Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Johnny_Summers on March 08, 2006, 06:57:57 am
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Hi guys,
Just joined the forum.
I already have a standard (JAMMA spec) MAME cabinet, but as you can imagine, playing driving games on one of these just doesn't do it.
I have managed to get hold of a Special Criminal Investigation cab with the view of playing the MAME driving games on it. Upon investigating the controls for the wheel, they seem to be similar to that of a (non optical) mouse (wheels with holes in it, sensors at the side for the x-axis).
My question is.......can I wire this up as a mouse and use it directly in the PC (serial or PS2) or would I need an Opti-Pac, A-Pac etc?
Also, if anyone has any manuals or documents for this machine that would help with identifying wiring etc I would be extremely grateful.
Cheers guys,
Johnny.
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You could almost certainly wire the optics up to a mouse hack, opti-pac or similar interface...this is common practice, search this board for more info.
Failing this, you could use a mouse hack, but use the mouse optics instead of the original arcade ones...do this only if the above does not work tho.
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MinWah,
Thanks for the reply. Can I just confirm:
Using an Opti-Pac, I wire up from the wheel (4 wires IIRC) to the Opti-Pac board, then use the standard PS2 cable from the Opti-Pac board to the PC. Using a mouse, I chop the mouse bit off and connect directly to the wires coming out of the steering wheel? If that is the case, what is the advantage of using an Opti-Pac? Oh, the Opti-Pac handles the buttons I guess?
Thanks again.
Johnny.
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Using an Opti-Pac, I wire up from the wheel (4 wires IIRC) to the Opti-Pac board, then use the standard PS2 cable from the Opti-Pac board to the PC.
Yep.
Using a mouse, I chop the mouse bit off and connect directly to the wires coming out of the steering wheel?
Not quite that simple, see: http://mamewah.mameworld.net/mousehack.htm
If that is the case, what is the advantage of using an Opti-Pac? Oh, the Opti-Pac handles the buttons I guess?
Basically an Opti-Pac is a piece of cake to connect up to, a mouse hack is not (Oscars pre-hacked mice excluded, but these are currently unavailable).
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Minwah,
Thanks very much for that info. I actually already have an Opti-Pac so I will give it a go with that.
Johnny.
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Thanks very much for that info. I actually already have an Opti-Pac so I will give it a go with that.
Good luck, you just need to identify the 5v and GND wires then and you should be set :)