MAME Single Player Controller - TAB or P Key????

[digitalsystemsdesign]

Hi Guys

Newbie on here and just doing some final mapping on a new single player controller - 15 buttons - most of which are pretty self-explanatory, but......

Got to make a decision on the function map key allocation and I am down to the last button - which do you consider the most important

P Key
TAB Key

15 buttons are allocated as

4 - Joystick
1 - 1P Start
6 - B1-B6
1 - ENTER
1 - Coin 1
1 - ESC

Which leaves me one more - your opinions will be greatly appreciated - thanks

This is not a sales plug and as our own forums are a couple of weeks away I thought I would ask in the best possible place - cheers

Jeff F

[BadMouth]

You can map pause and menu in MAME to require multiple buttons to be pressed simultaneously.
You don't have to choose between them.

I'd map the single button to pause and map the tab menu to require multiple keys so other people don't screw things up.

[digitalsystemsdesign]

Yes I am happy with combo keys for mapping - just trying to keep this as simple as possible for the newbies to MAME - I was going down the line of Pause but just wanted some extra input  - thanks for that

[BadMouth]

looking at the controller, there are 8 player buttons, but you only mention 6.
I assume you're going to have the bottom two mapped to one of the other things.

Consider moving them elsewhere on the CP if they aren't going to be action buttons, especially the one mapped to ESC.

[dgame]

If this is for MAME using the "confirm_quit 1" option in mame.ini give you a free pause when you press escape. Try it.

[Well Fed Games]

looking at the controller, there are 8 player buttons, but you only mention 6.
I assume you're going to have the bottom two mapped to one of the other things.

Consider moving them elsewhere on the CP if they aren't going to be action buttons, especially the one mapped to ESC.

This. The 6 action buttons need to be separate from anything admin.

[BobA]

Map coin 1 and player 1 start both to 1 in Mame and you will only need one button to coin up and start the game.  This will free up 1 button for you.

[BadMouth]

OP is making these to sell.  Can't expect end-users to set up anything in MAME.
They'll just plug it in and scream if it doesn't work out of the box.

[BobA]

Then how about considering a different single player controller to start production with.  I think they can give you joy (4) plus 12 or more rather than just 11.  Lots of cheaper new alternatives becoming available such as KADE or the older USB controller proj.

[digitalsystemsdesign]

Sorry - you can't see it in the pic but there are 2 extra buttons on the sides (ie flipper buttons - front left and right) which make up the other 2

J

[PL1]

+1 on using the KADE firmware. (Release date in about ~2-4 weeks.)

It gives you 20 programmable inputs, two dedicated inputs (Reset and "HWB"), +5v, and ground.

If you use a Neutrik USB A-B feedthru, you can have the USB B on the outside of the case and plug the AVR into the USB A on the inside.  Since the Minimus AVR doesn't have mounting holes, the feedthru acts as the mount.



With the right current limiting resistor, you can use the 5v for some LED admin buttons. (No fancy RGB/animation, but single-color, constant-on LED buttons would work fine.)  You can print custom inserts for the LED buttons on Avery 18665 or 8665 adhesive labels.


Scott

[BobA]

Nice idea for a super clean mount.

[BadMouth]

Does the KADE license allow commercial use of their free software? 

[PL1]

Does the KADE license allow commercial use of their free software? 

D'OH!!!  I forgot that OP was building a commercial product. 

I made sure that the team is aware of this thread and they will probably throw in their 2 cents soon. (or would that be 2 pence for Jon.  )


Scott

P.S. I was wondering why the team members weren't posting very often until I added up the numbers from Kickstarter -- they're probably a little busy with assembling the 289 KADEs (thats 21,097 solder connections) for Kickstarter supporters. 

[degenatrons]

Does the KADE license allow commercial use of their free software? 

Hi,
KADE is open source software and open hardware.  It is acceptable to use in commercial products but derived product must adhere to the same GNU/GPL license (i.e. software and hardware should be open) and KADE should be attributed.  We make this open so that folks can contribute, innovate, improve the technology and make things better for the community.

I would expect any commercially produced stick using KADE software or hardware (including KADE firmware) to be made open so that others can make the stick to the same specification as the retail stick by downloading the instructions, schematics, bill of materials etc and building themselves.

Thanks
Jon (KADE Co-Founder)

[PL1]

For anyone interested in perusing the licensing legalese , I believe Jon was referring to using the GNU/GPL V3 license for the software.


Scott

[edekoning]

If this is for MAME using the "confirm_quit 1" option in mame.ini give you a free pause when you press escape. Try it.

didn't know that, thx