First CP!

[qskint]

hope this belongs here?

My first post about building my first CP. been reading this site for a while and eventually wna tto build a full mame cabinet, but limited room and knowledge have stopped me doing this for now, soon though i hope. in the mean time i want to build a decent cp to play mame on my pc.
Just received the parts i need through the post, Happ Super joystick, 7 buttons and 3 mini buttons. ive got 3 white and then 1 button in each of the neo-geo colors so planning on doing a design with the neo geo 4 button layout with another 3 buttons above for street fighter etc. the 3 mini buttons will go on the side for coin/player1/admin. also im going to be using a playstation controller to attach it to.

i just have 2 noobie questions i hope someone could answer...

1) i put the joystick shaft into the main joystick bit just to see how it looks, when i move it around it clicks in 2 directions but not in the other 2, although i can see its making contact and pushing the microswitch bit down. is this a problem (it not clicking) or does it not matter?

2) on the mini buttons theres 2 pieces of metal sticking out of the bottom, but which bits do i solder what to? (hope this makes sense)

thanks, and ill post my progress.

[notaburger]

not sure on the clicking (i'd wire it up and see if it works, if not, you don't have to really uninstall anything but the microswitches)
now
on to what to solder
check out the picture below
the things circled in red need to be soldered
the bottom one (the short one) is the ground, this should be attached to all of the other ones
the other two depends on what you want the button to do
(correct me if i'm wrong guys) the one i circled is if you want the button to only be engaged while you push it in (you push the button, an action happens)
the other is if you want it to be engaged UNLESS you push it in (action happens but when you push in the button, the action stops)
i hope you can follow that
anyway
good luck

[Dervacumen]

You do know that once you build the CP you're hooked and necessarily obligated to spend time and money on a complete cabinet, right?

What two directions does the joystick click in?  If you listen closely, are you sure that the other switches are silent?  I had a problem with my Super, where it made more like a clunking noise in a couple of directions. and very light audible clicks in all the other directions.

That turned out to be a piece that was installed upside down.  There is a piece of black rubber/plastic that looks like a cone with the top cut off.  If you install that upside down, you get a clunking noise in a couple of directions.

Never hooked up anythign to a playstation controller, so don't know how to direct you there.

Good luck, your layout sounds clean, functional, and the joystick choice is a good all around choice IMO.

[qskint]

on the bottom of the mini buttons it doesnt have the normal microswitch points to solder to. http://www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk/images/miniredbig.jpg they are like these ones so not sure what to solder to, neither are marked.

i cant hear the up and down microswitchs clicking, but the left and right ones do.

[javeryh]

on the bottom of the mini buttons it doesnt have the normal microswitch points to solder to. http://www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk/images/miniredbig.jpg they are like these ones so not sure what to solder to, neither are marked.

i cant hear the up and down microswitchs clicking, but the left and right ones do.

Hook up one side to ground and the other to your keyboard encoder (ipac or whatever).  It doesn't matter which side you use.  Also, I probably wouldn't solder it in case you have to do maintenance or something.  You can loop the exposed wire (20 or 22 gauge) through the hole on each pin.  Clamp it down with pliers and wrap in electrical tape.  It works like a charm!

[slider2732]

"That turned out to be a piece that was installed upside down.  There is a piece of black rubber/plastic that looks like a cone with the top cut off.  If you install that upside down, you get a clunking noise in a couple of directions."

Great tip..may well have solved something for me there !



Best of luck with the CP build