Atari Lynx external controller mod

Any of you guys know how to do the external controller mod to the Atari Lynx? I seen this on assembler so it is possible:

http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/hooking-psx-controller-to-atari-lynx-success.45504/

Reason I'm thinking about buying one that has had the VGA out mod and new LCD screen mod done. So it will be pretty much a console.

wouldnt an Atari external joystick be more in themed with the system? and a bit easier

werejag said:

wouldnt an Atari external joystick be more in themed with the system? and a bit easier

Click to expand...

Like which atari controller? Hell i just want an external port for a controller which ever would be the easiest is just fine with me. Can't remember if some games used the other keys besides the a, b button. I only had Ninja Gaiden for it back in the day.

Oh man, I'd be totally down for a LCD mod. Could finally play mine and sorta enjoy it.

Kid Panda said:

Oh man, I'd be totally down for a LCD mod. Could finally play mine and sorta enjoy it.

Click to expand...

Panda pm sir.

atari controllers have no circuitry its just gnd and pins. solder to those test point to a 9 pin db. bingo solved.

werejag said:

atari controllers have no circuitry its just gnd and pins. solder to those test point to a 9 pin db. bingo solved.

Click to expand...

jag, I appreciate the info but, I have zero capabilities in electronics or soldering. So, all this is just foreign language to me buddy I have no clue what you are talking about. I just need it done and that's it.

soldering is not hard to learn its rather easy.

werejag said:

View attachment 27238

Click to expand...

Again Jag, I appreciate the efforts on the schematics very useful but its just not going to happen for me. That is unless someone can mod it for me? If not its just a wishful thinking man. I can't mod shit, I can mount things but as far as soldering and "know how" goes hell no I'm done.

But yeah I would love to keep it as a DB-09 Atari style port. Simple and sweet, James this has your name on it if you have time lol.

MCF 76 said:

Like which atari controller? Hell i just want an external port for a controller which ever would be the easiest is just fine with me. Can't remember if some games used the other keys besides the a, b button. I only had Ninja Gaiden for it back in the day.

Click to expand...

Atari 2600 and SMS may be easy but you won't get all the buttons. Atari Lynx has 2 fire buttons plus 2 options and pause. What "simple" controller has 5 buttons or more? The closest is Neo Geo controller costing over $50 on eBay :/ There are other cheap controllers that can work like SNES and PSX but they use shift register to combine multiple buttons over one wire. Atari Lynx was never designed for a shifty controller. You could build a decoder using microprocessors such as ATMega using Arduino code.

I have a prototype of PSX controller adapter http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/hooking-psx-controller-to-atari-lynx-success.45504/ I haven't finished yet as I shelled out a bit over $100 to someone for LCD and video out kit that has never materialized (someone named candle on AA forum, not McWill, dropped off the Earth after taking over $500). I should revisit this mod and cough up another $100 for McWill kit. Then I can play Zaku and Eric's Eye of the Beholder on 32" LCD with a PSX controller. I can post arduino code if I can remember where I left that but beyond that you're on your own for modding and installing the kit.

You're basically hitting the buttons the same way you would electrically if you had pressed them yourself, only after the mod is done you can do it with a controller connected by wires externally. Pretty easy in concept, and probably in execution, those old handhelds weren't exactly tightly-packed.

Assuming it's common GND inside (I think most handhelds are but a few aren't like the DMG GB? someone correct me if I'm wrong) then this would be super simple.

DanAdamKOF said:

Assuming it's common GND inside (I think most handhelds are but a few aren't like the DMG GB? someone correct me if I'm wrong) then this would be super simple.

Click to expand...

Atari Lynx uses common 5v rail for buttons.

ah ok, common-whichever then sorry

saying I can't solder is fair... saying you can't learn to solder is defeatist. Come on man... get a shitty 45w iron from your local electronics store and practice on an old motherboard. You'll get the basics down in a few days.