Keybord or joystick hack?

[JesterDEV]

Looking to build (or buy, see my post in Buy/Sell/Trade) a cheap control panel for an x-mas gift. If I can't find a cheap one for sale I just might build one. I figure the cost to be around $40-$50 to build one. Anyway what is better a joystick hack or a keyboard hack? Looking at classic games here, nothing before say 1990.

Are they reliable? I went with an I-Pac so I never tried a hack.  

[paigeoliver]

If it is a single stick panel, then a keyboard hack will be fine. I did a keyboard hack on my Space Firebird mini and it took less than an hour and I was able to use the default keys.

If you have lots of space inside the box, then look for the heaviest old keyboard you can find, if you are lucky then it will have a full length PCB with an individual microswitch for each key. This makes it really easy to hack to exactly the keys you want the first time. Downside is that you have an entire keyboard to put inside your panel.

[aricade]

If your just building a desktop controller hack a joystick:
Usb or gameport.. Else the person would have to unplug there keyboard every time they wanted to use it... unless the have a usb keyboard, and you do a ps2 kb hack.  My $.02

depending on the OS the persoon is using you could build a really cheap joystick interface through the parrallel port to.  All depending on how many buttons you want...  If you want to pursue this route check out the interfacesection here and also do a search for PPJOY on google.... you'll find the page...

But I've seen usb gamepads at walmart for $15cdn , 6 buttons + start + select buttons.  You might find a $2 dollar gameport gamepad at your local flee market to...

I guess just go with what is easiest for you.   What do you have available to you cheaply...

[JesterDEV]

I am going to be using to joysticks, he loves robotron, so that is a must. I figure 6 buttons, and 2 joysticks. I found a few ms sidewinder gamepads on ebay, but I'm not sure mame will work with two? Will a keyboard be ok for this? There is that "can't press two buttons at once" thing.

[paigeoliver]

If you go with joysticks just make sure you use two different ones.

The pressing more than one key at the same time thing with keyboard really only crops up if you have a control panel with more than one joystick.

[aricade]

Try the LPTswitch... to parrallel port
http://www.angelfire.com/retro/deonvdw/

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/deonvdw/Docs/Diagrams/LPTswitch.htm

rows 1-6 player1 and rows 7-12 player 2.

Maybe you could use the player 2 directional axis for your 2nd stick...

No body has really used it yet for a stick that I know off... So it's pretty cheap to build but never be proven...

else map out matrix of kb  if you do it right it'll be easy to get 14 inputs (stick 1 and 2 axis + 6 buttons + start + coin).

Usually you can squeze 22-24 inputs avoiding blocking... But it can be a ---smurfette---...

I guess joystick might not cut it for this project as it just doesn't have enough inputs...

[Spaced Invader]

I got 25 inputs from an old interact axispad.  

[bloodyviking77]

The pressing more than one key at the same time thing with keyboard really only crops up if you have a control panel with more than one joystick.

But this problem can be avoided through proper mapping of the keyboard matrix. It takes time and effort, but works fine.
Its gotta be the cheapest route if you've got an old keyboard lying around.

[eightbit]

Don't use a keyboard hack for 2 players. Just my opinion that its not worth the time and effort. Save yourself the headaches and buy a $27 keywiz encoder. If that is to steep for your  budget do a gamepad hack. If you go with 2 USB gamepads though its likely to cost as much as the much better keywiz.

MS Sidewinders gameport version are very nice to hack. They can be daisychained(up to 4). They can be found usually for under $5, they have a common ground, 14 inputs per pad, nice marked solder pads, under win98 the driver can be mapped to keyboard input.

Go with the keywiz....

[unclet]

I believe I was told that the later model MS Sidewinders do not have the labelled sodler points anymore.

Anyway, hacked 6 USB MS Dual Strike gamepads for my driving cab (which I got on Ebay for an average price of $11 each and that included shipping) and all work together in Mame.  I am still assembling the cab and hope to be done very soon, but my initial tests indicated all USB controllers worked together no problem.

[eightbit]

I believe I was told that the later model MS Sidewinders do not have the labelled sodler points anymore.

Anyway, hacked 6 USB MS Dual Strike gamepads for my driving cab (which I got on Ebay for an average price of $11 each and that included shipping) and all work together in Mame.  I am still assembling the cab and hope to be done very soon, but my initial tests indicated all USB controllers worked together no problem.

Wow, why 6? Is it a 6 player panel? I'd really like to see that, do you have any pics?

[unclet]

It is a six-sided rotating driving cab, with each side having a different controller.  I also have two sets of gas/brake pedals (single-axis and dual-axis) and multiple shifters.   My plan is to be done before XMas.  All of the USB Dual strikes are wired and connected into the USB Hub in the cab already and seem to be working fine.   I basically need to assemble the top part which holds the TV and speakers and run wires up to those positions still.   Also, this morning I found that my Pole Position steering wheel PCB to USB mouse PCB hack is no longer functioning.   I have to spend time looking into that though, which I thought was done already.

Anyway, pictures should be around XMas if all goes as planned.  Rather show everyone the finished product instead of what it looks like now.  It does look pretty cool though  

[grafixmonkey]

I wanted to add that with a joystick hack, you don't have the problem of the panel controls being able to execute commands in windows when people walk up and fiddle with the buttons.  (happens to me all the time - I always have to remind people they can't just fiddle with the controls like they can in a real arcade.)

And, if you're giving this to someone, I think for your money a joystick hack might be ever so slightly cheaper, but with the IPAC you will save more than the difference worth of your time.  (at least that's what I think.)

[eightbit]

It is a six-sided rotating driving cab, with each side having a different controller.  I also have two sets of gas/brake pedals (single-axis and dual-axis) and multiple shifters.   My plan is to be done before XMas.  All of the USB Dual strikes are wired and connected into the USB Hub in the cab already and seem to be working fine.   I basically need to assemble the top part which holds the TV and speakers and run wires up to those positions still.   Also, this morning I found that my Pole Position steering wheel PCB to USB mouse PCB hack is no longer functioning.   I have to spend time looking into that though, which I thought was done already.

Anyway, pictures should be around XMas if all goes as planned.  Rather show everyone the finished product instead of what it looks like now.  It does look pretty cool though  

If its a rotating panel you only use one panel at a time right? Why not use just 1 USB dual strike and wire all the connections to it? Many people have a 4 way joystick and a 8 way joystick in their panel. Most people wire both of these to the same interface on player one. If you push left on either one it registers as player 1 left. If you connected these to different gamepads you would to have one as the default and program all the games you wanted to use the other one manually. Doing that with 6 different sets of controls would be huge.

[Lilwolf]

So you are the one that kept sniping my bids!

hehe..