What interface board(s) do I need?

[Farmboy90]

Hey guys,

I am excited to start my project - it'll be my first.  This site has been GREAT and has me amped to build my own system. 

Here is what I am thinking in terms of stuff on the control panel.  What I am unsure of is what boards to buy to make it all work nicely.

- 2 8-way sticks. 
- 7 buttons for each of the 8 way sticks
- 1 trackball
- 1 spinner
- Player 1 and 2 buttons
- 1 button for adding credits
- 1 button for escaping back to the menu
- 1 pause button
- 1 flight stick - the one with the two buttons on it
- 2 buttons to be used by the trackball and spinner
- 1 4 way stick that will reuse some existing buttons
- Oh and I will add a coin door, but I figure that connection will be tied to the Add Credit button I listed above.

Will that setup provide me with enough to cover most games?  How about Paperboy?  I heard the trackball works well enough for that...

Is the 28 input IPAC enough? 

I will also need an Optipac for the spinner.  The trackball will have its own separate usb connection right?

Is IPAC even the way to go?  I know there are other boards out there.

Are the Perfect 360 joysticks the best?

Wonder what price PonyBoy can give me for all this. 

BTW, the layout will be similar to this panel: 

http://www.arcadeparadise.org/arcade/ap3/cpbuilding.html

Sorry for so many questions all rolled into one.

Thanks guys!

[mahuti]

Welcome to the board. Just FYI, most of these questions have been covered by the various FAQs and links posted above, and most have been covered many times (even in recent threads). Anyway, that being said;

Depends on your exact configuration, but at a minimum,
you will need 27 inputs. so a 28 input ipac will be fine. The optipac will allow you to have 2 (or is it 4... whatever) additional buttons (mouse buttons) and you can control several spinners / trackballs. You COULD buy a usb trackball, but you might as well just buy a standard trackball and run it through the optipac. With the 28 button ipac, you will need to reuse some inputs (ie. on the 4 way stick)


As far as other encoders... it's all about taste. Ipac and the GroovyGameGear encoders are very popular, and the differences are only minor (IMHO)

Joysticks = best? Also a matter of opinion discussed ad nauseum. Do a search, it will come up about 8000 times

And as far as "most" games... also up to debate. Depends on how specific you like your controls. I would say "enough" games.

My current configuration uses several swappable panels, 1 includes a trackball, spinner, 4 buttons, and a 49 way stick with the GPWIZ and a rotary hack (druin's board) If I were to do that panel again, I would use an optical rotary hack, rather than the switch rotary. This setup costs a lot more to get started with (due to the 49way gear, and such) but it's super, super nice to start a game and not worry about the "type" of game... the 49 way switches automatically. But again. It's all a matter of taste.

[ahofle]

Will that setup provide me with enough to cover most games?  How about Paperboy?  I heard the trackball works well enough for that...

I'll just throw in 2 cents on this...  I don't think the trackball works well at all with paperboy.  I just used a cheap analog PC joystick for that game (and a few others like roadrunner and food fight).  You can also just use an analog USB gamepad for those games.  Or ideally, you could make your flight stick a 49 way and that would solve everything.

[Farmboy90]

What is the difference between a 49 stick and a flight stick?  Is it just the buttons on the flight stick? 

In other words, if I change the flight stick out for a 49 joystick, will I still be able to play "flying" games where I would have used the flight stick?

Also, if I do that, then do I need another optipac?  I think the 49 sticks are optical.

[markrvp]

49-way joysticks require their own encoder (GGG GP-Wiz 49) and are different from analog sticks.  They are not interchangeable with analog sticks.

What spinner are you planning on using?

[Farmboy90]

Decisions, decisions.  I think I need another solution to the Paperboy problem.  A 49 doesn't seem the way to go.  Will a Perfect 360 joystick work?

Oh, and I am getting the SlikStik spinner.  So as you said I won't need the optipac at all if I get a USB trackball - which I will.

And I guess I will need an APac for the flight stick.

Thanks!

[mccoy178]

I am getting ready to install my first 49 ways in a cp.  I highly recommend them because of how many more games become playable the proper way.  Sir Poonga has been working on software that would automatically switch the orientation of the joystick based on the game.  You will have 75 invested in each stick with interface and controller, but it was worth it for me now that I have had my cab about a year. 

[mahuti]

The 360 Joystick is a fancy 4 / 8 way joystick... so still no go on the paperboy. For that you'll need an an analog joystick (which is why people have been recommending an AKI board, Apac, or an analog gamepad hack.)

Oh and the software that "would" switch the orientation for a 49way based on the game already DOES switch the orientation based on the game, and it works very well.

And just to clarifiy, the 49way is basically like a low resolution analog stick. It detects joystick movement through a 49 point grid. With the GP-Wiz49 encoder, it will simulate different joystick types, 4 way, 8 way, 2way vert, 2way horiz, 4 way diag, circular 16 position (not very useful) and 49 way (which works for arch rivals, sinistar, pigskin 29 ad (or whatever its called)) and with SirPoonga's software, it'll switch based on the game you select automagically. Some people have said that the 49 way works OK in 49way mode with some analog games. I don't know, I haven't tried any yet with it. So a big reason that people are all hot for the 49 ways now is...

1. once you get it set up, it makes it super easy to configure the joystick for the game without having to think about it. Great for guests. They dont' know the difference between 4 way and 8 ways games. With the 49 way stick and the software, it just sets up the controls the correct way for you.

2. The 49way has a fairly long through, and feels nice and soft. Makes it easy to play long sessions without wearing out your wrists. The t-sticks are fairly short throw and some people don't like that. Many people swear by the Perfect 360s, though.

3. The 49way is currently the best compromise between accuracy and flexibility.

[Farmboy90]

Thanks the help!

So what would a flight stick provide, that wouldn't already be covered by a 49 stick?

Why wouldn't I just get two 49 sticks in place of the 2 8 way sticks I planned on getting?

[RetroACTIVE]

So what would a flight stick provide, that wouldn't already be covered by a 49 stick?

The flight stick gives you higher resolution when it comes to analog joystick games.  I've never used a 49 way but it seems like it may work fine... The reason I wanted a flight stick was just that... I wanted the physical feel of a flight stick... I was a big tailgunner fan... also like Star Wars (but did not have / want to incorporate a SW yoke), so the stick was the ticket for me.

If you feel you really need an analog flight stick because those games are more important to you get the stick...

If you play more traditional digital stick games but would like to dabble with the others, the 49 way seems to be the way to go for most people.

A general rule of thumb (as I have observed ) build the controller around the games you like/play most... there is never really one all-in-one solution... you will have to compromise on some level.

Based upon what you have read and your responses so far, it seems like the 49 way is the best all-in-one solution for you... Anyway the great thing about the controller.... You can allways build another!

Have Fun!

[mccoy178]

I am currently building two control panels at the same time for two friends.  One has two 49 ways and two supers using RandyT's interfaces.  The other is using J sticks with an ultimarc ipac4.  I will be doing a complete review once I have completed both.  It should be within the next couple weeks as the panels are cut out, I'm just waiting on translucent buttons.