Idea for serial connection between control panel and controller module

[jjhlk]

(Too verbose? I need to be because I can't explain things very well otherwise. I need the context.)

So I'm thinking about the electronics I'll use when I rebuild my control panel. In the past I swapped out the IPAC for a messy PSOne Controller hack, and it was a huge hassle. And now I can't use the panel on my PC without another one. So I'm going to make the controller interface a module that'll sit outside of the control panel, and they'll communicate with some sort of cable.

But I'm not sure what cable. A parallel port (DB25) seemed good, because I need exactly 25 wires for the microswitches and ground. However, apparantly DB25 cables don't necessarily have 25 wires, and now that I think about it, if I want my interface modules to work on new control panels I might build in the future, I should use a technology with more than 25 connections.

A serial connection seems good. I could use USB or ethernet cable to connect the panel and module.

I'm not entirely sure about the technology. I guess I'll have the interface module generate a clock frequency down the cat5/usb, and the panel will poll each microswitch in turn using a counter and multiplexer, once per sync signal (using the clock). The problem is that I'll need way too many logic gates.

Is there a microcontroller or fpga I should be using instead? And with 24+ microswitches and the counter bits going to the multiplexer, I'll still need to build the multiplexer with logic gates won't I?

Also, to use a USB cable with only the hacked-PSX-PCB/IPAC, will I be able to generate a strong enough signal?

Is this a bad idea? In my ignorance, am I missing something? The parallel port idea is looking boring and unfutureproof now, but it'd be a lot easier.

I suppose I could look for alternate parallel cables... but I need to scratch this itch for a little while first. Maybe IDE cable actually...

Thanks to anyone who can help or bother to read this.

[KenToad]

Do you mean for a modular control panel, not sure if I completely get what the dilemma is.  If you're going modular, I used two parrallel port interfaces on my CP for my bartop, basically one parrallel port per player.  Hope that helps.  Good luck.

Cheers,
KenToad

[NoOne=NBA=]

If you use 25-pin SCSI cables, they really do HAVE 25 wires.

The easy way to wire it would be to use one half of the SCSI cable to wire the controls, leave that stick out of the control box, wire the other half to the I-pac,  leave it stick out of a project box, and then connect the two with a Female-Female connector.

That way you don't have to worry about soldering all the wires onto a female surface mount jack.

I just did a stand-alone CP that I used a SCSI cable on.
I happened to have an old SCSI card laying around that had the female end complete with ribbon cable though.


Alternately, you could use one 15-pin cable for each player, but getting ones with 15 wires in them might be a problem.

Another solution would be to use an IDE cable to wire all your controls to, and get a KeyWiz Eco w/IDE header on it.

[tivogre]

I used 4 DB25 connections.  They connect to 4 parallel extension cables with one end cut off.  All of them had exactly 25 wires:

[jjhlk]

Alright, I'm just going to use one DB25 per player. Lousy cables with <25 connections shouldn't even be a problem since my players currently have only 12 microswitches each. For some reason I really wanted to have both players on the same DB25, which is retrospect is a terrible idea...

Still, if anyone has ever used a serial connection between their control panel and the modular interface (eg. PSX hack, IPAC, DC hack, etc), I'd like to hear about it.

[Setabs]

I am curently working on a project box that will house an Ipac2 in it.
I bought the solder on db25 connectors from radio shack and will either buy a rs-232? cable, which is a printer cable that is straight through meaning pin1 on one end goes to pin 1 on the other end, or a 25 conductor wire off the internet.

here are some pictures of my progress so far.





I will post a pic of the ipac connected to this cable tomorrow.

[HoopstarsGarage]

Personally, I think DB25 connectors are far too difficult to plug in and unplug while balancing a control panel and they do not work well if both male and female connectors are panel mounted as the tolerance for being "off axis" is far too tight..

My solution, while probably not the most cost effective, works brilliantly..  I am having one interface  per control panel (Minipac for 2 player CP, Optipac for trackball CP and Apac for steering CP), using the USB connectors - The USB connector by design allows for quick and easy connection multiple times (think USB thumb drives etc) and the tolerance for being "off axis" is quite high..

Here is how I am doing mine:

This  is the back of the removable control panel - the (male) USB port has been recessed to protect it when not plugged in.


And this is the other half of the interface - the (female) USB port is located in the middle (covered with masking tape in this shot) of the control panel "shelf" area.  The 4 runners guide the CP smoothly into place for perfect connection every time..


Here is a close up of the USB connector - obviously I still have some sanding to do before the whole thing gets shot with a couple of coats of paint, but it gives you the idea.


The other benefit is that I can plug in a keyboard or USB thumb drive to do updates or maintenance.

You can see more of this build up which is currently nearing completion in the projects forum HERE..

Hoops

[Setabs]

 HoopstarsGarage that is a nice way of doing it andtrue it is very expensive.

Personally, I think DB25 connectors are far too difficult to plug in and unplug while balancing a control panel

I don't think he is making a swappable control panel for a machine.  So this shouldn't be an issue.  I think he is trying to put the encoder into a small box to set by the computer.

I'm going to make the controller interface a module that'll sit outside of the control panel, and they'll communicate with some sort of cable.

 jjhlk:

you want to ask a radio shack or other store for what i belive is called a rs-323 cable.  you will get 25 individual inputs that way

here is my pin layout

here is my connector hooked up to my ipac