[net.games.video] VECTREX Joystick Info

knudsen@ihnss.UUCP (06/29/83)

I have borrowed a Vectrex for a while and have learned this much about
its joystick/panel:  The stick is a self-centering ANALOG job,
the lowest-priced one around (I think $30 on discount -vs- $55 for
others).  It uses two 20K pots between power and ground.
The catch is that the pots don't go all the way to ground or power,
so when plugged into a Coco or Apple it only gives you about a third
the full range.  Too bad!!!
The four buttons are just the Atari stick's up, down, left, & right
in that order (yes, the 9-pin connector is same as used on Atari, etc).
However, some other pinouts are non-standard.  The whole thing:
Pins 1-4	Buttons 1-4
Pin 5	X Pot input (same as Atari)
Pin 6	Y Pot (this is FIRE on Atari)
Pin 7	+5 (or whatever) (same as Atari)
Pin 8	N/C (ground on Atari)
Pin 9	GROUND (Analog input on Atari)

Has anyone found a Vectrex game that really uses the analog potential?
"Mine Storm" doesn't even use both dimensions.