Questions for a project: "Atari 2600 Light Sixer"

[A.J. Franzman]

I just finished some design pics and guts arrangements
(Copy and paste pics into browser, because angelfire can be evil)

http://www.angelfire.com/oh5/mm007/atari6erguts.jpg

These are the internal arrangements of the system. This is almost perfectly proportionate.

http://www.angelfire.com/oh5/mm007/atari6er.jpg

This is the main design for the Atari 2600 Light 6er. Now that I think about it, I should call it the Atari VCS Light Sixer...I'll change that in the real thing. ^^

The 4 colors schemes are what I have yet to choose from.

I may have to put the switches someplace else, maybe I'll have enough room there, I dunno. It'll be close.

So, what do you think of the design?

It's not bad, but there are a couple of problems:
1: If you start with a nominal 4.8V battery pack, you will get very little life out of them no matter how many cells you have. The VCS chips are based on an old technology called "TTL" (Transistor-Transistor Logic), which is spec'd to run at 5.0 volts +/- 5%, typical. If you're starting out at 4.8 volts, you're already on the low side, and that means you only have to drain the batteries down by 0.05 volts (that's 1/20th of a volt!) before it will start to get flakey on you. You might get lucky and have a set of chips that all miraculously are happy working outside of specs, but don't count on it.

B: Your controller plugs are going to block your view of the screen... or did you mean to only ever use separate controllers if also using a TV set?

[MM007]

That is just a label, not a screen. This is designed around the 4" x 4" cut Atari boad, packing it full. However, if the Atari PCBs get small enough, that may change...

Also, maybe I can use 6V then, maybe using a resistor to get rid of the excess...wasteful, but I may not have a choice....

[A.J. Franzman]

That is just a label, not a screen. This is designed around the 4" x 4" cut Atari boad, packing it full. However, if the Atari PCBs get small enough, that may change...

Also, maybe I can use 6V then, maybe using a resistor to get rid of the excess...wasteful, but I may not have a choice....

Oh, OK, I think I understand what you're doing now - it's an adapter to use 2600 carts in a regular NES connected to a TV, right? Somehow that part went over my head the first time around. I've never played an NES, what's the "TURBO" button do?

A 6V supply will only be usable if you get an ultra low dropout regulator, or a buck/boost regulator (or converter). But maybe your idea to get 5V from the NES is best, if it can handle the Atari's load.

[MM007]

Originally, the idea WAS to use the NES, but now the idea is for a stand alone unit. Besides, a similar idea was suggested with the resistor for the Vectrex controller, I just have to consider the load...but I dunno how much current will be drawn as a result.

TURBO is the same as Rapid fire.

That is just a label, not a screen. This is designed around the 4" x 4" cut Atari boad, packing it full. However, if the Atari PCBs get small enough, that may change...

Also, maybe I can use 6V then, maybe using a resistor to get rid of the excess...wasteful, but I may not have a choice....

Oh, OK, I think I understand what you're doing now - it's an adapter to use 2600 carts in a regular NES connected to a TV, right? Somehow that part went over my head the first time around. I've never played an NES, what's the "TURBO" button do?

A 6V supply will only be usable if you get an ultra low dropout regulator, or a buck/boost regulator (or converter). But maybe your idea to get 5V from the NES is best, if it can handle the Atari's load.

[A.J. Franzman]

Originally, the idea WAS to use the NES, but now the idea is for a stand alone unit.

In that case, what I said before still stands - you don't want controller ports nearby and perpendicular to the screen, unless you expect to always be using a TV whenever you use external controller(s).