X-Arcade console adapter question

[chadballew]

So, I'm building my cabinet soon [spending king's ransom on everything I need, but hey! this is a great hobby] So, my control panel will be two-player...using the iPac encoder [of course] But I REALLY want to be able to hook my Dreamcast and PS2, etc into the controls...so, I have an X-Arcade, with all the adapters made...and the X-Arcade is essentially the same thing as a do-it-yourself CP, with the difference being the console adapters made for it. The back of the X-Arcade has a serial connection, and comes with the PC adapter which looks to be a serial to PS/2 adapter [plugs into keyboard port]

I want to find a way to hook my arcade controls into an X-Arcade adapter! I tried a PS/2-serial adapter, and that didn't work. My next idea, is to reverse the genders on the PC adapter that comes with the X-Arcade. So I would essentially be reversing it, plugging the end that goes to the keyboard port  INTO a keyboard, and the end that goeas to the X-Arcade into a console adapter.

I know this is a long post, but there has to be others out there who would like to do the same thing.

-chad-

[hooded_paladin]

so you'd be wiring up a different CP arrangement using the x arcade interface... I think the best you can do is wire up your controls to its wires.  It isn't made to have extra inputs or different arrangements, but you COULD just transplant controls.

[chadballew]

I thought about that, but its really a waste of money. I just got an email form Andy over at Ultimarc, and he informed me, what I am trying to do isn't possible...so I'm considering it gospel. Oh well....a guy can dream.  

-chad-

[jakejake28]

do what a lot of peple, including myself, did: hack psx pads and use adaptors to hook em up to differnt consoles. i use mine for ps2, pc, and dc, but when i buy viewtiful joe for gc i gotta buy an adaptor for that.

[chadballew]

true, thought about that....but I already ordered my iPac and stuff, so it would be costly to change my mind. I may build a different CP down the line, using my X-Arcade's guts. I probably should've done that in the first place.

-chad-

[hooded_paladin]

the route I would recommend is:
wire the controls to some sort of connector, and have two other sides, one for playstation and one for dreamcast.  Then, get a playstation -> PC converter.  Or, playstation -> Dreamcast converters are common too, so you could just wire to a playstation controller and add some adapters.

[chadballew]

would that alleviate the need for the iPac? Or, would I be wiring both to the iPac and PSX pads?

I am so smart, s-m-r-t, I mean s-m-a-r-t!

I'm slightly newbie, so bear with me.

-chickenfried

[jakejake28]

no need for an ipac at all if ya hack psx pads. that is used as the encoder.