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DIY Rotary Interface version 2

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markrvp:

This is similar to a DRUIN's interface.

This interface connects to a 12 position rotary switch found on the bottom of a joystick like the SNK LS-30 or Happ mechanical rotary.  It converts the raw data from 12 distinct positions into two contact closures.  In MAME, for games like Ikari Warriors, it either expects a mouse for movments left and right or a "move left" or "move right" contact closure.  This device makes clockwise motions close one contact and counter-clockwise motions close another contact.

Basically, it allows you to use two mechanical rotary joysticks with MAME.  It connects to 4 inputs on a keyboard or gamepad encoder (2 inputs per player).

Fozzy The Bear:


--- Quote from: markrvp on March 12, 2006, 08:00:24 am ---This is similar to a DRUIN's interface.

This interface connects to a 12 position rotary switch found on the bottom of a joystick like the SNK LS-30 or Happ mechanical rotary.  It converts the raw data from 12 distinct positions into two contact closures.
--- End quote ---

Sorry... Now I really don't get the point of this.... If it converts multiple contacts down to 2 then what's the point of having a rotary stick that costs $100 at all. You might as well be connecting an oridinary joystick that costs $10 ???  ??? :-\

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

menace:

the point is that some games require the character to move, rotate and fire and the only way to do this is the way the game originally functioned--Also playing the game as it was originally meant to be played adds oodles to the experience IMHO.  Otherwise all games could be mapped to a joystick even the driving ones--no thanks!

markrvp:


--- Quote from: Fozzy The Bear on March 12, 2006, 08:36:17 am ---
Sorry... Now I really don't get the point of this.... If it converts multiple contacts down to 2 then what's the point of having a rotary stick that costs $100 at all. You might as well be connecting an oridinary joystick that costs $10 ???  ??? :-\

--- End quote ---

Those two contacts are in addition to up, down, left, right.  

Have you played Ikari Warriors?  Remember that the sprite moves up, down, left, & right which is controlled by the joystick's regular directional switches.  In addition to the sprite's movement on screen it also has a gun that rotates 360 degrees (in 12 distinct positions).  To change the direction the gun is pointing, you rotate the joystick handle which activates the different positions of the rotary switch.  A regular $10 joystick does not do this.  A great example of a similar game is TRON - the spider or tank stage.  The joystick moves TRON around and the spinner moves the gun direction.  A rotary joystick does this without the need for a separate spinner (in fact optical rotary joysticks have a "spinner" on the bottom of the shaft).

Regular MAME also does not recognize the raw input from the rotary joystick (mame analog+ does).  The rotary interface is needed to convert the data to "turn gun one click left" or "turn gun one click right" which MAME recognizes.

Dav:


--- Quote from: rdagger on March 11, 2006, 07:51:34 pm ---I designed a new version of my DIY Rotary Interface.  It has less parts and is about 30% cheaper to construct.   I also revised the code to improve game play.

--- End quote ---

If you want I could possibly run off some pcb's for it with my next run.   Drilling and etching boards yourself is waaaay too much work.





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