1 Player Cab Only...Should I hack a pad or keyboard or still buy IPAC?

[retrogamer]

Only making a 1 player vertical cabinet which will have only 3 buttons for now. Should I end up hacking a keyboard or Sidewinder or just use an IPAC?  

[tom61]

I'd go with the sidewinder or other gamepad hack. Keyboard hacking is a pain, and the I-Pac is overkill for a one player cab.

[retrogamer]

I understand that you need 2 connections for each button/joystick. With the sidewinder hack, do you connect all the grounds together and can this be done with a keyboard ground as well?

[Howard_Casto]

You can with the sidewinder but not the keyboard.

The keyboard is a matrix, in other words both wires are live.  

[hyiu]

you should go with sidewinder hack for 1 player...

and yes, you can daisy chain all your ground together.

[jelloslug]

I understand that you need 2 connections for each button/joystick. With the sidewinder hack, do you connect all the grounds together and can this be done with a keyboard ground as well?

Actuall on some keyboards (if you lucky) you might be able to find enoungh keys that hook to spot on the matrix that you could run a common between them all.

[MameFan]

I'll let everyone in on a little secret...

The USB Gravis GamePad Pro controller (charcoal grey in color) is a PERFECT controller to hack.

Why?

-  $14.99 normal price at BestBuy (occassionally on sale for $9.99 !!!!)
-  14 DISCRETE Digital Inputs (4 Direction, 4 primary button, 4 shoulder buttons, 2 "start/select" buttons)
-   Long Cable
-   USB, not old gameport (allows up to FOUR pads connected to most motherboards that have 4 ports, without need to cascade and the problems that ads)
-   NO special software if you use Windows (no sidewinder calibrating/drivers)

Disadvantages:
-   NO Pure DOS USB  support.


For your project, I'd just go with something like this.

If you make removable control panels, on sale at $10 each, it's CHEAPER to buy 1 pad per panel, and then just disconnect the USB rather than buying molex connectors to disconnect the panel from it's mate like others do when they hack into say the $45 IPAC's.

[retrogamer]

I'll let everyone in on a little secret...

The USB Gravis GamePad Pro controller (charcoal grey in color) is a PERFECT controller to hack.

Why?

-  $14.99 normal price at BestBuy (occassionally on sale
!!!!)
-  14 DISCRETE Digital Inputs (4 Direction, 4 primary button, 4 shoulder buttons, 2 "start/select" buttons)
-   Long Cable
-   USB, not old gameport (allows up to FOUR pads connected to most motherboards that have 4 ports, without need to cascade and the problems that ads)
-   NO special software if you use Windows (no sidewinder calibrating/drivers)

Disadvantages:
-   NO Pure DOS USB  support.


For your project, I'd just go with something like this.

If you make removable control panels, on sale at $10 each, it's CHEAPER to buy 1 pad per panel, and then just disconnect the USB rather than buying molex connectors to disconnect the panel from it's mate like others do when they hack into say the $45 IPAC's.

I have one of these pads but I've been to a site that has sidewinder's for $4.95 each and from what I've read, sidewinders are easy to hack because of already made connection points. Is the USB Gravis easy as well?  Thanks