GP-Wiz40 Problems

[Mat]

I'm having several problems with my GP-Wiz40 that I can't figure out.  I haven't reprogrammed the encoder.  I'm using the default inputs on a simple 1-player joystick.  I'm using the directional, shot 1-6, pause, coin, and start inputs.

The first problem occurs using MAME32 Plus Plus 0.119 on PC running XP.  I use the global settings in MAME to assign the inputs.  When playing the first game, all inputs work as they should.  After exiting and starting a new game, all inputs work correctly except pause, which now has "N/A" listed in the input assignment menu.  After every 5th game or so, all the inputs will reset.

The second problem occurs using BSNES on a Mac running Lion.  When playing a game, the directional inputs act as though my joystick switches are wired using the normally closed terminals.  If I disable the up, down, and left inputs, the character will move to the right continuously.

The third problem occurs using MAME OS X on the same Mac.  If I start the program with the GP-Wiz 40 plugged in, the program crashes.

I've run these programs using both a Logitech gamepad and a cheap $5 gamepad and everything runs flawlessly.  The problems only occur using the GP-Wiz 40.  I have no idea where to go from here, any help would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

[CoryBee]

Don't know anything about the GP-Wiz40. I couldn't get my genesis emulator to save the setting "launch in full screen", every time I changed the setting after a few games it would start in windowed mode. To solve this I simply set the .cfg file for the emulator to "Read-Only". Right-click and properties, check "Read-Only".

I am sure there is a more elegant solution, but this works for me to stop settings from being changed.

Good Luck 

[Mat]

Thanks CoryDee, I'll try that when I get home.  Hopefully that'll work, but I don't get why that would happen with the GP-Wiz and not the other gamepads.

[CoryBee]

Thanks CoryDee, I'll try that when I get home.  Hopefully that'll work, but I don't get why that would happen with the GP-Wiz and not the other gamepads.

No idea boss. Not sure why my settings would change on Gens emulator either. But it worked so I didn't really go into finding out 

Also, MalaFE has been turning my wav audio down every time I restart the program. I think I will try this on it as well, hopefully Mala will stop being a jerk. 

[RandyT]

....but I don't get why that would happen with the GP-Wiz and not the other gamepads.

The primary reason for the difference would likely be that the gamepads don't support 40 inputs, or use the same report structure.  For the system to properly handle a device, not only must the OS be able to understand what is being sent by the device, but the application must also be able to properly act upon the data presented to it by the OS.  So the first thing to do is see what OS X is telling you the capabilities of the device are, and test it in OS X's gaming controller test app.  If it doesn't come up properly there, then the apps written under that OS will not have proper access to the data being generated by the device.  It may be that in the MAC OS, you will need to calibrate the directionals.  This is not necessary with the Windows OS.

First step with your XP machine is to try a different version of MAME.  There may be a bug, or something else going on with your system which is keeping the settings from being saved.  Also keep in mind that plugging and unplugging other USB controllers may result in re-ordering the devices, which can change the configuration associations.  If this happens, you may have a button defined on your gamepad which does not exist (or is reported differently) than the buttons on the GP-Wiz, or vice-versa.  If you search this forum, you will find a utility which should help to keep this from happening.

There is nothing the hardware can do to change settings in the applications, so getting the system and the applications set up properly for the controllers you are using, is the key.

RandyT

[Mat]

In regards to the MAME issue on the PC, I set the default.cfg file to read-only, but it didn't help.  After starting a new game the MAME menu still had the pause function assigned to "N/A", even though the .cfg file had it assigned to the pause input on the GP-Wiz.  I tried wiring my pause button to the 2-player button 1 input on the GP-Wiz and so far it still works after starting several new games.  This'll be a problem though when I build my 2-player joystick.

As for the BNES issue on the Mac, I couldn't find any gaming controller test app.  I downloaded a program called "Joystick and Gamepad Tester", and according to it the X-axis and Y-axis are providing at-rest values of 127, minimum values of 0, and maximum values of 255.  I don't really know what this info means or what to do with it, but there it is.

I installed two programs that are supposed to allow gamepads to initiate virtual keyboard button presses as a round-a-bout method of using the emulator called "Enjoy" and "GamePad Companion 2.4."  Both of these worked fine for the shot buttons, but the same problems with the directional inputs that existed without using them were still present.

So that's where I am now...

[CoryBee]

Forgot to mention before, "Mame.ini" is the file that holds controller configurations.

Change your controller setup in mame, exit and set mame.ini too "read only"

Hope anything we say helps. There must be a particular reason this is happening though. 

[RandyT]

It sounds like you may be confusing the "common use" heading in the documentation for fixed functions.  There is no specific "pause" function in the hardware, rather recommended uses for the buttons.  The "pause' button is simply "Button 18" on the device, so changing them around doesn't cause any issues.  If you go into the Windows Game Controllers test, you can see what the hardware is doing, and verify that all of the functions of the GP-Wiz40 are working.   However, it sounds like the MAME variant you are using may not be properly saving control configurations, or causing them to change.  Have you tried a different version, or perhaps the official MAME release to see if the issue goes away?

Also, make sure that you don't have separate configurations defined for the game(s) you are seeing this happen with.  If you do, they will override the defaults.  If you had game-specific configurations defined for your gamepads, those definitions may be linked to something which no longer exists. Try clearing any and all game-specific configurations and see if the issue persists.  If all else fails, start from a clean slate to be sure.

As for the Mac OS, we do not directly support it, so I cannot speak to what the issues are with that OS.  I know from doing some research on gaming controllers and Macs that they seem to be picky about the hardware they work with.  I have seen reports of game controllers locking up the system, and other strange behavior, in the absence of drivers, or in cases where the hardware was not specifically designed for the Mac OS.  The software you downloaded is reading the reports correctly, but the application you are running does not seem to be interpreting that data properly.  You may want to check with the author to see if this is a known issue.  Alternatively, you might want to try ControllerMate to see if it allows for calibration of the axes.  Frankly, it seems odd that the OS doesn't have a built in function for gaming controller calibration.  Are you certain none exists?  Alternatively, you can use any 4 button inputs for joystick directions (provided the application allows for it... most do) in the event that that you cannot calibrate the axes.  With 40 inputs, you will still have enough to disregard the axes and make a fully functional 2-player panel, with some left over.