Zero Delay Encoder Key Code

[mike boss]

I picked up a zero delay encoder that I'm yet to use.
If this thing works (and I do read a quite a  bit of positive feedback) it is a great alternative to the iPac.
HOWEVER I can not really find anything with the key codes.
I know it says it works with MAME, so I thought perhaps it is the default MAME key code ?
However I'd like to see more info.

Anyone have any links or info on it ?

For what it is worth I picked up the version for the Sanwa buttons + joystick.

[yotsuya]

It's a joystick encoder, not a keyboard encoder. And quite frankly, it's not even a good alternative to a KADE, much less an I-Pac2.

[JDFan]

As mentioned it will show up as a joystick with 12 buttons - As shown in the pic above there is the 4 directionals that go to the joystick ( EDIT - You said Sanwa Joystick so that would use the 5-Pin connection and leave the 4 US joystick connection empty !) - and then 12 buttons (1 through 12) - In Mame it is easy to set up by entering the tab options - Input All Games and setting the buttons by highlighting the selection press enter to reset it and then press that button. FOr other games that require keystroke input you can use Joy2key (which can be programmed to change the button presses to send a keycode and having it run in the background to intercept the button presses and change them to the various keycode. (Not as hard as it sounds and once set up works fine.)

 

[mike boss]

Thanks guys !
I know this may not be the greatest device out there, but @ $12 shipped I thought I would try.
No home for it yet, but I will find a use.

Thanks JDFan for the info.
I was clearly looking in the wrong places online, IE - why I found no info I needed.

I've never tried Joy2Key but I read good things.
I know one of the biggest pains ever is on a set up with multiple Emulators, etc and using an Ipac (which is default MAME). You can not use certain buttons in certain emulators. Off memory Dreamcast and N64 emulation gave me an issue. Perhaps this little device with the Joy2Key could resolve that ?

[yotsuya]

Thanks guys !
I know this may not be the greatest device out there, but @ $12 shipped I thought I would try.
No home for it yet, but I will find a use.

Thanks JDFan for the info.
I was clearly looking in the wrong places online, IE - why I found no info I needed.

I've never tried Joy2Key but I read good things.
I know one of the biggest pains ever is on a set up with multiple Emulators, etc and using an Ipac (which is default MAME). You can not use certain buttons in certain emulators. Off memory Dreamcast and N64 emulation gave me an issue. Perhaps this little device with the Joy2Key could resolve that ?

I've found that using a keyboard encoder is actually easier than a joystick encoder because you DON'T usually have to run any additional programs to make it work. Most of those emulators seem to have been written with a keyboard in mind.

If you were having issues setting up a emulator with an actual KEYBOARD encoder, why would you want to run a program to make the system think your JOYSTICK is a KEYBOARD? In those cases, you wouldn't run Joy2Key. Food for thought.

[mike boss]

Thanks yotsuya

I have a couple of KADE's I purchased with no home, as well as 2 iPac's I think.
I just got this based of price cause I thought it was neat.
No home in mind yet, however perhaps based on its limitations I'd use it for a more simple project.
Something with just one program.

[yotsuya]

Thanks yotsuya

I have a couple of KADE's I purchased with no home, as well as 2 iPac's I think.
I just got this based of price cause I thought it was neat.
No home in mind yet, however perhaps based on its limitations I'd use it for a more simple project.
Something with just one program.

I've used them for low cost projects for my nieces and nephews (though I will admit, I did have to scrap one and replace it with a AVR running KADE because it was unreliable. I probably need to reflow the solder points). The one I got from Vigo works well. The ones from eBay... not so much...

[mike boss]

Hmm............ thank you for the advice.

I'm torn.

Do I  toss this in a project cab ? Do I make a fight stick ?
I should probably finish existing projects and then look into it. LOL
(I sold the monitor in my Popeye over a year ago, I've had a replacement 24" LCD for months now. I still have not tossed it in! Not to mention I have to swap out the jamma harness)
But I'm glad I know how it works.

[JDFan]

They work fine for MAME since MAME has it's configuration program where settings can be set for all games or any specific game  - where you run into problems is with games that have specific buttons\Keys hard coded for specific entries and no way of changing them (Esp. if trying to run several of those games that have conflicting configs.) and even keyboard encoders can run into the same problems with those type of games as well. 

[yotsuya]

Hmm............ thank you for the advice.

I'm torn.

Do I  toss this in a project cab ? Do I make a fight stick ?
I should probably finish existing projects and then look into it. LOL
(I sold the monitor in my Popeye over a year ago, I've had a replacement 24" LCD for months now. I still have not tossed it in! Not to mention I have to swap out the jamma harness)
But I'm glad I know how it works.

I'd make it into a fightstick, myself, especially since the wires are so short. 

[mike boss]

@ $12 I'll give it a go.
I'm sure as you said it isn't as good as the KADE or iPac, but again the price is so darn cheap.
I got tons of parts kicking around the house (I just suck at wood work)..... so this could make for a cool lil project.

[Vigo]

The one I got from Vigo works well. The ones from eBay... not so much...

I've heard that more than a few times now.  Really too bad the quality went down. I hand checked every one before letting it go out the door, but even then, only a couple I had to scrap a couple out of the hundreds because they didn't work. They were very stable little encoders. Good that KADE AVRs are around to pick up the slack.

[Louis Tully]

.

[yotsuya]

The one I got from Vigo works well. The ones from eBay... not so much...

I've heard that more than a few times now.  Really too bad the quality went down. I hand checked every one before letting it go out the door, but even then, only a couple I had to scrap a couple out of the hundreds because they didn't work. They were very stable little encoders. Good that KADE AVRs are around to pick up the slack.

Whew! I thought it was just Vigo Bias!

I bet the ones on eBay are knockoffs of yours. Plus I bet no one is hand-checking them before they leave.

[Vigo]

I wouldn't doubt that. They seemed a little too off from the pictures I have seen. I had discussions with the manufacturer about color designs options and everything, and they don't quite match up with what he had available to him. Not to mention, someone on their end was checking the boards out as well, and they were just initialing them with a marker on the back side. I don't see those initials on photos of the new encoders anymore.

[mike boss]

Downloaded Joy2Key today to mess around with this encoder in the near future.
I'll be sure to post results/thoughts.