OptiPac

[IncrdblHulk7]

I am in the planning stage of my cab.  I plan on making a modular CP.  A bunch of Joystick+Button panels - but more to the point - a panel with TB and a panel with Spinner.  

I was looking at the Tornado Spinner (USB)  or OSCAR Spinner.  HAPP for the TB.  So should I get an OptiPac?  If I get the Tornado spinner (already USB) that kinda bypasses the Optipac - would it be better to just do a mouse hack for the TB?  

Is the OptiPac worth it - if I am just going to have TB and Spinner (may be USB - depending on which one I buy).  

A long ways away - I might like to add a second TB to do head-2-head MarbleMadness.

[Thenasty]

why not get a TRACKBALL that has already a PS2 connection to it. Then the Tornado in the USB.

[IncrdblHulk7]

My initial thought was to just get a Happ USB TB - but then I realized that was $150 ($50 more than normal TB) - so in that case - I might as well get the OptiPac and have room for expansion.

[Thenasty]

Imperial 3" Trackball PS2 is $90.00
Tornado USB/PS2 $90.00

Imperial had a sale in the regular 3" trackball (not ps2) $60.00 and you can hook it up to the Optipac.
Tornado Spinner can't be hook up to the Optipac.

[IncrdblHulk7]

What if I did a USB mouse hack (maybe use OSCAR mouse board) for all TBs and Spinners I use?  

Is there a problem with having so many mice hooked up to PC?  How does OS handle so many mice?  Do they all control cursor at same time?

[telengard]

If you are going to be swapping panels (which it sounds like you are planning) and you are going to have a spinner panel and a trackball panel, it may be easier to make sure that you use the same connection type for both.  I use an opti-pac and hook up my spinner or trackball to it.  I also have a modular panel setup.  I have yet to do the dual trackball thing although I have both trackballs ready to go.  I just need to get AnalogMame going.

[Tiger-Heli]

What if I did a USB mouse hack (maybe use OSCAR mouse board) for all TBs and Spinners I use?  

Is there a problem with having so many mice hooked up to PC?  How does OS handle so many mice?  Do they all control cursor at same time?

Complicated answer -

You can use one mouse hack with separate trackballs and spinners, but you will need a DPDT switch like shown here, http://www.oscarcontrols.com/DPDTswitch.shtml, and you won't be able to use them both at the same time.

You can use multiple OSCAR mouse hacks on swappable panels with no problems.

If you use multiple OSCAR hacks on the same panel, all the mice will control the cursor, which is fine for single player games, for dual player games, you can use MAME Analog + or NoNameMAME to select which mouse works which player, but (since the mouse all use the same driver), if you re-boot, the mice may swap positions - i.e. the trackball might be mouse 1 and the spinner mouse 2, reboot, the trackball is mouse 2 and the spinner is mouse 1.  

MAME can handle eight mice at any given time.

[Goz]

You can get a 3" Betson Imperial PS/2 on average for about $60.

 Here's an example on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=13718&item=6101651762&rd=1

I have a couple of these and they are not too different from the Happs (on average - most people notice no difference)

Hope it helps,

-Goz

[Lilwolf]

btw, what the OptiPac is GREAT for..

hook both up...

move trackball... it disables spinner input

move spinner... it disables trackball.

IE... when running a trackball game.. you don't have to worry about knocking the other.

but you can now get away with that with Analog+Mame or NoNameMame and have them both USB... Then setup all trackball games to mouse0 and spinner games to mouse1.

Then you can buy two Oscar Mouse hacks for 9 bucks each.

[Doc-]

I am in the planning stage of my cab.  I plan on making a modular CP.  A bunch of Joystick+Button panels - but more to the point - a panel with TB and a panel with Spinner.  

I would go with either a USB mouse hack or one of OSCAR's USB interface boards (which are also made from mouse boards) for each panel, if only because these USB options make it much easier to have separate modular panels that you can easily hot swap.  

If you switch out a USB trackball or spinner panel, it can be automatically detected and configured by Windows.  A USB optipac might do the same thing, but it is difficult to have a lot of modular panels all wired to the same optipac in an easily swappable way.

For a few dollars apiece you can have a USB mouse board/hack mounted on the bottom of each panel - making each panel independently plug-and-play.  AnalogMame+ or Noname-Mame will let you map and control multiple trackballs/spinners/mice for multiplayer games if needed.

Naturally you need a small 4 port USB hub under the control panel.  See link in my signature block for more details.

[telengard]

I am in the planning stage of my cab.  I plan on making a modular CP.  A bunch of Joystick+Button panels - but more to the point - a panel with TB and a panel with Spinner.  

I would go with either a USB mouse hack or one of OSCAR's USB interface boards (which are also made from mouse boards) for each panel, if only because these USB options make it much easier to have separate modular panels that you can easily hot swap.  

If you switch out a USB trackball or spinner panel, it can be automatically detected and configured by Windows.  A USB optipac might do the same thing, but it is difficult to have a lot of modular panels all wired to the same optipac in an easily swappable way.

Hmm, I do it now and it works just fine using Molex connectors, not difficult at all.  However, I haven't used the other methods you describe which might be easier.  I also haven't tried "hot" swapping (yet).

For a few dollars apiece you can have a USB mouse board/hack mounted on the bottom of each panel - making each panel independently plug-and-play.  AnalogMame+ or Noname-Mame will let you map and control multiple trackballs/spinners/mice for multiplayer games if needed.

Naturally you need a small 4 port USB hub under the control panel.  See link in my signature block for more details.