Control Panel Quick connects

[eightbit]

What do people use for control panel quick connects? I have an IPAC on order and I want to make the connection between it and the control panel a plug in. I thought about using a Parallel port printer extension cable but I'm worried that the wires aren't big enough.

[dac]

depends.
I've seen people using cat5 cabling (8 wires / cable)
db25 serial cables (up to 25 wires / cable)
or create their own.

I went 22 gage wire, bought db25 connectors (one male, one female)from radio shack, and went from there...

Some people just buy the serial cable, cut in 1/2, and voila... but just make sure the cable has as many wires as you need, some come with < 25 wires...

[rgardjr]

Here's what I used for a recent cocktail project:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/delcity/quicconter.html
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/delcity/quicconhous.html
The only drawback is that you canonly get a maximum of4 wires per connector.  Wico has something similar that goes up to 9 or 12 wires per connector.  Worked out fine in my cocktail because on the P1 side I only needed 8 wires for a joystick, one fire button, P1 start & P2 start-the player 2 side only needed 6.  Hagstrom also has the IOX36 Breakout Board they sell for their KE72, but it could be used without it.
http://hagstromelectronics.com/accessories.html
Good Luck!

[Carsten Carlos]

I use 50Pin-SCSI-1-cable, the ones with the centronics plug.
Enough pins even for I-PAC + OptiPac and some cables reserved for other stuff you might need!

Plus, the centronicsplugs are easy-pluggable in my opinion.
Unfortunately the wires aren't big enough, maybe enough for screwing them in the I-Pac, but not big enough for quickconnectors you need for your joysticks and buttons. I'll solder them in a little PCB (you can get them readymade with all the holes and copperlines that connect 3 holes together), so I can use thicker wires on the other side.

Still have to do that (I used a IDE-cable like flat plug before, but they are just to hard to disconnect), but when I made it I might take some photos of it all put together.

[neuromancer]

I use 50Pin-SCSI-1-cable, the ones with the centronics plug.
Enough pins even for I-PAC + OptiPac and some cables reserved for other stuff you might need!

I have recently purchased some "Aluminum Hard Drive Travel Racks" from Tiger Direct. They use a 50 pin centronics inside too.  It's pretty cool how they work. The female is on the tray. You slide it on guides until it is almost "home". Then there is a lever that drives it the rest of the way.

They put a keylock on the power and the lever, so you can't yank the drive out while it is powered up.

Bob

[gnateye]

i bought 25pin printer/scsi (belkin brand) from compusa for about 12$ each. cut them in half (luckily there are 25 different colored wires inside, and a thicker black one for ground)

i just doubled the wire over (its stranded) before crimping the quick connect, or screwing into the ipac. i also used the same wiring for my dreamcast so i can switch between the 2 easisly, i love it, works beaustifully.


gnat