MINI-PAC (?)

[nils]

hi guys!
still looking for the best (and yet cheapest..!) solution to build my first controller, i found out that ultimarc has a really small interface called MINI-PAC.
but i don't really understand how many inputs it has.. they say it should have 28 inputs but then on the diagram it shows more than 28 inputs.. there are 8 buttons for each player, 4 inputs for each stick plus trackball, spinner, coins and start-buttons possibilities.. is that right?! or am i missing something here..?
it looks wonderfull to me but i just want to be sure that i understand it right..
any help would be great.. thanx!
nils.

[Tiger-Heli]

hi guys!
still looking for the best (and yet cheapest..!) solution to build my first controller, i found out that ultimarc has a really small interface called MINI-PAC.
but i don't really understand how many inputs it has.. they say it should have 28 inputs but then on the diagram it shows more than 28 inputs.. there are 8 buttons for each player, 4 inputs for each stick plus trackball, spinner, coins and start-buttons possibilities.. is that right?! or am i missing something here..?
it looks wonderfull to me but i just want to be sure that i understand it right..
any help would be great.. thanx!
nils.

28-inputs in PS/2 mode
30-inputs in USB mode on the Opti board (28 plus Mouse Left and Mouse Right buttons)
Also has inputs for 1 trackball and/or 1 spinner in USB mode.

There will be a 36/38 input version available soon, but it's not out yet.

As far as the cheapest solution - it's probably not the best choice, although it does bring some interesting features to the table.

Note that it currently does NOT work with the new Winipac IPD (panel designer) software.

The basic board is $29, but with only a PS/2 cable, you can't use the optical inputs (Trackball/spinner).  And the IDE interface is harder to wire to than screw terminals.

The Value Edition is also $29, with 36 inputs and the same limitations as above.  It will be a good option, but it's not available yet.

Note, though that to get support for optical interfaces, you have to step up to the opti-version for $69.00.

Also, I am not sure how good the compatibility is with various trackballs based on this thread: http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=17266

IMHO, I think it's a better option to go with a dedicated keyboard encoder (such as the I-PAC/2 or the KeyWiz from www.groovygamegear.com) and either the hacked USB mouse interface from www.oscarcontrols.com or the opti-pac from www.ultimarc.com, with this choice depending on how many optical controls you have, how many USB ports you have, and how often you plan to connect/disconnect your controls.

The main advantages to the mini-pac are: 1) extremely small size, 2) Very quick hook-up of your controls, with no stripping/crimping, etc.  (provided you can deal with a few wires being longer than they need to be, or running extensions if they are too short).  3) Convenient interface if you are sure you will only want 28 inputs and a single trackball/single spinner. 4) If you are certain Advantage 3) is not a problem, it is a very convenient interface for a desktop controller, as you have a single USB cable to connect it to the PC.

The main disadvantages are: 1) Cost, 2)  Possible trackball driver/compatibility problems (see thread above) 3) The wire harness will tend to leave you with some wires too long, some too short, and less convenient ways of swapping wires compared to screw terminals. 4) not compatible with the latest I-PAC programming software and 5) No optical expandability (other than running a separate optical interface) and limited button input expandability (although I think you could run a separate encoder through the pass-thru, not sure).

[drunkatuw]

I second Tiger-Heli's opinion.  I bought the optical Mini-pac and now I wish I had purchased an I-PAC2 or I-PAC4.  The wires were too short for my two player CP, so I had to splice all the wires to player 2 controls and extend them.  I was also short 1 ground pin (wired an 8-way and 4-way in parallel for player 1) so I had to splice that as well.  And the optical part didn't work well with the trackball so I ended up purchasing Oscar's mouse hack.

But with this said, the Mini-PAC probably saved me a few hours of wiring and it was really simple to use.  If your control panel is less than 24" wide and you don't plan on using a trackball (or plan on buying Oscar's mouse hack) then the Mini-PAC is probably a great solution for you.

[microwrx]

I got the Mini-PAC solely to use for player 3&4 on my 4 player JAMMA cab via the passthrough on my J-PAC.  I've had it a while but only just got around to programming it today with the WinIPAC software which was failry simple.  I'm sure the new WinIPAC IPD software would be easier but I had no problems with the old software.  The new versions of the Mini-PAC are going to be able to utilize the new IPD software from what Andy told me.

It comes down to how much space you have, how much crimping you want to do and how big your CP is.  Actually scrap the space issue as regular I-PACs aren't that big anyway.  You can get and extension pack which has 10 longer wires in it (24" I think).  I originally though these would give an extra 24" to the existing 12" wires by simply having a female connector on one end and a male on the other.  Instead they have the insulated female connectors on one end and pins on the other end for the IDE socket, they replace the 12" wires rather than add to them.

If I had the choice over I'd still go for the Mini-PAC but agree it isn't for everyone.