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Atari joystick port
The Atari joystick port is a computer port used to connect gaming controllers to game console and home computer systems in the 1970s to the 1990s. It was originally introduced on the Atari 2600 in 1977 and then used on the Atari 400 and 800 in 1979. It went cross-platform with the VIC-20 in 1981, and was then used on many subsequent machines from both companies, such as the Commodore 64 and Atari ST, and third party systems like the MSX platform and various Sega consoles.
The port, based on the inexpensive 9-pin D-connector, became a de facto standard through the 1980s and into the 1990s, supported by a wide variety of joysticks and other devices, most commonly paddle controllers, light pens and computer mice. The standard was so engrained that it led to devices like the Kempston Interface that allowed Atari joysticks to be used on the ZX Spectrum. The port was also used for all sorts of non-gaming roles, including the AtariLab interface, modems, numeric keypads, and even a video expansion card.
By the mid-1990s, the last home computer and game console models using Atari ports – often for both joystick and mouse – were discontinued. IBM PC-compatible computers, which did not have Atari joystick ports, became dominant in the home computer market, and console manufacturers such as Sega switched to other types of ports.
The Atari Video Computer System (later the 2600) developed out of an effort to address problems Atari found when releasing their first home video game console, Pong. Although successful, Pong was an expensive system to design, and was dedicated solely to one game. It would be much more practical to have a machine that could run multiple games. The list of games it would need to support included Pong variations, and Tank. It was the desire to run these two games that led to the need for some sort of flexible input system; Pong used analog paddle controllers, while Tank used dual digital (on/off) joysticks. Arcade games of the era generally used paddles, joysticks or a unique sort of steering wheel controller that was spun, entirely unlike a real car.
Development of the 2600 was strictly a paper project until September 1975, when the MOS Technology 6502 processor was released. The 6502 offered the right combinations of features, performance and price that made a console using ROM cartridges for program storage practical for the first time. Now that such a machine seemed like a real possibility, the design team at Cyan Engineering began serious development.
As part of this effort, Joe Decuir began development of an I/O system based primarily on the MOS Technology 6532, which included 8-bit I/O ports as well as the hardware needed to control memory refresh and similar housekeeping tasks. Ultimately, the design used five of the I/O ports (pins) to control the various front-panel switches, and four each for the two controllers. Additionally, the TIA, whose primary task was sound and video, was used to handle timing-based controllers like paddles and light pens. The physical interface was the 9-pin D-sub connector, which was already relatively common for reduced pin-count serial ports on the Apple II and S-100 bus machines. Each of the pins in the connector went directly to the appropriate pin on the associated chip.
The 2600 was released in 1977, shipping with both the paddle controllers and a single joystick. The port allowed the 2600 to more easily support a wider variety of games, not just specific games but entire genres. Most game consoles before the Atari had paddle controllers, even detachable ones in the case of the Fairchild Channel F and Magnavox Odyssey. But the joystick was new, and quickly garnered praise as it allowed direct input into a number of games that would otherwise be difficult to control using a paddle. The joystick has been called "the pinnacle of home entertainment controllers in its day".
After the release of the 2600, the Cyan team immediately turned to the development of its replacement, aiming for the 1979 time frame. As the "standard" was already set on the 2600, the new machines naturally used the same controller interface, although the details of the systems used to read it changed. As 1979 approached the home computer market emerged, and Atari repositioned the new system as the Atari 400 and 800 home computers. This meant the standard now crossed the line between consoles and computers.
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Atari joystick port
The Atari joystick port is a computer port used to connect gaming controllers to game console and home computer systems in the 1970s to the 1990s. It was originally introduced on the Atari 2600 in 1977 and then used on the Atari 400 and 800 in 1979. It went cross-platform with the VIC-20 in 1981, and was then used on many subsequent machines from both companies, such as the Commodore 64 and Atari ST, and third party systems like the MSX platform and various Sega consoles.
The port, based on the inexpensive 9-pin D-connector, became a de facto standard through the 1980s and into the 1990s, supported by a wide variety of joysticks and other devices, most commonly paddle controllers, light pens and computer mice. The standard was so engrained that it led to devices like the Kempston Interface that allowed Atari joysticks to be used on the ZX Spectrum. The port was also used for all sorts of non-gaming roles, including the AtariLab interface, modems, numeric keypads, and even a video expansion card.
By the mid-1990s, the last home computer and game console models using Atari ports – often for both joystick and mouse – were discontinued. IBM PC-compatible computers, which did not have Atari joystick ports, became dominant in the home computer market, and console manufacturers such as Sega switched to other types of ports.
The Atari Video Computer System (later the 2600) developed out of an effort to address problems Atari found when releasing their first home video game console, Pong. Although successful, Pong was an expensive system to design, and was dedicated solely to one game. It would be much more practical to have a machine that could run multiple games. The list of games it would need to support included Pong variations, and Tank. It was the desire to run these two games that led to the need for some sort of flexible input system; Pong used analog paddle controllers, while Tank used dual digital (on/off) joysticks. Arcade games of the era generally used paddles, joysticks or a unique sort of steering wheel controller that was spun, entirely unlike a real car.
Development of the 2600 was strictly a paper project until September 1975, when the MOS Technology 6502 processor was released. The 6502 offered the right combinations of features, performance and price that made a console using ROM cartridges for program storage practical for the first time. Now that such a machine seemed like a real possibility, the design team at Cyan Engineering began serious development.
As part of this effort, Joe Decuir began development of an I/O system based primarily on the MOS Technology 6532, which included 8-bit I/O ports as well as the hardware needed to control memory refresh and similar housekeeping tasks. Ultimately, the design used five of the I/O ports (pins) to control the various front-panel switches, and four each for the two controllers. Additionally, the TIA, whose primary task was sound and video, was used to handle timing-based controllers like paddles and light pens. The physical interface was the 9-pin D-sub connector, which was already relatively common for reduced pin-count serial ports on the Apple II and S-100 bus machines. Each of the pins in the connector went directly to the appropriate pin on the associated chip.
The 2600 was released in 1977, shipping with both the paddle controllers and a single joystick. The port allowed the 2600 to more easily support a wider variety of games, not just specific games but entire genres. Most game consoles before the Atari had paddle controllers, even detachable ones in the case of the Fairchild Channel F and Magnavox Odyssey. But the joystick was new, and quickly garnered praise as it allowed direct input into a number of games that would otherwise be difficult to control using a paddle. The joystick has been called "the pinnacle of home entertainment controllers in its day".
After the release of the 2600, the Cyan team immediately turned to the development of its replacement, aiming for the 1979 time frame. As the "standard" was already set on the 2600, the new machines naturally used the same controller interface, although the details of the systems used to read it changed. As 1979 approached the home computer market emerged, and Atari repositioned the new system as the Atari 400 and 800 home computers. This meant the standard now crossed the line between consoles and computers.
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