Its been a while since i've been here. New project idea.

[PixelCloud]

Well i'm back and i'm in my new house. Anyways i've decided to start my new project, its going to a set of arcade controls. This is my basic idea.

There are goign to be 3 parts to it.

The Controller Hub

This will contain the computer inferface device (ipac mini) and it will be wired to two input devices. The controller hub will also have enough room to expand to a larger contoller inferface and add room for two new inputs. (see attached drawing) its just a quick drawing i did in ms paint.

THe idea is taht the players can hold their own controllers (much like playing a console) and wont have to sit next to each other (needed for parties). The wires from the ipac mini will be spliced into another wire (usb, rg45, ) so the cnnecting wire wont be big. Then when it gets to the controller it is connccted to the switches and sticks.

The Controllers (1 for each player)

The main advantage of having the controllers seperate from each other and the inferface is that the players an have more flexbility to where they sit, etc,etc

Im' going to make two controllers right now that have 1 8-way stick, 6 buttons, and a start and credit button. The wires connecting the switches will be wired into another cable and will connect to the main hub.

EDIT one: The controllers are also goign to be designed in an ergonomic way with the joystick being rotated about 10 degrees clockwise (fromt the vertical) and the button layout the same way (but counter clockwise fromt he horizontal)

So i have some questions...

1) will this work?
2) has anyone ever done something like this before?
3) any suggestions?



EDIT:

I plan on using brushed aluminium for the controller hub and im hoping to use plastics for the controllers.

[oldsage]

I'm actually designing something simmilar, only mine will seat inside an arcade cab and will only be present for easy expenabilty... Hope it works out for you, remember to post pics...
My only suggetion is that you use DB15's or something, it has more pins the RG45 and (to my eyes) looks better...

EDIT: BTW, why do you use 4 ways? How many 4 way games are there that use 6 buttons???

[Grasshopper]

I've done exactly the same thing but I've only built one controller so far.

I hacked a standard Ipac into an old Belkin printer switchbox. The hub connects to the control panels using two 36 pin Centronics cables.

The great thing about using a printer switchbox is that they are sturdy and come with pre-cut holes for the Centronics sockets.

You could do the same thing using a DB25 switchbox but I prefer Centronics connectors because they are sturdier and clip into place.

[PixelCloud]

I'm actually designing something simmilar, only mine will seat inside an arcade cab and will only be present for easy expenabilty... Hope it works out for you, remember to post pics...
My only suggetion is that you use DB15's or something, it has more pins the RG45 and (to my eyes) looks better...

EDIT: BTW, why do you use 4 ways? How many 4 way games are there that use 6 buttons???

well they are happs supers so i guess they are 8 ways.. but i just looked at the amount of switches and saw 4... so i said 4 way...

whoops

[PixelCloud]

I've done exactly the same thing but I've only built one controller so far.

I hacked a standard Ipac into an old Belkin printer switchbox. The hub connects to the control panels using two 36 pin Centronics cables.

The great thing about using a printer switchbox is that they are sturdy and come with pre-cut holes for the Centronics sockets.

You could do the same thing using a DB25 switchbox but I prefer Centronics connectors because they are sturdier and clip into place.

i was thiking of using those cables for mine too, the problem i asw though was that they arent *that* flexible and that might pose a problem.

Did you do a PCB hack? or wire to wire?

[Grasshopper]

I'm not sure what you mean by a PCB hack. The sockets in the switchbox came pre-wired so that saved me a lot of soldering. As I used a standard Ipac (not a Minipac) I just had to strip the ends of the wires and connect them to the Ipac's screw connectors.

I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

[PixelCloud]

I'm not sure what you mean by a PCB hack. The sockets in the switchbox came pre-wired so that saved me a lot of soldering. As I used a standard Ipac (not a Minipac) I just had to strip the ends of the wires and connect them to the Ipac's screw connectors.

I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

i should probably explain myself more... lol

what i mean is you could of put all the wires going to a pcb in the controllers and have traces going to the 36 pin connector

[PixelCloud]

ok


question time...

there are 13 wires going from each controller to the ipac, im' looking for some cable, perferrablly a round connector, that is flexible and has space for atleast 13 wires..

[oldsage]

ok


question time...

there are 13 wires going from each controller to the ipac, im' looking for some cable, perferrablly a round connector, that is flexible and has space for atleast 13 wires..

Round??? I'm not sure i know what you mean by "round", but DB15 has 15 pins, and can be had from RadioShack for about 1.50-2$ each... Hope that's round enough for ya

[Flinkly]

what about a cat5 cable?

[PixelCloud]

ok


question time...

there are 13 wires going from each controller to the ipac, im' looking for some cable, perferrablly a round connector, that is flexible and has space for atleast 13 wires..

Round??? I'm not sure i know what you mean by "round", but DB15 has 15 pins, and can be had from RadioShack for about 1.50-2$ each... Hope that's round enough for ya  ...

i want the connector to be a circle, opposed to the wide db connectors (i'll draw a picture if you need me to explain more)

[PixelCloud]

what about a cat5 cable?  their cheap and can get them anywhere.  also, you could put a female connector on the controller also and be able to store everything nicely. 

as for the whole setup, i'd put a pause button on the first player.  i'm making one of these for a friend, and thats the route he went, so he could pause the game if the need was there, but so others couldn't be a nusaince.  or however you spell that. 

also, i wouldn't rotate the joystick.  it seems smart now, but your hands will never get used to it.  up should always be up on a joystick.  now for the buttons...it's all about what you feel is right.

cat5 cables only have 8 wires i think

[oldsage]

what about a cat5 cable?

[PixelCloud]

what about a cat5 cable?  their cheap and can get them anywhere.  also, you could put a female connector on the controller also and be able to store everything nicely. 

as for the whole setup, i'd put a pause button on the first player.  i'm making one of these for a friend, and thats the route he went, so he could pause the game if the need was there, but so others couldn't be a nusaince.  or however you spell that. 

also, i wouldn't rotate the joystick.  it seems smart now, but your hands will never get used to it.  up should always be up on a joystick.  now for the buttons...it's all about what you feel is right.

cat5 cables only have 8 wires i think

They do...

The only connector i know of that has more than 13 pins and is round (more like square), is a 15 pin molex (or interlocking), although they are hard to use and are gennerally really ugly...

EDIT: BTW, how are you gonna use plastic for the controllers???

vacuum forming i hope

[Grasshopper]

Here are a couple of pictures of my hub box.

[PixelCloud]

i'm decided on using the DB15 connectors, they worked well as a gameport, so i'm assuming they will work again.

[oldsage]

Here are a couple of pictures of my hub box.

What's with the switches???

[Grasshopper]

Here are a couple of pictures of my hub box.

What's with the switches???

The first switch selects between USB and ps/2 operation.

The second switch selects between the default MAME codeset and the programmable codeset.

The third switch changes the behaviour of the start buttons from arcade mode to console mode. This will require a bit of explaining.

Each control panel can have a player 1 and a player 2 start button. In console mode pressing the player 1 button starts a single player game and pressing the player 2 button starts a two player (or alternating player) game. This happens regardless of which socket the panel is connected to. This arrangement works fine for classic arcade games. However, my intention is to eventually build a second box containing two hacked Dreamcast controllers so I can use my control panels with my Dreamcast. But dreamcast controllers only have one start button and it wouldn't always be appropriate to give a player access to the opposing player's start button. So I came up with console mode. Basically in this mode the player 1 button is your own start button (which will depend upon which socket of the hub the panel is connected to), and the player 2 button doesn't do anything.

[crashwg]

Might I suggest THESE!

I'm probably going to be using a few of those on a project I'm planning for the not so near future.  Haven't got one in hand yet so I can't comment on their flexibility but I'm sure it'll be better than a "normal" VGA cable.

[oldsage]

Here are a couple of pictures of my hub box.

What's with the switches???

The first switch selects between USB and ps/2 operation.

The second switch selects between the default MAME codeset and the programmable codeset.

The third switch changes the behaviour of the start buttons from arcade mode to console mode. This will require a bit of explaining.

Each control panel can have a player 1 and a player 2 start button. In console mode pressing the player 1 button starts a single player game and pressing the player 2 button starts a two player (or alternating player) game. This happens regardless of which socket the panel is connected to. This arrangement works fine for classic arcade games. However, my intention is to eventually build a second box containing two hacked Dreamcast controllers so I can use my control panels with my Dreamcast. But dreamcast controllers only have one start button and it wouldn't always be appropriate to give a player access to the opposing player's start button. So I came up with console mode. Basically in this mode the player 1 button is your own start button (which will depend upon which socket of the hub the panel is connected to), and the player 2 button doesn't do anything.

I see... So did you just connect the switches to the jumpers on your I-PAC? BTW, i originally designed my "interface box" to include two or four hacked PS gamepads, but finally ditched the idea when i understood that most PS2 games use the analog sticks, and that the buttons in a dual-shock 2 are analog too... I might go back to it, though, if i come across two cheap controllers...

[Grasshopper]

I see... So did you just connect the switches to the jumpers on your I-PAC?
 

Yes.

I believe the newer Ipacs are jumperless so if I did this again two of the switches would not be needed. I'd also use a Minipac as it was a tight squeeze fitting a standard Ipac into the box.

The newer Ipacs autodetect between USB and ps/2 which is a useful improvement. But it's a shame that the facility to switch from a default to a programmable codeset has been removed

[oldsage]

I see... So did you just connect the switches to the jumpers on your I-PAC?
 

Yes.

I believe the newer Ipacs are jumperless so if I did this again two of the switches would not be needed. I'd also use a Minipac as it was a tight squeeze fitting a standard Ipac into the box.

The newer Ipacs autodetect between USB and ps/2 which is a useful improvement. But it's a shame that the facility to switch from a default to a programmable codeset has been removed

Sweet... Did you solder directly to the pins? It would be a shame to do something so permanent...
Also, are you sure about the new ones not having all those jumpers? It seems the one i bought a week ago does have a few jumpers on it... I hate jumpers... Never quite got the hang of them...

Anyway, sweeeeeet... Do you have a website documenting every little bit of what you did?