Hacking & Recognizing game port

[curtis-r]

I'm trying to get an arcade foot pedal to work in Mame or AdvMame through the 15 pin game port. Win98SE OS. SoundBlaster Live sound card/game port.

[I've learned I need to change the 5k ohm potentiometer to a 100k.  I've also learned I need to use the #9 & #11 pins on the game port.  The sound card/game port drivers are correctly installed.]

PROBLEM: though I verified through the free game port testing DOS application Jcenter.exe that the pot does indeed control the Y axis input, I cannot get MAME (or AdvMame) to do anything while playing games, nor in the advj.exe application.  

Basically, I see the problem as MAME not being able to recognize my game port.  I even tried adding various "controllers" through the "game controller" in the control panel.  No luck.

In AdvMAME (Windows version) I tried the joystick setting to "auto".  In MAME I tried the joystick setting to 0 & 1.

What else am I missing?

thanks in advance.

[Tiger-Heli]

I'm trying to get an arcade foot pedal to work in Mame or AdvMame through the 15 pin game port. Win98SE OS. SoundBlaster Live sound card/game port.

[I've learned I need to change the 5k ohm potentiometer to a 100k.  I've also learned I need to use the #9 & #11 pins on the game port.  The sound card/game port drivers are correctly installed.]

PROBLEM: though I verified through the free game port testing DOS application Jcenter.exe that the pot does indeed control the Y axis input, I cannot get MAME (or AdvMame) to do anything while playing games, nor in the advj.exe application.  

Basically, I see the problem as MAME not being able to recognize my game port.  I even tried adding various "controllers" through the "game controller" in the control panel.  No luck.

In AdvMAME (Windows version) I tried the joystick setting to "auto".  In MAME I tried the joystick setting to 0 & 1.

What else am I missing?

thanks in advance.

Does it work in other games (besides Jcenter?)  Seems like I read somewhere that you needed X-axis and Y-axis both connected for it to be recognized as a joystick, although I wouldn't think MAME would care.  Just a thought.

[Rocky]

Are you really using DOS mame or Windows commandline mame?

I think Tiger-Heli is right, though.  I know in Windows, it won't recognize a joysick present if you only hack the Y-axis.  I'm not sure about DOS.

I already did this hack and it works great for Windows commandline mame. Once everything is connected, I installed a basic joystick in the control panel and mame works great.

Good luck,

Rocky

[curtis-r]

Good question.

I can not get ANYTHING in Windows to recognize this potentiometer connection except for JCenter.exe.  When I try to add a game controller (control panel/gaming options), it lists "not connected" under the Status, no matter which controller I select.

I'm virtually positive it's not relevant, but I'm using the Ultimarc I-PAC & J-PAC (USB connection) for all of the other controls (button, trackball, spinner).  BTW, the trackball & spinner can control the steering.

Thanks for your help.

[curtis-r]

Rocky,

I'm actually using the Windows version of Mame (mame073b.zip), but I've also tried AdvanceMAME v71 & v72.

Your concern about not having hooked up other inputs besides the 1 axis to the game controller makes sense, and it crossed my mind before, but that creates 2 new questions:

1) isn't the trackball an X & Y axis?  If so, then why can I steer w/ one axis, but can't make the car move w/ the other axis [not that I'd want to, but just for diagnostic purposes]?

2)If my logic is wrong w/ question #1, then what other inputs do I need to hack into the game port to make it recognize my 100k potentiometer?

thanks for your help.

curtis-r

[Tiger-Heli]

Good question.

I can not get ANYTHING in Windows to recognize this potentiometer connection except for JCenter.exe.  When I try to add a game controller (control panel/gaming options), it lists "not connected" under the Status, no matter which controller I select.

I'm virtually positive it's not relevant, but I'm using the Ultimarc I-PAC & J-PAC (USB connection) for all of the other controls (button, trackball, spinner).  BTW, the trackball & spinner can control the steering.

Thanks for your help.

Quoting:

When a dual axis setup is in use we are effectively using only one axis from the second joystick (Pin 11 - Joy2 X-axis). Windows and some games will not recognise that the "second" joystick is connected if there is not a voltage present on both Joystick 2 axes. To avoid this, we simply connect Pin 13 (Joy2 Y-axis) directly to Pin 1 or Pin 9.

</quote>

The above stolen from http://www.gunpowder.freeserve.co.uk/wheels/wiring.htm

Sounds like that's your answer, though.  You may also need MAME Analog + to be able to assign the axis to an input in MAME.

[Tiger-Heli]

Rocky,

I'm actually using the Windows version of Mame (mame073b.zip), but I've also tried AdvanceMAME v71 & v72.

Your concern about not having hooked up other inputs besides the 1 axis to the game controller makes sense, and it crossed my mind before, but that creates 2 new questions:

1) isn't the trackball an X & Y axis?  If so, then why can I steer w/ one axis, but can't make the car move w/ the other axis [not that I'd want to, but just for diagnostic purposes]?

2)If my logic is wrong w/ question #1, then what other inputs do I need to hack into the game port to make it recognize my 100k potentiometer?

thanks for your help.

curtis-r

Q1 - The trackball is an X-and Y-axis.  You can steer with the one axis and not the other, b/c MAME is set (possibly by default) to recognize J1 X-Axis - for Left (Right?) and J1 X-Axis + for Right (Left?).  You might be able to adjust this to recognize the Y-Axis using the TAB menu, or you could cetainly do it in MAME Analog +.

Q2 - See my post above.

[curtis-r]

Okay, I jumped pin #1 to #13, & JCenter.exe now recognizes both the X & Y axis on the J2 (it calls it Joystick B) as functioning.  Still Pole Position pedal not working.

Question: in Control Panel/Gaming Options, do I need to add aController?  If so, which one, and do I check "Rudder/Pedals"?
I tried adding various controlers, but it always says "not connected" under status.  Does that matter?  BTW, JCenter identifies both axis w/o having to add a controller.

 Do I need to jump the pins for J1 X & Y also?  If so, will that interfer with my steering wheel [which is hooked up through my J-PAC, and working perfectly]?

I haven't tried MAME Analog + yet, but the Tab controller options for regular MAME & AdvanceMAME apparently only allow you to choose keyboard inputs (unless there is a key I can press to indicate an axis).  There are Analog controller adjustments I can make in Pole Position, but they only apply to sensitivity & such.

thanks

curtis

[Howard_Casto]

Yes you need to add the joystick in windows.  If windows doesn't see it then nothing else will (cept obscure dos apps)  
Make it a standard joystick.  Should do fine.  

Now getting to the real problem.  I have the same soundcard as you and I can't get my gameport to work at all.  Perhaps it's a driver issue?  I've been looking for months and have been unable to find anyone else with this problem.  I was beginning to think my gameport was fried.  Maybe not.  Try an unhacked controller and see if it's detected.  If not then it's the gameport or the drivers, not your hack.    

[curtis-r]

I'm starting to suspect game port issues myself.  I'm still a bit confused why this Jcenter.exe can detect my controls yet MAME can't.  But I also thought of just buying some cheap joystick & seeing if that works... and possibly hacking into those wires.

At this very moment I'm trying to download the latest SoundsBlaster Live drivers, JIK there is something wrong w/ the ones I already have installed. [Creative's web site is deathly slow today, and I have broadband connection.]

thanks