Can't Get ServoStiks to Cooperate...

[Hadeys]

Hey everybody...
Spent the whole weekend fiddling with my new ServoStiks.  I set them up to auto switch using LEDBlinky and Hyperspin, but I've been getting some really strange behaviors from them.  The sticks seem to be very fickle, sometimes they change orientation correctly (IE if they are on 4 way, they switch to 8 way when pacman is selected) but sometimes the opposite happens (IE if they are on 4 way, when pacman is selected they change to 8 way).  Also, occasionally I will select a game when the sticks should switch orientation but instead nothing happens.  Has anybody had issues with using LEDBlinky and ServoStiks? Or maybe is there anybody who has NOT has issues with them?

Really appreciate any input...
Thanks,
Daniel

[05SRT4]

Is it only certain games that its doing it on?

Are you manually moving the arm back and then trying again?

Have you checked to make sure that the arm is moving freely and is not getting stuck by anything?

Are you using the correct control.ini based on your MAME version? (not sure if that matters though)

I just installed everything and it has worked great since. I am hoping its just a software configuration issue.

[Hadeys]

Is it only certain games that its doing it on?

So after messing with it further, the problem only seems to occur when you select the same 8 way game twice.  So, if you select NBA Jam with the sticks in 8 way mode, everything works fine, but if you exit the game and select it again, the sticks change to 4 way and everything freezes up  .  From that point they will no longer switch modes for that game until another game orients the stick in the opposite direction (whatever that might be).  The problem does not occur when the same thing is done with a 4 way game.

Are you manually moving the arm back and then trying again?

No, I haven't touched the arm at all.  I've just been trying to track down what has been causing this weird behavior.

Have you checked to make sure that the arm is moving freely and is not getting stuck by anything?

Yes, everything appears to be moving fine.  It certainly doesn't seem like a mechanical problem by any stretch.

Are you using the correct control.ini based on your MAME version? (not sure if that matters though)

No, I was under the impression that the 141 control.ini was the newest available version, so that is the one that I have been using.

Glad that you're not experiencing the same problems, I'm going to check which version of Mame I am currently running and see if I can hunt down the correct control.ini file if there is one to be had and I'll let you know if I get any results...

Any other suggestions?

[05SRT4]

When you start Hyper-spin whats the default position 4 or 8 way?

[05SRT4]

So I started my Bartop with the servo stick installed. By default the stick is in 4 way while in windows and when in Hyperspin. When I load NBA Jam it switches to 8 way and when I exit it switches back. When I select the same game it still switches to 8 and then back when I exit.

When looking at the servo arm in the default 4 way position the arm is facing away from the servo motor and when I open a 8 way game the arm swings toward the joystick then ends facing the servo motor.

You mentioned that everything freezes up when you try it again? Is this MAME that freezes or your PC?

[Hadeys]

...and when I open a 8 way game the arm swings toward the joystick then ends facing the servo motor.

Interesting. The sticks do default to 4 way when in Hyperspin, but certainly do NOT return to 4 way when the game is exited.

You mentioned that everything freezes up when you try it again? Is this MAME that freezes or your PC?

Sorry, I should have clarified that the servos themselves will no longer move (freeze) through LEDBlinky until I change their orientation with JoyTray or some other program.

I guess next step is to investigate why they don't return to 4 way after I exit an 8 way game... Thanks for all of the input!

[Hadeys]

On that note, how is your controls.xml setup? Thinking this may be the source of my problems.

[05SRT4]

Check your PM for the settings.

If you load the Test tool from http://www.ultimarc.com/servostik.html are you able to switch from 4-8 and then back? (DO NOT CHANGE HARDWARE MODE)

also you can try the joytray app then in the task menu you can try switch back and forth.

[Hadeys]

Yeah, I have used JoyTray with no problems.  Things just started to get weird when I started using LEDBlinky. Checking your PM now..