my question wasn't how many keys I could associate, but why I can't get the third joystick to read both in the device configuration panel and in the game.
My connections to the board you posted are:
Left-Right 2pin to 2 position joystick
Up-Down 2pin to 2 position joystick
5pin to 4 position joystick
As I mentioned earlier, the four 2-pin joystick connectors (Up/Down/Right/Left)
and the four inputs on the 5-pin connector (Up/Down/Right/Left) are connected
in parallel -- meaning that they go to the
same four encoder inputs (1 joystick), not eight separate encoder inputs. (2 joysticks)
- Pressing the "Up" 2-pin switch is electrically the same as pressing the "Up" 5-pin switch.
- Both switches connect to the same "Up" input so both give the same output.
If you look at the Windows Control Panel joystick properties for your ZD encoder it should have one joystick (white box with crosshairs) like this, but with more buttons.
Your ZD encoder won't have the POV hat or sliders like this one . . .
. . . and it won't have two sticks and a hat switch like this one.
Bottom line, what you need are the four Up/Down/Right/Left inputs you're using now
and four other inputs for the other stick(s) so you have a
total of eight inputs for the three sticks. (4+2+2=8)
Scott