MAME - Minipac Trouble

[barrel jumper]

Hi everyone.

I'm just putting the final touches on my first cabinet and of course hit an error.  Wondering if anyone has any advice or tips.

Have wired up the entire cabinet and am using the minipac from Ultimarc.  All grounds and wires are connected.  I have also downloaded the necessary software from Ultimarc to program the pac.

The trouble comes when I try to assign key functions to my control panel layout.  I have it designed and click on a button and choose 'J'.  Then when the cursor goes over that button it says, "ASSIGNED TO 'J'".  However when I press the button I get some other letter.  On occasion the default assignments also seem to change.  Example my P1 Joystick today had the letter 'Q' automatically assigned for both the UP and DOWN.

I've read over the documentation from Ultimarc and have tested numerous games on MAME and the button assignments I want are not even remotely close to what they are responding to.

My computer is running Windows XP and I've even tested on a 2nd computer...same problems.

Any advice?

Thanks!

[Ginsu Victim]

Have you set up your layout in Winipac and checked that the buttons match the layout?

[smalltownguy]

I seem to remember some instructions or some discussion somewhere that said something about making sure that there is/is not a passthrogh keyboard attached during programming. Or maybe it was something about PS2 versus USB. I'll look around and if I find it, I'll post it.

[barrel jumper]

Hi.

There is no keyboard attached to the minipac.

I have checked all the buttons on the Winipac program from Ultimarc.  It may say that P1-Button 1 is assigned to 'A' but when I actually press the button it will come up another letter.  When I try to reprogram that button it will still remain the default letter and not any other of my choices.

Thanks for trying to help.

[Hewskie]

Does the mini pac have the same programming capabilities as the i-pac? I have the Ipac and found that the software it comes with was really complicated and didn't work well for me, but the Ipac has a built in config menu system that you can open in any text program (like notepad). You need a pass-through keyboard attached and you just press crtl+shift+p (or ctrl+alt+p, sorry can't remember, one of them is print though, so it's not that one) and a menu pops up. It's really easy to assign keys this way, you just press the button on your control panel, then press the key on the keyboard you want to assign to it.

Hope this helps

Hewskie

[Ginsu Victim]

Does the mini pac have the same programming capabilities as the i-pac?

Yes, both use Winipac for programming.

[kagaden]

Kind of a silly suggestion... but are you sure you're actually programming the minipac? If I recall there's a button in the lower right corner to actually program it on that software. What it says on the GUI is irrelevant until you're ready to program. (If I recall correctly, it's been awhile)

[barrel jumper]

Not a silly question at all.

Yes, there is a PROGRAM button and I indeed have clicked it when my controls are set.  The software then says download successful.

However, in MAME or any keyboard test the controls are not to my new specifications but to either the default or some other form of random numbers/letters.

[Ginsu Victim]

Then I have to ask again:

Are you sure you have the layout correct in Winipac? Are your buttons all wired correctly?

[barrel jumper]

I believe I have everything wired correctly and the layout correct.

All wires and grounds are secure.  All buttons and joysticks function and register when I do a keyboard test.

The problem comes when I try to assign the buttons to a new number.

P1 Start is defaulting to 'D'...I want that button to be '1' but no matter what I try it stays with 'D'.

Once or twice all the buttons have also randomly been given new designations as well.

-Jumper