How to drive start1/start2 illuminated buttons?

[Arshad]

So I'm just in the research phase at this point for my first MAME cabinet.  What I'd like to do is illuminate the start1/start2 buttons once credits are inserted like many games do in the arcade.  I noticed that the ipac comes with an optional LED wiring harness which are triggered when capslock/numlock/scrolllock are lit.  What turns those lights on?  Do some games turn those lights on for start1/start2 or is that for something else altogether?

[TheShanMan]

Some games do (e.g. classic Atari games), but it's a minority of games. It is up to the game driver to support it.

[Havok]

I use a Pac Drive to turn on my Nova Gem CDR Buttons when the front end fires up the selected game. When I exit the game, the light turns off. This works this way for every game because I have AtomicFE issue a command to turn the lights on when running a game, and turn the lights off when exiting the game. Like TheShanMan says - only certain games illuminate the buttons after you coin up if you wire up the num/caps/scroll lights.

[Arshad]

Ah ok, thanks for the info guys! 

[leapinlew]

how exactly would you configure it per game? Would the source code need to be modified or is it in the setup menu on some games? I'm curious because I'm considering using the Atari Cone buttons and would like to know how to have player 1, player 2 buttons blink when credits are dropped.

[arzoo]

There are many options to light the Start buttons (or any LED button) as provided by the various FE's, plugins, and LED apps. It really depends on what you want to do. You'll also need the hardware to drive the LEDs - I would guess the GGG LED-Wiz and Ultimarc PAC-Drive are the most popular. Some FE's also provide LED hardware options.

[arzoo]

how exactly would you configure it per game? Would the source code need to be modified or is it in the setup menu on some games? I'm curious because I'm considering using the Atari Cone buttons and would like to know how to have player 1, player 2 buttons blink when credits are dropped.

There's really nothing to configure - it just depends if the specific game provides the outputs to blink the start buttons. If the original game did it, the it's likely that the mame devs added the outputs to that game.

[TheShanMan]

You'll also need the hardware to drive the LEDs - I would guess the GGG LED-Wiz and Ultimarc PAC-Drive are the most popular. Some FE's also provide LED hardware options.

No, not if he just wants caps/num/scroll lock. The ipac will drive those.

I'm curious because I'm considering using the Atari Cone buttons and would like to know how to have player 1, player 2 buttons blink when credits are dropped.

I've got 4 cone buttons (it's a centipede cabinet and I'm sticking with a centipede theme). I haven't yet decided which direction I want to go with the LED's - just hook 1-3 to caps/num/scroll lock and live with a minority of games driving them, or hook all 4 up to a dedicated LED controller and perform some other function with them).

[leapinlew]

You'll also need the hardware to drive the LEDs - I would guess the GGG LED-Wiz and Ultimarc PAC-Drive are the most popular. Some FE's also provide LED hardware options.

No, not if he just wants caps/num/scroll lock. The ipac will drive those.

I'm curious because I'm considering using the Atari Cone buttons and would like to know how to have player 1, player 2 buttons blink when credits are dropped.

I've got 4 cone buttons (it's a centipede cabinet and I'm sticking with a centipede theme). I haven't yet decided which direction I want to go with the LED's - just hook 1-3 to caps/num/scroll lock and live with a minority of games driving them, or hook all 4 up to a dedicated LED controller and perform some other function with them).

so, by default - if you were playing Centipede and you drop a credit in. Which LED flashes? I'm testing with Tempest and when I drop a credit in - I don't see the Caps, Num, or Scroll lock flashing on my keyboard.

Shouldn't it?

[TOK]

Are you using a coin door and coins/tokens? If so, maybe there is a manual/relay way to do this, having the light go on when the coin is dropped and shut off when the start button is hit. That'd work independent of the games coding, but would force you into using coins for the proper effect.

[TheShanMan]

so, by default - if you were playing Centipede and you drop a credit in. Which LED flashes? I'm testing with Tempest and when I drop a credit in - I don't see the Caps, Num, or Scroll lock flashing on my keyboard.

Shouldn't it?

You either have to run ledutil.exe (comes with mame - used to be built into mame but now it's not) or another LED driving application.

[Stub]

Save yourself a lot of trouble. Get GameEx http://www.gameex.net/ its LED-LCD plugin by Headkaze will do everything you ever wanted and then some.

[ahofle]

so, by default - if you were playing Centipede and you drop a credit in. Which LED flashes? I'm testing with Tempest and when I drop a credit in - I don't see the Caps, Num, or Scroll lock flashing on my keyboard.

Shouldn't it?

You either have to run ledutil.exe (comes with mame - used to be built into mame but now it's not) or another LED driving application.

You also most likely need to specifiy the "/usb" parameter on ledutil.exe to get it to work.  The default setting is for PS2 keyboards and doesn't work under XP, whereas /usb works for everything.

[ahofle]

You'll also need the hardware to drive the LEDs - I would guess the GGG LED-Wiz and Ultimarc PAC-Drive are the most popular. Some FE's also provide LED hardware options.

No, not if he just wants caps/num/scroll lock. The ipac will drive those.

It depends on the current draw of your LEDs.  The IPAC will only drive about 10mA @ 5V which is not enough for your average 5V superbright LED.  If your cones are less than that it should be fine though.  I ended up needing an "LED driver" board like this one to work with my player 1/2 LED lit buttons:
http://www.gamecab.com/products.asp?cat=26