DreamCast Help - To Mame Cab

[topdawgg]

I am almost finished with my Control Panel for my mame cab.  It has 2 8 way joysticks with 6 buttons each, and a 4 way joystick with 2 buttons and a couple admin/player buttons and one trackball.  It has a keywiz encoder and will be set up to work with mame.

I also own a sega dreamcast with Marvel vs. Capcom.  Basically I want to be able to play marvel vs. capcom on my control panel (which is going in my mame cab).  Any suggestions? 

Could I purchase hacked DC controls and wire them to my exisiting CP.   Then when I wanted to play my DC, i could just turn the monitor on and play?  I dont care if its pretty ... just I dont want it to interefere with my mame machine at all and I dont have the space to build two.

Thanks.

Robert

Some specs:
Windows xp pro, p3 800, 128 meg nvidia card, 21 inch pc monitor, cab is wired to start when you press the start button on the pc.  As a side note I also have the 2 player xarcade cp with the wires for the dc.

[Goz]

Read the console FAQ by DaveK for info on connecting to the monitor and contact HarumaN on the forums he sells hacked Dreamcast pads ready to go. DC in a cab is a beautiful thing...

-Goz

[CheffoJeffo]

DC in a cab is a beautiful thing...

Just got my Dreamcast (first console for me in a LONG time) ... yep ... be getting a couple more and putting them all in cabs.

Cheers.

[WTB]

Just took in a couple more DC's for my collection. In your situation, I would definitely contact a board member (*Haruman*) for hacked controls. I've just finished a cab using a Dreamcast. At first I used hacked controls, but looking for a more "finished" look, purchased the arcade kit from X-Arcade. I've since decided to use a PC for my particular situation; that's why the X-arcade controls worked better (USB support). Either way, great idea. Well worth the effort.

   -Matt

[dennis808]

I'd make sure that if you connect both the hacked DC-pads and the keywiz to the control panel, that you switch the Keywiz off BEFORE you power the Dreamcast on.
I don't know what type of current the KeyWiz uses/produces (it does need power I assume) but keep all currents from going into the DC-pads and the Dreamcast console, since it's controller ports are easily fried.

I'm doing the same as you (building a PC and DC into my cab) and came up with this solution:


So I could switch between controlling the PC and the DC using a printer-switch.
This is how it came out:


I'm pretty pleased with it I must say!

Oh, and I can certify that HarumaN's padhacks are the best, but if you have a little experience with soldering, it's not all that hard.


How are you planning on connecting the Dreamcast to your monitor? A VGA-box I assume?

[Level42]

Mooi werk Dennis ! Ik zal dit op een dag toch moeten nabouwen vrees ik 

De knopjes staan erg goed in je paneel haha !

Groetjes, Andr

[topdawgg]

Dennis thanks for the great explanation and photos...

The only problem I have is that I am not using a parallel cable coming out of my control panel (and my control panel has 3 joysticks and 20 buttons).  Sorry I am pretty new to this.

As for the poster who said that they purchased the x-arcade controls, I also have those controls right now and use my dreamcast on a normal tv.  I hate the X-Arcade controls, they are too close together but they are very simple.  Knowing that it is so simple for the xarcade panel, there has to be an easy way to make it work in a cab. 

As far as the monitor goes, I wanted to use a 21 inch pc monitor in my cab but I do not know how that will connect to the dreamcast.

Thanks for the ideas.

http://www.groovygamegear.com/Page5.html

That is the encoder I used.

[elvis]

As far as the monitor goes, I wanted to use a 21 inch pc monitor in my cab but I do not know how that will connect to the dreamcast.

Dreamcast is the only console that outputs 31KHz (640x480 @60Hz) native VGA.  You can purchase a "Dreamcast VGA Box" off ebay for a couple of bucks.  I have my Dreamcast permanently attached to my 21" PC monitor, and the whole lot is earmarked for a cabinet when I next get some holidays.

[WTB]

Just for clarification... I didn't actually use the X-Arcade controls, instead I used the X-Arcade Build-Your-Own-Arcade kit. It is just the encoder and wiring harness. With the additional adapter, the encoder plugs directly into the Dreamcast's contoller ports and I get to use my own buttons and CP. Now that I've taken the DC out of the cabinet, I just changed the adapter cord to the provided USB cord. All done. Plug in the computer and go!
    The reason I took the hacked pads out of the cabinet was a space issue. Two hacked pads just didn't fit where I needed them. I figured for $80 all told, the X-Arcade kit would make things much easier to deal with and would fit much better. More money, but less headaches; and I can change my mind as many times as I want. If I ever decide to make it into an Xbox cab for example, $20 buys me an adapter and I just swap out the console/computer.

   - Matt

[Goz]

Another great point about the X-Arcade BYOA kit is that it supports both digital and analog controls via a mode switch. Hacked pads are all digital so you can actually play more games if using the X-Arcade BYOA Kit. But to the previous point ;yes the Xarcade control panel sucks, but the BYOA kit makes things very simple to add another console. Because the XArcade adapters connect via DB9 connectors you can use a switchbox and have all the adapters connected at one time and simply switch between PC, Dreamcast, Xbox, PS2, Gamecube.

-Goz

[dennis808]

The only problem I have is that I am not using a parallel cable coming out of my control panel

Because the XArcade adapters connect via DB9 connectors you can use a switchbox and have all the adapters connected at one time and simply switch between PC, Dreamcast, Xbox, PS2, Gamecube

Well, it seems we have a possible solution here, the X-Arcade guts in your panel, and a DB9 switch to send the controls either to the KeyWiz or to the X-Arcade chip.

You probably wired all your controls on the panel directly to the KeyWiz I guess?
If you want to be able to switch safely, you have to rewire some of the controls (P1 and P2 joystick and buttons)

I was going to go the usual route of mounting the I-Pac key encoder on the underside of the panel, but then the Dreamcast came into play and I decided for this more modular solution. Stripping and identifiyng the cables was tedious work, but very practical in the end. Adding a PS2 will be very easy now, I'll just have to hack a pair of controllers and wire them to the parralel cable. (I didn't know about X-Arcade DIY kit).
Here's a few pics of how I spliced up the parallel cable to the controls:








(yes, that's an unfinished DIY-spinner)


The hacked DC pads (in need of some more cable-ties)

En Andre, bedankt voor 't compliment en de knoppen!

[topdawgg]

Love the pictures thanks.

"You probably wired all your controls on the panel directly to the KeyWiz I guess?
"

Actually I have just finished the wiring for the ground on each item...  The reason I did not want to use the xarcade kit is because I didnt know if it had enough inputs for the amount of buttons/joysticks I am using.

The keywiz is mounted to the back of the CP, but not wires other than the ground have been mounted.

So you are saying to split a parrellel cable... run each wire from each button to that cable (just make sure I match them correctly on the other cable color wise?) then split a parrallel cable on the other side of the switch and run the appropriate wire to the encoder which in turn will run the PC.  On the same side as the encoder run another parrallel cable that runs to each appropriate wire on the dreamcast hacked pads?  Will this also solve the power situation to not fry my parts?

Lastly, if I purchase that VGA adapter for the monitor, how will I be able to run both the DC and the PC withouth having to take off the adapter?

--- Or should I just try and get mame working with the CP on the PC first and deal with the rest later since the encoder is just screw connectors and re-wiring wouldnt be that hard??

[dennis808]

So you are saying to split a parrellel cable... run each wire from each button to that cable (just make sure I match them correctly on the other cable color wise?) then split a parrallel cable on the other side of the switch and run the appropriate wire to the encoder which in turn will run the PC.  On the same side as the encoder run another parrallel cable that runs to each appropriate wire on the dreamcast hacked pads?

Yep, I hope these pictures will give you all the detail you need:

hacked and numbered cable (to DC pads)


connected on position C of the printer switch:



In this pic you also see the black cable directly running to the key-encoder (no terminal block needed)


Be sure to use cables which have all wires connected to the same pins on both plugs (in Holland these are called switchbox-cables or printer extention-cables). Don't use Null-modem cables, the look the same, but have some wires twisted inside to connect 2 PC's to eachother.

Will this also solve the power situation to not fry my parts?

Definitely. 

Lastly, if I purchase that VGA adapter for the monitor, how will I be able to run both the DC and the PC withouth having to take off the adapter?

Since you're using a VGA-monitor, I'd say one of these would do the trick:

--- Or should I just try and get mame working with the CP on the PC first and deal with the rest later since the encoder is just screw connectors and re-wiring wouldnt be that hard??

You should NEVER EVER get your machine in working order before it is completely wired and all!!! You'll never finish it that way 

That said, you could wire all switches on the CP to the keywiz, and at the same time wire a stripped printercable to the buttons you need to use on the DC (which is less than you have on the panel right?).
I'm just not sure how the keywiz would then react if you turn the PC off and the DC on. I don't know if it (the KeyWiz) will receive current coming from the DC controller ports through your CP-buttons and how it will affect it's operation...

[WTB]

Awesome pics Dennis! Thanks! I'm rebuilding my control panel and hadn't yet worked out how to make it detach properly. I think I'm going with printer cables!

   -Matt

[dennis808]

Thanks for the compliments!
It's the least I can do for all the help I got out of this site and forum.

I think printercables are a cheap and not too hard solution, the only downside is the limit of 25 switches on your controlpanel. That's why I'm also connecting a DB-9 (serial) plug for leds and the hacked mouse for my spinner.

[pmc]

Hey Dennis... where'd you get that brass-ish hook on the bottom of your control panel)? The thing that's used to lock the panel to a cabinet. I need a bunch like that. Presumably the other side of it looks like a trunk (sea-chest type) buckle?

-pmc

[dennis808]

It's sold in most (Dutch) hardware stores. The'yre made to pair up with the clamp in this picture:


The clamps are called egg-box clamps ( ) and I use only 2 to hold my controlpanel in place. I still have some of them left, but why do you need a bunch?

[topdawgg]

Damn and so we have another problem.

I am running 3 joysticks (2 8 way, 1 4 way) and 20 buttons, plus 3 admin buttons

That will equal out to 31 inputs... which is too much for the printer extensions...

[HaRuMaN]

well... you won't be using the four-way joy or admin buttons with the Dreamcast, so why not make them dedicated (wire them straight to the KeyWiz)?

[dennis808]

3 joysticks = (3x4=) 12 switches
20 action buttons (that's a lot btw. Do you really need that many?)
3 admin buttons
That's 35 switches and at least one ground-wire.

Well, you only need 2 joysticks with 6 buttons and a startbutton each to control the dreamcast, which is 24 connections if you include both groundwires.
The parallel cable is also the only one that needs to be switched, so the remaining
11 cables/switches can either be hardwired straight to the keyboard-encoder or connected to some other type of detachable plug (DB-15 maybe?)

Get yourself a pencil and a piece of paper and do like I did; just draw a simple schematic of all the stuff you need to connect.
You're almost there dude

[pmc]

It's sold in most (Dutch) hardware stores. The'yre made to pair up with the clamp in this picture:

The clamps are called egg-box clamps ( ) and I use only 2 to hold my controlpanel in place.

Perfect. Exactly what I'm looking for so long as I can clear my keyboard tray. I betcha I can find 'em here (US) but simply haven't noticed that particular type in the hardware stores yet -- but I haven't looked hard. I'll be in Holland next month so I suppose I could "import" a couple if I can't find 'em here. 

But honestly, I can't imagine that they are not available here.

I still have some of them left, but why do you need a bunch?

I have several panels and am dreaming up a couple more. Right now my main panel is held in by friction. But if you get too excited the whole thing will move. And my new steering wheel panel is front-heavy and if you shift hard, it falls right off! Time to mount it all down properly.

Thanks for the info and the pic.

-pmc

[HaRuMaN]

hmm..Haruman beat me to it. By the way, is my hack qualified Haruman?

Hehe... I like your hacks, and how your routed them through the holes. 

Needs hot glue, though

[topdawgg]

When you use the printer switch box from the keywiz encoder to the dc will you have any problems with the current running?

I really think I am going to give this a try... just have to decide whether or not I should do it before or after I set up the pc to run with mame.

Where can I get those old parrallel switch boxes and the vga adapter I need to switch dreamcast to a pc monitor.  Or should I run my PC off a TV and keep DC on the tv?

[Goz]

You can still get DB25 Printer switch boxes at retail electronics stores. I bought one recently at Fry's electronics. I did see some on ebay at the time I was shopping arround.

You will not have current issues using the switch.

The DC VGA adapter you can get off ebay for about $20