LEDWiz vs. iPac (for LEDBlinky)

[Scoobie]

I have been away from the emulation scene for many years. My cab was completed around 2008 and I haven't needed or wanted to make changes...until now.

I would like to have my buttons illuminate only those in use or to be used per game (both from Hyperspin and in-game for MAME, SNES, NES, Genesis and maybe a couple of others). I found out that my iPac (I think it's an iPac VE) is not supported by LEDBlinky.

So, I'm now looking to replace my control board with one that is supported by LEDBlinky.

I'm looking for the most convenient way to wire my buttons to the new board and for getting LEDBlinky working. My cab is a 2 player setup with 3 joysticks, a trackball and a spinner. It also has 6 buttons each for player one and two.

I think my options are the LEDWiz 32-port USB controller, the iPac Ultimate I/O or the Ultimarc U-HID. The iPac Ultimate I/O seems like overkill for my 2 player panel and I'm not sure the I/O will work with LED Blinky and connect to all my buttons and joysticks.

https://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=82&products_id=239
https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac-ultimate-i-o/
https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/u-hid-en/u-hid/

Which board is recommended for this? Thanks guys.

[Arroyo]

If you just need LED capability then you can just buy the PAC-LED.  2 if you need it:

https://www.ultimarc.com/output/led-and-output-controllers/pacled64/

[Scoobie]

Thanks for this and it looks like a good option. I also saw the PAC Drive, which looks like a less expensive option.
https://www.ultimarc.com/output/led-and-output-controllers/pac-drive/

Can I simply plug my LED buttons into this board and then run LEDBlinky?

Also, will this board work with Hyperspin?

Basically, I'm looking for the easiest way to get my cab to run LEDBlinky with Hyperspin (when in the FE) and the most common emulators.

[Arroyo]

Thanks for this and it looks like a good option. I also saw the PAC Drive, which looks like a less expensive option.
https://www.ultimarc.com/output/led-and-output-controllers/pac-drive/

Yup PAC-Drive will work as well.

Can I simply plug my LED buttons into this board and then run LEDBlinky?

You may need a separate power supply depending on how many LED’s you want to run.  But yeah generally that’s the idea.

Also, will this board work with Hyperspin?

Basically, I'm looking for the easiest way to get my cab to run LEDBlinky with Hyperspin (when in the FE) and the most common emulators.

LED Blinky supports Hyperspin as one of the front ends.

You may want to read more on the site:

https://www.ledblinky.net/ledblinky.htm

There you will probably find a lot of answers to your questions.

[Scoobie]

Thanks @Arroyo. I'm leaning towards the Ultimate I/O board and it has a connection for onboard power to the board, specifically for the LEDs. So, I believe it can light as many buttons as there are inputs.

I'll need to then figure out configuring LEDBlinky. Thanks again.

[Arroyo]

Thanks @Arroyo. I'm leaning towards the Ultimate I/O board and it has a connection for onboard power to the board, specifically for the LEDs. So, I believe it can light as many buttons as there are inputs.

I'll need to then figure out configuring LEDBlinky. Thanks again.

The PAC-LED also has support for power on board (it’s the black DC barrel connector).  The only reason to bu the Ultimate I/O is if you want to ALSO have input connections for joysticks and buttons.  As I thought you already had that it seemed unnecessary to buy the Ultimate I/O.  Just trying to help save you money if you don’t need it.

[Scoobie]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

What is interesting is the only comparable on the GGG site to the Ultimarc Ultimate I/O board is the LED Wiz. The Wiz board seems to handle button, joystick and LEDs through the same ports on the board. Compared to the I/O board, which has its button, joystick and LED connections all separate.

Maybe I'm missing something there, but the comparison wasn't exactly apples to apples. The I/O board is more expensive as well.

However, Andy from Ultimarc is quick with email replies and very helpful. As for Randy at GGG, I have been trying to contact him for a week and have not heard back. There is no email or contact info on the GGG site, only the ability to submit a question through a "contact us" section.

[Zebra]

I highly recommend the UHID if you're looking for an (almost) all in one solution. A lot of these boards have overlapping functionality. The advantage of the UHID for me is the fantastic control software. It's so user friendly an intuitive.

My Pacdrive is still sitting in my electronics project box as I couldn't find the patience to learn how to use it. I was using the UHID the day I got it. It's all point n click or drop-down menus. Every pin can be set up as either an input, an output or 5v. The choice of inputs includes analog axis, optical axis (mouse or trackball), joystick button, mouse button or keyboard button. I.e. Everything you could need.

It makes it easy to set up the outputs to happen in response to the inputs with macros. This is great for people like me who don't have the easiest time with custom script writing. I believe it is compatible with LedBlinkey too.

The obvious downside is the price. It's only worth it if you want something to hook up all your arcade controls. The cheaper nano only has 8 pins plus ground so it's not suitable for this unless you're just hooking up a couple of LEDs inside a joystick.

[rave0035]

Ultimarc seems like a first-class small biz in my experience.  Bought a UIO with a faulty connection and Andy shipped me a new board, no questions asked. 

Can't say if UIO is the right fix for you, but it is dead simple to use and set up (as these things go).  Almost can't go wrong.

Mike

[Scoobie]

Awesome, thanks guys.