Couple wiring Q's

[crashdmj]

Hi. I have a fwe Q's:
1) If I split my CP into say 4 sets of different grounds (easier for troubleshooting, looks nicer) do I put all 4 into the IPAC ground?

2) If I link an 8-way and a 4-way to the same IPAC inputs, I need to make a "y" connection with the ground wire right?

3) I have a Betson trackball on the way and was going to use Oscar's USB hack, do I need a powered hub?

Thanks
Derek

[SirPeale]

Hi. I have a fwe Q's:
1) If I split my CP into say 4 sets of different grounds (easier for troubleshooting, looks nicer) do I put all 4 into the IPAC ground?

You can, or you could use a block, or just a screw/eyelet combo.  As long as the grounds aren't broken, you shouldn't have any problems.

2) If I link an 8-way and a 4-way to the same IPAC inputs, I need to make a "y" connection with the ground wire right?

Other way around.  You need to make the 'Y' with the data wire, not the ground.  This stick should have it's own ground.  Not necessary, but a good idea.

[crashdmj]

You can, or you could use a block, or just a screw/eyelet combo.  

You mean like a terminal block with jumpers right?

Other way around.  You need to make the 'Y' with the data wire, not the ground.  This stick should have it's own ground.  

So I can daisy chain the 8-way and 4-way ground like the buttons then, cool.
Derek

[hulkster]

is it bad to ground everything to one Ground on the IPAC?  i just daisy chained my whole cp and am going to connect to the IPAC.  is that bad?

[crashdmj]

No i believe that is perfectly fine. I just seperated mine so it wouldn't look so cluttered and in case a button stopped working I could narrow it down to one of four grounds.
Derek

[grafixmonkey]

Just tested the Ipac with a multimeter, and the Ipac ground pin is directly connected to the USB ground wire.  So, no reason not to connect all your buttons to it at once.  (no current-sinking limit other than the USB port's.)

Curious, why do you say to put the joystick on its own ground loop?  I would think the only thing that changing the layout of your ground loops does is change subtle electromagnetic characteristics of the wire - its capacitance and inductance with other wires.  While this might be important if you were dealing with radio signals or high frequency stuff, it's not here.  So all changing the shape of your ground loop does is make it either more or less obvious where a break in the wire is, if a loose connection should develop.

If we were talking about tiny gauge wire and larger amounts of current, like LEDs or lamps, then maybe gauge of wire vs. current through it would be an issue.  But not for joysticks and buttons.

[SirPeale]

Just tested the Ipac with a multimeter, and the Ipac ground pin is directly connected to the USB ground wire.  So, no reason not to connect all your buttons to it at once.  (no current-sinking limit other than the USB port's.)

Curious, why do you say to put the joystick on its own ground loop?  I would think the only thing that changing the layout of your ground loops does is change subtle electromagnetic characteristics of the wire - its capacitance and inductance with other wires.  While this might be important if you were dealing with radio signals or high frequency stuff, it's not here.  So all changing the shape of your ground loop does is make it either more or less obvious where a break in the wire is, if a loose connection should develop.

If we were talking about tiny gauge wire and larger amounts of current, like LEDs or lamps, then maybe gauge of wire vs. current through it would be an issue.  But not for joysticks and buttons.

It's for ease of finding bad connections, and so if something on your CP fails, the entire thing won't fail.  

Of course, you can make just one loop for your entire CP, and still troubleshoot, but I just like it that way.  

[crashdmj]

Well I have a 4 player Cp and its very large so i decided to to seperate grounds and then combine then at the IPAC ground.

Edit* Anyone know the answer to #3:
3) I have a Betson trackball on the way and was going to use Oscar's USB hack, do I need a powered hub?
Derek