How to wire up a Slik Stik Classic Control Panel?

[eclypse]

I need to understand how they wire up 3 controllers and all 32 buttons into a Ipac-2 interface.  The i-pac 2 only has connections for 2 joysticks +8 buttons each.. 28 inputs total.

Is the extra joystick (4 way) daisy chained onto the player 1 joystick?

How about the buttons? Would it be better to order a Ipac-4 for the 3 joysticks and 32 buttons? errr make that 29 buttons as 3 are connected to the trackball..

I need to know so i can order up the parts to complete the blank classic slik stik i have sittin here.

[Justin Z]

I just took a SlikStik CO₂ apart so I can probably be of some assistance.

They do daisy chain the 4-way and the player 1 8-way together.

Many buttons are duplicated.  For example, their "Asteroids" buttons that normally surround the 4-way are also daisy chained onto five of player 1's buttons.  It's unlikely you'd use both sets at the same time so it makes sense.

Now the CO₂ uses an IPAC-4, so there are a lot more inputs.  I hope I have been of some help, but it still sounds like I haven't fully reduced the number of inputs you need.  Hopefully someone else can provide some insight.

~Justin

[eclypse]

Thanks man.. That basicly explains it. So the 2 player setup uses 8 for the joysticks and 14 total for the buttons. So were at 22 inputs. The 4-way and the 3 button asteriod layout is daisychained.. Now if the buttons around the spinner are also daisychained into the player 1 buttons then that would equal 28 inputs total.. but theres also 2 side pinball buttons on each side.. If there also daisychained into the player 1 buttons then i'm off to order an i-pac 2.

hehe is it ok to daisychain 5 different buttons together??

Heres a pic of the controller.. Note that mine also has the 4 side pinball buttons.

[Justin Z]

Thanks man.. That basicly explains it. So the 2 player setup uses 8 for the joysticks and 14 total for the buttons. So were at 22 inputs. The 4-way and the 3 button asteriod layout is daisychained.. Now if the buttons around the spinner are also daisychained into the player 1 buttons then that would equal 28 inputs total.. but theres also 2 side pinball buttons on each side.. If there also daisychained into the player 1 buttons then i'm off to order an i-pac 2.

hehe is it ok to daisychain 5 different buttons together??

If my recall is correct, the pinball buttons and the two buttons to the left of the 4-way were indeed daisy-chained into player 1 -- again, unlikely to both be used simultaneously.  So yeah, you should be all set to go if you do that then.

Buttons and joysticks are passive so it's not going to hurt anything even if you daisy chain 100 together, as long as you make sure there's no loose wiring.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[eclypse]

Alright then.. sweet! heh.

Thanks man.. I'll be sure to take some pics of the cab and post them up when she's runing!

[XtraSmiley]

http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/slikstikclassic.html

Here are pictures of the SS wiring job in case you need to see it.  Thanks again Kevin.

[eclypse]

heh its a tease! Would be sweet to see a close up. Is that a Ipac-4 in there? ofcourse i think when i read that artical before he stated he wanted an Ipac-4 for upgradability.

[XtraSmiley]

Yes it is a 4.  I just realized that since it is a 4, the pic won't help you at all!  I just ordered one, so in like 5 months when it gets here I'll be glad to take any pictures you need!

[eclypse]

Damn 5 months? heh thats why i just bought the blank classic so i could get the cab runing soon. I know its gona end up costing more in the end but i could'nt see lookin at my cab with the new 27" Betson monitor and computer just sittin there all summer long.

[XtraSmiley]

Yeah, I know.  I jokingly say 5 months, but who knows.  I've heard horror stories in the past about wait time is all.

I doubt it will cost more, I paid $2200 for the empty cab plus the CO2 (although I did the rotary upgrade as well as the skull overlay which added $260).  The shipping was a killer $310, but it was my bday Sat so I felt I needed to treat myself.

Now I need to buy the Benson, pay for shipping AND tax (you saw my thread about it right?) and buy a computer plus the other extras like speakers and a smart powerstrip.  I think another $1000 to do it right bringing my total to about $3200.

I'm selling off a pinball machine and if possible an arcade machine or two to get some extra funds, but I have been saving for about 2 years for this.  It's going to rock.

Are you doing a whole cab or just the controller?

[eclypse]

Crazy man.. Well i originally wanted to buy a Slik Stik cab and controller. But money was tight.. Thought i'd have to wait for the next tax return.. untill i found a Killer Instinct 2 cab for sale locally on ebay.. Its been painted in black and was converted into a neo geo Hyper 64 game called Burkly one. Got it cheap for $212. It was an auction so i guess i got lucky.

Sold the game that was in it and the motherboard and got some money back from the seller cause it didnt have locks nor mechs and the WG K7000 monitor looked pretty bad.  So in the end that cab cost me about 30-40 bucks. hehe

Planed on using a better monitor anyways but was hoping to sell the monitor.. Now looks like i'll just toss it out as its all faded.

I've spent about 450-500 in the computer and another $500 on the Betson 27" monitor after shipping.. Prob end up blowing another $550 for the controls.

I'm just waitin to make a quick couple of bucks so i can order all the parts for the controls and the ArcadeVGA 2 all at once.

Then i'll have fun mounting the new monitor oh and the control panel as i need to raise it up about 2-3 inches.. Though i need to mod in a shelf for the keyboard.

heheh so hopefully in a month i'll have it all runing.
 

[XtraSmiley]

To save money is to go your way for sure.  The only thing I hated about what I am doing is the charge of $1000 for an empty SS cab.  The controller I figure, hey, labor and time spent to set up the business is worth it.  The empty cab for a grand is killer wrong....
 
but, I'm crazy about some things and I have OCD so it has to match.  Arrrghh.  I'm just glad 1 up isn't selling his cab anymore or I'd have to spend $5k to get it!

Anyway, like I said, I got about 3 raises at work this year, been saving up for like 2 and it's my bday so to hell with it, time to spend the bucks!

[eclypse]

hehe nothing wrong with spending money on what you want! Spend each day like theres no tomorrow.

[RobotronNut]

http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/slikstikclassic.html

Here are pictures of the SS wiring job in case you need to see it.  Thanks again Kevin.

on that page, there is a link to the PDF manual. on page 16 of that manual is the key map, so you can see which switches and sticks are wired together. the diagram is a little confusing: note that "L", "L shift", and "L mouse" are different buttons. on a cursory glance, you might think they are all the "L" key.

if you wire your panel identically, you can use the standard slikstik mame ctrlr file, which you can download here: http://www.slikstik.com/down.htm