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X-Arcade Tankstick limited button presses (6 button limitation)
05SRT4:
--- Quote from: molton on May 23, 2012, 07:58:36 am ---I know it's ~$40 and a pain in the ass, but you could upgrade it with an I-PAC or a keywiz or something, I installed an I-PAC in my x-arcade
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Its either that or get a new Motherboard for around the same price maybe more.
I think it would be hard to try different PS/2 cards since there isn't really any specs to go off of.
ark_ader:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on May 23, 2012, 09:37:33 am ---
--- Quote from: molton on May 23, 2012, 06:55:56 am ---To add to Pinballjim's post, especially in older PC's, it is not unheard of that unplugging and plugging in a ps/2 device while the power is on can fry a computer.
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This has never happened once.
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Most of the time the keyboard doesn't get detected by BIOS. Rule of thumb is not to plug said device into the computer when running, but that was due to the limitations of the hardware of the day. Newer boards still do not tolerate PS/2 swaps, but in respect of the X Arcade pass through it does matter if you insert the keyboard after. It just doesn't work with the PC. I would think it had something to do with voltage or signal or that is is simply not plug and play.
http://superuser.com/questions/388440/why-is-the-ps-2-interface-not-plug-and-play
eds1275:
--- Quote from: ABACABB on May 23, 2012, 07:41:59 am ---I really wish the PS/2 port would work for me. I have a friend that originally had his Tankstick plugged in via USB but when we found out the button limitation, he switched to his PS/2 port and now does have unlimited simultaneous button presses. I have no PS/2 ports but I bought a cheap PCI card with PS/2 ports from Newegg. It didn't work after several attempts and reboots. A standard PS/2 keyboard did work in the card though. Does anyone know if a better card would make a difference here? On X-Gaming's website, I don't see this PS/2 to USB adapter but I fear that since they are running through USB I would have the same 6 button limitation I am getting now through USB.
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On the X-Gaming website they do not sell the PS/2 to USB adapter any more but will gladly sell you a USB upgrade. As much as this bites I suppose it's not a lot of money and the computer world is constantly changing. As a bonus, you do not need to plug in a keyboard if using the ps/2 port on this one.
http://www.xgaming.com/store/x-arcade-adapters/product/x-arcade-usb-adapter/
erockmonroe:
I know this is a stale thread, but I felt the need to chime in enough to register and post in case anyone can help. I have a similar issue with my tankstick. My old comp crapped out so I bought a new fast pc, very excited to be able to play a bunch of new mame games without choppiness, I was bummed when I found out that the tankstick didn't work right anymore. I eventually found out it was due to using usb on the new pc, because it doesn't have any ps/2 ports. Bummed.
To anyone who doesn't believe it ( seems like there are a few here) it IS an issue. Something no one has brought up is the fact that people like to mash buttons, going over 6 buttons with a button masher is rediculously easy, and watching your player on screen flail around not doing what you intend it to do is frustrating to say the least. There are many many games and situations where going over 6 buttons is an issue, this pc is on my dedicated arcade, it is almost always running 2 players, if Im playing alone I go upstairs to my pc, so yes, the button limitations are a clear problem for some of us.
So what can be done? I too had thought about slapping a pci ps/2 adapter in my comp till I saw this thread saying it didn't work. I might still try it because I desperately want to fix this problem, but Id like to know if anyone has found any other solutions. I have been advised I could solder a pc/2 port onto my motherboard, Im not comfortable doing this as I have no skill at it. Buying a whole new motherboard seems tedious. My best bet is to try the pci slot, but I've seen more evidence that it wont work than it will. The guys at Frys told me I could put a com port to serial cable then serial to ps/2 on my motherboard, but when I opened it up no such com port was available. If anyone knows of a workaround or a pci card that is confirmed working for this, please let me know, thank you for your time.
MonMotha:
Most of non-traditional PS/2 port options I've seen are USB at some point as it's really the only other way to hook up a keyboard that doesn't require special drivers. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them have the same 6 button limitation. The only reliable way to get a "real" PS/2 port is to put it on the LPC (or ISA, if you actually have one, but then you probably have PS/2 ports, too) bus, and there's no standard add-in connector for that.
If you can find a PS/2 to USB adapter that doesn't have the boot protocol 6 button limitation (this is quite easy to get around while still being a fully functional USB keyboard), that would work. This will probably be a trial and error thing. Other option would be to build up a new PC. Even fairly cheap non-OEM motherboards still seem to have PS/2 ports on them.
Also, somebody needs to konk the people who made this device over the head. There's no excuse for having the 6 button boot protocol limitation on something that isn't even an actual keyboard and hence is totally unnecessary during boot.
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