Dreamcast/IPac Question

[phantompower]

Hey all,

I have a quick question about adding Dreamcast controls to my cabinet.  In the past, when I built my console controller and integrated Playstation and Dreamcast controls together, I needed to use Molex quick disconnects to keep the two from acting funky from being inline with each other.

My question is this, do I need to use a switch or quick disconnects to add Dreamcast controllers to a dedicated MAME cab?  My MameStation II only has an IPac4 in it now and I am planning on adding two Dreamcast controllers.

I would like to think I could run them inline with, basically, two wires to each of the buttons...one back to the IPac and one back to the Dreamcast controller.  

I would guess as long as the Dreamcast is off when the PC is on and vise versa, there shouldn't be an issue.

I would love to hear from someone who might be familiar with this as I would like to add this functionality this weekend.

Thanks for your help
Chuck

aka phantompower (XBox Live)

[eightbit]

Sorry I can't help with whether or you can wire it that way but if it doesn't another option would be quick connects. I used db25 (parrallel or serial port) extension cables-



I did it for swappable control panels, no reason you couldn't do it for swappable interfaces.

[SNAAAKE]

manner of speaking it works(it did work with ps1 and dreamcast guts).

BUT,I needed both consoles to be ON at the same time AND it was slow(you press something=wait 2 second and it works).

You could always try ...but if i were to suggest anything here..i would say use a vga switch box and test the box with monitors first.

SEE,i had this 25 pin printer switch box and i never had a chance to TEST the actual box itself(i dont have any printer that uses 25 pin) to see if the box was working or not.SO...if you do get it to work..let me know on the double(i dont think i will go back on wiring the thing again but hey...atleast we would know if it works or not).

[CthulhuLuke]

The problem with dreamcast pads is for some reason, whoever built them decided that the ground of the dreamcast pad would draw around 5v+ from every other source it touches.  Example would be if you hooked a PSX and DC pad to a set of joystick buttons, the buttons would work fine on the dreamcast, but would only work on the PSX when you turned on both systems, because the dreamcast is drawing power, and needs that power from the dreamcast port to work.
   So there is a method around this, and that's using a toggle switch to switch between grounds, the positive sides don't draw power, but the grounds are what's your problem.  So just make a switch underneath your CP that switches between the I-Pac, and the DC, if you need some help with this one, just email me or something, because those switches are real easy to hook up.
    What I did for my panel, was I had the I-pac wired in sync with 2 psx pads, and I used two psx to dreamcast pads to play dreamcast, so I would just unplug the psx controllers from the convertors, and the I-pac would work fine without any problems.  In the future I'm going to install a dpdt switch underneath my cab, but that's when I can stop playing it, which will probably be never, but if you want to see some images of what I did with the controls, go over to my site, www.geocities.com/cthulhuluke/Cabinet/updatepics.html  and look at the "Motherbrain" which is the wiring board, and look at the dreamcast with the two psx to dc convertors.
     -Good luck
         -CthulhuLuke

[phantompower]

CthulhuLuke,

Fantastic response...I am always fascinated about how helpful this board is.

In regards to the switch of just the ground, that would be a lot easier to handle...might I be so lazy as to ask what parts I would need exactly...specifically, which switch?

Thanks again.

Chuck

[eightbit]

In regards to the switch of just the ground, that would be a lot easier to handle...might I be so lazy as to ask what parts I would need exactly...specifically, which switch?

A DPDT (double pole, double throw) switch. Its like 2 switches in one. You could accomplish the same thing by putting a switch on the ground of your ipac and a switch on the ground of your dreamcast. Then you would only want only one switch on at a time. A DPDT does this in one switch and insures that only one is active at a time.

[SNAAAKE]

that would be a lot easier to handle...might I be so lazy as to ask what parts I would need exactly...specifically, which switch?

Thanks again.

Chuck

JUST so you know..doesnt work(gamepad dont seem to care even if you have a toggle switch in there,you still gotta turn on both consoles to get it to work) .
I tried 3 different toggle switches from radioshack and everything failed...it might still work(i dont know how) but if you get to work(ever)....post.