Ataxx questions: Answered

[g3n3r1c]

After a week of pm's, e-mails, pics and testing, I've answered the Ataxx trackball enigma.
There are multiple versions of the board, those with and those without sound pots. There are NOT trackball/joystick versions.
PALs at locations U75, 76, 77 & 78 must be labeled as pictured in order for trackball control. The JAMMA adapter simply converts the edge connector to JAMMA pinout and handles video, it does NOT convert a board with trackball PALs to joystick or vice versa.
Now you know, and as G.I. Joe has taught us, that's half the battle.

U78: 02-11-01
U77: 02-10-01
U76: 02-09-01
U75: 02-08-01

 

[Tombo]

Along with the "trackball" pal's, be sure to install the PCB with all the screws to the metal plate. Apparently, it creates the ground for the trackball controls.

I was testing my "trackball" pal board out of the cabinet. I had intermittent vertical tb movement and zero horizontal movement. After tracing the wires back to the harness, I figured the common problem would be the ground. I am not an expert, but the ground traces seem to go nowhere on the board from the harness!. I did notice on the "Trackball" pal board, there is a jumper soldered from the ground to the screw hole. I mounted the board to the plate and the trackballs worked perfectly!

THis is the Trackball pal PCB:

This is the joystick pal PCB:

Source for the ground?

After 5 years, I can finally play trackball Ataxx!

Tom

 

[Tombo]

JHC. I haven't any recollection of this post. All I remember is I cannot play Ataxx still. However, I see an edit above my post and I will check my setup.

Tom

Along with the "trackball" pal's, be sure to install the PCB with all the screws to the metal plate. Apparently, it creates the ground for the trackball controls.

I was testing my "trackball" pal board out of the cabinet. I had intermittent vertical tb movement and zero horizontal movement. After tracing the wires back to the harness, I figured the common problem would be the ground. I am not an expert, but the ground traces seem to go nowhere on the board from the harness!. I did notice on the "Trackball" pal board, there is a jumper soldered from the ground to the screw hole. I mounted the board to the plate and the trackballs worked perfectly!

THis is the Trackball pal PCB:

This is the joystick pal PCB:

Source for the ground?

After 5 years, I can finally play trackball Ataxx!

Tom

 

[Tombo]

After a week of pm's, e-mails, pics and testing, I've answered the Ataxx trackball enigma.
There are multiple versions of the board, those with and those without sound pots. There are NOT trackball/joystick versions.
PALs at locations U75, 76, 77 & 78 must be labeled as pictured in order for trackball control. The JAMMA adapter simply converts the edge connector to JAMMA pinout and handles video, it does NOT convert a board with trackball PALs to joystick or vice versa.
Now you know, and as G.I. Joe has taught us, that's half the battle.

U78: 02-11-01
U77: 02-10-01
U76: 02-09-01
U75: 02-08-01

So how are the inputs converted from TB to JS?

This damn game.....I wish I had just found a whole one, LOL!

 

[g3n3r1c]

So how are the inputs converted from TB to JS?



This damn game.....I wish I had just found a whole one, LOL!

They're converted via the PAL's
You just need to wire the trackballs to the edge connector.

 

[Logical Highs]

Does anyone have the PAL chip images? Of that extra chip imaged?

I have a joystick board set and an original cabinet with trackballs I want to get up and running and I don't want to convert it to joysticks.

 

[LasVegasIRA]

I have an Ataxx board set (possibly two) that goes with the trackballs. I'll never use it so I can give you a deal on it if you're interested...

 

[thegleek]

This is the Trackball pal PCB:

This is the joystick pal PCB:

Source for the ground?

After 5 years, I can finally play trackball Ataxx!

And 5 years later. .. the images of your post are no longer valid. sigh.

 

[Tombo]

And 5 years later. .. the images of your post are no longer valid. sigh.

theyre still there. Photobucket is down.

 

[Logical Highs]

Has anyone dumped the chips yet?

 

[Tombo]

So, 11 years later, I am finally wrapping up this game. I FINALLY have a decent monitor to put in. I obtained a WG 7302 in really nice shape.

I managed to get the image perfectly centered with a mod to the adj board, bolted in, wiring zip tied.....

I test the game - no track ball movement. At this point, I am thinking a fiery death for this POS.

On a whim, I removed the harness and noticed it is really loose and flimsy. Removing the harness several times and testing the track balls yielded different results every time (red worked blue didnt. Blue worked x but not Y red didnt work, so on and so forth).

My conclusion is the pins are making intermittent contact on the PCB.

Sigh...

 

[Tombo]

It seems this was the issue. I took a jewelers Flathead and overextended each pin. Was a much firmer connection to the PCB. All of the inputs work correctly and I finally played a game of Ataxx.

I hope to never have to open this game again!

Tom

 

[tstone]

Awesome you finally got it!

Great game, I always play it at Crabtowne. I'm not very good it, but I can beat Droolman!

 

[Tombo]

Awesome you finally got it!

Great game, I always play it at Crabtowne. I'm not very good it, but I can beat Droolman!

I completely suck at the game but I really enjoy playing it. Just bolted it all back together. I still need a piece of plexi.

 

[Tombo]

Well, the blue track ball doesn't move the player again. I can see it "try" to move in the test box.

I am about ready to burn this thing.



Tom

 

[FrizzleFried]

Replace the pins in the edge connector. You know what the problem is. That's 3/4 of the battle.

 

[HighScoreSaves]

Wedge in toothpicks. It'll be fine.

 

[Tombo]

Wedge in toothpicks. It'll be fine.

So I spun the machine around, opened the back and did the tooth pick trick on the 4 ground wires (two for TB's and the other two for the buttons. Fired it up and still no side to side motion. I next swapped the wires near the harness. This loom has molex connectors all over the place. I swapped the "red" and "Blue" track ball molex and the problem followed the trackball itself. Fine. I have spare TB's, I will snag an opto board from one and try it out.

I open the control panel to find this:

oops



New piece of plexi, I bolted the monitor and replace the light bulb in the marquee. Game works 100% and it is finally done.

Tom

 

[HighScoreSaves]

This resolution made me smile....dumb ass mistakes. Those are the best!
It took 11 years.

 

[Tombo]

This resolution made me smile....dumb ass mistakes. Those are the best!
It took 11 years.

11 total. The connector was a recent development. I probably pulled it off when I was snapping the CP in place.

I am fairly certain it was the ground all along causing the issues. It didnt have track balls when I first got the machine. I had the JAMMA version in a Zback and I really wanted a dedicated. A friend found the empty cab at auction for $25 and snapped it up for me.

It has been quite the journey. I have 4 boardsets I think.

But yes, dumb ass fixes are the best!

Tom