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How to configure two separate CP into one computer?
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markrvp:

--- Quote from: unix4hire on October 13, 2005, 05:26:48 pm ---So would I then connect the gamepad-controlled CP into the ipac or into the computer?
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markrvp:

--- Quote from: unix4hire on October 13, 2005, 05:48:38 pm ---somehow I'm picturing using (for example) a KE72 on the master CP and pre-wiring a harness to allow the 2nd CP to connect via one cable, such as a 50pin SCSI or soemthing.
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markrvp:

--- Quote from: pmc on October 13, 2005, 05:43:51 pm ---Can a PC have two keyboards? Or maybe use one USB encoder and one PS/2 encoder?

Or use one encoder and just build a harness with a plug to extend the 2P wires to the 2nd CP whenever you want. I think you can hot-swap with the IPAC PS/2.

-pmc

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Yes, a computer can have multiple keyboards connected at the same time.  You can have ps2 & USB or simply multiple USB.  The issue you have is that each keyboard is still sending the same keystrokes to the computer.  Quite simply, pressing A on keyboard 1 is the same thing as pressing A on keyboard 2.  Obviously 2 players could not both use the directional arrows on separate keyboards, because the keystrokes appear the same to the computer.  In MAME, you cannot map controls to keyboard 1, keyboard 2, etc. whereas you can map controls to Joystick 1, Joystick 2, etc.  What this means when using multiple keyboard encoders is that you would have to reprogram one of the encoders to send different keyboard strokes than the factory defaults and then map the controls in MAME accordingly.

For reference, an Ipac 4 actually appears to the computer as 2 separate keyboards, but every one of the 56 inputs represents a different key on a keyboard.  You could get the same effect with two Ipac2s where you remap the keyboard commands for the second encoder. 
SirPoonga:
I'd go the cheap route and hack some usb game pads.
pmc:

--- Quote from: markrvp on October 13, 2005, 06:01:46 pm ---Yes, a computer can have multiple keyboards connected at the same time.  You can have ps2 & USB or simply multiple USB.  The issue you have is that each keyboard is still sending the same keystrokes to the computer.  Quite simply, pressing A on keyboard 1 is the same thing as pressing A on keyboard 2.  Obviously 2 players could not both use the directional arrows on separate keyboards, because the keystrokes appear the same to the computer.  In MAME, you cannot map controls to keyboard 1, keyboard 2, etc. whereas you can map controls to Joystick 1, Joystick 2, etc.  What this means when using multiple keyboard encoders is that you would have to reprogram one of the encoders to send different keyboard strokes than the factory defaults and then map the controls in MAME accordingly.

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Ah. I was asking more because I wasn't certain if Windows would be able to handle something like 2 simultaneous USB keyboards. Since it can, then you could simply use one keyboard encoder for P1/P2 and another for P3/P4. It does indeed sound like the keymapping would be a ---smurfette--- because you'd want P3/P4 to look like P1/P2 when used independently but P3/P4 when used with the other CP.

I'm not sure I'd want to get into this.

-pmc
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