Control Interface H*ll! Need advice...

[Gamester]

Alright, I really thought I had most of this stuff nailed, but the whole control interface thing has me a little stumped.  I'm trying to figure out what I need.

Here's my planned control configuration:

- 2x Ultrastik 360s
- 1 TurboTwist 2 spinner
- 1 Happ High-Lip Trackball (non-USB... I already have this in my posession)
- 24 buttons (6 per joy, 2 for the spinner, 6 admin, 4 pinball buttons)

I also have LEDs planned:

- Single color LED for each button (24)
- RGB LED(s) for the trackball (e.g. the GGG RGB overdrive)

I know the U360s have 8 button inputs each.  Which means I would obviously fall short.  I'm trying to figure out what the best and most intuitive combination of interface cards would be, taking all controls and LEDs into account.  Seems like there are so many choices (IPAC2, IPAC4, OptiPac, OptiWiz, GPWiz, GPWizRX, GPWiz+GP, LED-Wiz, LED-Wiz+GP, etc., etc..)

Also, I'm wondering if it's easier to manage the button configuration if all of them are plugged into a single interface card, as opposed to splitting them up by attaching some of them to the U360s, and the remainder to another interface?

Some of these boards seem to serve multiple purposes, and just trying to decipher what combination of interfaces would be the easiest to install/configure (and if it's a combo that happens to save me money, even better!).

Any advice is appreciated!

[Fozzy The Bear]

The spinner interface includes the option to use two mouse buttons on it. Plus your pinball buttons are just duplicates of some of your six joystick buttons. Most software is configurable and can be mapped to whatever buttons you are using. You won't need to use joystick buttons and pinball buttons at the same time.

You also don't need six admin buttons...... Have a keyboard connected as well, living inside the cab for your own admin use. If you leave too much access to admin features on the outside of the cab, you'll find your guests just press them anyway to find out what they do!!

You missed a button out on the pinball though.. You need a plunger (ball launch) button as well as flipper and nudge buttons. But again this can just be paralleled with some of your main joystick buttons and configured in the software of the game or in the joystick mapping.

So that should give you more than enough buttons. You don't need an individual input for every button.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Gamester]

Thanks Julian.

I used the wrong terminology...  the six buttons I was referring to aren't really 'Admin' buttons, they are 1P & 2P select, Coin 1, Coin 2, Esc, and Pause.  Oh, and I forgot about the coin door...  obviously that will need to be hooked in as well.

So let me make sure I understand what you said:  Are you saying that, for instance, the pinball buttons can be wired to use the same inputs as the joy buttons?  If that's the case, then both coin door actuators and the coin buttons could all be connected to a single input too?