Help! Coin Insert Problem and Mouse button question

[Onyx_PghPA]

Finally wrapping up a few nagging issues with my cabinet.

The first relates to having coins recognized. I have the appropriate wiring from the coin door (a Happ 4-player door) running to my IPAC4, but I'm getting random results whenever I insert a coin. Sometimes it isn't recognized, sometimes it is recognized (but not in the P1 slot -- sometimes the P2 doesn't work either, but P3 is fine or P4 works). At first I figured it was a problem with the wiring, but this problem is also apparent when trying to "insert coins" using the 5, 6, 7 or 8 keys on the keyboard. As an example, I started a game of 1942 by inserting a token into the P1 slot and it was recognized. I then played for a while, quit out and started a game of Tempest, but neither the '5' key on the keyboard nor inserting a token into the coin slot would register a credit.

The other issue I have is secondary and not a problem, but any help would be appreciated. I'm using MALA as a front-end and I'm looking for a way to map buttons 1, 2 and 3 for P1 as Mouse buttons left, middle and right while in Windows, but when I start MALA, I want those buttons to go back to normal MAME functionality.  Any thoughts on how I can accomplish this (or do I need to pick up some dedicated buttons and install them on my CP for this?).  Right now I'm using the trackball to move the mouse, but have a 3-button mouse sitting on my control panel for button presses and I just think there could be a more elegant solution.

Thanks go out to everyone for all of your help so far. Without your encouragement I might never have finished this project...

Which reminds me, I should probably post some pictures one of these days!  :-)


Onyx

[Jdurg]

What type of trackball is it?  I just bought a 3" Happs PS2/USB trackball and this thing can apparently use three buttons for left, center, and right mouse buttons.  (It has some sort of encoder on the trackball board itself).  If you have one of those, you could always wire the buttons to both the trackball board to use as the three mouse buttons, AND your keyboard encoder for normal use as buttons 1, 2, and 3.

[pcb]

...you could always wire the buttons to both the trackball board to use as the three mouse buttons, AND your keyboard encoder for normal use as buttons 1, 2, and 3.

Not a good idea to wire both to the same buttons.  Some mouse button inputs have voltage as the common connection.  Easy to blow a interface board if that is true. (I found this out the hardway.)  Best to add 3 additional buttons for the mouse if you want to use those inputs.  Or hook them up instead of the keyboard input.

Best,

 - Mike -

[protokatie]

Quote:
At first I figured it was a problem with the wiring, but this problem is also apparent when trying to "insert coins" using the 5, 6, 7 or 8 keys on the keyboard. As an example, I started a game of 1942 by inserting a token into the P1 slot and it was recognized. I then played for a while, quit out and started a game of Tempest, but neither the '5' key on the keyboard nor inserting a token into the coin slot would register a credit.

---

The only thing I can think of is that the mechanism is "stuck" sending a signal. I tried a basic thing out, I held down on "5" when using MAME, and it only recognised the coin insert when I let go of the key... Tried it several times, and got the same thing. A good test for you would be to induce this problem again and run notepad, see if "5"'s are streaming one after another. Another check would be to unhook the coin door after you repeat the problem and see if the 5 key works again.

Oh BTW, this is my first post, so I will say "HI!" to all of your peeps!


Anyways, good luck!

[pcb]

You may have your buttons backwards.  There are 3 prongs on most switch buttons, labeled:

N/O - Normally Open
N/C - Normally Closed
COM - Common

You should be wired to COM (Ground) and N/O (Normally Open)

Best,

 - Mike -