Yet another Wiring Question... (3-sided cocktail help!)

[javeryh]

Ok, I was finally able to get some time this past weekend to start wiring my cab after 2 months of inactivity.  I amn building a cocktail cabinet with the long 3rd CP for horizontal games... anyway, to my surprise I wired up the P1 controls to my iPac, plugged it into my computer and it worked!  Here's my question:

Is there a way to wire the long CP so that it will be "off" while using the other CPs?  if I am playing a 2 player game of Ms. Pac-man with my wife using the screen flipping configuration and my daughter comes up to the long CP (that's not being used) and starts pressing buttons she's going to ruin the game...

Thanks!

[horseboy]

You could just use a switch. If you don't have to many inputs, you could use a 25 pin parallel port switch. It should work fine. If you need more inputs 36 pin scsi switches are readily available from ebay.

[javeryh]

I wouldn't know how to wire something like that I don't think... is there an easier solution?  I'm envisioning some sort of Y-connector where each CPs wires go in and only one set of wires comes out - depending on which position the switch is in determines which CP is active - or am I way off?

Any help from people that have built 3-sided cocktails is most welcome!  Thanks!!

[Shape D.]

It's easier than you'd think, 25 ins and 25 outs. 1 switch.

[javeryh]

It's easier than you'd think, 25 ins and 25 outs. 1 switch.

Shouldn't it be 50 in and 25 out or am I just not getting this?

[loadman]

Ok, I was finally able to get some time this past weekend to start wiring my cab after 2 months of inactivity.  I amn building a cocktail cabinet with the long 3rd CP for horizontal games... anyway, to my surprise I wired up the P1 controls to my iPac, plugged it into my computer and it worked!  Here's my question:

Is there a way to wire the long CP so that it will be "off" while using the other CPs?  if I am playing a 2 player game of Ms. Pac-man with my wife using the screen flipping configuration and my daughter comes up to the long CP (that's not being used) and starts pressing buttons she's going to ruin the game...

Thanks!

All switches use the same 'Ground' wire from the I-pac right?

Put a switch on that.

 Run the ground from the I-pac to the switch. Then another two wire from the switch, one feeds the CP for Horizontal games and the the other feeds the CP's for the vertical ones

Or is that idea to simple?   

[javeryh]

Ok, I was finally able to get some time this past weekend to start wiring my cab after 2 months of inactivity.  I amn building a cocktail cabinet with the long 3rd CP for horizontal games... anyway, to my surprise I wired up the P1 controls to my iPac, plugged it into my computer and it worked!  Here's my question:

Is there a way to wire the long CP so that it will be "off" while using the other CPs?  if I am playing a 2 player game of Ms. Pac-man with my wife using the screen flipping configuration and my daughter comes up to the long CP (that's not being used) and starts pressing buttons she's going to ruin the game...

Thanks!

All switches use the same 'Ground' wire from the I-pac right?

Put a switch on that.

 Run the ground from the I-pac to the switch. Then another two wire from the switch, one feeds the CP for Horizontal games and the the other feeds the CP's for the vertical ones

Or is that idea to simple?   

Holy crap so all I have to do is run a switch between the grounds?  So if one ground is broken the entire set of controls on that CP won't work?  I daisy chained all the grounds together (one loop per controls) so I only have 4 ground wires running to the ipac...

[loadman]

Holy crap so all I have to do is run a switch between the grounds?  So if one ground is broken the entire set of controls on that CP won't work?

Yep  . Put a switch on the wire running back to the I-pac. You should be able to wire it so one 2 way switch will do the job. I one position the vertical CP grounds are connected and the other the horizontal.

I daisy chained all the grounds together (one loop per controls) so I only have 4 ground wires running to the ipac...

What are waiting for?  Enjoy   

[CheffoJeffo]

I have a 3-sider and have been meaning to add a switch for the common grounds (as suggested here by loadman) for about a year ... never seem to get around to it.

Cheers.

[loadman]

Any Update?