Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: leapinlew on February 14, 2015, 11:05:02 am
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Hi!
I'm converting a star wars cabinet to mame and I'm configuring the computer now. I'm using the Yoke to USB adapter from RAM Controls. All the inputs work and the computer identifies it properly. I calibrated the yoke from the control panel in windows. Technically, it works, but playing the game isn't as good as it could be.
What it's doing is, lets say you want to move the crosshairs to the left. You turn the yoke slightly to the left, and nothing happens. Turn a little more and the crosshairs move quickly across the screen. It results in some herky jerky play. It seems like the issues could be:
1. Bad USB adapter: I was considering purchasing another USB adapter from This Old Game, but I'm not 100% sure this is my issue and at $90, I figure I should do a little more research.
2. Configuration error: I'm not ruling out there isn't some configuration errors, but I'm seeing the same behavior in other games and in the calibration utility in windows.
3. Yoke: I'm not sure if the pots are failing, or if they are, what behavior they would exhibit, but it seems like this could be a possibility.
Anyone have any suggestions?
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Measure the pots against their specs. If they don't match up, replace the pots.
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Lew, if it's herky jerky in the config utility then your pots are gone. Replacing your pots with some new ones should get you back on track.
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Good info...
I'll need a tutorial on how to replace the pots. I'll start looking, but if anyone knows of a good tutorial, please link me. Also, where is the best place to buy some pots? Since I'm in there, is there any other maintenance I should do?
How do I measure the pots against their specs?
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Upon further inspection, I do have fine movements inside of the windows calibration utility. Star Wars seems to work well with a mouse. The Yoke has a deadspot of about an inch in every direction when playing star wars. When it does start moving, it moves quickly and hard to zero in on targets.
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They won't necessarily totally fail. Do you have a multimeter with alligator clips?
Do you have the arcade manual?
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They won't necessarily totally fail. Do you have a multimeter with alligator clips?
Do you have the arcade manual?
Yes to the multimeter and no to the manual.
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Have you calibrated the yoke in SW?
Once the rom is open rotate yoke to all corners on the start screen before doing anything. See if that helps. Then make sure your MAME settings are right. If all that fails replace the pots.
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Ya know, years back, I had to calibrate T2 each time? Is it still like that?
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Thanks Chuck -
I've done the rotating the yoke to all corners. I'm pretty sure it's a mame setting somewhere as paperboy, stun runner, star wars and ESB all have the same dead zone. I'm gonna dink around with the settings, but anyone have any ideas where to look? I've adjusted the digital speed for both axis with limited success.
I'm assuming the problem is a setting inside my mame.ini or some other global config since it is affecting both raster and vector games. I created a vectors.ini file to adjust the gamma\contrast but that's the only changes that file makes. Next stop will be to use a fresh older version of mame to see how it performs.
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BOOM!
JOYSTICK_DEADZONE in the mame.ini file had a .3 and it appears it was the source of my grief.
I changed it to .1 and it's damn near perfect. WOOHOO! Lovin'Life right now.
I figure one day I'll need to change the pots, so I guess if anyone has a tutorial somewhere, I'd look at it and file it away for the dark day I need to do that.
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I figure one day I'll need to change the pots, so I guess if anyone has a tutorial somewhere, I'd look at it and file it away for the dark day I need to do that.
Swapping potentiometers on a SW yoke is pretty easy.
1. Either make a note of which tab each of the three wires are on or take a picture so you reconnect them in the proper order.
2. Desolder/disconnect the wires.
3. Loosen the set screw on the 14 or 28 tooth gear connected to the pot and remove that gear. (BTW, this pic shows an unusual dual pot in place of the original one)
(http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/images/9/96/Yoke_rebuild14.jpg)
4. Loosen/remove the nut and lockwasher holding the pot to the mounting bracket and remove the potentiometer.
5. Turn the new potentiometer shaft to the middle of the possible range of motion -- if it can turn 270 degrees, it should be about 135 degrees from both stops.
WARNING: Not doing step 5 can result in damage to the gears when the potentiometer stops turning before the yoke hits the rubber bumpers (X-axis) or the cross-pin (bottom center of pic below) hits the top/bottom of the slot. (Y-axis)
(http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/images/4/46/Yoke_wire_label.jpg)
6. Install the new potentiometer. There is a tab on the body of the pot that aligns with a slot in the mounting bracket.
7. Verify that the resistance between tabs 1 and 2 or tabs 2 and 3 is half the resistance between tabs 1 and 3 -- adjust the potentiometer as needed.
8. Without turning the handles or 60 tooth gear from their normal resting position, align the set screw on the 14/28 tooth gear with the flat on the potentiometer shaft, re-install the gear, and tighten the set screw.
9. Gently test the range of motion to ensure that the gears are meshing properly and that the potentiometer shaft turns freely through the full range of motion.
10. Reconnect the three potentiometer wires.
11. Connect the yoke to the interface board and calibrate the interface board.
There are more pics on the wiki Yoke Rebuild (http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?title=Yoke_Rebuild) page.
Scott