ByteRot :: Atari 5200 Joystick Repair

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Atari 5200 Joystick Repair

Device	Atari 5200
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	15 - 45 minutes
Steps	5

This guide is by Alan Abelson on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

The controller's joystick is connected to a sensor via sliding plates, which then move two knobs(one per axis), which are placed inside two pots whose movement the sensors detects. The knobs can occasionally get dislodged out of the pots, causing a "stuck" and undetected joystick.

Tools: Phillips #2 Screwdriver

Step 1 :: Opening the Controller

• Turn the controller over, exposing the three screws on the back. Use a 6mm screwdriver to remove these screws.
• Carefully slide and pull the two parts of the controller shell apart, exposing the innards.

Step 2 :: Locating the Knobs and Pots

• Find the knobs (closest to the joystick and circled in red).
• Locate the pots (closest to the circuitry and circled in orange). Keep track of these.
• Align the joystick's metal bar into its cup.
• CAUTION: Don't move any of the button circuitry, especially those of the START/PAUSE/RESET buttons.

Step 3 :: Reassembly Part 1

• Use a spudger to remove the top frame.
• Take off the plate.
• Remove the rubber buttons.

Step 4 :: Reassembly Part 2

• Realign the top and bottom of the controller.
• Pull the circuit strip through the new space.

Step 5 :: Reassembly Part 3

• Return the start buttons to the top of the controller
• Snap the frame back into place
• Screw in the three screws on the back.

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