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CONSTRUCTION
NOTES:
(Last Updated 01/27/07)
Our design is an
exact replica of the original unit produced by Atari for use
in their various games. To date, nobody has ever
reproduced this controller to our knowledge. There is a high
demand for both the controller as well as the individual
components. The upper housing while common with several other
Atari joystick designs, has been in short supply for quite some
time. Being one of several parts which commonly fail, the
supply has reached an all-time low. This coupled with the lack
of reproduction pivot balls and lower housing components, those few
with existing hall effect controllers find themselves in a position
where they need replacement parts.
This has been
an interesting reproduction project thus far. While not nearly
as difficult to produce as the Star Wars yoke for example, it's
still elaborate enough in design complexity to take note. Overall,
the hall effect controller is a fairly straight-forward design, but the
custom components of the unit were an immediate concern.
Most note worthy were the magnets and hall effect sensors. The remainder of the assembly was
easily reproduced.
There
was some concern about the hall effect sensors used on this sensor
board as well as the magnets used on the X and Y direction slide
components. After some diligent research, the hall effect
sensors
were sourced and purchased. Atari originally
purchased the same sensors as an alternate part number used on the
same sensor board. The magnets were a whole different beast to
overcome. A magnet is a magnet, right? Wrong. Not
even close. We were able to determine the composition and
grade of the original magnets. After sampling a few dozen of
original parts, we noted the varying strengths (using a Gaussmeter)
and determined the original magnetic properties. It was
actually quite interesting.
The
hall effect board in whole was a major concern from the start due to
the different revisions originally produced and the lack of complete
samples. In total, there were three revisions of the hall
effect sensor board made by Atari. Our design is based off of
the last revision made in 1989 (A043489-01), utilizing a single
board with each sensor having it's own support block and adjustment
pots for centering X & Y axis position.
The
entire controller assembly is an exact replica of the original
controller. There were some updates made to a few components
which, hopefully, will extend the life of our reproduction units as
well as any existing units which are outfitted with our
components. The pivot ball and upper housing have always been
prone to an untimely demise. Therefore, both of our
reproduction parts have been upgraded to a much stronger type of
plastic. To be precise, we're using acetal homopolymer instead
of nylon. In terms of strength, the acetal homopolymer
outperforms nylon in nearly every category: Tensile strength,
compressive strength, hardness and impact strength. Acetal
provides high strength and stiffness while offering enhanced
dimensional stability and ease of machining. A semi-crystalline
material, Acetal also has a low coefficient of friction and good
wear properties-especially in wet environments. Because it absorbs
little moisture, Acetal demonstrates excellent stability for
close-tolerance machined parts. In high-moisture or submerged
applications, Acetal bearings outperform nylon 4 to 1. This material
is resistant to a wide range of chemicals, including many solvents.
The
actuator and plunger components are also prone to wear, so we've
opted to upgrade both of these components as well.
This project is
currently classified as "in production" at this point in
time. However, we are about to release our pre-production
units for testing and review. The following components will be
available shortly for individual purchase: pivot ball (039716-01),
hall effect sensor board (A043489-01), Plunger (039712-01), Actuator
Ball (040693-01) and Actuator (039715-01). Every completed reproduction part
will be 100% interchangeable with existing controllers made by Atari.
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