an expensive way to go. The IPac runs what... $35 for the USB version, which has volatile programmed settings (you have to program it every time you reboot). The Stelladaptor would be the way to go, I'd think.

 

Ah... but, yeah... you could get the two fire buttons from an IPac.

[NightSprinter]

Or alternatively, you could go to the PPJoy website for the schematics. It includes an Atari 7800 adapter that will also work with a normal Atari 2600 joystick as far as I can recall.

[Danno]

Actually, none of those options will work without either building an adapter to compensate for the retarded resistor laden fire button scheme in the 7800 prosticks, or rewiring the Prosticks themselves to use independant fire buttons and take out the foolish and circuit the resistors make.

 

I'd recommend using the ppjoy drivers and rewiring a prostick to use independant fire buttons. It's actually pretty easy to do and doesn't require an soldering.