IPAC programming question

[BLah247]

I'm setting up 6 admin buttons on my cabinet. (exit, tab, enter, reset, pause, 1 to grow on)

With my current CP layout I have 1sw7, 1sw8, 2sw7, 2sw8 avaiable.  Since the IPAC can use the shift function I was just going to use that to deal with the esc and tab.  By default the 1p functions as the shift button and if you press the 2p at the same time it will throw an esc command out.  I see this causing all kinds of problems in the heat of game play... example you're playing Double Dragon and you and your buddy die, you both reach up  and slam 1p and 2p at the same time and BAM! you exit the game...  I want to avoid this.

What I was thinking was assigning the 1sw7 to the shift function... that would fix that problem I think.  Could I then set it up wiht the default key assignments such as shift+2p = esc (although shift will now be 1sw7?  Then I could make the first 3 admin buttons a shift+ something else and still wire up the last 3 admin buttons to 1sw8, 2sw7 and 2sw8?

That sounds pretty confusing but I'm sure someone here has done something similiar.  I would just have the first 3 admin buttons wired to the 1sw7 and another key such as 2p at the same time.

[BLah247]

This was confusing huh?

[loadman]

No ... Too Easy

You can assign shift to another key and esc (etc) to work with that

 

[Howard_Casto]

I don't think it was confusing, I just think people are rather frustrated with these types of questions.

See the best advice to give is "you don't need any admin buttons at all" or at the very least "the only admin button you need is esc" and usually when we give that advice the poster gets all mad and stuff. 

Your problem is you are assuming the default shifted keys are logical, when they aren't.  Heck, even mame's default keys are screwed up and the first thing anybody should do is reprogram the "alt" key out of the ipac and in mame as they'll screw with windows.  A good escape combo is p1 start + any button other than p2 start.  It's very sledom you'll accidentally hit a button while you are hitting start as you take your hands off the controls. 

To answer your question though, yes in theory you could wire a button to two inputs and fire the shift that way.  In practice I don't know though.  See the shift key has to be held down and then the secondary key needs to be pressed, not both pressed at the same time.  My suggestion is to try it, it definately won't short out your board or anything if that is waht you are afraid of.

[BLah247]

I don't think it was confusing, I just think people are rather frustrated with these types of questions.

If people get frustrated with these types of questions then maybe they should take a step back and reevaluate the reason they're reading this board in the first place.  I read it to learn, get ideas and help where I can.  I can honestly state that I've never read anything on any type of forum that 'bothered' me.

I actually do need the admin buttons on the cabinet.  If I was the only one playing on it then I would skip the admin panel and just memorize the button combo's or pull out the keyboard.  The problem is when my mother-in-law can't figure out what's going on with pacman I want to have a reset button labeled as such for her confusion. So to me the admin buttons were I must.  I'll try the double wiring bit tonight and see how that works.

I'll let everyone know's how it turns out... or if it doesn't work ect..

[Dustin Mustangs]

I *think* I understand what you are trying to do and tigerheli has a good write-up on it here:

http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/encoder/shiftkeys.htm

More specifically, check out what he has to say about the "I-PAC STEALTH MODE".  I was going to use something like this on my cp to get more than 28 inputs on my ipac but then I realized it would be easier to just use some of the ipac's inputs for more than one button (ie for buttons you'd never use at the same time).

And don't worry about some of the OPINIONS that get force fed by certain members of this board.  Certainly consider what everyone has to say but remember that you are building a custom designed control panel for your needs, not theirs.  I put (3) admin buttons on mine because I wanted anyone to be able to walk up to this thing and be able to figure out how to work it.  I personally don't want to have to sit there and babysit the thing whenever people are playing it.   

[Howard_Casto]

And don't worry about some of the OPINIONS that get force fed by certain members of this board.  Certainly consider what everyone has to say but remember that you are building a custom designed control panel for your needs, not theirs.  I put (3) admin buttons on mine because I wanted anyone to be able to walk up to this thing and be able to figure out how to work it.  I personally don't want to have to sit there and babysit the thing whenever people are playing it.   

I don't mean to be rude by my opinions come from the experience of being in this a loooong time, so long that people who do put admin buttons well tell me about the results after a few years. 

Ganerally what they say is esc all you need because users start monkeying with the admin buttons and they have no business configuring things.  Also there's the cosmetic issue, but I suppose that's debateable.