Still get interrupted when you have made it to the 20th level of Moon Patrol? Need a fresh soda when you have almost beat Pit Fall? Want to show your friends and family when you are about to loop the score in Asteroids? Worry no more, the Atari pause button is here. So, you can stop playing that boring Xbox, and get back to some River Raid.
It's simple, and you could probably build it from spare parts laying around.
The BOM:
1 74LS00 NAND IC
3 diodes 1N4148
2 resistors 1K 1/8W (brown, black, red)
1 resistor 1K5 1/8W (brown, green, red)
100nF ceramic capacitor 1 (usually 104 is written)
1 on-off switch (can be a lever switch or slider)
1 printed circuit board (see below)
Some wire for connections
3 diodes 1N4148
2 resistors 1K 1/8W (brown, black, red)
1 resistor 1K5 1/8W (brown, green, red)
100nF ceramic capacitor 1 (usually 104 is written)
1 on-off switch (can be a lever switch or slider)
1 printed circuit board (see below)
Some wire for connections
The circuit:
It appears that some industrious super fans have taken this design and printed some rather professional boards. Although it's only $20 dollars, I think it would be more fun to build it. So, hit up your local flea market and pick up an old Atari 2600. Adventure, Joust , and Q*bert await!
Atari Age, besides the pro-pause-kit, has some rather interesting products. People are still making new games for the system. They all look like a lot of fun. For the chiptune audience, Synthcart looks amazing.
Cabe