Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: wp34 on December 13, 2010, 09:40:26 pm

Title: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: wp34 on December 13, 2010, 09:40:26 pm

I picked up a RoadBlasters CP off eBay.  It is one of my "grails" and I've not been able to find a satisfactory way to play it in MAME.  I also purchased an Opti-Wiz from GGG so I can connect it to my PC.   I'm looking for some advice for hooking this up from someone who has done it and/or is smarter than me.

Here are my assumptions -

Buttons -
Large Green Wire - Ground for buttons
Large Black Wires - Trigger and Special Weapons buttons

Optical Hook-up
Red = 5v power
Black = Ground
Blue=?
Purple=?

I'm assuming that the Blue or Purple are for the X-axis.

Any guidance or suggestions would be appreciated.  I've searched and not been able to find any specific information.

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: wp34 on December 14, 2010, 01:40:07 pm

I found this by accident -

http://www.thisoldgame.com/products/usb-adaptor-for-atari-yoke-controller (http://www.thisoldgame.com/products/usb-adaptor-for-atari-yoke-controller)

Anybody have experience with this adapter?

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: bkenobi on December 14, 2010, 04:04:26 pm

That yoke adapter cable is not what you want.  That is for a Star Wars controller (maybe others too).  What you have is a standard Atari steering wheel board.  I don't remember which is which, but there's power, ground and a signal wire.  There should be a writeup here about hacking a pole position or some other Atari steering wheel.

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: huygens on December 14, 2010, 04:19:17 pm

The blue and purple wires from the optic board are the quadrature signals. They should be hooked up to Xa and Xb on the opti-wiz (you need both connected). If the mouse moves in the wrong direction just reverse them.

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: wp34 on December 14, 2010, 04:27:57 pm

Quote from: bkenobi on December 14, 2010, 04:04:26 pm

That yoke adapter cable is not what you want.  That is for a Star Wars controller (maybe others too).  What you have is a standard Atari steering wheel board.  I don't remember which is which, but there's power, ground and a signal wire.  There should be a writeup here about hacking a pole position or some other Atari steering wheel.

I thought the same thing but the item description specifically mentions RB and the molex connector looks about the same.  Not sure I'd want to risk $60 on it unless someone could tell me for sure it worked.  Thanks for the reply.

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: wp34 on December 14, 2010, 04:29:07 pm

Quote from: huygens on December 14, 2010, 04:19:17 pm

They should be hooked up to Xa and Xb on the opti-wiz (you need both connected).

Thanks!  I didn't realize both needed to be connected which was confusing.

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: bkenobi on December 14, 2010, 05:39:15 pm

Trust me, those connectors are not the same.  If they are, then the photo is wrong.  The Molex connector in the yoke adapter picture is a set of 9 pins that are mostly round (except for the keyed pin).  The connector on your steering wheel is a 4 pin inline connector more similar to what you'd see on a PC (0.1" spacing or there abouts).

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: wp34 on December 15, 2010, 09:08:02 am

Quote from: bkenobi on December 14, 2010, 05:39:15 pm

The connector on your steering wheel is a 4 pin inline connector more similar to what you'd see on a PC (0.1" spacing or there abouts).

I didn't get a chance to hook it up last night but I did spend some time hacking apart power cables from an old PC.  Looks like they will work great to connect to the RB CP.

Title: Re: Help hacking a Roadblasters CP
Post by: tommyinajar on December 15, 2010, 08:24:51 pm

Anyone hack buttons into a non Roadblaster wheel (I.E. Road Riot wheel = No top fire buttons)