Single Axis pots & A-PAC

[jkl]

Hi all!
I have my driving setup actually working with real arcade hardware using a DB15 connector.
It's a pot for wheel + 2 pots in single axis configuration for pedals.

This is their wiring with real hardware:
- wheel pot: gnd, wiper, vcc
- pedals: wiper 1 for accel, wiper 2 for brake

I have 5 pins on my connector: gnd (common to all pots), vcc (common to all pots), wiper 1 (wheel pot), wiper 2 (accel pot), wiper 3 (brake pot).

I'm looking for a way to connect this setup to an A-PAC and use it with my pc as well, but don't want to rewire it and/or lose my real hardware functionality.
Wheel pot is very easy to wire: just like in ultimarc's examples.
My trouble is how could I wire the 2 pedals' pots in single axis setup... From my connector I can get gnd as for wheel pot, vcc as for wheel pot, and I have the 2 wipers.

I'd like to use my setup with pc games, m2 emu & supermodel. MAME is not my main goal.

If i rearrange the wiring as ultimar suggests I think I'll lose real arcade functionality. This cannot be for sure!

Help please!

Many thanks,
JKL

[terminator2k2]

try:

wiring the grounds to the ground connections, all tied together,

wiring the +5v to player 1 left and down and player 2 down.

then the 3 wipers to player 1 right and up and player 2 up.

[PL1]

I have 5 pins on my connector: gnd (common to all pots), vcc (common to all pots), wiper 1 (wheel pot), wiper 2 (accel pot), wiper 3 (brake pot).

Umm . . . that describes a "dual-axis" setup with separate inputs (wipers) for brake and accelerator -- wire it like terminator2k2 suggested.

If a game requires a "single-axis" setup (one wiper/axis controls both brake and accelerator), you can also wire with an A-pac since it is electrically the same as a single potentiometer.



The single axis setup translated into a schematic with the resulting voltages:
- Pink (brake) = Vcc
- Blue/Yellow = Wiper (center pin)
- Blue/Red = Ground



BTW, If you want to select between single and dual-axis wiring, you can add a 4PDT (or 2 DPDT) relay/switch like the one described here.




Scott

[BadMouth]

FYI the pedals must show up as separate for model 2 emulator to work.  You could work around it in software since you don't have force feedback, but it's best if they are kept separate.

Is the connector original?  What game is it?  A few early pc based cabs used a gameport (DB15).  If that is the case, all you need is a usb gameport adapter.  That would be plug and play. 

[jkl]

Wheel set is an old Dreamcast's MadCatz MC2 modded to work with my arcade (real) hardware.

I looked my pedals pot wiring.
Pin 1 of pot Accel goes to pin 3 of pot Brake
Pino 1 of pot Brake goes to pin 3 of pot Accel
Individual wipers are separate.

Look at the picture below.

[jkl]

By comparing my diagram with single axis example it seems to me that I have pin 1 of the second pot going to electronics.
All other wiring seems the same to me.
Those 4 wires go through a DB9 port into the main wheel unit.
On that pcb I identified the two separate wipers, that I connected with my interface.
On of that is GND, other is VCC.
Could it be a dual axis setup with inverted axis for accel and brake maybe?

What I can't get is why on the SEGA I/O JVS interface the wipers are seen as single "ADx" potentiometer (wheel is AD0, accel AD1, brake AD2).

Even more confused... 

[PL1]

The two pots are wired in parallel. (dual-axis)

Since they are mounted with the shafts facing opposite directions, the wires for tabs 1 and 3 on one potentiometer are swapped on the other to reverse the axis.

Pot 1 turns clockwise from 1 (gnd) to 3. (5v)

Pot 2 turns counter-clockwise from 3 (gnd) to 1. (5v)

Pot 1
Tab 1 - Black (goes to Pot 2, Tab 3)  * Probably ground
Tab 2 - Green (Wiper)
Tab 3 - Red (goes to Pot 2, Tab 1) and Brown  ** Probably 5v

Pot 2
Tab 1 - Red (goes to Pot 1, Tab 3) ** Probably 5v
Tab 2 - Yellow (Wiper)
Tab 3 - Black (goes to Pot 1, Tab 1) and White  * Probably ground


Scott

[jkl]

Ok thanks,
I got it running.
Using a software utility that combines physical devices into one virtual device through vJoy I was able to have it working correctly with Model2 and Supermodel emulators, even adjusting sensitivity and dead zone. 

Have to sort out how can I have my setup working with PC games...
Outrun2006 recognize the virtual joystick but - very strangely - it disables completely the "esc" key, so I can setup the controls but cannot come back to main menu... 
Sega All star racing transformed doesn't recognize virtual joystick at all and so it's impossible configure it since APAC is shown as 2 different devices... 

[BadMouth]

Outrun2006 recognize the virtual joystick but - very strangely - it disables completely the "esc" key, so I can setup the controls but cannot come back to main menu... 
Sega All star racing transformed doesn't recognize virtual joystick at all and so it's impossible configure it since APAC is shown as 2 different devices... 

Search this forum for Outrun2006 setup issues.  The problem is probably that the button the game wants you to press for "select" after mapping the controls is different than the button you use for select in every other screen.

Sega All Star Racing Transformed only accepts x-input (xbox360) controllers.
You can use x360ce for it.  It requires some special "hook" settings.  See the x360ce site for those.

[jkl]

Thanks Badmouth!
Could I ask you if you point me in the right direction here about Outrun issues?
Strange thing is that if I connect A-PAC the "esc" key seems to be disabled even if I choose keyboard as controller.
Without A-PAC it works, even with 360 pad connected and working...

Many thanks,
JKL

[BadMouth]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,142160.msg1471844.html#msg1471844

There's another thread somewhere.  I think it had a better explanation of what I recommended, but otherwise contained less info.

[jkl]

It seems a different issue than mine...
I can remap everything fine... but can't exit the remapping screen!!
I'm stuck in the controls section... and even if my commands are ok no key is good to go back to main menu.... 

[BadMouth]

Yeah, this game can be a PITA.
Sorry, it's been so long since I set it up.

IIRC, in addition to the ESC key there should be a button on the controller that works for exit.

That's my last idea.
Someone who has set it up more recently would probably be more help.