Very confussed about adding 2 steering wheels

[Walkinshaw]

Hi all,

After reading through pages and pages about steering wheels and how to add them, I'm probably more confused that when I started. I understand on how to add them its just the (many) methods are confusing.

I get to the point where option X looks like the winner and then read on and someone comes up with an option Y and so on and so on. Then at the end of it I'm like combining bits from options X, Y and so on. Too confusing.

What I would like is for a simple answer to my problem.

I have a mame cabinet that I would like to add 2 x 360 degree (Pit Stop type)  wheels and gas/brake pedals for both.

I need to know the best method for me to connect these to my machine.

I have a trackball connected to my PS/2 port and am running a J-pac (Was a jamma system). I just want to be able to make 2 control panel tops (1 already has my joysticks, and the second would have the 2 wheels). I would just then swap over the top panel when I wanted to play the old car games.

I have read about the opti pacs, AKI devices, mouse hacks, USB joystick hacks bla bla bla and thats where I think Im confused. I just want to know whats the easiest way for me to connect these up. I plan on playing a lot of Super sprint and Off road racing with my friend. I am using Mame .92 and windows XP but do I need analogue Mame to run with 2 players ?

I plan on getting some Ebayed cheap PC Steering wheels and using the USB Pedals from them for my cabinet, but how do they connect ? I know they go through the USB but is that all ? I just plug them in direct and they show in windows ? or do I need to hack something to get them to work ?

I know I need to make a sensor for the 360 wheels using a USB mouse hack, but do they just plug right into the mouse port ? or do they interface through something.

Someone please advise me on what to use and I think the main problem is what interfaces everything together or is it jsut straight into the PC.

Thanks in advance.

You can probably see how confused I am by just writing this =)

[Flinkly]

well, it depends on what kind of wheel you want, 270 or 360 (i think).

for a 360, you can just hook up a wheel like one axis of a mouse, so a mouse hack is the cheapest way to go.  see minwahs driving panel and other pole position panels for ideas and details.

as for 270 degree wheels, i have no idea...

[u_rebelscum]

Easiest way for 360 degree wheels:

Currrent official mame.

Hack a mouse, optipac, or an oscar mouse interface board.  (any of them, I know doesn't help you chose, but the latter two are easier)

Put player one wheel on X axis, player 2 on Y axis.

Map mouse Y axis to player two in mame for those games.

[Kremmit]

He says he wants 360 degree wheels, it just gets lost in that post.

Your PC pedals will just plug in to the USB, correct.

The wheels will connect through an Opti-Pac, or a Mouse Hack.  It sounds like you're maybe not up for hacking your own mouse, so either buy the Opti-Pac from Ultimarc, or buy a pre-hacked mouse from Oscar Controls. 

You will not need Mame Analog+ for two wheels.  Each wheel will appear to Windows as one axis of a two-axis mouse.

[Flinkly]

sorry, i read the whole post, but lost the 360 degree info.  my bad.

[Kremmit]

Just to help you make up your mind:

The Opti-Pac allows you to hook up lots of devices.  If you're going to add another trackball, some spinners, a third 360 degree wheel, or a Major Havoc Roller  , then that's the way to go.

If you're not planning on adding any other optical controls, then the Oscar board will handle your two wheels no problem, and cost you a whole lot less.

[Walkinshaw]

Thanks for the advice guys, things are much clearer.

Just one note on the Pedals.

I'm not too sure how the steering wheel / pedal units come (Pedals plug into wheel via USB or they are hard wired in) but just incase I dont get seperate USB ones, how would I connect the pedals up ? Would I need to hack anything or is Dave's AKI the solution ?

And If I do manage to get USB ones and plug them into the PC directly, do they get recognised as a Joystick in the control panel or how ?

Thanks again.

Oh I will prolly do the Oscar USB mouse hack for the 2 wheels using 2 of oscars optic boards. I can mouse hack them easy but seeing there are a few other items I want from Oscar I may as well save myself the hassel and order most from him.

[paigeoliver]

Forget about USB pedals, get some real arcade ones, they will run you about the same price and they are way better.

If your in the US I can provide a pair of matched gas pedals from a Sprint 2 for $50 shipped, I will include some extras as well (like the shaped pieces of wood they mount to, and the wiring), they can be hooked up with either an AKI interface board or a simple gameport joystick hack (or you can rig them to press a button if you just want on/off action.

[Walkinshaw]

Thanks mate, but being from Australia it would probably cost me an arm and a leg to get them over here. Just like the Pole position wheels I see on Ebay, everything that I want is on ebay but all from the states =(

Wish I could get hold of them from someone in Australia.

Going back to the USB ones though, if thats my only solution, would I have to do a joystick hack to get them to work ?

Thanks

[paigeoliver]

Ok, then I know a guy who might be able to help you. Go over the klov.com forums and send a private message to Jeff, he is in Australia and he has more stuff than anyone else I know.

[Walkinshaw]

Thanks for that. I sent him an email. Just hope he has something =)

Although just incase, if I needed to hook up PC pedals will I need a joystick hack to do it ?

Thanks for your help mate

[paigeoliver]

Thanks for that. I sent him an email. Just hope he has something =)

Although just incase, if I needed to hook up PC pedals will I need a joystick hack to do it ?

Thanks for your help mate

PC pedals ARE joysticks in the first place, no hacks are needed unless you want to remove the wheel part of the set (in that case just take the wheel apart and take the guts out of it and stash those inside the cabinet.

[Walkinshaw]

Thanks for the quick replys.

So as I assume, for 2 sets of pedals to be setup (Leaving the guts of the wheels inside the cab) they just plug into the PC and they will be detected as 2 seperate joysticks ? If I enable mame to accept joysticks does it detect 2 ? I'm not sure

Because I have to hook up the 2 of them I was reading a joystick hack is used as to put one set of pedals on the X axis and the other one on the Y so that there is only one joystick detected in windows

Just trying to

[paigeoliver]

Yes, just buy two sets of USB pedals and turn on joystick support in mame and hide the "wheel" part of the wheels inside the cabinet.

[Lilwolf]

It sounds like you understand this now but... 360 steering wheels you hack like a mouse.

[Walkinshaw]

Good point Lilwolf.

I think the 2 types of games that my friend and I will play is the super sprint and the offroad series. I think they are basically on/off type acceleration IIRC.

I think its more the look of having the pedals incorporated into the cabinet with original 360 degree wheels. I know the pedals are not original arcade but I am willing to overlook that part =)

Thanks again everyone for the help.

[paigeoliver]

Good point Lilwolf.

I think the 2 types of games that my friend and I will play is the super sprint and the offroad series. I think they are basically on/off type acceleration IIRC.

I think its more the look of having the pedals incorporated into the cabinet with original 360 degree wheels. I know the pedals are not original arcade but I am willing to overlook that part =)

Thanks again everyone for the help.

Check around ebay.au and call some Aussie distributors, a pair of Atari or Happs style "kit" pedals would run you about the same price, and look and function a heck of a lot better. They are metal and they just bolt on to the front of the cabinet.