Atari CX30
| Atari CX30 Paddle Controllers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| One controller of a CX30 pair (photo: Evan-Amos, public domain) | |
| Manufacturer | Atari, Inc. |
| Type | Analogue paddle controllers (pair on one plug) |
| Release date | 1977[1] |
| Interface | 9-pin D-sub controller plug[2] |
| Compatible | Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit computers[2][3][1] |
| Model | CX30; assemblies CA010949, CA012760; Sears version CA010950[1] |
The Atari CX30 Paddle Controllers are a pair of rotary controllers on a single plug, introduced with the Atari VCS (later the Atari 2600) in June 1977. One pair was packed with VCS and 2600 consoles from 1977 to 1982, and the same paddles work with the Atari 8-bit computers.[1] Each paddle holds a 1 MΩ potentiometer turned by the knob and a spring-loaded push-to-make fire button.[2]
Early units carry the Atari logo on the base; most have the word "paddle" instead. Sears sold a version, CA010950, with its own logo. Atari announced a new CX30+ on 13 September 2023 and released it that November.[1]
How it works
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The two paddles share one dual four-conductor Y cable (Atari C010810) to a 9-pin plug. Each potentiometer is wired between +5 V and its own paddle line, and each fire button pulls its own line to ground.[2]
| Signal | Wire colour | Plug pin |
|---|---|---|
| Paddle 1 button | Green | 3 |
| Paddle 1 potentiometer | Violet | 9 |
| +5 V (both paddles) | Yellow | 7 |
| Ground (both paddles) | Black | 8 |
| Paddle 2 button | Brown | 4 |
| Paddle 2 potentiometer | Red | 5 |
On the 2600 the paddle lines go to the analogue-to-digital converter inputs of the TIA, pins 37 to 40. The buttons use plug pins 3 and 4, which are the joystick's left and right lines, read by the 6532. On the 400 and 800 the paddles are read by POKEY.[4][5][3] Atari's accessory schematic shows the same wiring for the paddles, with the note to plug them into the left jack for players 1 and 2 and the right jack for players 3 and 4.[5]
Checking a pair
[edit | edit source]Atari's 2600 check uses a Casino cartridge:[2]
- Plug the paddles into the left controller port and press GAME RESET.
- Press the button on one paddle. A pair of numbers should appear.
- Turn the knob. One set of numbers should run from 20 to 200 in steps of 20, and never jump by more than one step.
- Repeat for the other paddle.
On a 400 or 800, Atari uses Super Breakout: pressing the button should serve a ball, and turning the knob should move the paddle on screen under it.[3]
Faults
[edit | edit source]Jitter
[edit | edit source]Owners on AtariAge trace jitter, where the object on screen shakes or jumps as the knob turns, to residue on the carbon track of the potentiometer, which they describe as old lubricant and oxidation. They report that cleaning the track cures it:[6][7]
- Remove the two screws in the bottom cover and lift it off.[2]
- Pull the knob straight off, without cracking it, and remove the nut and lockwasher under it.[2][6]
- Lift the potentiometer out, gently bend open the four small tabs that hold its case together and separate it.
- Rub the carbon track and the wiper with a cotton bud and isopropyl alcohol of 90 % or stronger until the bud stops coming away black.
- Reassemble the potentiometer, close the tabs and refit it.[7]
Squirting alcohol or contact cleaner into the potentiometer without opening it helps for a while; one owner warns that the jitter returns once the alcohol dries, and another suggests a very small amount of fresh dielectric grease on the cleaned contacts.[6]
Replacing the potentiometer
[edit | edit source]Atari's part is C010464, a 1 MΩ variable resistor, and owners report the same number printed on the original part with "1MEG".[8][7] The FAQ describes it as linear.[1] A standard 1 MΩ linear potentiometer works electrically, but the original has a flattened shaft for the Atari knob, and owners report that common replacements differ in shaft shape and body size, so the knob may not fit or the shaft may be too short to reach the nut.[7][9] Best Electronics has sold a replacement under the number C010464S.[7]
Faults on the console side
[edit | edit source]If paddles that work on another console fail on one 2600, Atari's failure table points at the TIA (A201), capacitors C215 to C218 and the controller jacks J202 and J203.[4] Atari's tech tip 6 adds that early 2600 motherboards, revision 8 and lower, had an artwork error that could make the left paddles fail. The fix was a dot of insulation over a trace under the upper left corner of the cartridge socket J200, which insulates it from the casting; it should always be there.[4] The 2600A dropped resistors R227 to R230 on the paddle control lines.[4]
Parts
[edit | edit source]| Part | Atari part number |
|---|---|
| Potentiometer (resistor, variable, 1 MΩ) | C010464 |
| Knob | C010457 |
| Nut | C010416 |
| Lockwasher | C010417 |
| Speed clip fastener | 81-4004 |
| Top cover | C010737 |
| Bottom cover | C010738 |
| Fire button | C010739 |
| Switch | CA011620-01 |
| Y cable | C010810 |
| Sleeve | C010970 |
| Paddle label | C012766 |
| Control knob assembly | CA010837 |
| Control cable assembly | CA010933 |
| Paddle control assembly | CA010953-03 |
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Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual: section 7 (description, schematic, check) and section 8 (parts).
- Atari 400 800 Field Service Manual June 82: section 8 (description, schematic, check).
Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Michael D. Current (ed.), Atari 8-Bit Computers: Frequently Asked Questions, comp.sys.atari.8bit FAQ, last modified 2 August 2026: section 6.3 (CX30 Paddle Controller: introduction, assembly numbers, 1 MΩ linear potentiometer, label versions, Sears version, pack-in history, CX30+), section 8.4 (programs that use the paddles) and section 11.1 (CX30+ announcement and release, 2023). mcurrent.name. Community reference.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Atari, Inc., 2600/2600A Domestic (M/N) VCS Field Service Manual, section 7, "Game Controllers": paddle controller description and figure 7-3 (p. 7-4, PDF p. 130), figure 7-4 paddle controller schematic and the paddle controller check (p. 7-5, PDF p. 131). Hosted as File:Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Atari, Inc., Atari Home Computer Field Service Manual (400/800, June 1982), section 8, "Game Controllers": game paddle description, figure 8-3 and figure 8-4 schematic (p. 8-4, PDF p. 192), game paddle controller check (p. 8-5, PDF p. 193). Hosted as File:Atari_400_800_Field_Service_Manual_June_82.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Atari, Inc., 2600/2600A Domestic (M/N) VCS Field Service Manual: TIA description, p. 1-4 (PDF p. 12); 2600A model differences, p. 1-5 (PDF p. 13); paddle control lines test summary (PDF p. 40); controller failures table (PDF p. 94); tech tip 6, "Left Paddle Failure" (PDF p. 147). Hosted as File:Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Atari, Video Computer System Accessories, CX2600 schematic sheet 4 of 4, dated 6/1/82: "Pong paddle". Hosted as File:Schematic Atari2600 Accessories 2000.png.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 AtariAge forums, "Paddles that jitter, how to fix?", posts by Synthead, wrldstrman, bjk7382, King_Salamon and keilbaca, January to October 2005. Community experience.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 AtariAge forums, "Replacement paddle potentiometers", posts by BillC and ACML, January 2015 and September 2021. Community experience.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Atari, Inc., 2600/2600A Domestic (M/N) VCS Field Service Manual, section 8, CX2600A parts list, pp. 8-7 and 8-8 (PDF pp. 143-144), paddle entries. Hosted as File:Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual.pdf.
- ↑ AtariAge forums, "CX-30 paddle repair", posts by BigO and A.J. Franzman, June 2007. Community experience.
