Need help with Druin 5V

[Veinman]

Can someone tell me the easiest way to hook the 5V output from the IPAC4 to the Druin rotary interface? My first attempt to run a wire from the 5V on the Druin to the 5V on the IPAC caused the indicator light on the IPAC to come on and go out quite quickly. I was terrified that I had fried my board without even getting to really play it.

After unhooking my line from the IPAC, it worked again.

Also, I saw a picture online showing the ground pin from the Druin board running on its own to a ground on the IPAC. I currently have my Druin board's ground connected to the common ground that goes through all my controls. Is that wrong?

[markrvp]

Can someone tell me the easiest way to hook the 5V output from the IPAC4 to the Druin rotary interface? My first attempt to run a wire from the 5V on the Druin to the 5V on the IPAC caused the indicator light on the IPAC to come on and go out quite quickly. I was terrified that I had fried my board without even getting to really play it.

After unhooking my line from the IPAC, it worked again.

Also, I saw a picture online showing the ground pin from the Druin board running on its own to a ground on the IPAC. I currently have my Druin board's ground connected to the common ground that goes through all my controls. Is that wrong?

The common ground going to all your controls should be connected to the Ipac's ground, right?

Did you use the pins for 5v and ground as pointed out in the diagram below?

[Veinman]

No, I didn't use the ground pin next to the 5v on the ipac. It sounds like I should NOT include the Druin in my controls common ground that goes to the IPAC ground screw terminal, but should only connect the Druin ground to the ipac ground pin.

I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Hopefully the worst that can happen is that it won't work. I'd hate to ruin anything.

[markrvp]

If you didn't already know, you can use the little two-pin connectors (like in your computer case that hook the power switch to the motherboard) to hook to the header.  I just cut a couple that I wasn't using out of an old computer case.

[Veinman]

I had read somewhere about someone using a CD-ROM audio cable. I don't have any spare 2-pin wires, but I could probably sacrifice a CD-ROM cable.

Would I be crazy to try to put a quick disconnect over those 2 pins?

[Veinman]

Well I rigged up a CD-ROM audio cable to the ground pin and the 5v pin (the two pins in the top row, the ground pin is above the spot with no pin, the 5v pin is to the right of that.

When testing in notepad, my stick would register a single click, and no more. Does anyone have an idea of what is wrong? Druin?

[Druin]

What happens if you disconnect the rotate terminals from the ipac inputs and then take  a wire connected to ground and touch that to the ipac input, does it let you register a key every time? 

[Druin]

Also verify the joystick harness isn't backwards.  If it is, Ground on the harness will be in a different place than expected and it may only line up properly when the joystick is in a certain position, which may be what you're seeing.
When you only get one rotation is it ANY rotation or just that it only seems to register once or twice in a full revolution - possibly in the same spot each time?

[Veinman]

I only get one character, one time, and it doesn't seem to matter which way I have the 13-pin harness.

Am I correct that I should only be using 1 of the 5v pins from the IPAC? I was wondering if it was only getting enough power for a single keystroke, but that really doesn't make much sense. On the other hand, I pretty much know nothing about wiring.

edit- I don't really follow you when you say "take  a wire connected to ground and touch that to the ipac input".

[Druin]

You only need one 5v wire between ipac and interface board.

[Veinman]

I finally got it working!

Part of the problem was that the CD-Rom cable was providing a crappy connection. We fashioned our own single pin connectors using some connectors purchased at Radio Shack. Here is the connection in use:



I also gave up on the ground pin on the IPAC and just used the other ground screw terminal. In addition, I had to connect the rotary harness metal side up, even though Druin's docs say to have it down. Oh well, it's working now, and all I have to do is tailor the sensitivity for each game. By default, in Ikari Warriors, the diagonals were getting skipped.

Thanks for the help from everyone, especially Druin.

[Druin]

Good that it finally works - I was running out of ideas and I was sure the rotary board worked when I shipped it...

So you used the +5 Ipac terminal, and then a ground screw terminal to get the ground for the rotary board, as opposed to using a ground pin on the ipac header where the 5v is taken?  Just trying to get ideas for any future issues.

I don't know why the 13pin has to be upside down - normally with the original LS30's cable, which I have 3 from old joysticks, it has to have the metal facing down...but as long as it works somehow or other...

[markrvp]

Druin:

Just so you know, I had a similar issue pulling power from an Ultimarc Minipac for my P360 joysticks.  I connected to the 5v on the header and also ground from the same header.  It didn't work.  When I connected to the ground on the main IDE header, it worked.

I wonder what the issue with the IPAC ground on the 10 pin header is?  It should work, as that is where you hook-up either an LED harness (Ipac2 & 4) or the trackball and spinners (Minipac).

[Druin]

I looked at the header on my ipac 4 and the ground pin is routed to the same ground plane as the screw terminals, must be a phenomenon.  I'll suggest it in the future when people have problems getting started out.