Chase HQ Cabinet: Installed a Suzohapp Red Board - Could Windows be the Issue?

[Plashdaddy]

Hi All, I am at my wits end with this conversion. It works, then it doesn't, I've tried reading / following all the advice, I'm getting down to blaming Windows itself.

EVENTS SO FAR:

Every control (Gas Pedal, Hi/Lo Shifter, Turbo Button, Start Button) other than the wheel are all microswitches. Purchased a U-HID board and harness, wired them all up, all working as they should - SUCCESS.

Steering Wheel: 360 Degree Optical Type, advised that it is 'Active High' and requires an Optipac. Purchase and install Optipac, set it to 'Active High' IT WORKS, briefly for a while until it stops going left, and very shortly after that stops doing anything. The Optipac config software that did run, will now no longer run on Windows 10. Uninstalled Uconfig, Optipac Config, rebooted, re-installed, still won't work again. I was warned that the Optipac Software was unreliable with newer versions of Windows and may need to be restarted every time you want to play, but restarting has made no difference. All other controls continue to operate no problem.

After reading other users experiences, decide to try replacing the original Taito 'Active High' board with a Suzohapp 'Active Low' Red Board. Checked connections and installed it to the Optipac using the exact same harness that had worked & stopped on the Taito 'Active High' board, and BINGO it works without doing any other set up, mouse pointer moves, back to front but moves. I swap the two actives around and it now goes left & right when turned left & right. Works in-game, play several games of Chase HQ no problem, is working really well. THEN, without warning, does exactly what it did with the old Taito Board and the controls drop away to nothing.

Again, all other controls continue to work as they should.

Figure maybe it's a Windows 10 issue and just doesn't like the Optipac, and connect the Red Board to the U-HID as it is supposed to be able to handle 'Active Low' and be compatible with all versions of Windows (I think?) but it didn't work and trying multiple Uconfig options had me come up dry.

Seeing as how both set ups do work albeit temporarily I just cannot understand what is changing that has (a) caused it to stop and (b) not only stop, but not go again despite nothing apparently changing and resetting everything again.

Have I overloaded and ruined the optical PCB's? Is that why they both ran for a bit and then faded away? As it's running off the U-HID / Optipac 5V, I wouldn't have thought so, and there's been no smell of cooked electrics.

Does Windows decide it doesn't like the 'mouse' that's plugged into it and cut it off / block it? I would have thought if this was the case it wouldn't work at all, or stop working instantly, not just fade away.

Our next try is going to be to wipe the PC and install an earlier version of Windows (like 7 or something) which might be clutching at straws, but I don't know what else to try.

I know I have lent on all your expertise already and am very grateful for all the advice I've gotten, I couldn't have gotten as far as I have with out PL1 Scott and Badmouth's guidance 

I am getting to my brain limit with this project and if anyone can spot the smoking gun here I would be forever in your debt.
 

[SailorSat]

I doubt it is a Windows issue.

More likely the a cable came loose, an IR led died or the pcd moved out of aligment.
You can sort of test that with a multimeter and/or the optipac itself.

Hook up the red lead of the multimeter to one of the active lines, and the black one to gnd.
The active lines should change between 5V and GND when you slowly turn the wheel (or block the IR with a credit card)

Likewise you can setup the pins on the optipac to be buttons, and check them for changes when turning.

At least on my Super-Offroad cabinet the pcb aligment is very delicate and even slight movement of the IR unit will cause it to fail in the way you've described.

[BadMouth]

After it has stopped working in the game, does it work as expected on the windows desktop after you exit MAME?
If so, the problem isn't the device.

Does it do the same thing in Pole Position if played repeatedly?
(Ignore the orientation of the steering wheel, the original game had no correct orientation.  Does the car properly move in the direction you turn?)  If pole position works, then the problem is specific to Chase HQ.

Did you try changing the cabinet type via dip switches on Chase HQ?  Make sure it isn't reverting back after you've exited and relaunched MAME.  If it is, then the file might be set to read only.

Another oddball thing to try (and my knowledge might be outdated):
In the main MAME.ini enable multi-mouse.
Having it set to 0 uses the "system mouse" which is the pointer processed through windows (which all connected mice control).
Enabling multi-mouse uses the raw data from that specific input device (mouse).  You may have to remap the control if multiple mice are connected.

[Plashdaddy]

I doubt it is a Windows issue.

More likely the a cable came loose, an IR led died or the pcd moved out of aligment.
You can sort of test that with a multimeter and/or the optipac itself.

Hook up the red lead of the multimeter to one of the active lines, and the black one to gnd.
The active lines should change between 5V and GND when you slowly turn the wheel (or block the IR with a credit card)

Likewise you can setup the pins on the optipac to be buttons, and check them for changes when turning.

At least on my Super-Offroad cabinet the pcb aligment is very delicate and even slight movement of the IR unit will cause it to fail in the way you've described.

Thank you Sailorsat, I will try your suggestions and report back. Thanks so much for your time and knowledge.

[Plashdaddy]

After it has stopped working in the game, does it work as expected on the windows desktop after you exit MAME?
If so, the problem isn't the device.

Does it do the same thing in Pole Position if played repeatedly?
(Ignore the orientation of the steering wheel, the original game had no correct orientation.  Does the car properly move in the direction you turn?)  If pole position works, then the problem is specific to Chase HQ.

Did you try changing the cabinet type via dip switches on Chase HQ?  Make sure it isn't reverting back after you've exited and relaunched MAME.  If it is, then the file might be set to read only.

Another oddball thing to try (and my knowledge might be outdated):
In the main MAME.ini enable multi-mouse.
Having it set to 0 uses the "system mouse" which is the pointer processed through windows (which all connected mice control).
Enabling multi-mouse uses the raw data from that specific input device (mouse).  You may have to remap the control if multiple mice are connected.

Hi Badmouth, No, once it stops and you exit out of MAME it won't even move the pointer any more. I will try your suggestions and let you know how it goes, thanks again for investing your time to help me I really appreciate it.