Control Panel Advice

[jargin]

So I've been reading lots about what's out there and what i want my cab to be. One of my problems is some if the information I'm splicing together is from different time periods and along with that, different tech is popular at the time. I've pretty much decided to go with a layout like in the PROJECT ARCADE book illustrated below.


Have:
- Dell Pentium V 3 Ghz HT 512meg RDRAM
- ATI radeon 9700 128 meg
- 27" Toshiba television connected with s-video

Considering Starting with:
-2 x Happ 12 position rotary Joystick
-1 ultimarc Rotary Joystick Interface.
-1 x 4-way Replacement Joystick for MS Pac-Man/ GALAGA from HAPP
-1 I-PAC2 Keyboard controller
-1 3" Diameter Trackball
-1 Opti-PAC
-1 TurboTwist 2 Master Configuration
-  +-24ish pushbuttons and the new microleaf switches

I hoping this will cover pretty much the spectrum of games. ikari warriors, golf, arkanoid, robotron, neo geo, and pretty much all fighting games.

I want to get my parts list reviewed so i can do a mock up, so my main question is am I "over PAC'ed or under PAC'ed" ? Am I inviting a wiring/programming rats nest? Should i be using something that combines more things regarding IPAC, OPTIpac etc ? Any other comments about blatantly obvious omissions i have made or suggestions are welcome as well.

thanx in advance
 

[LeedsFan]

I'd go with the Minipac instead which combines the I-Pac and Optipac together. You can get it with wiring harness already made up for all your buttons and also correct connections for your Happs trackball too. 

http://www.ultimarc.com/minipac.html

I don't know much about the TT2 spinner but if you get the Minipac from Ultimarc then you won't need the master conguration of the TT2. You would need the slave version only.... but I would get someone on here to confirm this who has actually used the TT2 and can give details on how to connect it to a Minipac.

Or alternatively you could still get the master version and just use the Minipac to plug your trackball into. But then I don't know if nudging the spinner/trackball while using the other device would affect gameplay if installed this way. I know for certain when both devices are running through the Minipac this problem is eradicated.

[Green Giant]

It sounds like a good layout you are choosing.  I assume you like rotary since you are going out of your way to implement it.

You heard the ultimarc praise, here comes the groovygamegear talk.

For the same price you want to pay for the ultimar rotary interface, you can get the GP-WizRX-ST USB control interface with rotart controls.
It offers full rotary support with an additional 26 inputs for the joysticks and buttons.

To interface the trackball, you should pick up an optiwiz.  You can get it with the correct cables for less than the minipac.

The TT2 is the best spinner around.  It has the smallest footprint, amazing response, and more options than anything else.  And on top of all that, you won't need an interface board to run it, its integrated.

Also, if money isn't an option, grab electric ice buttons with the ledwiz.  It can light the original games controller configuration in the original colors for every game there is.

[jargin]

thanks for the input. I'll hopefully be ordering some parts this week.

With the led wiz. would i be able to set it up so that it illuminates the keys to be used for each game? that would be cool for joe average that walks up to it wondering which keys. i think my head could explode with all the possibilities if that's possible. (or did i just understand what green giant just said?)