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Can Anyone Review The New U360 8-Way Restrictor?

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Stub:
I have a circular plate to test. I like the hard stop feel to hitting the plate, but it cuts back on the throw range and I'm not partial to it. I put on the 10mm longer shaft and it makes up for a lot of the shortened swing, but I am still on the fence on weather I will install them.

Ummon:

--- Quote from: u_rebelscum on December 03, 2007, 02:34:03 pm ---Don't have a new restrictor, but...


--- Quote from: efjayel on December 02, 2007, 09:28:02 pm ---I'm also concerned about how the joystick responds with a restrictor limiting its full movement. Won't it affect it for analog since it will no longer be able to reach and register the farthest points of movement on its matrix?

--- End quote ---

I've used the older restrictors, and as long as you tell ultraMap which restrictor you're using, you'll have full range of 8 bit analog (256 values).  (The ultraMap will update the driver and set the correct calibration.)  And with the u360's internal 14-bit precision, the 8-bit output will be just as smooth.  And the 9x9 grid analog to digital mapping will also be correct.

The difference you do notice will be, of course, that the 256 values are "compressed" into a shorter physical distance, but that's expected.

--- End quote ---

A slight hijack: so in analog mode on games with digital controls, it will actuate right away?

Zobeid:

--- Quote from: Ummon on March 30, 2008, 02:56:50 am ---[A slight hijack: so in analog mode on games with digital controls, it will actuate right away?

--- End quote ---

Not sure whether this will answer your question, but here are some things I've observed.

To get good results you must go into UltraMap and configure it to match the restrictor on your stick.  The sticks come with no restrictor, and you might naturally assume that UltraMap defaults to no restrictor.  You would be wrong.   :P

There is a checkbox in UltraMap called "keep analog stick".  When this is checked, then the custom maps don't seem to work.  Then I figured out, this setting would allow the stick to send analog information over USB (which is all I have connected) and simultaneously send digital switch output over the optional encoder harness (which I don't have).

If you are running it in analog mode on games with digital controls, then MAME is responsible for translating the analog values into digital ones.  However, you can't customize that translation, and it may not always be correct, or optimum, for every game.

When using the default 8-way map, the stick is highly sensitive.  By that I mean, the stick registers a move when you push it just a very short way off-center.  I also noticed that I seemed to hit diagonals too easily.  I created a custom map with a larger dead space in the center, and smaller diagonal zones.  It worked well for Crazy Climber.  Your mileage may vary.

I had trouble adapting to the U360 at first, and I blamed the soft spring and long throw.  Then I fixed the restrictor setting in UltraMap and started using the custom maps, and it became much, much better.  It's nice to know the stiffer springs and the restrictors are available as options, but I'm not rushing to get them just yet.

I think the sticks deserve all the praise they've been getting, but the hardware and software are so customizable, they aren't plug-and-play.  It takes time to learn how everything works and get it all configured the way you want.

u_rebelscum:

--- Quote from: Zobeid on March 30, 2008, 07:39:50 pm ---If you are running it in analog mode on games with digital controls, then MAME is responsible for translating the analog values into digital ones.  However, you can't customize that translation, and it may not always be correct, or optimum, for every game.

--- End quote ---

Just an update to this comment.  Mame now (starting with version 0.117u1) has basically the same remapping features as UltraMap.  Comparison table:

u360'smame'sgrid9x99x9default maps8-wayYesYes4-wayYesYes4-way diagYesYes2-wayYesYes* (same as 8-way default)2-way verticalYesYes* (same as 8-way default)automatically switch mapsYes* (needs FE plugins or scripts)Yesmanually editable mapsYesYeshow maps can be editedGUI, or edit text (*.um) fileeasy text format with weird optional shorthand version, set from ini file or commandlinehardwareonly works on u360 joysticksworks on all analog joystickstranslation happens inwithin u360 hardware/firmwarewithin Mame/Messemulatorsworks on any application that wants digital inputsonly works in mame & messeffected by mame's analog input options: joystick_deadzone & joystick_saturationNoYes1different maps on different sticks at same timePossible, if set up to do soNotechnicalinternal 14-bit2 analog to digital map8-bit3 to digital map"sticky" direction optionYesYes
Notes:
1 _saturation will effectively shrink the grid, much like u360's "restrictor" setting, but able to set to any percentage 100% and below.  _deadzone can make the center squares of each axis increase in size along that axis.
2 less than 14-bit is used if a restrictor is in use
3 most analog joysticks, including the u360, send 8-bits per axis; however some send higher resolutions.


Which is better, Mame's or u360's analog to digital method? 
If you're only using mame/mess and like mame's defaults, or are using non-u360 analog joysticks, mame's is great. 
If you're using other emus, or mame version 0.117 and below, or already have the plugins setup, u360's is the way to go. 
Otherwise it's a toss up, IMO.  (I use mame's on my system.)

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