Can this be done? LED buttons question.

[Sarver Systems]

I'm going to be building some MAME cabs from some older machines.

I'm planning to do the 8-button layout to allow XBox 360 control-type layout.

As some games only support less than 8, I'd like to have the supported buttons light up for the game being played.

THe buttons that aren't used for that games would be unlit.
I would also like to flash the buttons a different color when they're pressed during the game.

For example, GAME1: the A and B button would light green for a game, then light red when it's pushed. All other buttons would be unlit.
GAME2: the A,B,C,D would light up purple, then light white when pressed. All other buttons would be unlit.

[shiori1425]

Definitely possible, not to hard either.  Just going to take a lot of coding unless you only plan on having a couple of three games per cab.  It's you are taking a mame cab then you are in for a ton of pattern writing.

LEDBlinky or if you can code you can make a basic app yourself that chooses a pattern based off a front end choice.

[rhys]

I agree with shiori,  a LOT of coding.  I just wrote my own USB HID controller for interfacing controls, and that took a good bit of work.  Haven't even tried messing with LED output yet, but you'll likely need custom microcontroller code to drive the LEDs as well as custom front end code to handle all the patterns.

[Nephasth]

If we're talking mame games, it doesn't require any coding with LEDBlinky. One check box will light only active buttons for each mame game. Paradise Arcade's new LED controller sounds like it might be able to handle what you're wanting to do as far as changing colors when pressed, but I don't see the point in doing that, your supposed to be looking at the screen.

[yotsuya]

May I ask why you want them to light differently when pressed?

[armi0024]

Our new controller is independent of the computer...  but our new new controller....

[Sarver Systems]

The more I think about it, I probably wont want the button to change color as it's pressed.

Having only the buttons used light up would be great.