Atari joystick to PC joystick adapter


Posted on Dec 3, 2012

ome games are easier to play with digital joystick instead of analogue type. Unfortunately PC has only analogue joystick connector, which makes it impossible to connect normal digital joystick to it. But with a little adapter circuit, it is possible to use Atari style digital joystick with IBM PC joystick interface. The circuit adapts the joystick connectors and converts digital joystick movement signals to analogue signals. The circuit can be used with any PC game to replace the original analogue joystick. The circuit also simulates also Gravis Gamepad operations except the extra buttons.


Atari joystick to PC joystick adapter
Click here to download the full size of the above Circuit.

R1,R3,R4,R6 2.2 kohm R2,R5 100 kohm T1,R2 BC557 D1,D2 1N4148 P1,P2 100 kohm trimmer Generally the circuit is not very sensitive to the component differences on diodes and transistors. Generally almost any small signal transisotr with Hfe on range of 100-500 should do the job. For the diode you can use almost any common diode, like very popular 1N4001 rectifying diode. The circuit operation The interface circuit directly connects the joystick buttons to the corresponding PC joystick connector pins because they operate similarly in both joystick types. Because PC need different resistances to X and Y inputs to know the joystick position, the circuit converter the four switch inputs form the Atari stick connector to the different X and Y resistance values which are the outputted to PC joystick port. The circuit gives the following resistance values from the 9 different positions an Atari-style joystick stick can have: The resistance values are exactly the same as what is given by PC gamepad controllers (like Gravis Gamepad for PC) or what normal PC analogue joystick give out when it is in center position or in any extreme position (fully moved to one of the eight main directions). The different resistance values are generating using following method (this example is for forward/back direction movevement): When the digital joystick is in center position the current flows through R3, D1 and potentiometer. When...




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