Key Wiz Questions

[PacManess]

I know it's all be talked about before...but what is the big dif between the Key Wiz and the IPac? I mean, the slots on the Key Wiz, are they labeled like "A", "B", "Lft Shft" or like "P1 Up", "P1 SW1"...you know what I mean?

[Pete Harcoff]

I don't know of all the differences, but there's 4 more inputs on the KeyWiz and it's about $5 cheaper.

However, the I-Pac offers USB support and (I think) keyboard pass-through support w/o requiring a switch.

Personally, I use the KeyWiz.  I found it very easy to wire and setup (mainly because all the inputs were predefined for MAME).  Not to mention it was cheaper.

[PacManess]

I've already got the IPAC, which is part of my problem...but with the KeyWiz Max, is it for 2 players or is it set up for 4?
You mentioned 30-something inputs, so I'm betting 2 players. Which is a-ok with me.
So, how are the inputs labeled on the KeyWiz?

[Gideon]

This comparison page has been cited in the past when this question comes up.

[Pete Harcoff]

The KeyWiz is designed for 2 players.

8 of the inputs are labeled Up/Down/Left/Right for Player 1 and Player 2.  8 of the inputs are labeled 1-8 (8 buttons for Player 1).  Then there are 16 inputs labeled A through P (8 buttons for Player 2, plus 3 coin buttons, two start buttons, Enter, Tab and Esc).  There are also two ground terminals, a +5 Volt terminal and an input for the shift (Shazaam) key.

Apparently you can program your own keys, but I just stuck to the defaults.

Oh yeah, it comes with a chart that tells you all the key defaults for each terminal on the board.

[PacManess]

Thanks for the info...that is much helpful!

[GroovyTuesdaY]

Here is some pics of the keywiz up close, in case anyone wants to see it.

groovy~

[GroovyTuesdaY]

another from a different angle.....

[PacManess]

Thanks man, that is helpful. I went ahead and ordered one last night, good times.
I will burn the old board and start anew.

[Tiger-Heli]

I've already got the IPAC, which is part of my problem...but with the KeyWiz Max, is it for 2 players or is it set up for 4?
You mentioned 30-something inputs, so I'm betting 2 players. Which is a-ok with me.
So, how are the inputs labeled on the KeyWiz?

This may be a little after the fact, but I thought I should mention it.

The KeyWiz has 32 inputs.  Whether it supports 2 or 4 players is up to you with any encoder.

For example, the I-PAC inputs are labelled 1SW1 thru 1SW8.  This is simple for someone new to the hobby, but confusing for an intermediate user.  For example, if I only want six buttons per player, I can always use P1B7 for an admin function, P3 joystick input, etc.

The same logic applies to the KeyWiz - with 32 inputs you have P1 and P2 with 9 buttons, and coin and start and pause and escape, OR you have P1 through P4 with 3 buttons each plus coin and start, OR (if you take advantage of stealth-shift functionality), you can support 4 players with 4 buttons each.

See http://www.fraggersxtreme.com/arcadepanels/encoder/shiftkeys.htm for a definition of stealth-shifted inputs, and http://www.fraggersxtreme.com/arcadepanels/encoder/keyassignments.htm for an example of maximizing the inputs from your encoder.

Just my 2 cents.

[maraxle]

I went with the KeyWiz solely because with the shipping, it came out a fair amount cheaper than the Ipac.  Other than that, they were pretty much equal in my mind.

[NoOne=NBA=]

The biggest difference is the USB support.
I've got a few old Macs, which will likely end up on cabinet duty as I get my new cabs done, so I opted for I-Pacs.

As far as the wiring goes, as Tiger-Heli mentioned above a connection is a connection for the most part.
If you want to hook a joystick to the extra "button" connections, you just have to remap the keys in the software to reflect that.

[JamesS]

I bought the Keywiz simply because of price.  That was my only reason.  They both compare favorably, they both have everything you need.  The difference is the options and I did not feel the money was worth the difference.  But that is me.  I am enjoying my Keywiz right now, so right now it was the perfect choice.