Mala & or Minipac help

[Razor]

Hi im having a few problems with Mala in my cab, when windows starts and I load Mala neither the joystick or buttons work, unless I start a game manually using the keyboard, then quit out back to Mala, then everything seems to work okay.  Ive tried pointing it to the Winipac config file in the options, but after every restart it doesnt work again.  Any ideas please?

[loadman]

Hi im having a few problems with Mala in my cab, when windows starts and I load Mala neither the joystick or buttons work, unless I start a game manually using the keyboard, then quit out back to Mala, then everything seems to work okay.  Ive tried pointing it to the Winipac config file in the options, but after every restart it doesn't work again.  Any ideas please?

Just to clarify are you saying that MaLa works fine via the keyboard but not via the Keyboard encoder (winipac)? 

If so it sounds like an encoder issue

What happens when you don't have mala in windows startup and start Mala manually?

[Razor]

Hi, I havent got Mala running on windows startup yet, im just trying to configure everything to work correctly before doing that, so at the moment im just starting it manually.

Mala is working fine via the keyboard and works fine once I have run a game from it, Mame itself is working perfectly with the encoder all the time even after restart, so im not sure it is a problem with the encoder?  either way its confusing me lol

[loadman]

Is it possible you have the encoder programming on game launch in MaLa?


OK Lets get so more info so we can work this out: 

1) Winpac is software... So what version of I-Pac do you have (& ps2 or USB etc)?
2) Are you loading settings into the encoder before launching MaLa (is so what method)?
3) Are you loadiing settings into the encoder using MaLa (if so what method)?

[Razor]

Hi thanks for the help as always

Im using a Minipac and its usb

Im not sure what you mean about the other two questions, all I did was use the Winipac config software i.e mapped out what buttons did what, saved the info into a .ipc file on the desktop and in the settings in Mala pointed it to that under the encoder tab.

[loadman]

Hi thanks for the help as always
Im using a Minipac and its usb
Im not sure what you mean about the other two questions, all I did was use the Winipac config software i.e mapped out what buttons did what, saved the info into a .ipc file on the desktop and in the settings in Mala pointed it to that under the encoder tab.

There is a main ecoder section and then one for mame (and more for other emu's)

What do you have here?  ...  See pics

[Razor]

Okay under the Controller tab I have :

Encoder Software : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.exe

&

Default config file : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.ipc




Under the MAME config tab for the encoder I have :

Encoder config file : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC.ipc

[edwardvci]

Check your wiring. I had the same problem and one of my connectors was on the wrong post on the switch and so it was like having the button pressed all the time but the keyboard would work fine.

[loadman]

Okay under the Controller tab I have :

Encoder Software : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.exe

&

Default config file : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.ipc


Under the MAME config tab for the encoder I have :

Encoder config file : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC.ipc

Oh Crap that looks fine  > I dunno 

Maybe you should change your subject line on your first post to include MiniPac. That may attract more readers

[Razor]

Done, cheers anyway 

[jcrouse]

Okay under the Controller tab I have :

Encoder Software : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.exe

&

Default config file : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.ipc




Under the MAME config tab for the encoder I have :

Encoder config file : C:\Program Files\WiniPAC.ipc

Just a heads up ...... not that it is relevant, although it could be, you final path "C:\Program Files\WiniPAC.ipc" should probably be "C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.ipc". May have been a typo in the post but just thought I'd point it out so you can clarify.

Good Luck,
John

PS ........ I also don't know if it is relevant but there have been many issues with the MiniPac's loosing their programming upon rebooting. Then after reboot they need programmed again. Search these forums. I just gave instructions last week. Alos, first thing to do is forget about MaLA. When you reboot and open Notepad, does the encoder work?

Just a few thoughts,
John

[loadman]

When you reboot and open Notepad, does the encoder work?

Good Question

[Razor]

Hi sorry I wrote that wrong it is infact C:\Program Files\WiniPAC\WiniPAC.ipc

By testing in notepad I assume you meant just load it up and try the joystick/buttons, to see if it types the letters out as if working?  Anyway if so, I did that and im not getting anything coming up in notepad. 

Is the .ipc file auto loading?  or is there somewhere Im meant to be putting it to load with windows?

[Razor]

Check your wiring. I had the same problem and one of my connectors was on the wrong post on the switch and so it was like having the button pressed all the time but the keyboard would work fine.

Im pretty sure its not the wiring as the buttons work fine when they do work, but I will check it over when I get the chance.

[jcrouse]

This is my reply to a post in the MameWAH forum at MameWorld:

The IPac family of encoders has some issues, actually it's a Windows issue, when USB devices are added and removed. The IPac will sometimes loose it's programming and need reprogrammed each time you turn your PC, cabinet, on. I just went through this last evening after removing my LCD TopGun. Folow these instructions, from the Ultimarc website:

Problem:
(USB Only) Board appears not to work until WinIPAC is run every time. Yellow exclamation marks in Control Panel, Device Manager.

Solution:
This is a rare problem, and is caused by a registry error. It is suspected that this problem occurs if the board is regularly swapped from one USB port to another, or different board versions used on the same PC. Microsoft have been alerted to this problem. The fix involves registry editing, the usual caution should be observed.
Run regedit, and open Hkey_Local_Machine/System/CurrentControlSet/Enum/HID and delete the keys containing VID D209 Also Hkey_Local_Machine/System/CurrentControlSet/Enum/USB and delete the same keys. You might have to right-click and set permissions to do this. Unplug and re-connect the board.

There is a executable file to perform the above task but it never works for me.

I am guessing that since after reboot you have nothing in Notepad this is your issue. When you launch MaLa it is then programming the encoder.

Hope this helps,
John

[Razor]

Right okay thanks, yeah sounds like my issue, im hoping this will fix it, will try it out this evening.

[Razor]

Hi I did this and after restarting the joystick worked briefly in Mala, however when I pressed up on the joystick it made the Mala screen go horizontal (and lose my skin), but then worked for the up and down action to cycle through the games.  I tryed altering the orientation in mala, but as soon as I pressed up on the joystick the same thing happened.  Anyway, I restarted again in the hope that Mala would have returned to normal, and now the joystick isnt working again and the Mala is still loading up in horizontal mode.

[jcrouse]

Getting back to my point. Did what I posted fix the issue in Windows, Notepad? Worry about one thing at a time. After the regedit can you reboot multiple times and still have the encoder work properly at the Windows level?

John

[Razor]

No it hasnt made a difference, still nothing in notepad.

[Razor]

Sorry to bump, but does anyone else have any ideas on this?  Its pretty much all thats standing between me completing my first cab 

[Razor]

Dont suppose it would make any difference putting the .ipc file in the windows startup?

[loadman]

Dont suppose it would make any difference putting the .ipc file in the windows startup?

It could not hurt

[headkaze]

Sorry I havn't read the whole thread but I remember a GameEx user having an IPAC issue and the way he solved it was to..

if you have windows 9x...
boot into safe mode and delete the entry from device manager


if you have windows 2000/XP...
start->run cmd.exe

then type the following and hit enter...
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1

then type the following and hit enter...
start devmgmt.msc

when device manager opens, under the view menu, put a check by "show hidden devices"

http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=65661&page=17

After you've checked 'show hidden devices' scroll down to usb controllers and right click on each of them (usb controllers) and click 'properties' until you find your ipac. Then click on the 'driver' tab and click 'uninstall'. Then exit back to windows. PLUG IN YOUR IPAC TO THE USB PORT WHICH YOU INTEND TO HAVE IT PLUGGED INTO IN YOUR CAB & LEAVE IT CONNECTED TO THAT PORT (DONT SWAP USB PORTS). Try firing up WinIPAC and try to program it the the MAME default key assignment. Hopefully, it should work. This is basically what other people have suggested earlier. I've had loads of trouble with my ipac but found out it's a windows/usb issue. Let us know how you get on.

[Razor]

Hi thanks guys, I managed to get it working, I did as you said and also swapped the usb port for good measure and its working well, even after several restarts

[Razor]

I did have some problems with shelling straight into mala, i got as far as creating a second admin account on xp and then when I restarted it said I had the wrong password for blah blah user, even though I selected not to use passwords, ive reformatted again in the hope that it doesnt happen again this time 

[Razor]

I dont believe it, I have everything back on the pc as before, but now I cant even get the minipac to work at all, even following the above advice now does nothing, I just dont understand what is wrong, it was working absolutly fine before the reformat.  It even says its installed okay when I plug it in, but when I try to delete the usb entry in device manager, its not even in there now. 

[loadman]

I dont believe it, I have everything back on the pc as before, but now I cant even get the minipac to work at all, even following the above advice now does nothing, I just dont understand what is wrong, it was working absolutly fine before the reformat.  It even says its installed okay when I plug it in, but when I try to delete the usb entry in device manager, its not even in there now. 

This is a longshot....  Try plugging in other USB devices in other ports. Then after those devices are set-up plug in the encoder.  I had a usb device once that would not be recognised initially until other devices were workinbg first           Good Luck

[Razor]

Hi thanks for the continued help, I did try that but still nothing.  As an update, when I follow the above procedure of uninstalling the drivers and then putting the minipac into a usb port from scratch, the device manager recognises it as "trackball", with a yellow question mark next to it , this then changes to composite usb device and the yellow question mark dissapears and when i look in the properties reads "trackball, ipac etc" and I even get a message saying the device has been properly installed.  On the minipac itself the green light is on, which is good, its just when I then program it im getting nothing in either notepad, mala or mame.  I've also posted elsewhere about it too hoping for a solution, I dont really want to have to fork out for another minipac or ipac.

[Razor]

The minipac now says its being programmed okay when I use Winipac, but still no output from it in notepad, mala or mame, I read somewhere about some guy having the same problem and used an alternative method of pressing cntl-alt-p in notepad to program it, but ive tried this and it doesnt bring up an interface of some kind or do anything else.  Is there any other software out there that might program the minipac?

[Razor]

Problem solved, thanks to all the help/suggestions here though.  In the end I emailed Andy fron Ultimarc and he pointed me in the right direction, which ended up being some manual registry editing.

[loadman]

Problem solved, thanks to all the help/suggestions here though.  In the end I emailed Andy fron Ultimarc and he pointed me in the right direction, which ended up being some manual registry editing.

Thanks for posting the result

many forget to do that and we are left wondering ~~
 

[headkaze]

Problem solved, thanks to all the help/suggestions here though.  In the end I emailed Andy fron Ultimarc and he pointed me in the right direction, which ended up being some manual registry editing.

Thanks for posting the result

many forget to do that and we are left wondering ~~
 

Actually, saying "some manual registry editing" is hardly posting the result. Posting the registry entries you needed to edit would be posting the result

[jcrouse]

Problem solved, thanks to all the help/suggestions here though.  In the end I emailed Andy fron Ultimarc and he pointed me in the right direction, which ended up being some manual registry editing.

Thanks for posting the result

many forget to do that and we are left wondering ~~
 

Actually, saying "some manual registry editing" is hardly posting the result. Posting the registry entries you needed to edit would be posting the result

Actually, if you follow the thread, the registry entries are posted, be me, in an earlier reply.

John

PS ...... Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

[Razor]

Problem solved, thanks to all the help/suggestions here though.  In the end I emailed Andy fron Ultimarc and he pointed me in the right direction, which ended up being some manual registry editing.

Thanks for posting the result

many forget to do that and we are left wondering ~~
 

Actually, saying "some manual registry editing" is hardly posting the result. Posting the registry entries you needed to edit would be posting the result

Actually, if you follow the thread, the registry entries are posted, be me, in an earlier reply.

John

PS ...... Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

You did acutally thanks, at the time this didnt work as I was having other issues with it, but after sorting everything else I guess it worked okay.

[headkaze]

PS ...... Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

Did I sound grumpy? heh I didn't mean to 

[loadman]

PS ...... Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

Did I sound grumpy? heh I didn't mean to 

[edit]...Cheap shot removed