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Questions about a custom USB Control Panel - Any ideas or quotes are welcome!

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Jawadali:

Note: This was posted in the Buy/Sell/Trade section, but I'm also posting here to get more feedback. Mods, if this is against forum rules, please leave it in the section you feel is most appropriate (feel free to delete the other one).

Hello everyone,

I figured this would be the best place to put this; Mods, please feel free to move it if it's not.

I had a couple of questions regarding making a control panel for an arcade, and was wondering if you guys could help me out.

I currently have 4 of these game pads:

http://www.questtechnology.com/ebay/tremon%20usb%20joypad1.jpg

They are laid out like playstation game pads (they have 4 shoulder buttons), and they are USB.

Since they are auto-detected by Windows  (HID-compliant), I was wondering if they could be used as the control panel interface, and if arcade buttons + joysticks could just be added to them (of course, they'd have to be hacked apart).

The idea behind this is that it seems it'd be much easier and cheaper than messing with an IPAC/encoder etc. I'll be using Windows (porbably XP), not DOS, as my OS. I'll primarily be using MAME32 and various console emulators (SNES/Genesis) for this "arcade".

I know that there are many different styles of Joysticks and buttons, but cost is my main factor here. I'm mainly aiming for plain 8-way oval-top joysticks (is that the correct word for them) and regular concave buttons.


1) How much would you charge (or, what's a fair price) to build a 4-player control panel, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/player/coin buttons? No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave buttons.


2) What would be the approximate cost of building a 4-player control panel myself, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/player/coin buttons. No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave buttons.

3) How much would you charge (or, what's a fair price) to build a 2-player control panel, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/player/coin buttons? No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave buttons. See the layout of the controller posted below for an idea.

4) What would be the approximate cost of building a 2-player control panel myself, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/plyer/coin buttons. No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave  buttons.


Now, on a side note:

I currently have this dual-arcade controller:

http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02004yd.jpg

It's for Playstation, but it works fine in Windows (98 and XP) using a Dual PS2 > USB adapter. It's Ok, but I don't really like the feel of the buttons and especially the joysticks. I thought I'd like the balltop joysticks, but I'd rather have the oval types. Also, the shafts of  the current joysticks are a little too shart for my liking. The buttons aren't as bad, but they are convex, wheras I prefer concave buttons.

5) About how much would it cost for me to replace the joysticks and/maybe the buttons too? Would it be very difficult?

Sorry for all of the questions and the long post. Any info is appreciated. If more info is needed on my part, please feel free to inform me via this thread.

I hope to build my very fist arcade "setup" this summer (If I have the time + skill + $$$, hopefully it can become a full-fledged cabinet).  I've been wanting to do this for the past two years, but something or another has always prevented it.

Thank you in advance,

Jawadali


gamecreature:

One of my first projects was hacking a Microsoft sidewinder gamepad to use with a Streetfighter CP. It was a very simple task to run a wire from each of the CP switches to the appropriate contact on the gamepad PCB. Assuming you know your way around a soldering iron, you should be able to do it in an afternoon. (Maybe a little longer, depending on how ambitious you decide to get)

Jawadali:

Thanks for the tip.

I have done some basic soldering in the past, and have the equipment to do so. However, the bigger issue is building the control panel frame/box, since I don't have many woodworking tools. I only have a basic single-speed drill and a multipurpose rotary tool (Dremel clone).

I guess I could use the dremel and even get a hole saw kit for the drill, but it'd take a while and I don't know how well the finish would be.

gamecreature:

Can't help you there. I'm terrible with the tools, so I rely on stuff that's as pre-built as much as possible.

Arcades R Fun:

Hello,
I have been building home arcade games since 2003.
I can help design any type 2/4 player control panel blank for you. It would be CAD designed and CNC cut. You can then save money and install the parts and wire it yourself. Check out my 2 e-bay auctions for the 2/4 player panels.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6286589489&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6286585422&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1


Thanks,
Jack



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