Beta Testers wanted for USB Opti-Pac

[AndyWarne]

Hi all,

I am looking for about 5 beta testers for the USB Opti-PAC. There are two important requirements:

You must already have an Opti-Pac.
You must have 2 trackballs to be able to test with MAME Analog+. The USB Opti-Pac supports 2 trackballs (2 players) with this version of MAME, through one USB cable.

Email me if interested.

Andy

[HeadRusch]

Andy, will the USB setup work with all mame apps, ala mame32?  

I thought the idea behind the USB Setup was to make it easier to run dual spinners/trackballs
with all versions of mame, not just specific builds..??

Hi all,

I am looking for about 5 beta testers for the USB Opti-PAC. There are two important requirements:

You must already have an Opti-Pac.
You must have 2 trackballs to be able to test with MAME Analog+. The USB Opti-Pac supports 2 trackballs (2 players) with this version of MAME, through one USB cable.

Email me if interested.

Andy

[gnateye]

dont forget about me

your lone mac guy


gnateye
(dying to play some millipede & bowling)

[AndyWarne]

The dual trackball (2 player) will only work if both the OS and the Application (MAME) support it. I have no control over these!
So this means that MAME Analog+ will be needed and Windows 98 as Microsoft don't recognise multiple mice in XP as separate devices. I wish they did but they don't and there is not much that can be done about this without developing a MAME driver for the second device. This would need a MAME developer with USB filter driver knowledge, if anyone knows someone... I have already a contact in Microsoft checking on the situation.
Of course single player trackball and spinner will work with all OS and MAME versions with USB.

[Xiaou2]

Andy's da man  ^_^


  A few more Q's...

 If two of the new optipacs are plugged in, will it then enable 4 Trackballs (or a combination of trackballs and spinners)  Or will they clash?

 Will hot swaps cause any problems? (freezes, loss of control, have to reeboot..ect)


 Thanks Andy
 ^_^

 

 

[Tiger-Heli]

A couple of clarifications, no offense to Andy!

HeadRusch, there is a MAME32 version of MAME Analog+, checkout http://www.urebelscum.speedhost.com/ (And no, USB has never allowed dual spinners with other than these versions of MAME.)

So this means that MAME Analog+ will be needed and Windows 98 as Microsoft don't recognise multiple mice in XP as separate devices.

Actually Windows 95 Release 2.1 (the one that supports USB), Windows 98, or Windows ME will work with either MAME Analog+ or MAME32 Analog+

Of course single player trackball and spinner will work with all OS and MAME versions with USB.

Actually, single PORT trackball and spinner will work with all OS and MAME versions with USB.  (i.e. you can connect one t-ball and two spinners to the same opti-pac port and use any of them, but you need the OS and MAME Versions above for 2 trackballs or more than two spinners).

Correct me if I am wrong. . .   (I am assuming the USB opti-pac uses the same switching as the previous one, but I don't know this.  If it doesn't, you could still route everything through the first port and plug/unplug components as required.)

[Tiger-Heli]

Andy's da man  ^_^


  A few more Q's...

 If two of the new optipacs are plugged in, will it then enable 4 Trackballs (or a combination of trackballs and spinners)  Or will they clash?

 Will hot swaps cause any problems? (freezes, loss of control, have to reeboot..ect)


 Thanks Andy
 ^_^

 

 

Ummmn, I think that's what the beta testing is supposed to establish

Okay, now that I got the wise-!ss outa my system.

Mame Analog+ supports up to 8 mice/trackball (all same driver, all different drivers, whatever), so if this works with Analog +, then it should work like you say.

I would be surprised if hot-swaps caused a problem, other than MAME not picking it up until the next game load, but I have no real knowledge here.

[HeadRusch]

I dont want to muddy the waters here, but if all I had intention of doing was hooking up TWO SPINNERS (think Ikari warriors) and one trackball, could I do this with Mame Analog or Mame 32?

[Tiger-Heli]

I dont want to muddy the waters here, but if all I had intention of doing was hooking up TWO SPINNERS (think Ikari warriors) and one trackball, could I do this with Mame Analog or Mame 32?

Sure,  I would recommend mounting the trackball and spinners to the same port and using Analog+ to split the axes.  Analog+ comes in command line or MAME32 flavors.

You could do this with the USB opti-pac, standard Opti-pac, or one of the other interfaces.