Main > Main Forum
Q*Bert Knocker writeup, correct me on parts
SirPoonga:
--- Quote ---
OT: I'm working on trying to control a robot through the parallel port. That article was pretty helpful! Optoisolators, good idea! Also, using a second 'card' parallel port, don't want to fry my mobo!
Later,
Billabong
--- End quote ---
Hey, I have one of those somewhere. Hmmm, I should use that...
aramis:
Thank you!
:)
aramis:
Hmmm...I just spent some time thinking about this a bit more, and it looks like it would be hard to do for Win2k/XP. I found some source code for a util that allows direct port accessing in 2k/XP, but it's beyond me at this point. And, it seems like a chore to have to recompile for each release of mame (besides any possible issues of including "3rd party" source into a mame compile).
Why couldn't the src\sndhrdw\gottlieb.c file be changed so that instead of outputting to the parallel port, it flashes the Scroll Lock LED? You could then hack that to drive a relay which fires the solenoid.
It just seems (to me anyways), that flashing the KB LED would be easier (since it is in MAME already for some games, just a copy and paste of that code?). And, no worries about NT/2K/XP.
My cabinet uses XP due to the better mpeg playback w/ DAPHNE, among other reasons.
What do you think?
Howard_Casto:
--- Quote ---
Why couldn't the src\sndhrdw\gottlieb.c file be changed so that instead of outputting to the parallel port, it flashes the Scroll Lock LED? You could then hack that to drive a relay which fires the solenoid.
It just seems (to me anyways), that flashing the KB LED would be easier (since it is in MAME already for some games, just a copy and paste of that code?). And, no worries about NT/2K/XP.
My cabinet uses XP due to the better mpeg playback w/ DAPHNE, among other reasons.
What do you think?
--- End quote ---
I agree .... someone (cough cough) mentioned this to him but he seemed to ignore me. ;) A cylanoid wouldn't require a huge amount of power to trigger the relay and it's much better to have to ramp up the led output via hardware than have all kinds of parallel port goofiness going on in mame. What's even better is if you have an ipac the connection would be a simple jumper with leads runing from it, so you don't have to waste a parallel port for two pins. :)
SirPoonga:
Ok, if you want the knocker to go off for any other game that uses the keyboard leds you go right ahead and hook a relay to the leds.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version