Midway Arcade Spinner

[D_Harris]

Has anyone here hack a Midway arcade spinner into a MAME control panel?

I'd be interested in know the specifics as far as what hardware was used.(Mouse hack, controller, ect.).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[Encryptor]

Check out this link.

http://gl.tter.org/spinnerhack/


Encryptor

[D_Harris]

Check out this link.

http://gl.tter.org/spinnerhack/


Encryptor

Thanks.

That is obviously not a popular hack, but someone made it work, so it's possible. And therefore I'll give it a shot.

I just have to find suitable mice, and I was wondering how important resolution is. Should I look for USB mice with a certain resolution?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York

[Encryptor]

I don't think the resolution of the mouse matters. I haven't done a mouse hack myself but I think from what I've read the mouse is just used for the circuitry to get the signals from the spinner to the pc. The encoders in the mouse are not used as the spinner has it's own encoders.

Encryptor

[RandyT]

I don't think the resolution of the mouse matters. I haven't done a mouse hack myself but I think from what I've read the mouse is just used for the circuitry to get the signals from the spinner to the pc. The encoders in the mouse are not used as the spinner has it's own encoders.

This may or may not be true.  There are MANY different mouse controllers / boards out there, and they range from being cheap, low-res devices to good, high-res devices.  It stands to reason that high-resolution mice will require faster processors than low-res mice because there is more to sense in the same time period.

The real question is whether the number of apertures in your control exceeds what can be reliably monitored by the device being used.  So given the age and type of device being considered, it's unlikely that you will exceed the capabilities of anything but the worst of the worst in mouse hardware.

RandyT

[D_Harris]

I'm just trying to get as close as possible to the arcade control response of games like Arkanoid.

Would a PS/2 mouse be acceptable for hacking? I'm assuming that I can use an adaptor and have my spinner and my mouse working.

Are there any drawbacks?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[Turnarcades]

I'm just trying to get as close as possible to the arcade control response of games like Arkanoid.

Would a PS/2 mouse be acceptable for hacking? I'm assuming that I can use an adaptor and have my spinner and my mouse working.

Are there any drawbacks?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Most older run-of-the-mill PS/2 mice will be more suitable as these were the norm and accepted standard for years, when resolution probably wasn't really considered. Se if you can grab a dirt-cheap oldie fro ebay if you don't have one suitable already.

[D_Harris]

I'm just trying to get as close as possible to the arcade control response of games like Arkanoid.

Would a PS/2 mouse be acceptable for hacking? I'm assuming that I can use an adaptor and have my spinner and my mouse working.

Are there any drawbacks?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Most older run-of-the-mill PS/2 mice will be more suitable as these were the norm and accepted standard for years, when resolution probably wasn't really considered. Se if you can grab a dirt-cheap oldie fro ebay if you don't have one suitable already.

Thanks a lot.

I'll just need some sort of pass-through so that my mouse and the spinner will work.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[RandyT]

I'm just trying to get as close as possible to the arcade control response of games like Arkanoid.

You won't do it with the Midway spinner.  And depending on your definition of "response", it will fall short on at least one, but possibly two fronts.

Arkanoid used a geared spinner, which may be higher in resolution than the one you show (I can't see all the apertures to count them.)  Also, since it was geared, it will have a much different feel.  The type of mouse hack used to interface it to the PC will have no bearing on either of these.

I'll just need some sort of pass-through so that my mouse and the spinner will work.

No pass-through required if you use a USB mouse.  Later versions of MAME will differentiate them.

RandyT

[D_Harris]

I'm just trying to get as close as possible to the arcade control response of games like Arkanoid.

You won't do it with the Midway spinner.  And depending on your definition of "response", it will fall short on at least one, but possibly two fronts.

Arkanoid used a geared spinner, which may be higher in resolution than the one you show (I can't see all the apertures to count them.)  Also, since it was geared, it will have a much different feel.  The type of mouse hack used to interface it to the PC will have no bearing on either of these.

I have about 1/2 dozen original Arkanoid spinners, but the Midway seems to cover more games as far as feel.(I counted 128 apertures on the Midway spinner's optical wheel).

Of course no one spinner will cover the exact feel of Arkanoid, Tempest, Tron, Breakout, ect. But the Midway comes closer than the Tornado spinner I have.

I'll just need some sort of pass-through so that my mouse and the spinner will work.

No pass-through required if you use a USB mouse.  Later versions of MAME will differentiate them.

RandyT

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm talking about having the spinner and a mouse hooked up and working at the same time.(Providing I use a USB mouse).

I want to get this done with the need to use only a single port, but I still don't know if that is possible, since I'll need as many as 10 buttons, including "coin", "start", "exit" and "pause".

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[Hoopz]

I tried gl.tter's hack on the same Tron spinner board and couldn't get it to work.  I bought a replacement optical board from fixumdude and it worked perfectly.  It may be an option for you.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48855.0

[RandyT]

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm talking about having the spinner and a mouse hooked up and working at the same time.(Providing I use a USB mouse).

I want to get this done with the need to use only a single port, but I still don't know if that is possible...

Then I guess I don't understand either.  If you use a USB mouse and a PS2 mouse hack for the spinner, that's still 2 ports.  No matter how you slice it, the only practical way to use a single port in this situation is to use a USB mouse hack, a USB Mouse and a hub.  PS/2 mouse splitters are not common nor inexpensive gear.

RandyT

[D_Harris]

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm talking about having the spinner and a mouse hooked up and working at the same time.(Providing I use a USB mouse).

I want to get this done with the need to use only a single port, but I still don't know if that is possible...

Then I guess I don't understand either.  If you use a USB mouse and a PS2 mouse hack for the spinner, that's still 2 ports.  No matter how you slice it, the only practical way to use a single port in this situation is to use a USB mouse hack, a USB Mouse and a hub.  PS/2 mouse splitters are not common nor inexpensive gear.

RandyT

Perhaps I didn't word it correctly.

If it is possible to use two USB mice together in one port using an adaptor or two PS/2 mice together using an adaptor then that is the way I want to go.

I just figured that USB would be the only way I can also get all the buttons I need.

The best way to look at this is way... I want to make a control panel with everything needed to play Arkanoid or Asteroids, but only need to have the CP plugged into a single port.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[u_rebelscum]

If it is possible to use two USB mice together in one port using an adaptor or two PS/2 mice together using an adaptor then that is the way I want to go.

If you consider a USB hub an "adapter", it's possible.  Windows automatically "combines" the data from the two mice to move the one mouse pointer.  Mame defaults to do the same, but unlike 99% of the apps out there, mame can also see each mouse device separately too if you enable an option (-multimouse).

(Windows combines the mouse data no matter how the mice are connected.)

[D_Harris]

If it is possible to use two USB mice together in one port using an adaptor or two PS/2 mice together using an adaptor then that is the way I want to go.

If you consider a USB hub an "adapter", it's possible.  Windows automatically "combines" the data from the two mice to move the one mouse pointer.  Mame defaults to do the same, but unlike 99% of the apps out there, mame can also see each mouse device separately too if you enable an option (-multimouse).

(Windows combines the mouse data no matter how the mice are connected.)

I'm not looking to use both devices at the same time. The reason for them being connected to the same port is so there is no need to plug/unplug whenever MAME is opened/closed.

Anyone have any USB Hub recommendations?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[bkenobi]

I would recommend one that works.    

Since these are low powered devices, there is no need for a powered hub.  Basically, if it will work as a USB hub, you are good to go!