|
Help with board design and i-pac choice
#378867 - 10/08/18 12:37 PM
|
|
|
Simply having trouble figuring out which i-pac to choose.
I am looking to build a 2-player console with joystick, 6 buttons *and* spinner for each player, at the very least.
Looking at the i-pac ultimate, I honestly can't tell if it will take 2 spinners or just 1 for both players. That seems to be the easiest route as far as wiring goes (even if it is more expensive), but the image at https://www.ultimarc.com/ipacuio.html is captioned "The above picture shows the board fully wired for 2 players" and only shows a single trackball and single spinner. Hence, my confusion.
I don't need the wiring for RGB or anything, so is the minipac an option for that many switches? Will it handle 2 joysticks, 2 spinners and 12 buttons for a complete set of controls for 2 players?
Sorry if this is a complete newb question, but that would be exactly what I am on all of this. Thanks much.
|
|
|
|
Re: Help with board design and i-pac choice
[Re: wayne.mtn]
#378907 - 10/09/18 04:04 AM
|
|
|
If I were you & the few extra dollars aren't a big deal, I'd just go ahead & get the ultimate, that's what I have. You may want to use the LED's at some point down the road plus you'll have room to expand at some point if you feel like it.
So anyways, yes you can do 2 spinners. Where it says trackball & P3 on the left side of the picture. You can use those axis any way that you see fit! And you'll have the P3 buttons there for that players spinner or whatever you choose. That's pretty much all the spinner is, half of a trackball.
Hope that helps, have fun!
|
Pessimist: Oh, this can't get any worse!
Optimist: Yes, it can!
|
|
|
Re: Help with board design and i-pac choice
[Re: Bad A Billy]
#378944 - 10/11/18 01:34 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Help with board design and i-pac choice
[Re: wayne.mtn]
#378968 - 10/14/18 01:54 AM
|
|
|
Okay, so hopefully folks will check in here, since this is on topic and I'd rather not start an entire new thread for this.
I've decided to go with the IPAC Ultimate I/O and am going with a 4-player configuration. You are all welcome to also question my sanity since I've never done anything like this before.
What I'd like to do is list out what I plan on getting through Ultimarc and ask if it will all work together or if there is anything else I will need. This will all go into a tabletop console with a Raspberry Pi 3B running RetroPie.
IPAC Ultimate I/O with harness
3-4 player connection harness
PCB mounting feet
4x Mag-Stik with mounting kits
1x U-Trak trackball with trim bezel and USB connection
1x Spintrak rotary control with large knob, large flywheel and USB connect
(from what I read on the IPAC Ultimate page, you have to use the USB connections for trackball and spinner in 3-4 player modes)
Gold leaf buttons:
9x red (player 1; 8 fire buttons and 1 "credit" button)
9x blue (player 2)
7x green (player 3)
7x yellow (player 4)
2x orange (spinner)
4x black (menu control)
Player start logo buttons:
1x each player (4 total)
Notice that there are two buttons for the spinner. My hope is that I can program more than one button to do the same thing, so I can put a button on both sides of the spinner and then either hand can be used for it and there is a button to use to fire. Any one know if that is the case? I have not delved into the software yet, but I have seen at least one board set up this way. NO idea if that is the way that one was set up, though.
No LEDs or anything, so there should be plenty of inputs available on the IPAC; should just need the extra connection harness as noted on that page.
For the console itself, I think I want to make it hinged in the back for access. Also buying an extra long HDMI cable so it can just plug into my 50" plasma TV; everyone in the living room playing on it. And thinking about putting a USB splitter/extender of some sort on the Pi and then having inputs in the front of the console for quick connection of actual game controllers. Would that actually work?
If it helps, I can clean up my sketch and post a scan.
Thanks, all.
Wayne
|
|
|
|
Re: Help with board design and i-pac choice
[Re: wayne.mtn]
#379038 - 10/18/18 11:45 PM
|
|
|
Hmmm, not sure if this is good etiquette or not jumping on this thread but it seemed this problem was solved and creating a new thread might have been redundant.
I have a very similar design problem here but with a slight variation. I've been doing research and can't quite confirm exactly what I need for what I want to do.
Here goes:
I am building a cocktail table and I'd like "each" side to have 1 joystick (4/8 way), 6 buttons, 1 trackball, and 1 spinner.
The idea is to have it flip from player one to player two like old cocktail tables do. I'd like to use a retro pie but I see lag when I run it vertically (problem for another thread.  but might have to use a PC and MAME.
What Ultimarc controller would handle this?
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Re: Help with board design and i-pac choice
[Re: Kellion]
#379116 - 10/23/18 08:46 PM
|
|
|
> Here goes:
> I am building a cocktail table and I'd like "each" side to have 1 joystick (4/8 way),
> 6 buttons, 1 trackball, and 1 spinner.
>
> The idea is to have it flip from player one to player two like old cocktail tables
> do. I'd like to use a retro pie but I see lag when I run it vertically (problem for
> another thread. but might have to use a PC and MAME.
>
> What Ultimarc controller would handle this?
>
> Thanks!
I am modding my current cocktail table and also curious if I can have two spinners and two trackballs. I believe 2 boards can be joined or run at the same time. I am a total newb! Just gathering information at this time. Thanks in advance!
Edited by Joe Popp (10/23/18 08:52 PM)
|
|
|
|
Re: Help with board design and i-pac choice
[Re: Joe Popp]
#379283 - 11/02/18 07:43 PM
|
|
|
I believe that should be complete do-able. I ended up going with the mini-PAC opti for a single trackball and spinner and then a second regular mini-PAC for players 3 and 4. I have not completed setup yet, but I believe it's just a matter of connecting everything and then each mini-PAC gets plugged into the Pi via USB.
So, if you want two trackballs and two spinner, you would probably want to go with two of the mini-PAC opti models, which should make wiring easiest.
|
|
|
Index 
Threaded 
Help with board design and i-pac choice
Reply
[Re: 
but might have to use a PC and MAME.