Atari 5200: New version of Atari800 (Beta): two triggers (Moon Patrol!!!), hat start and exit buttons

future.child · 5 Jun 2017, 18:30

Offtopic:
@mediamogul @herb_fargus Sorry to bother, but i could not find a pm function for this.
Do you guys have an idea why @Used2BeRX has been banned ?
He doesn't, and i can't think of any reason (admittedly based on this thread alone) as well.

Back on topic: I spent the day playing with different approaches on improving the joystick sensitivity problem.
The problem lies in mapping the physical controller input (-32767 to 32767, 0 is center) to atari's input (0 to 228, 114 is center).

A lookup table doesn't work as it throws timing way off, and the table would be ginormous.

A math function seems the best approach, i have two formulas which in theory should do it.
f(x)=114+0.0020997955127507414x+1.29351713e-12x^3
f(x)=114+0.000591444990459655x+2.66474736e-12x^3
But when added to the code i get very weird results, perhaps someone with greater math and coding skills can have a look.

Also i am starting to believe that modern day controllers are just to sensitive.
There is a 40 degrees range of motion for 65535 values, opposed to the original controller's 60 degrees for 228 values.
Plus the original controller had a larger handle allowing for a larger range of travel than modern thumbsticks.

So for now i am leaving the sensitivity part as lowered priority for now and advise to configure mouse as trackball (or as paddle for Kaboom! ).
In this regard kat5200 does seem to be the better emulator for 5200.

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 02:49

@future.child It should just be

analogpos / 287.42982 + 114

287.42982 is the ratio of 65534 to 228.

Worked out:

Control   min       max       range
Analog    -32767    32767     65534
Atari          0      228       228

One unit = 65534 / 228 = 287.42982

Analogpos Value
-32767       0
32767      228
0          114
16384      171.00174

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 04:05

I should add, this won't do anything regarding the 40 vs 60 degree range of motion. But I don't think you should address that since sensitivity is usually adjustable via OS or other tools.

Used2BeRX · 6 Jun 2017, 03:34

@future.child Back in action. Thanks for helping me out there bud. :)

I'm going to keep putting my notes in the spraedsheet instead of mucking up this thread if that's alright with you. Seems like you guys might be on to something with the analog controls?

I've got quite a few notes in the spreadsheet. Check out the questions tab and take a look at the red objects in the notes column. I have a good breakdown of what games have problems and maybe you can figure it out since I isolated it quite a bit.

More in the "interesting" category, it took me FOREVER to figure out how to get 2 players working in Miner 2049er. The game manual was full of crap (and I know that's the real manual they scanned because I remember having it). They say you need to hit * to get to the hi-score screen and then hit * again to change from 1 to 2 players. Nope. I had to program "OPTION" to get to the hi-score screen. Then you have to press SELECT to switch between 1 and 2 players.

But.... The 5200 didn't have an OPTION or SELECT button..... so what gives? Oh well. At least I have it mapped now.

future.child · 6 Jun 2017, 05:19

@rkoster Thanks, this is actually the current way i implemented it, this linear conversion however is too sensitive for some roms.
That is why i am trying for a more elaborate math function, so there is a sort of slope to controls.
I have not found any way for adjustment in OS or other tool, so i am open to suggestions.

@Used2BeRX Good to have you back, clerical error ?
As far as Miner goes, unless the manual is wrong, your rom seems to be a dump of an A8 version ported to A52 instead of a true A52 version, or perhaps you're running in A8 machine mode (doubtful), you are able to check the last one by going in emulator menu and checking under system settings.
Could also be the emulator is flawed causing the rom to think it's in A8 mode, same way some roms switch to trackball or paddle mode.

Used2BeRX · 6 Jun 2017, 10:41

@future.child Yup. Nobody's sure what happened, but they got me back here. I guess a permanent ban was issued. Those stay on your record, so I guess they got an asterisk by it. :)

Interesting about the Miner 2049er. I'll look into it. Would rather have it work normally so you don't have to hit select for 2 players. That would be the only game you have to do that for if I can't fix it.

I posted the controls to my standard configuration. I don't know by looking at yours what would be happening to me. Maybe you can look at what I've got and see it right away?

EDIT: I finished the configurations for all of the 5200 games on the spreadsheet. Bugs are in red. Nothing really except for the issues I'm having with the 2 player controls. I tried comparing our controller configs but couldn't figure anything that would fix it on my end. Hope you notice something that I didn't.

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 17:18

@future.child What sort of curve do you want? Small movements have less effect?

future.child · 6 Jun 2017, 18:41

@rkoster Yes, that's exactly what i want as the controller now is way too sensitive.

The current code is (i.e. for joystick 1 y axis)

int joy1_y = SDL_JoystickGetAxis(joystick0, 1);
int pot1 = (joy1_y/287.429824561)+114;
if(pot1 < 0) pot1 = 0;
if(pot1 > 227) pot1 = 227;
POKEY_POT_input[1] = pot1;

This is beautifully linear, but little movements of the analog thumbstick are huge in the emulator.

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 17:50

Simplest would be to keep it linear, and change the relationship. Try changing the unit factor from 287. That adjusts the linear mapping. You're already clamping pot1, so all it will do is discard extreme values. That would be doing kind of the same thing that a circular restrictor does on an analog arcade stick.

future.child · 6 Jun 2017, 18:03

@rkoster I have been fiddling with this, problem is when having a higher number the atari does not get the full input range making some roms unplayable, while lowering the value actually makes it more sensitive.

I currently have a adjustable relationship (in the code the 287.429824561 is actually a default value of a variable) in place as a temporary workaround for a few roms, but some roms like caste crisis and Kaboom expect the full range of input.

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 18:59

Ah, you're definitely diving into trickier territory then. Different gamepads will actually have different response curves for that. You may want to look at this article.

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RyanJuckett/20160329/268937/Interpreting_Analog_Sticks_in_INVERSUS.php

I'd start with an anlog deadzone to begin with, to see if that makes a difference.

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 22:47

@future.child I managed to get the kernel recompiled. The joystick works correctly now. :) Thanks for your help!

rkoster · 6 Jun 2017, 22:53

As a heads-up to anyone else who might run into this.

If you have a problem where you run the atari800 emulator the first time and everything works fine, and then you run it a second time and it exits the emu when you push right on the joystick, the issue is that you have joy2key enabled.

You can hit F4 to exit to the command line and type

sudo killall joy2key.py

Now you can play the atari800 emu again.

To solve the problem permanently, you can to go the RetroPie menu, Run Command Configuration, and make sure that "Launch menu joystick control" is set to Disabled.

I am not sure what's happening, but it seems like having this option on leaves it running when the atari800 emu exits. The result is that hitting the joystick is also sending keystrokes. You can even go into jstest while it's happening, and see that keys are being hit when the joystick moves.

Used2BeRX · 14 Jun 2017, 00:03

@future.child Hey bud. Just wondering how the progress has been going. I haven't heard from you in a while.

I borked my Pi so I had to re-start on a new SD card. That's probably a good thing though because it's a fresh install that my brother didn't fiddle around with and it's 4.2 instead of the 4.1 that he was using. I'm hoping once I get everything up and running and back to the state it was in before that those controller and game save issues that I was having don't crop up again.

future.child · 14 Jun 2017, 04:59

@Used2BeRX Well things haven't really been progressing that much.
The analog controls are still a problem, i now have a less sensitive joystick with a curve to it but for some reason the extra step it takes to do the adjustment in between reading the joystick and passing the modified value to the emulator takes too long for game-play (about a half to a full second of delay depending on how much adjustment is needed).
Without the curve, there is no noticeable lag but this curve is needed for certain roms (i use Kaboom! for testing) where the paddle sometimes needs to travel fast and at other times needs to travel more slowly but accurate.

I can't see any other way than using a mouse for now.

So your controller issues have been solved with a fresh install ?
Does that include the crosstalk from controller 2 to controller 1 ?

Used2BeRX · 14 Jun 2017, 20:53

@future.child I don't know if the fresh install fixed the controller problems. I've been busy setting media up for another project I'm working with somebody else on to make gamelist.xmls that are going to take advantage of all of the media I've already collected for use on another emulation system.

I'm hoping everything will work out. I will let you know if it works now.

Used2BeRX · 15 Jun 2017, 00:00

@mediamogul said in Atari 5200: New version of Atari800 (Beta): two triggers (Moon Patrol!!!), hat start and exit buttons:

@Used2BeRX

The individual launch commands are located in /opt/retropie/configs/atari800/emulators.cfg and /opt/retropie/configs/atari5200/emulators.cfg. However, the per-game preferences for those launch commands are located in /opt/retropie/all/emulators.cfg.

So....... I've installed 4.2 on a new SD card, installed the original atari800 emulator through the regular ways in emulationstation/retropie. I installed future.child's upgraded version. I've played a few games and changed the configurations to the ones that I made specifically for those games.

Now I wanted to copy over the new per-game preferences file we spoke about before with the old one I had with all of the 5200 games set up.

Unfortunately the directory "/opt/retropie/all/" doesn't even exist, so the "emulators.cfg" file is not getting saved there anymore. Yes, I did a refresh in the FTP program several times after making individual game launch preference saves to be sure that the folder isn't there. Is anybody aware of where this is being saved in version 4.2 vs the above directory where it was saved in RetroPie 4.1?

EDIT: Nevermind. Either that was a typo when mediamogul made that post and I figured it out before, or it did change where it saves that information. The file is location is actually here:

/opt/retropie/configs/all/emulators.cfg

mediamogul · 15 Jun 2017, 00:16

@Used2BeRX

It was a typo on my part. The location hasn't changed.

Edit: Fixed for posterity.

Used2BeRX · 15 Jun 2017, 00:45

@future.child The fresh install did not fix any of the controller issues. BUG1 and BUG2 remain. I've tried both Choplifter (a 1 player game) and Countermeasure (a 2 player game. Here are the configuration files for them.

Standard "atari5200.cfg" that Choplifter uses:

Atari 800 Emulator, Version 3.1.0
ROM_OS_A_NTSC=
ROM_OS_A_PAL=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/Atariosa.rom
ROM_OS_B_NTSC=
ROM_OS_AA00R10=
ROM_OS_AA00R11=
ROM_OS_BB00R1=
ROM_OS_BB01R2=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ATARIXL.ROM
ROM_OS_BB02R3=
ROM_OS_BB02R3V4=
ROM_OS_CC01R4=
ROM_OS_BB01R3=
ROM_OS_BB01R4=
ROM_OS_BB01R59=
ROM_OS_BB01R59A=
ROM_5200=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/atari5200.rom
ROM_5200_A=
ROM_BASIC_A=
ROM_BASIC_B=
ROM_BASIC_C=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ATARIBAS.ROM
ROM_XEGAME=
ROM_400/800_CUSTOM=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ATARIOSB.ROM
ROM_XL/XE_CUSTOM=
ROM_5200_CUSTOM=
ROM_BASIC_CUSTOM=
ROM_XEGAME_CUSTOM=
OS_400/800_VERSION=AUTO
OS_XL/XE_VERSION=AUTO
OS_5200_VERSION=AUTO
BASIC_VERSION=AUTO
XEGS_GAME_VERSION=AUTO
SAVED_FILES_DIR=/home/pi/RetroPie/SAVES/Atari5200
H1_DIR=
H2_DIR=
H3_DIR=
H4_DIR=
HD_READ_ONLY=1
PRINT_COMMAND=lpr %s
SCREEN_REFRESH_RATIO=1
MACHINE_TYPE=Atari 5200
RAM_SIZE=16
DEFAULT_TV_MODE=NTSC
MOSAIC_RAM_NUM_BANKS=0
AXLON_RAM_NUM_BANKS=0
ENABLE_MAPRAM=0
DISABLE_BASIC=1
ENABLE_SIO_PATCH=1
ENABLE_H_PATCH=1
ENABLE_P_PATCH=0
ENABLE_NEW_POKEY=1
STEREO_POKEY=0
SPEAKER_SOUND=1
BUILTIN_BASIC=0
KEYBOARD_LEDS=0
F_KEYS=0
BUILTIN_GAME=0
KEYBOARD_DETACHED=0
1200XL_JUMPER=0
CFG_SAVE_ON_EXIT=0
MIO_ROM=
BLACK_BOX_ROM=
XLD_D_ROM=
XLD_V_ROM=
CARTRIDGE_FILENAME=
CARTRIDGE_TYPE=4
CARTRIDGE_PIGGYBACK_FILENAME=
CARTRIDGE_PIGGYBACK_TYPE=0
CARTRIDGE_AUTOREBOOT=1
CASSETTE_FILENAME=
CASSETTE_LOADED=0
CASSETTE_WRITE_PROTECT=0
RTIME=1
COLOURS_NTSC_SATURATION=0
COLOURS_NTSC_CONTRAST=0
COLOURS_NTSC_BRIGHTNESS=0
COLOURS_NTSC_GAMMA=0.3
COLOURS_NTSC_HUE=0
COLOURS_NTSC_GTIA_DELAY=26.8
COLOURS_NTSC_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=
COLOURS_NTSC_EXTERNAL_PALETTE_LOADED=0
COLOURS_NTSC_ADJUST_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=0
COLOURS_PAL_SATURATION=0
COLOURS_PAL_CONTRAST=0
COLOURS_PAL_BRIGHTNESS=0
COLOURS_PAL_GAMMA=0.3
COLOURS_PAL_HUE=0
COLOURS_PAL_GTIA_DELAY=23.2
COLOURS_PAL_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=
COLOURS_PAL_EXTERNAL_PALETTE_LOADED=0
COLOURS_PAL_ADJUST_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=0
ARTIFACT_NTSC=NONE
ARTIFACT_PAL=NONE
ARTIFACT_NTSC_MODE=0
SCREEN_SHOW_SPEED=0
SCREEN_SHOW_IO_ACTIVITY=1
SCREEN_SHOW_IO_COUNTER=0
SCREEN_SHOW_1200XL_LEDS=1
SOUND_ENABLED=1
SOUND_RATE=44100
SOUND_BITS=16
SOUND_FRAG_FRAMES=0
SOUND_LATENCY=20
VIDEO_FILTERING=1
VIDEO_ZOOM=1.00
SDL_JOY_0_ENABLED=1
SDL_JOY_0_LEFT=276
SDL_JOY_0_RIGHT=275
SDL_JOY_0_UP=273
SDL_JOY_0_DOWN=274
SDL_JOY_0_TRIGGER=306
SDL_JOY_1_ENABLED=0
SDL_JOY_1_LEFT=97
SDL_JOY_1_RIGHT=100
SDL_JOY_1_UP=119
SDL_JOY_1_DOWN=115
SDL_JOY_1_TRIGGER=306
SDL_JOY_0_INDEX=0
SDL_JOY_1_INDEX=1
SDL_JOY_0_SECOND_AXIS=2
SDL_JOY_0_SECOND_AXIS_ENABLED=0
SDL_JOY_0_TRIGGER1=1
SDL_JOY_0_TRIGGER2=0
SDL_JOY_0_ASTERISK=3
SDL_JOY_0_HASH=2
SDL_JOY_0_SELECT=8
SDL_JOY_0_START=9
SDL_JOY_0_A52_PAUSE=12
SDL_JOY_0_A52_RESET=999
SDL_JOY_0_OPTION=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_1=4
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_2=5
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_3=6
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_4=7
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_5=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_6=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_7=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_8=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_9=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_0=999
JOY_SPEED_ADJUST=999
TRUE_ANALOG_JOYSTICK=0

Countermeasure.cfg:

Atari 800 Emulator, Version 3.1.0
ROM_OS_A_NTSC=
ROM_OS_A_PAL=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/Atariosa.rom
ROM_OS_B_NTSC=
ROM_OS_AA00R10=
ROM_OS_AA00R11=
ROM_OS_BB00R1=
ROM_OS_BB01R2=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ATARIXL.ROM
ROM_OS_BB02R3=
ROM_OS_BB02R3V4=
ROM_OS_CC01R4=
ROM_OS_BB01R3=
ROM_OS_BB01R4=
ROM_OS_BB01R59=
ROM_OS_BB01R59A=
ROM_5200=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/atari5200.rom
ROM_5200_A=
ROM_BASIC_A=
ROM_BASIC_B=
ROM_BASIC_C=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ATARIBAS.ROM
ROM_XEGAME=
ROM_400/800_CUSTOM=/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ATARIOSB.ROM
ROM_XL/XE_CUSTOM=
ROM_5200_CUSTOM=
ROM_BASIC_CUSTOM=
ROM_XEGAME_CUSTOM=
OS_400/800_VERSION=AUTO
OS_XL/XE_VERSION=AUTO
OS_5200_VERSION=AUTO
BASIC_VERSION=AUTO
XEGS_GAME_VERSION=AUTO
SAVED_FILES_DIR=/home/pi/RetroPie/SAVES/Atari5200
H1_DIR=
H2_DIR=
H3_DIR=
H4_DIR=
HD_READ_ONLY=1
PRINT_COMMAND=lpr %s
SCREEN_REFRESH_RATIO=1
MACHINE_TYPE=Atari 5200
RAM_SIZE=16
DEFAULT_TV_MODE=NTSC
MOSAIC_RAM_NUM_BANKS=0
AXLON_RAM_NUM_BANKS=0
ENABLE_MAPRAM=0
DISABLE_BASIC=1
ENABLE_SIO_PATCH=1
ENABLE_H_PATCH=1
ENABLE_P_PATCH=0
ENABLE_NEW_POKEY=1
STEREO_POKEY=0
SPEAKER_SOUND=1
BUILTIN_BASIC=0
KEYBOARD_LEDS=0
F_KEYS=0
BUILTIN_GAME=0
KEYBOARD_DETACHED=0
1200XL_JUMPER=0
CFG_SAVE_ON_EXIT=0
MIO_ROM=
BLACK_BOX_ROM=
XLD_D_ROM=
XLD_V_ROM=
CARTRIDGE_FILENAME=/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/atari5200/(1) Licensed/Pengo.bin
CARTRIDGE_TYPE=4
CARTRIDGE_PIGGYBACK_FILENAME=
CARTRIDGE_PIGGYBACK_TYPE=0
CARTRIDGE_AUTOREBOOT=1
CASSETTE_FILENAME=
CASSETTE_LOADED=0
CASSETTE_WRITE_PROTECT=0
RTIME=1
COLOURS_NTSC_SATURATION=0
COLOURS_NTSC_CONTRAST=0
COLOURS_NTSC_BRIGHTNESS=0
COLOURS_NTSC_GAMMA=0.3
COLOURS_NTSC_HUE=0
COLOURS_NTSC_GTIA_DELAY=26.8
COLOURS_NTSC_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=
COLOURS_NTSC_EXTERNAL_PALETTE_LOADED=0
COLOURS_NTSC_ADJUST_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=0
COLOURS_PAL_SATURATION=0
COLOURS_PAL_CONTRAST=0
COLOURS_PAL_BRIGHTNESS=0
COLOURS_PAL_GAMMA=0.3
COLOURS_PAL_HUE=0
COLOURS_PAL_GTIA_DELAY=23.2
COLOURS_PAL_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=
COLOURS_PAL_EXTERNAL_PALETTE_LOADED=0
COLOURS_PAL_ADJUST_EXTERNAL_PALETTE=0
ARTIFACT_NTSC=NONE
ARTIFACT_PAL=NONE
ARTIFACT_NTSC_MODE=0
SCREEN_SHOW_SPEED=0
SCREEN_SHOW_IO_ACTIVITY=1
SCREEN_SHOW_IO_COUNTER=0
SCREEN_SHOW_1200XL_LEDS=1
SOUND_ENABLED=1
SOUND_RATE=44100
SOUND_BITS=16
SOUND_FRAG_FRAMES=0
SOUND_LATENCY=20
VIDEO_FILTERING=1
VIDEO_ZOOM=1.00
SDL_JOY_0_ENABLED=1
SDL_JOY_0_LEFT=276
SDL_JOY_0_RIGHT=275
SDL_JOY_0_UP=273
SDL_JOY_0_DOWN=274
SDL_JOY_0_TRIGGER=306
SDL_JOY_1_ENABLED=0
SDL_JOY_1_LEFT=97
SDL_JOY_1_RIGHT=100
SDL_JOY_1_UP=119
SDL_JOY_1_DOWN=115
SDL_JOY_1_TRIGGER=306
SDL_JOY_0_INDEX=0
SDL_JOY_1_INDEX=1
SDL_JOY_0_SECOND_AXIS=2
SDL_JOY_0_SECOND_AXIS_ENABLED=0
SDL_JOY_0_TRIGGER1=1
SDL_JOY_0_TRIGGER2=0
SDL_JOY_0_ASTERISK=3
SDL_JOY_0_HASH=2
SDL_JOY_0_SELECT=8
SDL_JOY_0_START=9
SDL_JOY_0_A52_PAUSE=999
SDL_JOY_0_A52_RESET=12
SDL_JOY_0_OPTION=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_1=4
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_2=5
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_3=6
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_4=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_5=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_6=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_7=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_8=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_9=999
SDL_JOY_0_DIGIT_0=7
JOY_SPEED_ADJUST=999
TRUE_ANALOG_JOYSTICK=0

I have tested controller output in jstest for JS0 and JS1 and it behaves exactly as you would expect it to and you don't get any cross-contamination with the 2nd joystick. All other emulators that I've used 2 controllers on whether in or out of the libretro umbrella have not had any issues with the controllers I'm using. I'm using "Medal of Honor" Airflow aftermarket PS3 controllers.

future.child · 15 Jun 2017, 14:45

@Used2BeRX i think i found the cause for the cross-contamination......

I have taken the button input and mapped it to the atari keyboard input assuming the keypad would be the same for all users (like i said i was no 5200 kid).

To solve this i will have to remap the joystick buttons to the emulated pokey chip.
But first i have to find out if, and how i have to interact with the emulated gtia chip for two joystick support.

Kat5200 seems to be getting more and more attractive as an emulator for the 5200.
Once you have it installed, configured it with mouse and created different configs for different roms it just works.

Current downside is there is no button combination support (i.e. for exiting the emulator), the author has plans to incorporate this function though after the upcoming release.
There are no plans for a libretro port however, but anyone is welcome to create one.
Plus side is joystick works as intended and it's highly configurable.