Dreamcast Boot Disks/ Dreamcast API

[Grasshopper]

I asked in a previous thread whether it was possible to use a convertor to connect a ps/2 keyboard encoder (such as an Ipac) to a Dreamcast in place of two Dreamcast controllers.  The answer that came back was probably not.

I've just had a thought. You can get hold of Dreamcast boot disks for playing Dreamcast games designed for different regions. Would it be possible to make a bootdisk that patched the Dreamcasts I/O routines so that a Dreamcast keyboard appeared to be two controllers? I realise this is a long shot. I'd be willing to have a go at writing the program myself but I know nothing about Dreamcast programming. Can someone point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance.

[Mooters]

why not buy a keyboard to dreamcast encoders for ten dollars?

It might work or not just an idea

[Grasshopper]

why not buy a keyboard to dreamcast encoders for ten dollars?

It might work or not just an idea

I've already made the decision to buy a convertor but there are a couple of problems.

First of all some of the convertors only allow you to use a ps/2 keyboard with games designed for the Dreamcast keyboard i.e. typing of the dead.

Even if the convertor allows the ps/2 keyboard to be used in place of a standard Dreamcast controller, what happens if you have built a 2 player panel? I guess you COULD build a panel using two Ipacs (one for each player) and then use two convertors but that would be prohibitively expensive.

[tom61]

The Smart Joy 2 and Total Control 2 adapters let you use a keyboard as a controller. Problem is, of course, you can only have one per encoder.

Pathcing isn't feasable, as each game can run different 'OS'es/APIs.

If you don't already have the keyboard encoder, it might be worth while to get X-Arcade's encoder and the adapter to Dreamcast (supports two players). Note: No one has reversed engineered these to see if you can use other encoders than X-Arcade's.

[ashardin]

Can you use X-arcade's encoder with an IPAC and a custom built control panel or does the X-arcade joystick send a specialized command that only its own encoder recognizes?

[Grasshopper]

The Smart Joy 2 and Total Control 2 adapters let you use a keyboard as a controller. Problem is, of course, you can only have one per encoder.

Pathcing isn't feasable, as each game can run different 'OS'es/APIs.

If you don't already have the keyboard encoder, it might be worth while to get X-Arcade's encoder and the adapter to Dreamcast (supports two players). Note: No one has reversed engineered these to see if you can use other encoders than X-Arcade's.

Thanks for the replys guys.

When I used the term API I was really thinking about the BIOS' API (does the Dreamcast have a significant BIOS?) and not the operating system that presumably runs on top.

tom61: Can you tell me which of the above convertors you prefer and why? Also do they have different key mappings? If they do, it occurs to me that I could buy one of each and then somehow split the Ipac's output so that it is fed into both controllers simultaneously. It's a long-shot but this would enable a two player panel to be built.

ashardin: I emailed X-Arcade about this before Xmas. Their answer was no but I'm suspicious that I was being fobbed off by a salesperson who didn't have any technical knowledge. He suggested solution was that that I buy an X-Arcade!

[Dave_K.]

Grasshopper, I know you've asked this before in a different thread, and I'm a little shocked that Tom would write that in response as he is wrong.  Tom was also the person that wrote that erroneous info in the old dreamcast faq.  And I know you so much want this to work but it simply won't.  Since it was a long time ago, I think Tom forgot why he dropped this idea.

Back in the day, we had the same hopes...mostly because SoulCalibur did indeed support the keyboard as a joystick controller (but only as player 1).  Every other game I've tried does not work like this.  In fact, I have a Dreamcast keyboard, and just tried several games right now (PowerStone, Project Justice..) and both did not even recognize the keyboard.  Soul Calibur (as I just confirmed again) does recognize it...the enter key is mapped to the start button, the arrow keys to the digital pad, and by mashing around on the keyboard I found the other 4 ABXY buttons.

But let me make this perfectly clear, SoulCalibur is the only game I have ever seen which will allow the keyboard for use as a joystick.  If this is enough for you (to play one game) then go for it.  Maybe the 2nd player will work if you plug in a second keyboard into port 2 (I doubt it though).

[Grasshopper]

I thought I'd resurrect this ancient thread because I finally got round to purchasing a Total Control 2 converter.

It arrived a few days ago from Play Asia and guess what? It works!!

You can use a PC keyboard in place of one of the DC's controllers. I've just been playing Dead or Alive 2 on a PC keyboard! I've attached a picture of the instructions from the manufacturers website (www.hkems.com).

I'm quite excited about this because I can use my existing single player panel with my DC almost immediately.

Unfortunately, I don't think it will be suitable for my next panel which will be two player. I'd have to buy two of these (one per player) AND two Ipacs which would start to get seriously expensive. But for a single player panel fitted with an Ipac it's ideal.

I also tried it with a Playstation pad and it works fine, no noticeable lag or anything, and it supports rumble.

I'm seriously tempted to revisit my original plan to hack Playstation pads instead of DC ones and use a couple of these converters.

[Dave_K.]

Interesting, I was not aware of a converter that had a "keyboard emulate controller mode".   I guess then it doesn't matter if the game really supports keyboard input or not if you have a controller that does this emulation.  Have you tried it with other DC games?

[Grasshopper]

Interesting, I was not aware of a converter that had a "keyboard emulate controller mode".   I guess then it doesn't matter if the game really supports keyboard input or not if you have a controller that does this emulation.  Have you tried it with other DC games?

I've just been trying the adapter with Jet Grind Radio and Star Wars Pod Racer. It works pretty well with both games even though they (at least by default, haven't gone into the settings) require you to use the analogue pad.

That's one of the interesting things about this converter, it gives you a keymap for both the digital and the analogue pads. Most people who hack a DC controller only attempt to connect their joystick to the digital pad for obvious reasons, but there are probably some games that are either analogue only or require you to use both pads.

[visciouslymamed]

That's one of the interesting things about this converter, it gives you a keymap for both the digital and the analogue pads.

So is this one of those psuedo-analogue behavior circuts or is it just digital mapped to the analogue inputs?