Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS  (Read 3402 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

kwagner101

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8
  • Last login:June 22, 2015, 09:01:22 am
  • I want to build my own arcade controls!
4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« on: October 20, 2014, 12:52:10 pm »
All -

I'm looking at building out a 4 player setup for my current 2 player MAME cabinet.  Question - is IPAC4 simply the only way or best way to go here?  I currently have a J-PAC in place for the 2 player setup - and could just hack away the jamma harness cables and utilize those in the IPAC, then use unused jamma harness cables and other older jamma harness wiring for the other 2 player setup - and purchase some sticks/buttons and be done.

However, I'm looking to re-use a trackball I already have - purchasing a USB modification for happ trackballs from the jammaboards.com page. 

I just didn't know if I purchased a 2 player MAME setup (with wiring and encoders - which I've done before for friends and they work fine) - if I purchased 2 of these - if they'd show as P1, P2, P3, and P4 - or if they would show as P1 and P2 twice since they'd have separate USB connections into the PC.

Thoughts?

Kevin


Generic Eric

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4520
  • Last login:July 15, 2024, 09:18:25 pm
  • Restore! Don't maim for MAME, build from scratch!
    • forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,143226.0.html
Re: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2014, 12:58:23 pm »
All -

I'm looking at building out a 4 player setup for my current 2 player MAME cabinet.  Question - is IPAC4 simply the only way or best way to go here?  I currently have a J-PAC in place for the 2 player setup - and could just hack away the jamma harness cables and utilize those in the IPAC, then use unused jamma harness cables and other older jamma harness wiring for the other 2 player setup - and purchase some sticks/buttons and be done.

However, I'm looking to re-use a trackball I already have - purchasing a USB modification for happ trackballs from the jammaboards.com page. 

I just didn't know if I purchased a 2 player MAME setup (with wiring and encoders - which I've done before for friends and they work fine) - if I purchased 2 of these - if they'd show as P1, P2, P3, and P4 - or if they would show as P1 and P2 twice since they'd have separate USB connections into the PC.

Thoughts?

Kevin
Look at groovygamegear.com, ultimarc.com and http://www.wolfwareeng.com/?page_id=62 for 4 player options. 

If you don't get something that handles all 4 players, you need to communicate with the vendor to specify the second board be given hardware id 2.

I'd advise against hacking your jpac wiring.  Maybe try to sell the jpac with the wiring?  I just think you might have less to troubleshoot later on.

I don't have any input on the trackball.

Yenome

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 547
  • Last login:November 12, 2024, 07:07:56 pm
  • Punch a fish. Make a wish
Re: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2014, 01:04:58 pm »
i can tell you with USB you can generally assign diff controller IDs so you could have 0 1 2 3 i know my xin mo shows up as 2 controllers and i can change the ID of each side individually.
My Gf made me put a sig up. /whipped

kwagner101

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8
  • Last login:June 22, 2015, 09:01:22 am
  • I want to build my own arcade controls!
Re: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2014, 01:31:51 pm »
Nice.  Thanks for the information on the XinMo.  I don't have any currently in use, but I've built them out and used them with other 2 player cabs I've made for friends.  Seems like the response time is good and the "prewired" configs make the package ordering sort of a no-brainer.  Maybe I'll just order two kits and go from there.  :)


Yenome

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 547
  • Last login:November 12, 2024, 07:07:56 pm
  • Punch a fish. Make a wish
Re: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2014, 02:03:48 pm »
now that i think of it. just use the jpac for player one and two and get a second item for players 3 and 4 is always an option.
My Gf made me put a sig up. /whipped

mvolke1

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 338
  • Last login:August 27, 2020, 09:48:24 am
    • My Pi-Powered Galaga-Thmed Bartop
Re: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2014, 04:08:33 pm »
I've had an IPac 4 for about ten years now. Never a single problem, and it's super easy to hook up.
I'm with stupid.

Locke141

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1692
  • Last login:February 23, 2025, 06:44:01 pm
  • Never grow up.
Re: 4 PLAYER MAME SETUP - SUGGESTIONS
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2014, 03:09:15 pm »
I've had an IPac 4 for about ten years now. Never a single problem, and it's super easy to hook up.

I agree with this and I love my I-pac4 but its not cheep.

If you have an I-pac already, I'd try using two Zero Delay encoders first.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zero-Delay-Arcade-USB-Encoder-To-PC-Joystick-For-MAME-5Pin-Happ-Push-Buttons-/191162571247?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c822d59ef


That way you still get the sweet setup tools for P1&2 and save some money on the players that don't need lots of adjusting. If the set up is not to your liking you could use them in another build.   
« Last Edit: October 23, 2014, 03:18:03 pm by Locke141 »