Help I'm an idiot

[Shieldwolf]

Lol

Ok I have a hagstrom encoder
and I have opened and wired dc controller. How exactly do I wire it to my controls with the existing wires I already have for my pc (mame stuff) If there is a dc to mame for dummies book I would like to read it.

[BombProofPlane]

i thought someone else would answer this when i saw it yesterday but hey

http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/arc_dc1.html

[freppa]

The above will work great if you have a JAMMA-cab but if you don't you have to take another route.

I think most people use some kind of connectors to switch the controlpanel between a hacked DC-controller and the keyboardcontroller. Like DB25-printerplug or molexconnectors.
I assume that was what you were asking about.

As far as I know there is way to use there is no way to use your existing hagstromsencoder with the DC

/Freppa

[Jakobud]

I'm confused...you are wanting to wire up your Dreamcast controller to a keyboard encoder?  Or are you trying to wire up your arcade buttons to your DC controller?

[Lilwolf]

If you want both the PC and the console connect at once, you will probably need diodes between them.  

Wouldn't it be easier just to add some why to unplug one and plug the other in?  This would also allow you to have hotswappable control panels!  Add a few db25 ends and you have a good solution for PC and consoles!

[Shieldwolf]

i don't want to swap out cps I just want to stand at my machine and hmm. I want to play some sf3 on my dreamcast. play for a little bit and then switch on my pc an play mame. I have no soldering skills whatsoever. I have read about the diode thing, but I think I'll have to find someone who can do it for me.

[eightbit]

Hooking up both sets of controls is difficult. If you can't solder I'm not sure how your even going to get your controls hooked to your DC. The keyboard encoder is not required for connecting your buttons to your dreamcast. I'd recomend what other people above have already recomended and thats to put some kind of plug between your controls and your interface. Then put the plug right inside the coin door or some other easy accessible place and just switch it when you switch systems.

[Shieldwolf]

Yeah I totally agree plugging in sounds great, but I don't think I have the skills to do it   man I suck.
Thanks for the advice all.

[eightbit]

Yeah I totally agree plugging in sounds great, but I don't think I have the skills to do it   man I suck.
Thanks for the advice all.

You can do it, if you found your way here with a little research and practice you can do it. Hacking controls isn't that hard.

[Shieldwolf]

YOU CAN DO IT
LOL

I'm still working on cutting a straight line on the paper for the drawing of my cab

[gnateye]

just buy 2 'belkin' brand 25 pin printer extension cables ( female to male)

cut them in half, strip all the wires, crimp quick connects onto the male end of one side of your cable(on the part you stripped) connect those quick connects to your arcade controls.

now take the female end of one of your cables, strip all the wires, (paying close attention to what color wire is attached to which button/direction on the arcade controls) connect the corresponding colored wire from your female end into your keyboard encoder,

now plug your male end (control panel) into the female end (key encoder), at this point test yoru controls everythign should work like before, if it does, you are ready for the next step.

take another female end of your cable, strip all those wires and connect them to yoru hacked dreamcast pad, ( im assuming you got a hacked pad from some one as you said you dont solder, if not, hack your dc pad with wire, connect the wires to a barrier strip, wire the 25 pin cable to the barrier strip, this saves frustration later if you have to switch something or your cable gets messed up)

now when you want to switch, you unplug the cp from one female connector and plug it into the other, so make sure you mark your female ends for quick switching,

and for all dreamcast hacks, each controller must have its own ground, so you have to have 2 daisy chains of ground wires, they can both goto the same place on the key encoder, that doesnt matter, but for the dc it does, each player has its own.

this is how i run all 3 switchable control panels and a dreamcast in one cab. you will need to be able to switch your vga cable from your pc to the dc also, so you either need a pass thru vga box for the dc or unplug the cable and switch it or get a kvm switch, i just unlug the cable and switch it but that is unelegent.

good luck, holler if you need more guidance

[eightbit]

Heres pictures of a swappable control panel using the method gnateye was talking about. This doesn't show the dream cast but its the same idea whether your swapping the panel or the interface.