Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: shiloh on October 02, 2008, 09:29:11 am

Title: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: shiloh on October 02, 2008, 09:29:11 am

Hello

I have an issue with my MAME cabinet. The problems has occured only in Pacman and Ms. Pacman so far.

What is happening is the input controls (joystick and pushbuttons) stop working during game play. Sometimes after 20 or 30 seconds they start working again, sometimes I need to reboot.

I havent got the problem with other games yet. I played for a few hours at Robotron, joust, Crazy climber without issue. The problem occurs pretty quickly (within the first few minutes of play) with pacman and Ms. Pacman. I can reproduce the issue everytime.

I am using an IPAC-4. I am running XP SP2, MAMEUI32 0.127u5 and Gameex as the front end.

I already did all the troubleshooting I could for the IPAC and the problem seems not to be with the IPAC/hardware. Its seems to be software.

I have installed the latest redist package of DirectX (I have seen this recommanded somewhere), but that didnt change anything.

Any help or input would be appreciated.

thanks all

Title: Re: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: shiloh on October 15, 2008, 04:53:33 pm

*bump*

Anyone have any ideas about this problem?

I've been troubleshooting it for a while now I still didnt find anything.

I have double checked the joystick for sticking microswitch. Everything is fine, I can play hours to other games without issue. The IPAC is working fine.

After testing a few other games, I realize that I have the issue with all game using the "pacman" driver.

I cant replicate on my PC with the same MAME version, but can replicate the problem everytimes on my cab. Just cant put my finger on it... darn

Title: Re: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: u_rebelscum on October 15, 2008, 07:31:39 pm

All games, or most games in pacman.c?  Almost all games in that driver use 4-way joysticks, but not all (jumpshot, ponpoko, lizwiz, drivfrcp, & porky are 8-way or 2-way).  If these few work, and other 4-way games on different drivers don't, I'd guess it's a mame 4-way input bug.  (To get a list of 193 parents, go to MAWS and do the deluxe search: search resource type: parents and control: joy4way.)  Could you test?

If that's not it, it's ... something else.   Umm, yeah, we'll worry about that if the above guess isn't right.  ;)

Title: Re: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: shiloh on October 16, 2008, 10:30:30 am

So far I tried with 4 or 5 games that uses the pacman.c driver and all games had the issue.

I'll do some more test based on your recommandation and get back to you. It wont be until early next week.

thaks

Title: Re: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: Popcorrin on October 18, 2008, 12:15:25 pm

Just to be positive it is not the ipac, I would unplug it and plug in a keyboard only, then see if the issue still happens.

Title: Re: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: shiloh on October 20, 2008, 10:55:28 pm

Quote from: Popcorrin on October 18, 2008, 12:15:25 pm

Just to be positive it is not the ipac, I would unplug it and plug in a keyboard only, then see if the issue still happens.

I just tested with only a keyboard connected to the cabinet and I can reproduce the problem. So it's definitely not the IPAC.

I'll do some more testing this week if I can get some free time :(

Title: Re: Pacman input controls freeze
Post by: Popcorrin on October 21, 2008, 09:40:31 am

Try upgrading to the latest mame.  128 is out.