Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: gurnie on September 01, 2007, 02:11:14 am

Title: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: gurnie on September 01, 2007, 02:11:14 am

Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: Matthew Anderson on September 01, 2007, 11:01:25 am
I would suggest that you try things in notepad.... not the most exciting game but it sounds like you are running into shift key issues at the very least....


However, I am sure others will have much more helpful suggestions.


Good Luck   :D
Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: gurnie on September 01, 2007, 11:36:01 am
What file should I edit and what should i type?  If someone can forward me to a post, i'd be most appreciative.

and does anyone know whats up with the left direction on the 1play's joystick?
Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: BobA on September 01, 2007, 12:10:23 pm
Just open notepad from your start all programs/accessories/notepad

Then use the controls and see if the correct characters/action occurs in notepad.

How is your ipac mounted?   Is there anything underneath that could be shorting?

To get rid of sticky keys and other annoyances follow this

Link (http://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/zanswers/463)
Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: gurnie on September 01, 2007, 12:33:36 pm
Ok, welcome to bizzar-o land

Go through the first player buttons, everything is cool, everything is where it should be. (1Player Left is L arrow, 1SW1 is L-ctrl, ect)

Go through the 2nd player buttons and nothing is popping up...So i start striking keys again on the 1st player... Suddenly 1player Left is Y, Up on player 1 is now V... it just switches all of asudden... it was perfectly fine 30 seconds ago....  :dizzy:
Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: BobA on September 01, 2007, 02:44:34 pm
Have you gone thru the selftest function on the IPAC?   Did you get any LED error codes?    Are you using the standard MAME key set that the ipac comes with?

Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: gurnie on September 01, 2007, 09:08:45 pm
I have not had a chance to do the  self test function (i have only typed stuff in txt).  The Panel is mounted (So i can't plug a keyboard into the pass through) and I will only have a chance to remove it tomorrow after my guest leave.

I was able to check the LED test, the light did flash for a second on start up, then it did not stay lit.  Does that mean the board is faulty, or is it signaling the error code below:

It did give me 12 flashes, meaning Player 2 Switch 4 is incorrectly wired (which doesn't make sense since it comes up fine the first time I type the key the first time. If i go through all the buttons again, everything screws up).  I don't know if there are more that have errors because I can't disconnect the buttons at the moment.
 

I wonder if I just need to send the board and the chip to andy. 

Ugh, disappointing that this didn't work for my friends :banghead: 
Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: robot8319 on September 01, 2007, 10:54:00 pm
i had the exact same problems with my J-pac..

the only way to fix it was to use the cd that came with the j-pac..i know it sounds crazy but that fixed all my problems..

just leave it running while using mame and see how it acts it should straighten itself out.

Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: Zebidee on September 02, 2007, 01:37:55 am
I really doubt that there is a problem with your ipac chip.

Sounds like wiring shorts somewhere in your CP, maybe a joystick microswitch is sticking too.

If I was you, I'd patiently go over the whole CP switches and contacts with a fine-tooth comb.

Oh, and use the Winipac sofware because it mght help you identify which switches are causing problems.  EG, a stuck switch will stay highlighted.
Title: Re: What to do, what to do.. (mame software problems? i-pac?) and my awful day
Post by: gurnie on September 02, 2007, 10:56:30 pm
Update:

So i figured out the problem (and how dim was I not to catch this), basically the Player one button was connected so it constantly sent the shift signal, making the i-pac send shift signals to every key.. To bad i didn't figure that out friday   ::)

Now if I can only find the solution to fixing the directional button sticking,  Apparently (according to andy's documents) its something dealing with the Mame32 software (i have Mame32 .81)

Oh a searching the forums I go  ;)

**edit
For now i downloaded mame32 .61 and it has resolved my directional button sticking problem.  So I'll probably just hold on to this version for awhile.

Too bad I couldn't have figured this out on friday when my friends were here, it would have taken less than an hour to fix  ::)