i-pac 2 - programming issues

[mameymame]

Hi all,

I'm making a mame cabinet with a friend and we've gone with the i-pac 2 as it is a 2 player setup.

Everything is working fine with the controls, except the programming. The default config is 99.9% fine, but we need coin 2 assigned like coin 1 is (Turtles in Time demands it!). I'm trying to make shift key + player 2 sw 1 as the coin 2 button (i.e. '6' for MAME).

So I connected a PS2 KB to the pass through, turned on the PC, went a windows command window, typed COPY CON NULL, and pressed ctrl-alt-p. I then pressed left shift on the keyboard, then p2 sw1 on the control panel, and then pressed '6' on the keyboard. I then pressed 'e' to exit and save, and closed the CMD window. For safe measure, I shut the PC down, flipped the PSU switch off then back on, and booted into my front end, just to confirm the config saved on a power down.

From what I understand, this should now make p1 start + p2 sw1 = coin for the 2nd player, but it doesn't. Going back to the ctrl-alt-p menu and pressing 'l' to list the current config suggests that there is no shift assignment for p2 sw1 at all, let alone the correct value of '6'. In fact, it seems the assignment I attempted to program instead got assigned to p1 start + p2 right (on the joystick).

A quick search here suggests this thread poster had a similar issue (without a posted resolution):

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=97466.0

I tried to program other p2 buttons the same way, but they all failed and simply kept assigning values to p2 right.

Also, unless I'm mistaken, pressing Print Screen when assigning a value to a button is meant to make it null, but it doesn't on my i-pac 2. I can't remember what value it assigned exactly (not near my mame cab at the moment to check), but it wasn't null.

Also, lastly, the 'r' entry in my ctrl-alt-p menu is missing, i.e., I can't reset my config to factory default from this menu. The guide at the i-pac website says it should be there?

Anyway, any help is much appreciated, but it seems to me my i-pac 2 is a bit of a dud, no?

[Haterot]

Just a question but why aren't you using the Ipac software to configure your Ipac2?

[mameymame]

Just seemed easier this way. I only wanted to add Coin 2, everything else is mapped fine. That and the cabinet is already setup with its front end and getting into Windows to install/configure stuff is a bit of a hassle (FTP server for ROM uploads ftw!).

I might give it a shot but by the sounds of it the other poster didn't have any success with the software.

Anyone else have any ideas? Is there a better place to ask about i-pacs?

[Hoopz]

Email Andy directly at Ultimarc.  He's great to work with.

[AndyWarne]

I can send you a firmware upgrade which will cure the interactive programming issue on the first batch of new version boards. But its easier to use the WinIPAC software.

Andy

[mameymame]

Oh, I might try the software then. I'll let you know how I go (probably be a few days before I try).

Out of curiosity, is there a guide or something around on updating the ipac's firmware?

[mameymame]

Ok I tried the software but it didn't seem to work. I got a timeout when trying to append settings to the ipac2.

Guess I might try the firmware update then?

Thanks.

[AndyWarne]

The WinIPAC program should work.

Make sure you are using the latest version from www.ultimarc.com/download.html. If you have a previous version, delete the install folder before installing this version.

Make sure the board type and interface type are set correctly in "options". The top setting is the correct one for current I-PAC 2 boards.