Couple of Zero Delay USB Encoder Questions - I'm new to all this!

[TheRedEyeBandit]

Hi there - I'm working on building a bartop arcade using RetroPie. I recently purchased all the bits for my controls including a Zero Delay USB controller however I have a couple of questions regarding how to connect the Sanwa Joystick (JLF-TP-8Y-SK) via the 5 pin wire harness.

The 5 pin harness that the controller came with has a clip on the one end to easily connect to the joystick itself however the other end of the wire harness is just bare wires. On the ZD USB encoder there is a socket to plug in the other end of the 5pin wire harness except that my harness doesn't have it, just bare wires!

What is my best way to go about connecting this joy stick to the USB encoder (Note - I must connect it via the 5-pin connection on the USB encoder)

My other questions pretain to how many buttons the encoder can support.  As my bartop arcade will include 3 buttons on each side (call them pinball buttons) as well as 8 buttons and a joystick up top, I'm trying to determine the best way to use 1 encoder to support 14 buttons. My thought was connect the joystick up via 5 Pin connection and then use the other joystick port sockets for the pinball buttons?  Also, I'm a novice on this stuff.. but is there a couple of slots that I could solder some header pins into to all the encoder to support a couple extra buttons?

Finally.. is there anywhere on the web where some one has exactly outline how to use the extra functions/ what they are used for. IE - Turbo, Auto, Clear, Mode?

Thanks!

[JDFan]

Normally the ZD encoder comes with the wiring for the buttons and joystick - so when ordering you need to make sure you get the one that comes with the 5 pin wire for japanese joysticks if that is what you intend to use --


 Sounds like you got the ones designed for US type joysticks that use the same microswitch wiring as the buttons rather than the 5 pin.


IF so then you'll need to either find a 5 pin  wire or make one by inserting the bare wires you have into a 5 pin connector.

THe encoder is designed for a total of 16 inputs - so 4 for a joystick and up to 12 buttons trying to use a single one for 18 inputs can be done but it means you will need to have some shared and only use one of the shared ones at a time (ie. as you mention you could wire the joystick to the 5 pin using the 4 joystick inputs and also wire the other 4 joystick inputs as your pinball buttons but that would mean any time you press one of the pinball buttons it is actually sending the up down left or right signal ( the 2 joystick inputs are actually the same 4 shared inputs not 8 different inputs !) so will need to adjust the pinball config to use those signals for control and also ensure you do not move the joystick while playing pinball games as it will also send the same signal and the game will think you are pressing the corresponding button.) So since you are wanting the joystick and 14 other inputs you will have at least 2 buttons that will need to be wired together and only used one at a time for games since the encoder only has 16 distinct inputs not 18 - But it should be workable since there are a few buttons that will not be used together during games (ie. you will never want the pinball buttons to be used when using the 8 buttons so those could be wired so that the 6 pinball buttons and 6 of the top buttons are shared - you just need to figure out which you want always available and which can be shared and wire it correctly and setup your configurations)

[DeLuSioNal29]

You can easily connect them yourself using spare PC case wiring (just splice the wiring by twisting them together and using electrical tape if you have to):


Here are pinout diagrams for the joystick (what wires go where).  It's pretty simple.

If you are rotating the joystick the colors change depending on the orientation.  Use this handy guide to help:


Hope this helps!

DeL

[TheRedEyeBandit]

Thanks for the reply however perhaps I misspoke about which USB encoder I have.. I have the  Reyann Zero Delay Arcade USB Encoder that I purchased off of amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Reyann-Arcade-Encoder-Joystick-Fighting/dp/B00UUROWWK

If I read and understand the feature set correctly I believe I can hook up two joy stick - one via 5 pin sanwa and another one via the standard two pin white connector things.. (alternatively you can hook up something like a flight stick that includes a hat switch (if that makes sense).

This is what make me hopeful that I will be able to support 18 buttons and one joystick from one of these usb encoder.... thoughts?

As to my original question and how to get the joystick connected to the USB 5pin connector - Here is a picture of the 5pin wire harness I'm trying to connect (I can't figure out how to insert one in the message..).

http://www.amazon.com/Sanwa-JLF-TP-8YT-SK-Adjustable-Tournament-Compatible/dp/B004CZX8HQ

If I understand correctly, hook these up to some PC wires as shown below (i have extra from old pc) and plug into the pins on the USB encoder?

My other thought was to solder them to point on the bottom of the board under the connector clip...

Pics of parts attached

[harveybirdman]

Pretty sure those joystick inputs are the same four inputs just support either individual or group ground

[JDFan]

Those can use either connector not both unless using for 2 that will not be used together (ie. could use one for a 4 way joystick and one for an 8 way that you do not use for the same games) since both send the same input signal (P1 Up P1 down P1 left and P1 Right) for 2 separate joysticks you would need to either use 2 of the encoders or set one of the joysticks as 4 of the other button inputs. ( the boards have a total of 16 individual inputs) so only 16 total inputs can be used at any time ( in windows it will be detected as a gamepad with 12 buttons)

I have the same encoder in my Robotron bartop and what I did was setup the 2nd joystick to share player buttons 3,4,5,6 so I could play ROBOTRON and other 2 joystick games on it since you never use those buttons if playing with the 2 joysticks. So I have the left joystick as the main joystick - 6 player buttons with a 2nd joystick sharing 4 of those as noted and then 6 Admin buttons ( 1 and 2 player start and 1 and 2 player coin, Pause, and Exit) So the 1 encoder works fine for a 1 player setup even with the 2 joysticks but will not work for a 2 player setup unless you only use the joysticks (8 inputs) and 4 buttons per player (8 inputs) and then you can use advanced wiring to serve as the ADmin buttons by wiring the 1st Joysticks UP and down together for one admin button - the 1st joystick Left and right together for another - the 2nd joystick Up and down for a third and left and right for a fourth admin button ( since in game you can never hit both up and down or left and right on the same joystick !)

I believe there is an advanced wiring tutorial that shows doing this type of set up.

Here is a schematic that shows the inputs (notice both the 4 individual inputs and the 5pin share the same AR, AL, AU, AD inputs !) but the 5 pin has a single ground for all four (VDD) where the other uses a separate ground for each connection.

[virtualonmars]

I bought this kit and I wished it came with instructions.
I am an arcade noob here, which side do I plug the ground and which side do I plug the how wire too on the button?

[JDFan]

I bought this kit and I wished it came with instructions.
I am an arcade noob here, which side do I plug the ground and which side do I plug the how wire too on the button?

Since you are using the Zero Delay encoder it makes no difference which side you put which connector -- The button merely completes the circuit between the 2 !!

The only time it would make a difference is if you were using a ground loop (ie. the ground wire runs from button to button and then to the encoder) - in which case which side still would not matter but all buttons would have to be the same ground side (ie. if ground is on the left side on 1 button then the loop would have to have all of the buttons have the ground on the left side ) since they are all connected together in a loop. But for the encoder you are using each button has it's own ground wire so it makes no difference which side is which or if each button uses a different side as ground !

THis pic shows a ground loop in case you do not understand - notice how the ground runs from button to button and to a single connector on the encoder - while the encoder you have each button has 2 seperate wires as shown in the second pic !

[PL1]

which side do I plug the ground and which side do I plug the how wire too on the button?

It doesn't matter because microswitches are just spring-loaded contacts -- they have no polarized components.

When the button isn't pressed, the tabs don't make contact.

When you press the button, the tabs make contact.

Just connect the two wires from each input connector on the ZD encoder to the two tabs of the corresponding button.


Scott

[virtualonmars]

thank you so much!

[KDM]

... but all buttons would have to be the same ground side (ie. if ground is on the left side on 1 button then the loop would have to have all of the buttons have the ground on the left side ) since they are all connected together in a loop.

I'm not sure I agree. I'm hoping these buttons work like traditional switches, in that they don't care about the direction of flow. I'm prepared for the eventuality that these are some oddball type of switch. Can you clarify why I'd need to ensure that I always need to use the same side?

Thanks!!

[Drnick]

Its a 2 pin switch, so it doesnt matter which side it goes.  There is nothing to check which could be the right side as its either an open circuit or a closed circuit.
 

[JDFan]

... but all buttons would have to be the same ground side (ie. if ground is on the left side on 1 button then the loop would have to have all of the buttons have the ground on the left side ) since they are all connected together in a loop.

I'm not sure I agree. I'm hoping these buttons work like traditional switches, in that they don't care about the direction of flow. I'm prepared for the eventuality that these are some oddball type of switch. Can you clarify why I'd need to ensure that I always need to use the same side?

Thanks!!

You left out the main point of that Quote :

The only time it would make a difference is if you were using a ground loop

So it would only matter if you were using a single ground wire that ran from switch to switch.