Posted by EmuMannen on 10, 2000 at 4:43 AM:
In Reply to: PLEASE READ - Load o' questions / poll and some ideas for things I can offer back posted by Billy Boy on 9, 2000 at 9:25 PM:
I am going for as many original arcade controls as possible. The reason for this is that I think that my cabinet, computer, emulators, monitor all will change over time but the controls will stay the same (they are the main man machine interface and will be the key to the real arcade feel). I was initially planning to make spinners my self and to use a high quality PC-trackball (like the 2”1/4 Trackball Pro from CH, http://www.chproducts.com/pcgear/tbpro.shtml) but I have changed my mind. I am now trying to create a collection of real arcade controls including the optical controls like spinners and trackball. The next question is how to interface these controls to your PC. I was originally planning to use the ButtonBox (http://www.surf.to/buttonbox) but I now lack the time to build one. So I then started to look towards the KE72-T from Hagstrom (http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/ke72det.html) it looks great with 72 individual inputs and a trackball interface but it is expensive and I will end up with allot of buttons (individual buttons for management like Tab and Esc etc in MAME). I then started to look towards the I-PAC (. I really like the “shift button” functionality. It will reduce the amount of buttons on the control panel and add to the realistic look and feel of it. The I-PAC has a competitive price and functionality compared with the Hagstrom encoders and it will solve my interfacing needs for buttons and digital joysticks. But the question of how to interface the optical controls still remains? Do I really have to buy a trackball interface from HAPP (http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/trackballs/56100000.htm) or buy a KE72-T? I started to plan my own interface circuit but then again, I just lack the time. So I contacted Andy and suggested an expansion of the I-PAC and Andy answered (swift and polite as usual, this guy is really great!) that he already made such a circuit and that he would start to sell them in a couple of weeks time. So I am now waiting for a delivery of the I-PAC and the new generic optical arcade control device from Andy (I don’t know what it will be named yet). And I will start to investigate how I can dispatch or multiplex a trackball and one or two spinners to that same circuit. The best solution might be to buy two circuits from Andy and use them as two mice’s with OptiMAME or EMU+. But that is still questions that I have to work on (I will initially have only one trackball and no spinners so I have time to find a solution later :)
I haven’t tried the I-PAC and trackball/spinner interface from Andy yet. But I am fairly sure that my solution will work great judged from what I have read so far on this board about the I-PAC. I will be back with more feedback on the trackball/spinner interface as soon as I have had a chance to try it out :)
/ EmuMannen