Atari 5200 3d printed reproduction joystick gamepad DIY

These pre-built, analog thumbsticks were available for $99.99 from late 2019 – early 2020 from Maker-Matrix. See a video review of the controller.

The Maker-Matrix analog thumbstick controllers were a joint 2019 project by Herb Schaltegger, Jarrod Smith, and the guy who did the original design, Scott M. Baker. They are the first analog joysticks available for the Atari 5200 since the console’s original sticks. And for a console with legendarily bad stock controllers, this is welcome news. Printed shells are available from the Maker Matrix store and on Ebay. The PCBs are also available on Ebay.

Now that they’re no longer available as pre-built, finished products, you can build your own starting with a $15 blank PCB, a 3d-printed shell, and a bag o’ electrical components.

My parts list from Mouser

Check it designation part catalog# price(ea) quantity price
Last priced on Aug. 17, 2019   → total: $14.48
Semiconductors
Integrated Circuits
U$2 MCP42100 digital pot 579-MCP42100-I/P 2.10 1 2.10
U3 8KB FLASH 8DIP 556-ATTINY85-20PU 1.23 1 1.23
Resistors
R1, R2 10k 71-CCF0710K0JKE36 .10 2 .20
Headers
JP1 2×3 header 649-1012938190601BLF .27 1 .27
JP2, JP4 inline header (buy 1, cut to length) 710-61301211121 .54 1 .54
SH1-SH5 inline shunts 855-M7581-46 .10 5 .50
Capacitors
Ceramic
C1, C2 .22µF 810-FG18X7R1H224KRT0 .25 2 .50
C3, C4 .1µF 75-1C10Z5U104M050R .12 2 .24
Hardware
Thumbstick
U1 or U2 Sparkfun Thumbstick 474-COM-09032 3.95 1 3.95
Controller port
X1 15 position D-sub receptacle 649-ID15S33E4GV00LF 1.21 1 1.21
Sockets
socketU$2 14 pin IC socket 575-1154731441003000 .80 1 .80
socketU3 8 pin IC socket 575-1104730841001000 .48 1 .48
Pushbuttons
U$19 – U$21 red (tall) tactile momentary pushbuttons (pause, reset, start) 506-FSM4JAH .11 3 .33
U$7 – U$18 natural (short) tactile momentary pushbuttons (numerical) 506-FSM2JH .13 12 1.56
U$1 and U$6 or U$22 and U$27 tactile switch with plunger 653-B3F-1052 .23 2 .46
U$x black (short) tactile momentary pushbuttons (unknown purpose) 506-FSM4JH .11 1 .11

The how-to mega-thread is posted at AtariAge. You are currently reading the highly-simplified version, which should still provide all the info necessary for most experienced DIY’ers.

Find original schematics and build files at Dr. Scott M. Baker’s project page.