Can't get spinner working in MAME

[bpjacobsen]

How do I get the spinner working in MAME? It works in Windows and works fine with Stella for Breakout so I know it works. What is the trick to enabling it in MAME? 

[Titchgamer]

You need to enable mouse input in the mame config file and then set it up in the usual config menu

[bpjacobsen]

Does the same apply to a track ball?

[DarthMarino]

It's the same for any mouse input.

[bpjacobsen]

OK, so the spinner is working yay! However, the trackball not so much. When I plugged that in, it seemed to disable all other buttons. I had to unplug it then I had to unplug the two USBs for the spinner and buttons and plug back in to get it to work again. I obviously must have the trackball connected wrong. Is there a trick to getting the track ball working? I noticed that when I press one of the buttons (and only the one) the light turns from red to green in the trackball (led lit) Other than that, nothing happens when I try to assign it.

[JDFan]

OK, so the spinner is working yay! However, the trackball not so much. When I plugged that in, it seemed to disable all other buttons. I had to unplug it then I had to unplug the two USBs for the spinner and buttons and plug back in to get it to work again. I obviously must have the trackball connected wrong. Is there a trick to getting the track ball working? I noticed that when I press one of the buttons (and only the one) the light turns from red to green in the trackball (led lit) Other than that, nothing happens when I try to assign it.

DId you also check the Allow Multiple Mices box when you checked the Allow mouse input box ? ALso in the Controller mapping section is Trackball set to Mouse OR Keyboard ?

[Titchgamer]

As well as multi mouse you may also have some usb device ID conflicts.

As fo the colour change to you have a button wired to one of the trackball inputs?

[bpjacobsen]

I set multimouse to 1 (from 0) trackball is set to keyboard. However, I do see that I get a usb conflict when plugging it in. It won't install. unrecognized device. Hmm. any ideas on that? I have the colored wires from the trackball soldered to some of the buttons b/c I had no other way of connecting them. Was a while ago so I don't recall exactly why but pretty sure I followed the instructions that came with it. was not the most straightforward set of instructions from what I recall. I have a feeling it isn't correctly wired though. anyone know the process for connecting these things? This is the one I have:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-Game-Machines-Illuminated-Lighted-LED-Trackball-Mouse-PS-2-PCB-Connector/372110894207?epid=10007611466&hash=item56a389a47f:g:qagAAOSwO7hZ6kDj

[PL1]

trackball is set to keyboard.

Try setting it to mouse.


Scott

[bpjacobsen]

that does not work b/c it errors stating invalid trackball_device mouse reverting to keyboard. The problem now is that the USB device will not install. I need to figure out where I can get the proper drivers for this thing and manually install. If anyone has any info on this, please let me know. Also, please let me know if you have some info on the correct install process so I can verify my connections. I don't think it is right. My understanding is you have to connect the wires to the up/down/left/right buttons per the mapping sheet for my Xin Mo controller board. However, I may need to start over and wire them to the joystick buttons? Can anyone confirm? rather confusing to me. Thanks for the help

[JDFan]

I set multimouse to 1 (from 0) trackball is set to keyboard. However, I do see that I get a usb conflict when plugging it in. It won't install. unrecognized device. Hmm. any ideas on that? I have the colored wires from the trackball soldered to some of the buttons b/c I had no other way of connecting them. Was a while ago so I don't recall exactly why but pretty sure I followed the instructions that came with it. was not the most straightforward set of instructions from what I recall. I have a feeling it isn't correctly wired though. anyone know the process for connecting these things? This is the one I have:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-Game-Machines-Illuminated-Lighted-LED-Trackball-Mouse-PS-2-PCB-Connector/372110894207?epid=10007611466&hash=item56a389a47f:g:qagAAOSwO7hZ6kDj

SO you are connecting it through the PS2 mouse port ?? - that is what this model trackball is designed for ( the PS2 port connects to the PC and then the other wires are for the 3 trackball buttons ( 2 wires for each button - one ground and 1 NO connection to each of the 3 buttons) - Also PS2 devices are not hot pluggable - so they are not designed to be plugged in or unplugged when the system is powered on and will usually not work if not plugged into the system before booting - have you tried having it plugged in and then turning on the system (after already having the Mouse input enabled and multi mouse checked and trackball set to mouse instead of keyboard in settings )

Or are you using a ps2 to USB adapter of some sort and connecting through the USB port ? - You might need to restart the system a couple times if using an adapter (first time plugging in the adapter will install drivers for the adapter which will then be seen as a USB device - then the next restart will find the mouse device plugged into the adapter ( it sometimes will not find both the adapter and the device plugged into the adapter on the initial install.) - Try installing just the adapter without the trackball plugged in and see if it recognizes the adapter as a USB device - then after it recognizes the adapter shut down - plug the trackball into the adapter (leaving it plugged into the same USB port it was already recognized on without the trackball connected) - then reboot and see if it then finds the new mouse device ( should be able to move your mouse cursor in windows using the trackball if it is found )

Here's a diagram from another similar trackball that shows the wiring diagram :

[PL1]

The problem now is that the USB device will not install. I need to figure out where I can get the proper drivers for this thing and manually install.

The trackball should use the generic Windows mouse driver if you follow the process that JDFan described, unless you're using Windows 10.

From the product listing:

Note:

1. It doesn't support Windows 10 system for the PC

If you're using Windows 10, you will need to use a different trackball or hack the trackball electronics to work with a newer optical encoder like the Opti-Wiz or write the drivers yourself.

My understanding is you have to connect the wires to the up/down/left/right buttons per the mapping sheet for my Xin Mo controller board. However, I may need to start over and wire them to the joystick buttons?

Absolutely nothing from the trackball (optical/mouse encoder) should connect to your Xin-Mo. (gamepad encoder)

The trackball has a PS/2 cable that sends mouse commands to the computer and several Quick Disconnect (QD) connectors for optional mouse button inputs.

You may want to disconnect the QDs (mouse button inputs) until you get the trackball working in Windows to eliminate the possibility that they are connected wrong. (i.e. connected to the microswitch Normally Closed NC tab instead of the Normally Open NO tab)


Scott

[bpjacobsen]

So, to clarify, should the trackball just be wired to 3 stand alone buttons that are not at all connected to the Xin Mo board then? I had the 3 wires connected to buttons that I'm using for other purposes like fire, thrust etc. I have the one ground wire (black) soldered to the ground connectors on those three buttons (it only has one ground wire) I'm guessing I need to remove them and put in 3 other buttons just for the trackball that are not connected to the XinMo? Or what 3 buttons should I be connecting it to? this is the part that is killing me. Not getting through to my thick skull.
I am running windows 7 and using a PS2 to USB adapter by the way.

Thanks

[PL1]

So, to clarify, should the trackball just be wired to 3 stand alone buttons that are not at all connected to the Xin Mo board then?

The three trackball button inputs are left-mouse click, right-mouse click, and center-mouse click.

In almost every case they are not needed and they are not recommended.

You can connect them to buttons if you REALLY want or ABSOLUTELY need them for your setup, but the general consensus is that mouse buttons present potential problems when kids or drunk guests are playing unttended on your cab and get into things that make a mess of the painstaking configuration that took you 100's of hours to do in the first place and that can take 1000's of hours to fully find and fix.   

I had the 3 wires connected to buttons that I'm using for other purposes like fire, thrust etc. I have the one ground wire (black) soldered to the ground connectors on those three buttons (it only has one ground wire)

A good rule of thumb is to not connect the inputs from one encoder to the inputs of another encoder.

I'm guessing I need to remove them and put in 3 other buttons just for the trackball that are not connected to the XinMo? Or what 3 buttons should I be connecting it to?

Not every input needs to be connected to a button.

Just leave the QD wires from the trackball disconnected.

If you're still tempted to connect them to the Xin-Mo, chop them off and melt them down using magnesium, thermite, a local steel foundry, or the next North Korean nuke test. 


Scott

[bpjacobsen]

Awesome! that makes my life way easier then. I can't thank you enough for all of your help. Been pulling my hair out over this. lol. I will cut the wires and move on with my life. lol

one more question. so the MAME ini file, should the trackball be set to mouse or keyboard? I tried mouse but got an error when opening mame that it was incorrect so I assume leave it at keyboard.

[PL1]

MAME ini file, should the trackball be set to mouse or keyboard? I tried mouse but got an error when opening mame that it was incorrect so I assume leave it at keyboard.

Step 1 - Get the trackball working in Windows.

If it doesn't work in Windows, it won't work in MAME.

Step 2 - Edit mame.ini.

Mouse should already be enabled (1) not disabled (0) under "CORE INPUT OPTIONS" . . .

Code: [Select]

#
# CORE INPUT OPTIONS
#
coin_lockout              1
ctrlr                     
mouse                     1
joystick                  1
. . . and trackball_device should be set to mouse under "CORE INPUT AUTOMATIC ENABLE OPTIONS".

Code: [Select]

#
# CORE INPUT AUTOMATIC ENABLE OPTIONS
#
paddle_device             mouse
adstick_device            keyboard
pedal_device              keyboard
dial_device               mouse
trackball_device          mouse


Scott

[JDFan]

The 3 trackball buttons come in handy if using a Control panel with just the trackball and a few buttons ( ie. a Missile command layout with the trackball and 3 base buttons ) so you don't need a separate encoder. Or if trying to use a single player encoder like the Zero Delay on a 2 player setup where those 3 extra inputs can be a bonus. But with the 2 player zinmo you really will probably not even need them.

[bpjacobsen]

see attached settings I currently have for the two areas mentioned and the error I'm getting when I open MAME.  My spinner knob was working fine when set to keyboard FYI. I get the same error for the paddle, dial, and trackball being set to mouse. Any suggestions?

[bollwerk]

Sorry to necro this post, but just in case anyone else stumbles across this....
the problem is likely that the config values are case sensitive and "Mouse" is not valid, while "mouse" is valid.