Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Jabba on February 02, 2004, 04:29:12 pm

Title: Serial Cable Hack did not work. Any ideas?
Post by: Jabba on February 02, 2004, 04:29:12 pm

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and new to electronics. I tried using a serial cable to connect the I-PAC2 to the controls on the panel and it did not work. I got a keyboard error when trying to boot up the computer. I ended up abandoning the idea but am curious as to why it did not work out. Any ideas out there?  More info on the Serial hack at

http://www.garry.ca/construction09.html
http://www.garry.ca/construction10.html

For more info on my serial cable hack...

Thanks,

Garry

Title: Re:Serial Cable Hack did not work. Any ideas?
Post by: Brad Lee on February 02, 2004, 04:52:56 pm

Check in your BIOS for an option to 'ignore keyboard errors', if you're not physically using the ps2 keyboard port

I run into this frequently at work- setting up voicemails that are basically PCs with no keyboard/monitor. When I have to reload one or change a battery, I often forget to make thatchange, so when it boots, it sits and waits at PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE

Pardom my dumbness but what's the serial cable for? My Ipac has ps2 ports, and a cable with ps2 connecters on both ends. THis is what runs to my PC. It also came with a ps2->usb doohickey. Now the optipac came with serial but thatsa different beast

Title: Re:Serial Cable Hack did not work. Any ideas?
Post by: JustMichael on February 02, 2004, 05:14:35 pm

What are you using to connect the I-PAC2 to the computer?  Have you tried having the I-PAC2 connected to the computer but not to the controls?  The computer should boot just fine since the I-PAC2 would appear to be a keyboard to the computer.

Title: Re:Serial Cable Hack did not work. Any ideas?
Post by: bigmoe on February 02, 2004, 05:16:52 pm

Other folks making swappable panels have reported errors when using cabling > 3 ft.  The culprit seems to be the fact that inputs P1B7, P1B8, P2B7 also drive the LEDs, so when using bundled cabling over a certain length, these dual-use inputs report a "key stuck".

From what I understand (not having done it myself but planning to), you should be ok if you

  a) shorten your db wiring;
  b) avoid those three inputs; or
  c) run these three inputs individually (this may or may not work; I haven't read of anyone doing it).

This has been mentioned in other recent threads, but I'm too lazy to look up the links  ;D.

b