Multiple keyboad encoders

[illvibe]

Has anyone had any experience with using more than one keyboard encoder on a system?

I am building a console-like system where I have a box that sits under the TV and remote boxes with joystick and buttons have cables running back to the main box.

Because the remote boxes have ~16 separate wires required (4 joystick directions, 6 game buttons, 5 admin buttons), I'm thinking about putting a keyboard encoder in each remote box, but I wanted to see if this is something that people have done and whether it's even possible.

Thanks in advance!

[michelevit]

i purchased several of the zero delay joystick encoders and they work fine. i only installed two.
i'm not sure if a 'keyboard encoder' would behave similarly. i recommend the zero delay encoders.

[PL1]

You won't have any problem with using two USB keyboard encoders at the same time.

The three commonly used keyboard encoders are the IPac, KeyWiz, and KADE.

For your setup, the problem with using the KeyWiz is that it uses a PS/2 connection -- you can't connect two of them.

That leaves IPac and KADE.

If you're handy with a soldering iron, you can buy a plain AVR like this one and program it with the KADE firmware.

BTW, the ZD is a gamepad encoder, not a keyboard encoder. (Shows up as a HID joystick)

Nothing at all wrong with it, but to make it work like a keyboard encoder, you would need to use joy2key or xpadder(?) to translate the HID button presses to keystrokes.


Scott

[shponglefan]

I've used multiple IPACs without issues.

[JDFan]

Just remember when setting them up that both encoders will be seenas the same device so you need to setup the keypresses correctly (ie. if both CPs have a button set as keypress "A" pressing that button on either panel will send an "A" so be sure only the ones you want set this way are or you will run into problems with the other player controlling your character if any are duplicates.

[illvibe]

Thanks so much for the advice guys.

I've only used the PS/2 keywiz for the machines I've built in the past, so I'll look into the i-pac. Also I just found this guy:

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_81&products_id=234

I'm thinking that ideally I'd run a USB2.0 hub that goes to 4 outputs (each output would have its own encoder). I'm assuming if I didn't try to load the same keystroke twice, it would operate as if it were a single keyboard, right?

[PL1]

You could plug in as many keyboards/keyboard encoders as you have USB ports and they will all work in parallel.

Windows and MAME don't care which keyboard/encoder sends the keystroke, only what keystroke is sent.


Scott

P.S. forgot to include a link to the KADE earlier.

[daninino]

If you have enough skill you could hack 4 Xbox360 Wireless controllers and go Wireless
Even though this would´t give you the 5 admins buttons... Ogh well