The Totally Accurate Controller MK2 (TAC-2), manufactured by
Suncom Technologies, is an
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...
compatible
joystick
A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...
, commonly used with the
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
and
Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
computers in the mid to late 1980s. It has two smaller siblings, the Slik Stik and StarFighter, which are built in a similar fashion. The joystick's square base came in two colours, black or cream.
Features:
* One 8-way stick (4 digital switches)
* Two fire buttons (wired in parallel as button 1; indistinguishable in software)
Technical features:
* TAC-2 has no
microswitch
A miniature snap-action switch, also trademarked and frequently known as a micro switch, is an electric switch that is actuated by very little physical force, through the use of a tipping-point mechanism, sometimes called an "over-center" mechan ...
es. Instead, it uses a metal ball that short-circuits contacts around the bottom shaft of the controller.
* The fire buttons in the original version work with brass contact plates which tend to become oxidized and thus need care every now and then.
* 9-pin
Atari
Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...
style connector (
DE-9 connector
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smallest connectors used on computer systems.
Description, no ...
)
* The handle is a customized
tyre valve (TR-418) with a chrome sleeve, which gives the TAC-2 its special characteristics.
A cost reduced version was released, in which the tyre valve was skipped. Instead, a white rubber gasket held a black plastic tube, the shafted metal ball inside was simply plugged into it (not screwed as the original version), and the brass plates in the buttons were replaced with the wire of the redesigned button return spring. It is mainly recognized by its shiny plastic stick instead of the chrome valve sleeve and deeper red buttons instead of the original orange.
References
External links
The Vintage Joystick Museum
Joysticks
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