The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Fast351 on December 16, 2014, 03:16:24 pm

Title: Standard trackball and J-Pac
Post by: Fast351 on December 16, 2014, 03:16:24 pm
So I just got an arcade machine with a joystick and a trackball (and three buttons) on the control panel.  They work with the iCade 60-1, but I'm adding a MAME computer to the mix. 

I ordered a JPac, and was just wondering if the JPAC supports a trackball as a mouse input to the computer or if I need additional hardware to make this work.  The trackball is a Twisted Quarter unit:

http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=113_115&products_id=1361 (http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=113_115&products_id=1361)

I have an e-mail into Andy, but someone here probably has the answer.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Standard trackball and J-Pac
Post by: yotsuya on December 16, 2014, 03:20:25 pm
Quote from: Fast351 on December 16, 2014, 03:16:24 pm
So I just got an arcade machine with a joystick and a trackball (and three buttons) on the control panel.  They work with the iCade 60-1, but I'm adding a MAME computer to the mix. 

I ordered a JPac, and was just wondering if the JPAC supports a trackball as a mouse input to the computer or if I need additional hardware to make this work.  The trackball is a Twisted Quarter unit:

http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=113_115&products_id=1361 (http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=113_115&products_id=1361)

I have an e-mail into Andy, but someone here probably has the answer.

Thanks!

I don't **think** it does.
Title: Re: Standard trackball and J-Pac
Post by: Fast351 on December 17, 2014, 06:32:39 am
From Andy:

Fast351,
The J-PAC does not interface a trackball, it is a keyboard type device only.
Regards
Andy

Which really sucks, because I have a JAMMA machine with a trackball on the player 2 UDLR pins.  Now I have to hack up my machine to add trackball functionality to my MAME computer that I'm installing. 

Wonder if Andy would be willing to add the functionality to the JPAC firmware.  Call it the OptiJPAC or something.  I would be willing to pay for this feature, and I would guess others would as well. 

Title: Re: Standard trackball and J-Pac
Post by: AndyWarne on December 17, 2014, 06:52:09 pm
Quote from: Fast351 on December 17, 2014, 06:32:39 am
From Andy:

Fast351,
The J-PAC does not interface a trackball, it is a keyboard type device only.
Regards
Andy

Which really sucks, because I have a JAMMA machine with a trackball on the player 2 UDLR pins.  Now I have to hack up my machine to add trackball functionality to my MAME computer that I'm installing. 

Wonder if Andy would be willing to add the functionality to the JPAC firmware.  Call it the OptiJPAC or something.  I would be willing to pay for this feature, and I would guess others would as well.

The JAMMA standard never included trackballs. These were usually connected to the game board using a separate connector. I am surprised that any machine used JAMMA pins for this, what game was it originally?
Title: Re: Standard trackball and J-Pac
Post by: Fast351 on December 21, 2014, 01:02:38 pm
Sorry just got back to this.  It's not a system that originally had a trackball.  It's a Sinistar cabinet that has been Jamma-ized, and currently has a 60-1 iCade in it.  The iCade can take the trackball in over joystick port 2, which is the way it's wired.  I was just hoping to take the 60-1 out, plug the JPac in, and be done, but of course it's not quite that simple (never is, is it?)

Anyway, I do have another solution.  I will put in a 6 wire trackball connector inline, and just disconnect that and plug it into a trackball-usb converter right there. 

If you did want to add that functionality and want me to test it I'd be happy to do that.