Atari to USB adaptor.

[boatofcar]

YES!!!!!!!!



http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/atar...sb_adaptor.php

[Ze_ro]

I don't want to sound like an ass or anything... but it seems to me that this device would have been a LOT cooler and more useful if they had stuck two 9-pin ports on it. That way you could play four-player Video Olympics without spending $60.

--Zero

[AtariAge]

We considered including two DB9 ports to support two controllers with one adaptor, but decided for several reasons that it wasn't worthwhile. First, it would have made the design more complex and more expensive due to an increase in parts, board size, enclosure, and a more expensive microprocessor. Second, we wanted to keep the unit small, and it would also have been difficult for us to find an enclosure with openings for two DB9 connectors as well as a single USB connector. Third, we figure most people will not use more than one controller, so we would have been making the unit more expensive for the majority of people who just need to plug in one controller. And because multiple units can be plugged in, we were not crippling the adaptor by only including a single DB9 port.

We will be selling the Stelladaptor at PhillyClassic 5 for $25, for those of you attending you might be interested in one. You'll also have a chance to try it out firsthand. The direct link to our store (which has more information than the above link) is here.

..Al

[joesmooth]

Agreed - you can buy an actual, *real* system (with controllers and a few carts) for that much Neat device though (designed by Joe Grand, btw), but I made my own 2600 usb joystick and paddle controllers for half as much. He said it could easily be supported in MAME (if someone decides to code it) but I would think you'd be pretty limited in what games you could use it with.

Thanks for the comments..

We tried to keep the costs down while designing the device. A lot of time, effort, and money went into the prototyping and production. I personally feel that $30 is an exceptional price given the small quantities and the time it takes for myself and AtariAge to support the product.

There are lots of hacks out there that you can do yourself to build a USB joystick adapter, and we're not forcing anyone to buy this. But, I haven't seen anything that will support paddles or driving controllers (especially all three in the same unit), and that's where the key design features of the Stelladaptor came in.

We designed it in such a way that emulator developers can easily support the device and I think it will make big waves for classic gamers. Stelladaptor has automatic controller detection which will change the data sent in the USB packets on-the-fly. Our manual has technical information about the USB data for easier developer support and will be up at the AtariAge store link shortly.

The device is HID-class USB game controller compatible, so it will work with ANY programs or emulators that support the generic HID class. No additional drivers necessary. If the emulator software supports that (using DirectInput or whatever), the joystick will work without change. The paddle should also work without change. The driving controller is four joystick positions that represent a 2-bit Grey code, so emulators will need to be modified to support this

There are a lot of games that can CURRENTLY be played in MAME32 and other emulators with the paddles without modification to the software (and the new version of z26 that will be coming out at PC5 with the Stelladaptor). Furthermore, since the technical specs of the USB data packets are provided, emulators and software (other than z26) can be updated to support paddles and the driving controller. It's sort of an "open platform".

Hope that helps.

Joe

[ddockery]

wonder how easy it would be to develop software to convert input from this device to keyboard pushes.... this would allow any controller that uses the same port to be used with anything. I'm specifcaly thinking of Intellivision II controllers here... it would be a much cheaper alternative than buying the other converter (forgot the name) that only works for Intellivision controllers, and only works for one emulator.

[joesmooth]

Well, a mouse can already be configured for use as a paddle

Yeah, but the "feel" and gameplay using a mouse to emulate a paddle is pretty poor. There is no way to play an intense game of SCSIcide or Kaboom (or even Circus Atari, Super Breakout, Warlords - four player, etc.).

IMHO, the real cool feature about this is the support of the driving controllers....except it's only good for 2 games (Indy 500 and Stell -a- Sketch).

Don't forget some of the newer homebrews like Marble Craze, Thrust Plus DC, and maybe more..

Do you think it's possible for MAME to be adapted to use this function, for games with spinner controls (Omega Race, Tempest, Tron, etc.)? If that happens, you can bet your sweet ascii I'll be buying one

Sure thing. Glenn Saunders mentioned that he didn't think the "resolution" of the driving controller was good enough for arcade emulation, since the "spinner" for Tempest, etc. was higher resolution, but I don't think we'll know the answer to that until someone adds the Stelladaptor DC support. The functionality is definetely supported in the Stelladaptor so it is just a matter of adding in the support (which is fairly simple). The DC is basically four joystick positions that represent a repeating 2-bit Grey code. More information on the USB specs of the device and what data is transmits are in the Stelladaptor manual (to be put up shortly).

Sorry, didn't mean to sound like it wasn't worth the $. No doubt you spent a lot of time designing it. I was just looking at it from the (narrow-minded) point of using it strictly for 2600-use (and if someone is planning on playing a lot of 2600 games, it would make more sense to just get a system rather than a $300+ computer, controller adapter, and controllers, ya know?).

But, for someone like me who doesn't have a lot of space (and I left all my videogames back in Boston when I moved to San Diego - I'll get them eventually), it is a good way to play the games on an emulator at least getting the FEEL of having the real system.

Joe

[link1110]

Can I use it with a Genesis controller, since genesis controllers have the same input as atari ones?

[joesmooth]

I don't believe the Genesis controller works because the line from the second fire button interferes with the autodetection routines of the Stelladaptor (which determine joystick vs. driving controller vs. paddle).

Sorry!

Joe

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Forgot about Marble Craze (prolly b/c I don't have it ), as well as TJ's DC hacks (Thrust, Sprintmaster...any others?). Okay, so now we're up to 5

Asteroids DC+ and Omega Race DC. (anything else that should be hacked?)

Glenn's eternal WIP Death Derby is a DC game too.

Marble Craze is a paddles game.

As long as someone includes the ability to adjust the sensitivity of it (like there is for the paddles), the lower 'resolution' shouldn't be much of a problem. If it is, perhaps someone will devise a way to modify the controller, either with a replacement circuit board (for more signal pulses) or a complete replacement, that was more arcade-like.

Since the DC only produces 16 signal changes during a full 360° turn, you have to modify the controller for better resolution.

[gavv]

But, I haven't seen anything that will support paddles or driving controllers (especially all three in the same unit), and that's where the key design features of the Stelladaptor came in.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound like it wasn't worth the $. No doubt you spent a lot of time designing it. I was just looking at it from the (narrow-minded) point of using it strictly for 2600-use (and if someone is planning on playing a lot of 2600 games, it would make more sense to just get a system rather than a $300+ computer, controller adapter, and controllers, ya know?).

I'd buy it strictly for 2600 use for emulators like z26 on games that i know i'll have very little/zero chance of seeing/acquiring the actual cart, and as a relative cheap (and spacesaving) solution as compared to say an x-arcade for mame games where it would be applicable.

gavv

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Weren't there a few others I mentioned that you said weren't possible to do (Tempest maybe? Or a few driving games like Pole Position or Enduro?)

Since those game only know left and right now, the DC wouldn't make sense without completely reprogrammed controls.

IMO the unmodded DC only works for overhead viewed games.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Um....don't Asteroids and Omega Race only know left and right?

Yes, but left and right are relative to the current position, thus allowing 16 different directions.

I don't really see how the 'perspective' has anything to do with it, as much as how the controls were programmed.

True, but usually the controls are programmed to match the perspective.

Sprintmaster and Dukes of Hazzard are both 'overhead' games, but how the joystick controls the car is different with both.

Dukes of Hazzard could have become a DC game too (with 16 instead of just 8 directions). And both games had to make compromises for the controls, so the results are different.

And I would consider Tempest as having an overhead perspective.

Yup, and AFAIK the arcade original is played with a spinner control, which is very similar to the DC, except for having a much higher resolution. And that's exactly the problem why you couldn't use an (unmodded) DC for Tempest.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

It might not be possible (coding space-wise), but theoretically there should be a way to "rethink" how one could adapt that for DC use.

Yes, but only with quite heavy changes in the controller code. Definitely more than just a hack.

I probably asked you this before, but since the DC simply repeats a string of 4 different values (center - down - down+up - up, for clockwise; opposite for counter-clockwise), isn't there a way to interpret that to move an object left or right.

Sure, no problem. Actually that's what done in all DC games, it makes no difference if you want to move or turn an object.

VCS Tempest has 22 different "positions" that your character can move, but there's actually only 8 different "lanes" that you can be in (each "lane" shows 2 or 3 different orientations of your character, but they all are exactly the same in respect to where your shots go). Seems to me if you drop some of those redundant positions, the DC controller should be more than adequate.

If it is no problem that you have to twist the controller quite a lot, then yes.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

There's 16 positions on the controller, and 8 actual positions in the game....how do you figure you'd have to turn it a lot? Wouldn't a half-turn get you from one side to the other? If there were different boards then it might be a problem...

Ok, with only 8 positions then a half-turn would work. But wouldn't make that targeting way too easy then?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Actually, the whole game is a bit rough (esp. the collision-detection with your shots and enemies). Even better controls might not save it

My thoughts exactly.