Another possible "silly" question!

[Si the Sigh]

Another possible "silly" question coming up. I'm starting building this weekend (finally!), but I still have a few questions about choice of encoder. I'm planning on running the following on the control panel:

2 x 8 way joysticks, with 7 buttons per player,
1 x 4 way joystick, with 2 buttons,
1 x trackball

Plus coin, start & other admin buttons.

Pretty much a copy of this one without the spinner & an extra button for each player:



Got an IPac2 on order (the one with 32 inputs), but I assume it doesn't take the trackball? What's the best encoder to run a trackball? Can I put 2 encoders under the hood and into my PC?

Thanks in advance!

[TOK]

Yes, you will need either a separate encoder or a USB trackball. It will be standalone from your IPAC.
I used a Happ USB trackball and its been flawless, though some people have had problems with the optical sensors on them.

[Si the Sigh]

Ok thanks for the info. If I was to use a seperate encoder, what's a good one to use (just for a track ball?)

[ubiquityman]

The lowest cost encoder that I've seen is the Optiwiz.
If you are ordering and IPAC, you might ask Ultimarc if they will ship you a trackball encoder for $14.

I originally looked at having separate 4way and 8way joysticks, but the Ultrastik360 will do all that, and IMHO is more convenient.
Plus being analog, it'll provide a more accurate signal for games that can take advantage of analog inputs.
You should really have a look at that.  For the difference in $ and the amount of time you're getting yourself into, it's well worth it.