Bartop Buttons

[MadMike]

How many buttons do people normally have on a bartop? 
I am using a mini Pac, which has 8 buttons for each player + coin and start for each player.
I want a standard 6 button per player, 1 button on each side for pinball (p1 7+8?), coin and start buttons for each player, that leaves 2 left (p2 7+8) for menu/escape?  Maybe a squeeze to fit 6 buttons on the bottom panel.  What do other people do?

[aldub516]

pretty much nailed it... if thats the setup you want. you need a menu and exit buttons if youre using a front end.. and the other buttons seem good.. you have your player buttons, coin and start, enter / exit buttons.. good to go

[Titchgamer]

Yup thats it

[keilmillerjr]

Don’t forget that you can use shifted buttons with pac software. You don’t need a dedicated escape button. You could have it so you press both start buttons at the same time and it will simulate „Esc“ to the computer. You can add a dedicated button for it, just keep in mind that it needs to be in a spot where a user would not bump it and accidentally exit a game. I have a neo geo with a select button that is being used as Esc, but its far away from action buttons and is indicated with bright red and a pause graphic.

[MadMike]

OK thanks, I had heard about the shift buttons with Mini PAC but thought I had to have a decided button to be "shift" didn't know you could use two start buttons for example, I may have to use something else though as if two players are playing 2 people might hit the start button at same time possibly. 

[keilmillerjr]

OK thanks, I had heard about the shift buttons with Mini PAC but thought I had to have a decided button to be "shift" didn't know you could use two start buttons for example, I may have to use something else though as if two players are playing 2 people might hit the start button at same time possibly.

When you designate a key in the software as the „shift key“, it will function as normal when no other button is pressed at the same time. I doubt two people will press start at the same exact time. The only time realistically you would have an issue is if some dumb @ss holds down their start button and the other player presses theirs. Usually you press start for a split second and release.

[burn_654]

I've absolutely had the 'two people pushing start accidentally exits' problem. It's possible when both people die in a game and are crediting up and 'start' ing back in.

In the end I may move to a dedicated 'exit' button somewhere on the cab, for now I still have 'start' as my shift key and hold start + player 1 heavy kick to exit. That at least made the action in the hands of one person's controls alone (more predictability) and that's not a common combo at all.

[yotsuya]

I've absolutely had the 'two people pushing start accidentally exits' problem. It's possible when both people die in a game and are crediting up and 'start' ing back in.

Did you refund them their quarters?

[equlizer]

You can also control the volume and power on/off your computer with the ipac   Also you can change the shift key to whatever you want or have multiple ones and set whatever button you want to whatever you want.  Check out the build section, i just posted mine there.

[nukie]

If you need to save some inputs you can also wire up your pinball buttons to P1 buttons 1 and 2.