are pots just spinners?

[metzer2]

Do you connect 5K ohm pots to an optipac just like a spinner?  For example, I've got an analog Pole Position pedal with 3 wires coming off the 5K pot, and another wire going to a screw in what looks like a ground.  Can I assume that the red wire coming from the pot is a 5V lead, and the green and blue wires are the x and y axis?

I look at the Pole Position pinouts and I don't see a 5V pin for the pedal.  I don't want to hook this pedal up til I have a reasonable belief I'm doing it correctly.

[JustMichael]

Do you connect 5K ohm pots to an optipac just like a spinner?  For example, I've got an analog Pole Position pedal with 3 wires coming off the 5K pot, and another wire going to a screw in what looks like a ground.  Can I assume that the red wire coming from the pot is a 5V lead, and the green and blue wires are the x and y axis?

I look at the Pole Position pinouts and I don't see a 5V pin for the pedal.  I don't want to hook this pedal up til I have a reasonable belief I'm doing it correctly.

No. An optical spinner and a pot are two very different things.

You will need something that can covert the pot's value to something the computer can use.  I believe some people have been using one of the microsoft joysticks to convert 5K pots.  I don't remember which one but it should be in a message somewhere.

[Jakobud]

A POT is a potentiometer.  Basically I variable resistance resistor (if I remember me EE classes correctly).  A spinner is totally different.

Jakobud

[metzer2]

Thanks guys, sorry for the ignorance.

I took my dismantled Logitech joystick that I hacked up for my Tron trigger stick (I glued it on top of a Wico 4-way leaf switch stick, works great) and grabbed the pot that it had to replace the 5K one on my Pole Position pedal.  Really easy since the Logitech pot was connected to a board that was connected to the 15 pin gameport cable.  No splicing or anything.  It's not nearly as secure as the original pot, but it seems to be holding in place and works great in Mame32 analog.

Thanks for the advice.

Jim

[RandyT]

A POT is a potentiometer.