Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: MAMEBase on February 15, 2008, 03:42:40 pm
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So I'm thinking about designing a control panel to use with a PlayStation 2 using real arcade controls.
Nothing new there, I'll admit, but I'm having difficulty finding any sort of commercially available PS2 controller Breakout Board (Similar to say, a Hagstrom Keyboard encoder Board).
Does such an item exist? I'm willing to put some R&D into this, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel...
And yes, I'm well aware of methods one can use to hack an existing controller, but I'm looking for a more elegant solution...
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Ultimarc has connections for their I-Pac's to hook up to different consoles.
Ultimarc PSX Adaptors (http://www.ultimarc.com/psx.html)
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Thanks!
While this is more information than I has to begin with, I'm afraid it's not quite what I'm looking for... :(
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Any breakout board you see will just be someone's hand made hack of a ps2 controller. There is no commercially available item (other than the Ultimarc one) because there is no market for it. What would the common Best Buy customer do with something like that?
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It's something I've looked into many times as a lot of gamers like to play many of the arcade conversions available on PS1 or PS2 on their arcade, due to them being poorly emulated on PC etc.
Although game use is limited to those with digital inputs for practical play, the demand is bigger than you think - it being one of the more common requests on our custom cabinets.
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What about (shudder) x-arcade encoder and console adaptors.'
xarcadecontrol (http://www.x-arcade.com/byoarcade.shtml)
adaptdia (http://www.x-arcade.com/service/images/adapters/Adapters.shtml)
adapt (http://www.x-arcade.com/adapters.shtml)
Perhaps this is an option but i wouldn't be as sure as the quality and support as Ultimarc.
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What is it about doing a ps2 controller hack that doesn't appeal to you?
Have you seen Timoe's mini-styx? tms (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=66008.120)
Or Kaytrim's kk (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=69968.160)
edit: add Kaytrim link
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I'd opt for the Ultimarc stuff personally. Not a fan of the hardware in an X-arcade myself.
Like is said here above, try your own joypad hack - elegance isn't really an issue when it's all tucked inside your cab.
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Well, for my purposes, elegance is a factor...
What I'm looking to do is extend the functionality of a previous project
http://homepage.mac.com/mamebase/PhotoAlbum4.html
(I'm working on the Mark II... ;))
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Read up on this thread from over at shoryuken.com
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=113675 (http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=113675)
It is completely devoted to hacking various console pads to be able to hook up to arcade sticks. It lists all of the different controller revisions, pros/cons of hacking each type, images with the contact points, etc.
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MAMEBase, from your previous project, it looks as though you're trying to make something modular that has options for many joystick/button layouts as well as numerous administration functions.
For the Playstation2 (and other consoles as well) there really is a limited number of connections needed for joy/buttons/admin. You could still use a gamepad hack or two and utilize serial or parallel connection(s) or any number of others (cat 5, etc). You could throw the gamepad hacks in a project box (others have done this with gamepads and encoders). Some recent examples would be Franco's and waveryder's- Franco (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=72173.msg768843#msg768843)
waveryder1 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=66932.msg778771#msg778771)
waveryder2 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=66932.msg795693#msg795693)
Good luck with your project.
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Ew3 - You're correct about the modular approach... My hope is to create a new standard for use with computers, consoles, and even Coin-Op Cabinets (FWIW, my first design concepts were for the ColecoVision/Atari 2600... :o)
The flexibility of the design allows one to use the system with a variety of computers/consoles by swapping out the Header Module.
The Header Module pictured was designed for use with MacMAME... A PS2 Header module would likely only contain the Start and Select buttons.
For prototyping purposes, I suppose I'll have to hack a DualShock 2 controller... I was really hoping to find a pre-existing solution, but if the Mark II works out the way I'm hoping it will, and it goes to manufacturing, I'll have a better solution in place by then... :)
My major concern about using a hacked controller is the analog sticks... If I understand correctly, the controller uses 5K pots, whereas full size sticks typically use 100K pots... :banghead:
Any suggestions there?
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Not sure, but I'm thinking about doing something with the Ultimarc joypad adapters. Do you reckon the U360's could be hooked up via the mini-pac, into the PSX adapter and they would work as the analogue sticks on the PSX do?