question about 49 way joysticks

[Shieldwolf]

I'm updating my cab and was looking at adding a 49 way joystick. How difficult is it setup?  I have a hagstrom encoder and while I sure it will matchup with it I have a ton of buttons encoded and I wasn't sure if you needed 49 connections to use that joystick.

[NoOne=NBA=]

You need a separate encoder if you want to use it in all games.
The best current encoder is available from Groovy Game Gear.

It converts the 49-way signal so that it appears to the computer to be an analog stick.
The nice thing about this particular encoder is that it will also convert the signal so that it will appear as a 2-way, 4-way, rotated 4-way, or 8-way stick.
It also has a few other specialty modes.

[Tiger-Heli]

I'm updating my cab and was looking at adding a 49 way joystick. How difficult is it setup?  I have a hagstrom encoder and while I sure it will matchup with it I have a ton of buttons encoded and I wasn't sure if you needed 49 connections to use that joystick.

Wrong on just about all counts.

The 49-way joystick will not interface with the Hagstrom encoder, you need either the GP-Wiz49 (recommended) or Daveb's SJC.  You can still use the Hagstrom for button inputs.  The joystick does not require 49 connections, it senses 49 positions (6 for each direction plus centered).  The connector uses something like 11 or 20 pins (not sure, looks like 11 on the GGG site, 13 according to the RetroBlast review) but these just go to the GP-Wiz49 or SJC anyway.

[SirPoonga]

I like this arcade urban legend that a 49way needs 49 connections   It's like saying an 8way needs 8 when in fact it only needs 4!
A bunch of people get the idea that a 49way needs alot of connections.  I wonder why...
I do understand the myth about 49way doing 49 directions.  They are making the assumption that from 4 to 8 way you are adding in directions that are detected, so 49 way must detect every 7.34 degrees.  Nope, it's actually detecting what cell in a grid the joystick is in, basically making it an analog joystick with a very low resolution.


Tiger-Heli, I see 11 pins
http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/a219391_photo.htm

Even the other 49way to analog convertor says 11 pins.

[KenToad]

FWIW, I used a 13 pin connector in the Retroblast Review.  The connector hangs over the edge of the pin header on the joystick.  Also, there are two ground pins on the joystick, only one of which must be used.  Sorry that wasn't perfectly clear. 

Didn't you say you only skimmed the article, Tiger-Heli .

Cheers,
KenToad

[Tiger-Heli]

Didn't you say you only skimmed the article, Tiger-Heli .

I never said wouldn't ever go back and re-read it again.

[TimmyB]

The Midway/Happ 49 way uses 11 connections.  2 ground, 1 5v, 8 control.  But only the two controllers mentioned above can translate those 8 control inputs into something usable by a PC.

[Kremmit]

You can too connect a 49-way to a Hagerstrom encoder!

From the MAME Analog+ 49-way page:

Connecting a 49-way Direct Input

Since each pin either has a current or doesn't, they can be treated like buttons. In fact, you can think the williams49 as 6 NC (normally closed) and 2 NO (Normally Open) buttons, and the happs49 as 6 NO and 2 NC buttons. (However, all keyboard encoders and most PC joysticks (to hack) consider a current (closed) as "pressed" and an open circuit as "not pressed"; see next section..)

Thus you can connect a 49-way stick as 8 unused keys or buttons, sending the joystick's output raw to the computer. Official Mame, however, isn't set up to send raw 49-way input directly to a 49-way game. MameAnalog+ adds this feature to the Williams' 49-way games Sinistar, Blaster, Arch Rivals, and Pigskin 621AD (the Atari/Midway 49-way games don't emulate 49-way joystick yet).

So you can hook one up without a GP-Wiz49 or an SJC- but it's only good for 4 games. 

[Tiger-Heli]

So you can hook one up without a GP-Wiz49 or an SJC- but it's only good for 4 games. 

And that's only if you use the correct version of MAME Analog Plus.

[Lilwolf]

Having multiple versions of mame with a frontend is super simple.

but even at that.  Get a GPWiz and sell your hagstrom (or use it for another project).  Its overkill (no... wait... just overpriced) for your project.  And you will be able to use your joystick for almost every game out there.  Its the best all around joystick... but to be the all around winner, it takes a controller which can make it act like other sticks. 

btw, if your going to go for a frankenpanel (ie, 5+ joysticks).  Then I wouldn't bother with the happs 49way myself.  I would go with Daves board and a try and find a true sinistar joystick.  Better for the games that really use it (or at least more authentic).  Then have all your other joysticks for the other games. 

[RandyT]

  I would go with Daves board and a try and find a true sinistar joystick.  Better for the games that really use it (or at least more authentic).  Then have all your other joysticks for the other games. 

Not sure if I'm correctly reading what you are saying, but just to keep the record straight, the GP-Wiz49 also works properly with a "true sinistar joystick" and allows the use of the extra DRS modes in case one wanted to use them.

RandyT

[Timoe]

I dont know about Dave's board but my GPWiz 49 way with DRS technology works off of magic.

[Kremmit]

  I would go with Daves board and a try and find a true sinistar joystick.  Better for the games that really use it (or at least more authentic).  Then have all your other joysticks for the other games. 

Not sure if I'm correctly reading what you are saying, but just to keep the record straight, the GP-Wiz49 also works properly with a "true sinistar joystick" and allows the use of the extra DRS modes in case one wanted to use them.

RandyT

I'm using a pair of Williams "true Sinistar joysticks"  with my GP-Wiz49s, and I couldn't be happier.

[Lilwolf]

I was talking about the joystick more then the encoder.  Daves encoder is fine for a sinister by itself.  But if your going to have an all in one yours is the way to go.