Yet another IPAC newbie question

[doctorhifi]

So I've read the FAQ and perhaps I'm just thicker than most, but I'm at a loss as to how exactly the controls hook into my PC with an IPAC 2 or 4.

Here's my cp layout:

2 U360 (player 1 & 2) with usb connections.
2 UltraStik Button/encoder harness for U360s so I can connect 8 pushbuttons (ea) via the U360
7 buttons ea. for player 1 & 2
1 TurboTwist2 usb spinner
1 Happ 50-9975-00 H.D joystick with 2/fire buttons plus trigger button
1 J-stik 4-way joystick (plan on connecting to p1 up,down,right,left)
1 Happ 56-0110-12T  3" trackball, PS/2 interface
2 buttons for the trackball, left & right mouseclick
Coin 1 button
Coin 2 button
player 1 button
player 2 button
Pause
Escape
2 admin. buttons

So I'm stuck on how exactly I wire all these things up?  I understand the usb devices can go directly into my PC as does the trackball but how/where do I tell the PC what keyboard buttons I want these devices to replicate?
Also, is an IPAC2 sufficient?  Trying to use the WinIPAC program makes me think I need an IPAC4.

Can someone point me in the right direction?
Thanks

[AndyWarne]

The keyboard encoder (I-PAC) defines which keys are replicatd by each button. Usually you can leave the settings on default for Mame.
Using the I-PAC 2 I think you are a couple of buttons short. But you can, as you mention, connect buttons to the U360s.
Buttons connected to the U360s appear as gamepad buttons. Mame will be fine with the mix of keyboard keys and gamepad buttons as its so versatile. Some other software might have problems but maybe you don't need the admin buttons in non-Mame apps. Or you can use software to translate the gamepad buttons into keyboard keys.
So the I-PAC 2 would suffice.
Andy

[doctorhifi]

Thanks, Andy.

As I figure my setup:
(2) 8-way w/ 16 buttons USB into PC. 
(1) trackball w/2 buttons USB into PC
(1) spinner USB into PC
(1) 4-way into Ipac2 1up,1down,1left,1right terminals
(1) Happ trigger joystick w/three buttons into Ipac2 1sw1 through 1sw7 terminals
Coin1 & Coin 2 buttons into Ipac2 1coin, 2coin terminals
Pause button into Ipac2 1sw8 terminal
Escape button into Ipac2 2sw1 terminal
Ipac2 into pc via PS/2

I'll use the WinIPAC software to tell the IPac which keyboard functions I want those buttons to connected to it to replicate.
But how do I tell mame what I want to do with the 8 buttons I connect through the U360s? 

[bfauska]

Go into the configuration menu in MAME (press TAB while playing a game) and the configuration of inputs is very simple from there.  Select the player you want to configure, select the assignment you want to change and then press the button you want assigned to that task.  I use MamePlus and MAME32, but I think that the TAB menu is similar on most types of MAME.  Good luck and be sure to show off your work when you are done.

Edit:

Oh, yeah.... Welcome to the forum.

[doctorhifi]

Thanks, and I'm glad to be part of the community. 
Are those settings in the config menu global or on a per-game basis?

[Hoopz]

Are those settings in the config menu global or on a per-game basis?

Both.  Once hit hit TAB, the menu pops up to change inputs for that game or mame in general.  Don't pause a game before hitting TAB though.  It causes problems.