Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: the3eyedblindman on May 24, 2004, 10:13:11 pm
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All the mame cabinets i have looked at that i like use the the KE72 Keyboard encoder, and i want too.
I have no idea how to use it tho, can anyone tell me, how do u wire to it, does it take alotta soldering ect? i need help..
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No soldering is required if you use quick disconnects and hagstrom break out boards. The quick disconnects connect the wire to the arcade microswitches on one end. On the other, the wire is screwed into the break out board. The break out board then connects to the keyboard encoder through an IDE cable. I think that the ke72 is a slick piece of hardware but it is not the most economical.
The Ipac also requires no soldering and it is much cheaper. Get it here: http://www.ultimarc.com/orderd.html (http://www.ultimarc.com/orderd.html)
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I believe they sell a breakout board seperately that has terminal blocks where you just screw the wires down. (no soldering)
Have you looked into the IPAC though? www.ultimarc.com
I have used the IPAC and it is very good.
oops, i see this info already posted! see above!
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i was told to use and i pac cuz u just screw it in and put one end into ur microswitch, then daisy chain the ground, but i want my control panel two have 2 8 ways, 1 4 way, a tab enter pause and escape ley, player one and 2 starts and coins, 6 buttons per joystick, a trackball, and the 4 way having two mouse buttons, will the i pac let me do this?
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IPAC4 has 56 inputs.
Just add up the number of inputs you need and see. Keep in mind a player one 4way joystick can share the same connections as an 8way player one joystick.
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does an I PAC have connections for pause enter escape tab and all those? i looke at a pic and it seemed like it only had connections for the buttons for each player and the joysticks.
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You can program it for any keystrokes you desire. Labels on board are just guidelines for default MAME setup. Also check out its shift key capabilities. You can use the same buttons for more than one purpose....take a good look at the website, I believe the IPAC will do everything you need it to and probably more.
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No soldering is required if you use quick disconnects and hagstrom break out boards. The quick disconnects connect the wire to the arcade microswitches on one end. On the other, the wire is screwed into the break out board. The break out board then connects to the keyboard encoder through an IDE cable. I think that the ke72 is a slick piece of hardware but it is not the most economical.
The Ipac also requires no soldering and it is much cheaper. Get it here: http://www.ultimarc.com/orderd.html (http://www.ultimarc.com/orderd.html)
That's a little bit of a fallacy. Since the KE72-T has 72 inputs and optical inputs, you'd need to buy an IPAC4 plus and OptiPAC to get the same functionality. And once you factor in the shipping costs (assuming that you live in the USA), that difference is probably a lot smaller than you think.
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That's a little bit of a fallacy. Since the KE72-T has 72 inputs and optical inputs, you'd need to buy an IPAC4 plus and OptiPAC to get the same functionality. And once you factor in the shipping costs (assuming that you live in the USA), that difference is probably a lot smaller than you think.
Actually, that's not true, the difference is NOT a lot smaller than you would think - Assuming all you want is the inputs and optical controls - these are the options, by cost.
I-PAC/4 with shipping + Oscar Mouse hack (shipping not included) - $69+$12+10 = $91 - This is only 56 inputs against the 72, but you get USB capability, screw terminals, shift functions, LED support (can be added to the KE-72, but it costs extra)., etc.
I-PAC/4 plus Opti-pac plus Shipping - $69+$44+$12 = $125, keep in mind that in addition to the advantages above, you now have USB or serial connections for two trackballs as opposed to one for the KE-72, you also have the circuitry to auto-switch between the spinner and trackball.
I-PAC/4 plus I-PAC/2 + Shipping + Oscar Mouse hack - $69 + $43 + $12 + $10 = $134 I included this just so no one could say "but Hagstrom still gives you more inputs". I expected it to be more than the KE-72T! - 84 inputs vs. 72 plus all the advantages above.
Hagstrom KE-72T - $139 plus shipping ?? - It's a good product, but really it's only advantage for BYOAC use is the 16 additional inputs on one interface.
I-PAC/4 plus I-PAC/2 + Opti-pac + shipping - $69+$43+$44+$12 = $168 - Just to stay with single vendor solutions
Hagstrom KE-72 with two breakout boards so you have screw terminals - $139 + $16 + $16 = $171 plus shipping, and you're back to "only" one trackball and 72 inputs.
Again, not knocking the KE-72, but no way it's the best value, not even close!
And I didn't even take into account some of the possibilities like the Mini-PAC plus I-PAC/4 or the I-PAC/4 plus KeyWiz plus Opti-PAC, but you get the idea . . .
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Prices:
Ipac4: $65
optipac : $39
shipping: $12
total: $116
ke72 with trackball interface: $139
shipping: don't know, probably not less than $5
total: $144
difference $28
edit:
never mind, see above, much more thorough, i'm too slow
my point? don't have one, just showing prices to compare
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I dont care about the prices i need something thats easy for a first timer for the controls i listed above, i am mainly concerned because i wanted pause enter escape and tab on it. How do you program the ipac to any keystrokes u desire? because on it it only has the buttons for joysticks ( up down left right) and player buttons. I really want to learn how to program thosee other keys into it and learn how to use it before i spend money on one....
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I dont care about the prices i need something thats easy for a first timer for the controls i listed above, i am mainly concerned because i wanted pause enter escape and tab on it. How do you program the ipac to any keystrokes u desire? because on it it only has the buttons for joysticks ( up down left right) and player buttons. I really want to learn how to program thosee other keys into it and learn how to use it before i spend money on one....
I-PAC will be easier to use than any of those options -
You are looking at 28 inputs if you combine the 4-way and the first 8-way, 32 if you don't.
You could easily get by with an I-PAC/2 and OSCAR hack, or a KeyWiz.
Easiest way to wire it is to hook everything up as indicated, and wire ESC to 1SW7
Pause to 1SW8
Enter to 2SW7
and TAB to 2SW8.
To program, you move the jumper from MAME to ALT, start the software, hit OK, and you're done. You only have to program it once and it will stay with the new settings.
You can download the programming software from www.ultimarc.com and test it out before you buy it.
You could also do the same thing with the KeyWiz, but you would have to load a line to your autoexec.bat file to load the new codeset on each boot.
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What do u mean combine the 4 way with the 8 way?
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Just to weigh in here, I have always used the Hagstrom boards, but I am planning on using iPacs/Opti-Pacs in future projects.
Why?
When I built my first cabinet, the iPac was in its infancy and didn't have as many useful features as it does now, so I got used to using the Hagstrom controllers. But now the features of the i-Pac/Opti-Pac now far outweigh the Hagstrom. It has plenty of inputs (especially since you can used multiple iPacs if you desire), it supports USB, and you don't have to worry about separate breakout boards.
My biggest reason for switching is the fact that the i-Pac is very easy to program. My MAME cabinets are generally Win2k boxes. In order to program the Hagstrom controller, I have to drop out of Windows and scrounge up a bootable DOS disk. Real pain. The iPac can be programmed using a very simple graphical interface in Windows.
-Jeff "etumor" Allen
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I dont care about the prices i need something thats easy for a first timer for the controls i listed above, i am mainly concerned because i wanted pause enter escape and tab on it. How do you program the ipac to any keystrokes u desire? because on it it only has the buttons for joysticks ( up down left right) and player buttons. I really want to learn how to program thosee other keys into it and learn how to use it before i spend money on one....
I-PAC will be easier to use than any of those options -
You are looking at 28 inputs if you combine the 4-way and the first 8-way, 32 if you don't.
You could easily get by with an I-PAC/2 and OSCAR hack, or a KeyWiz.
Easiest way to wire it is to hook everything up as indicated, and wire ESC to 1SW7
Pause to 1SW8
Enter to 2SW7
and TAB to 2SW8.
To program, you move the jumper from MAME to ALT, start the software, hit OK, and you're done. You only have to program it once and it will stay with the new settings.
You can download the programming software from www.ultimarc.com and test it out before you buy it.
You could also do the same thing with the KeyWiz, but you would have to load a line to your autoexec.bat file to load the new codeset on each boot.
What do you mean combine 4 way and 8 way joysticks?
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Most people that have a 4 way and a 8 way on the same panel double them up on the same inputs. You never end up using both at the same time so they don't conflict with each other.
What do you mean combine 4 way and 8 way joysticks?