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Building a classic controller adapter for my cab
DarkDraco:
Ive been working on a cab in my free time and its pretty much complete except that i dont have a control panel and a bezel yet. if your interested, heres a link to a page i made for the cab.
http://www.darknemesis.com/projects/mamecab/
reason i am posting here is because i had an idea that i wanted to put to work. i am having trouble planning the circuit work for my idea.
currently im gathering up money to get a slikstik quad unit. the quad unit will be working with my mame games. this leads to my 1st question, is slikstik quad a usb or ps/2 connection?
main idea: under the control panel, i want to cut out a hole (normally where the coin slots go) and place 2 sets of adapter. Player1&2 NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, PSX female adapters for easy plug-n-play controllers to play emulators. knowing how USB controllers arent static, i figured that everytime i would boot up the controller order would get screwy so i thought that for each usb cable i will cut it and add a switch/button to activate/deactivate the controllers i want to use. that way it would be easier to setup and not have a bunch of none working controller slots. i have everything planned out and ready and my only issue is making the adapters. i looked online for schematics and i see alot for LPT1 port adapters. i came across a site called retrozone and had the perfect adapters i needed like this one http://www.retrousb.com/images/retroport1_large.jpg
but the problem is they are 22$ each and i will need 6 of them. was wondering if anyone knew of a cheaper way to build/buy for a cheaper price. i also came across the Boom n64/psx adapter which some people found buggy. im planning on ordering one to see if the 2 female plugs on the adapter are soldered to the board or wired. if they are soldered i will have to desolder them and extend the lead to be abled to put on the cab.
if any of what i said was unclear just reply and let me know and ill try to clear it up.
leapinlew:
--- Quote from: DarkDraco on February 09, 2007, 11:33:28 pm ---Ive been working on a cab in my free time and its pretty much complete except that i dont have a control panel
--- End quote ---
Ha! Thats a funny quote. ;)
--- Quote from: DarkDraco on February 09, 2007, 11:33:28 pm ---currently im gathering up money to get a slikstik quad unit. the quad unit will be working with my mame games. this leads to my 1st question, is slikstik quad a usb or ps/2 connection?
--- End quote ---
The one I saw used an Ipac4 USB connection. The important thing to know is the Ipac registers as a keyboard.
--- Quote from: DarkDraco on February 09, 2007, 11:33:28 pm ---main idea: under the control panel, i want to cut out a hole (normally where the coin slots go) and place 2 sets of adapter. Player1&2 NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, PSX female adapters for easy plug-n-play controllers to play emulators. knowing how USB controllers arent static, i figured that everytime i would boot up the controller order would get screwy so i thought that for each usb cable i will cut it and add a switch/button to activate/deactivate the controllers i want to use.
--- End quote ---
Couldn't you just use the control panel with your joysticks and buttons to play these games?
DarkDraco:
--- Quote from: DarkDraco on February 09, 2007, 11:33:28 pm ---main idea: under the control panel, i want to cut out a hole (normally where the coin slots go) and place 2 sets of adapter. Player1&2 NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, PSX female adapters for easy plug-n-play controllers to play emulators. knowing how USB controllers arent static, i figured that everytime i would boot up the controller order would get screwy so i thought that for each usb cable i will cut it and add a switch/button to activate/deactivate the controllers i want to use.
--- End quote ---
Couldn't you just use the control panel with your joysticks and buttons to play these games?
[/quote]
yes i could but i like to have the semi-authentic feeling of plugging in an original un-altered controller and using it to play games the way they were meant to be played. im sure friends playing my cab would enjoy this too as it brings back memories. it will also cut back on the "i lost because i play better with a real controller" complaint :)
leapinlew:
I understand.
I ask because from an authenticity stand point - playing a console game in a video cabinet isn't that authentic. I didn't put consoles on any of my cabinets because when I play a game of Combat, or Zelda I want to be sitting on the couch. The controls don't bother me so much - I'm using a hacked xbox now and it's doing the job.
DarkDraco:
i dont recall ever using parallel port for anything. was wondering if i made and connected a parallel port adapter and powered the system on, if it would read a controller that i plug in after the OS has booted. from what i remember all the older ports required a device to be connected while booting the system for it to work