Once you have the controls you want, how do you connect them to your computer...?  Read on.  Be sure also to visit the technical page for some specific tips!

 

	Method	Detailed Menu	Entire Section
	Joystick/Game Port	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Keyboard Port - Keyboard Hack	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Keyboard Port - Keyboard Encoder	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Keyboard Port - Other	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Keyboard Ghosting & blocking		-Jump-
	Mouse Port	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Other		-Jump-
	Parallel/Serial Ports	-Jump-	-Jump-
	USB Port	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Wiring	-Jump-	-Jump-
	Y Adapters	-Jump-	-Jump-

Joystick/Game Port

• Greg & Craig's gamepad hack
• InterAct 3D ProgramPad
• MS Sidewinder
• Lead Pursuit Joyswitch
• CH Products Joystick Switchbox
• Stephan Hans' Joystick Switch Circuit
• PDPI's Lightning 4 Joystick Interface
• Holger Insenberg's Digital Joystick Interface for PC-Gameport
• Dave Johnson's cheap and easy digital joystick - PC gameport interface
• Joynet Gameport Hub

• Introduction
• Keyhook - Keyboard Matrix Mapper
• Keyscan - Another Keyboard Matrix Mapper
• Joy Of Joys Keyboard
• Tutorials - Dragon's Den & EmuAdvice

• Hagstrom Electronics - multiple products
• I-PAC
• QuickShot
• Audon Electronics
• Vetra Systems
• ButtonBox
• Druin's SNK LS30 Rotary Joystick to MAME Interface
• Ron's MK40 & MK64 encoders
• The KeyWiz

• PowerRamp

Mouse Port

• Introduction
• Using two mice at once
• Hagstrom Mouseport encoder
• Opti-PAC Plus 

• R&R's EPIC - proprietary interface card

• Tormod's DigiJoy
• SNESKEY/Etc
• Happ Controls Serial Interface
• How to make a joystick adapter for the PC parallel port

• Happ Controls USB Interface
• Microsoft Natural Elite USB keyboard - ghost busting
• I-PAC

• Serial y-adapters
• Keyboard port y-adapters
• PS/2 y-adapters
• PS/2 to USB y-adapters

Wiring

• Wiring has it's own page now

HAPP CONTROLS

A new method of interfacing arcade controls has been added to Happ Controls' product line.  They have three new interfaces that will connect their arcade controls via USB port.  Being USB compliant, they are plug and play, and offer support for Win9x, DOS, and iMAC!  Be sure to check out the serial interface also sold by Happ.

Thanks for the info Peter!

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GHOST BUSTING

AmigaZoid sent me some information to share...  He found a Street Fighter II cabinet to hack for his arcade project.  To test things out, he hacked a Microsoft Natural Elite USB keyboard to wire his controls to.  He was able to hook up two joysticks with 6 buttons each, and so far has seen no ghosting problems.  His keymap can be found here in HTML or in the original MS-Excel format.  The nice thing is his PS/2 keyboard is still fully functional, and of course his controller is hot-swappable being that it's USB.

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I-PAC

Andy Warne sells a keyboard encoder type of interface called the I-PAC (Interface for PC to Arcade Controls).  "The I-PAC is a small board which allows connection of arcade controls such as buttons and joysticks to a keyboard port on a PC motherboard. It was designed to use inside an arcade games cabinet with the PC board also mounted inside. It was designed so that a normal keyboard would only be needed for game loading and configuration, not for gameplay."  It has both a USB and keyboard connector.

It runs $39 plus shipping, which includes the interface, one cable, and US-AUS currency exchange.  Extra interface cable for I-PAC if required: $5. Only required if you plan to swap interfaces between USB and keyboard at some time.

LED Harness: Pre-assembled cable including 3 Panel-mounting Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, Num Lock LEDs with conical black metal bezels.  Plugs into I-PAC. $15 (shipping free with board).

Being USB, it also interfaces with the Mac, and there is a Mac version of the programming software available as well.

It has some special functionality designed for emulator support, and is programmable - visit his web site to read all about it :)
 

Greg & Craig - One of the easier methods to interface your controls to your computer is to use the joystick port. The general method used for this is to purchase a joystick or gamepad with the number of controls you want to hook up (4 directions, 2 button/4 button/etc). You then gut the joystick/gamepad, and connect the wires from your own custom controls to the interface board of the joystick/gamepad. Simple? Yes and no :) Greg Bendokus and Craig Johnston have an excellent web page where they give you a step by step how-to on doing this. They use a cheap gamepad as an interface, but their technique could be modified for about any joystick/gamepad you find. The primary drawback of this technique seems to be a limitation on the number of buttons available.

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Tim Eckel used and recommends the 3D ProgramPad from InterAct.  It boasts 10 fire buttons, with 18 programmable functions, and a programmable 8-way digital directional pad.  It apparently interfaces with both the joystick port and the keyboard.  The buttons are programmable with included software, allowing on-the-fly reconfiguration of the controls for differnt games.  Gutting this pad and using it as the basis for your input seems to offer a lot of flexibility.

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Jerky2 used the Microsoft SideWinder as his joypad to gut.  The advantage of this is that there are unused solder points to connect to, and they are apparently labelled, making it an easy joypad to hack.  Pictures of Jerky's project can be found here, here and here :)

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A company called Lead Pursuit markets a product called the JoySwitch.  This device lets you plug multiple joysticks into your system simultaneously and switch between them.  It's gotten good reviews (see their web site for links) but will not work with digital joysticks (MS SideWinder, for instance).
WEB SITE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO!

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A company called CH Products has a similar product called the Joystick Switchbox.  It's another four port adapter that will handle "all your different peripherals:  joysticks, steering wheels, throttles, gamepads, and pedals."  It's activated by pressing the trigger on the device you want to use - no manual switching involved.  They also say you can connect up to four switchboxes together, giving you up to 13 devices available with the press of a button.  They also do not recommend using digital devices but do not indicate that it *won't* work - just not recommended.  Picture.
PRODUCT NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO!

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Alphadactyl.com offers a product called the Joynet Gameport Hub.  It connects digital or analog joysticks, gamepads, and controllers to your PC. Useful for two player, three player, and four player games. Works with analog and digital controllers.  Has been tested with MS-Sidewinder game controllers. Reviews linked off their web site.

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Stephan Hans (yet again!) has a circuit on his web page you can build that does the same thing, switching between the joysticks by holding down the first button on the joystick you wish to activate.  The best part about this one is the cost :)

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Michael pointed out to me a joystick interface card produced by a company called PDPI.  They have a product called the Lightning 4 (L4) (NOTE:  New link to Act Labs who now sells the interface) that allows up to 4 analog joysticks to be connected at the same time.  Two highlights from Michael's message are that it's 1) relatively inexpensive (New price!  About $73 with all 4 ports enabled), and 2) speedy - less delay on his controls with 4 joysticks than with 1 joystick into his sound card's game port.  I'll let him tell it in his own words:
 

"I took a look at the controls section of your web site. I see several ways to interface controls to the computer but none of them seem to allow 4 analog inputs except maybe the Happ Controls USB interface. I looked at the price and it is TOO expensive for me($160). I had already bought and dearly love the L4 Digital game card by PDPI (www.pdpi.net).  It was about $112 with the added bracket for the other 2 gameports. This lets me use 4 analog joysticks all at the same time!! This is not some "split" gameport card but it has 4 full fledged gameports. I currently use 4 - PC Arcade Pros by Interact(6 button joystick pads) all at once.  They were cheap($20) at CompUSA. My joysticks also have individual autofire(2-speed settings) on each of the buttons. Also there is no slow down when reading all of the joysticks when connected to the L4. In fact, it takes far less cpu time to read all 4 of my joysticks on the L4 than having just one of them connected to my Soundblaster AWE64. I really think you should add this card to your page. The card does NOT like "digital" type controls though. If you want 4 analog joystick inputs then this is the card to get. If you do put it up on your page can you put that it was recommended by 'Just Michael'. Thanks. According to their web site, you can add a second interface for up to *8* players at once!  The price on their site is currently $25.00 off, don't know how long that price is good for.  They have a technical page that explains why their interface is faster than standard game ports.  Compatible with DirectX and backwardsly compatible with DOS apps written for standard game ports.

Sounds great!  Thanks Michael!

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Holger Isenberg has a web page featuring a build-it-yourself Digital Joystick-Interface for the PC-Gameport.  "This interface connects two Digital Joysticks to a standard 15-pin Analog Gameport-Connector. An additional analog port is built in to switch between the analog and digital joysticks without unplugging them."  There's essentially no writeup, just the circuit diagrams.  This is one for the electronics buffs.

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Got an email from a fellow named Dave Johnson, about a fairly simple and extremely cheap (5 cents per joystick!) circuit he created to interface joysticks to the PC game port.  Thanks Dave!

Introduction
  The mouse port is used for a variety of "turning" types of devices - spinners, trackballs, and steering wheels.  There are two possibilities, using the PS/2 Mouse port, and using the serial port.  Some interfaces exist such as the Hagstrom KE72T, but it turn connects to the PS/2 port so it's really just the two - ps/2 and serial.  With Windows95, you can use both ports at once for mouse control, meaning you can have up to 4 axis controls at once - two X controls and 2 Y controls.  See spinners and trackballs on the controls page for more info.  Another good idea would be to use a serial or PS/2 splitter to have multiple inputs on a single port.

Using two mice

 
There are a variety of ways to use two mice interfaces:
 
• With Windows 9x, adding two mouse devices is relatively easy.  Make sure you're using the default Windows mouse driver.  Install and verify your PS/2 mouse device works.  Then hook up the second mouse device to the serial port.  Windows will not automatically detect it.  Go to the control panel, add new hardware, and have it search for new devices.  Now it will detect the serial mouse device, and voila - both mouse devices will function at the same time (albeit controlling the same cursor).
• In a similar fashion, certain Logitech mouse drivers will support two pointing devices.
• Finally, if you are intending to use two mouse devices in MAME, there's a special version designed by Andy Geeze called Optimame with internal support for two pointing devices.  This has now been incorporated into Advanced MAME, and OptiMAME is no longer being actively worked on.
• There is a mouse driver on the downloads page supplied by a visitor to BYOAC, that has the ability to support dual mice - one serial, one PS/2.  The command line is "MOUSE NOINI DUAL" (the driver uses the INI file made the 1st time and then ignores all the other parameters after). The two mice will be simultaneously active.  However, it will not work with a Intellimouse on a serial port converter.
• You can also look for a mouse splitter.

Hagstrom's mouse encoder

 
Hagstrom has done it again!  Check out the new ME4 encoder, a trackball and spinner ps/2 mouse interface!  This is a 2" by 2.5" module with support for a single axis input from spinner, dual axis input from trackball, and 3 mouse button support.  The trackball controls both X and Y axis obviously, and the spinner can be jumper selected to control either the X or Y axis.  The signal is merged electronically her the X or Y axis.  The signal ir and trackball are active at the same time - no more having to swap cables around or rigging your own merge.  Either the X or Y axis, or both, can be jumper set to be in reverse (handy if your application and the spinner/trackball don't agree on left and right).  The encoder also supports a "Resolution Input" feature -- either set to always providing maximum possible movement for the trackball/spinner inputs, *or* set to allow the resolution adjustment to be made by PS/2 mouse drivers that support that (most MS drivers).

Not mentioned by Hagstrom, but I see no reason why you couldn't take the trackball interface with X and Y axis support, and instead use the encoder for two spinner support, assuming your application supports it.  The Happ Controls style interface that this encoder supports works the same for both spinners and trackballs.

There are three accessories you might need for the ME4 -- a male/male ps/2 6 foot cable from ME4 to PS/2 port, the ME4 to Happ Trackball cable (3 foot), and the ME4 to Happ spinner cable, (3 foot).

The ME4 is going to cost somewhere around $40, and should be available very soon (I have a prototype).  There is presently no information on their web site on the encoder.

The OptiPac

 
The creator of the I-PAC interface has another product called the Opti-Pac Plus.  The Opti-Pac Plus handles 2 trackballs and up to 4 spinners. It has an auto-switch feature which allows trackballs and spinners to be mounted on the same control panel without interfering with each other. It can support one or two serial ports in several modes, allowing either standard MAME or EMU+ to be used in two-player trackball mode using both serial ports. It is universal and can handle Happ and other makes of trackball, spinner or rotary joystick. It also handles two mouse buttons per port. The board matches the I-PAC in size and has a similar type of screw connections for all the wiring.

The board comes with cables for Happ style trackballs/spinners, which will also work with the Fultra Spinner.

The cost?  $39 plus shipping, includes cable for power from I-PAC, and two serial cables (9 pin).  Excellent!

The most hard core folks seem to be going with the keyboard port for interfacing their controls to. This allows the highest number of inputs (more than 100 controls possible). This is the route I've taken.  To maintain use of your computer with a keyboard hack, use a keyboard splitter of some kind.

Wiring your controls to a keyboard is a bit complex. It is impractical to wire directly to the individual keyboard keys for a variety of reasons. The way most keyboards seem to work is via a matrix -- There's a set of wiring going to one side of the matrix (call it the X axis) and another to the other side (Y axis). If you had 10 wires on the X axis, and 10 on the Y, you have a 10 x 10 matrix, with 100 possible key combinations (just about every keyboard has a unique matrix - to use this technique, you'll have to experiment with your keyboard). For instance, in this example, keys "Q", "A", and "Z" all hook up to the X1 wire. The "Q" key also hooks up to the Y1 wire. "A" hooks up to Y2, and "Z" hooks up to Y3. When you push the "Q" button, it completes a circuit from X1 to Y1. The keyboard controller chip recognizes that as the "Q" button and sends a Q to the computer. Now, using this, instead of wiring our button directly to the "Q" on the keyboard, we wire our "Q" arcade button to X1 and Y1. To get a "A", we wire up our "A" button to X1 and Y2. This is a bit confusing - the best bet is to open up a keyboard and inspect how it works. Stephan Hans' page has a better explanation of this.  My dream machine page has information and pictures of my keyboard input setup.  Shadow has a complete document on building arcade controls, and discusses the matrix there as well (worth a read).

 

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David passed on to me a piece of software he wrote that displays the keystroke on your screen as you make the connection on the keyboard interface - *excellent* for mapping out your matrix.  He wrote his own because he couldn't find one that showed you all the keystrokes, such as displaying the grey extended  keys.  He's given the ok to share this with everyone here - very much appreciated!

 

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Digital Genesis Technologies has written another keyboard mapping utility for testing keyboard matrixes and has passed the information on for us to share.  It can be found on their web page, or on my downloads page.  Much appreciated guys!

A Keyboard Encoder is a device that sits between your computer's keyboard input and whatever device you devise, for instance arcade push-buttons. There are now several vendors selling encoders suitable for use in arcade projects.

Hagstrom Electronics
Hagstrom Electronics is one of the biggest companies in the arena, offering a variety of products for doing this.  Hagstrom links in this section:
 

Click to learn about . . .

KE-18 encoder	18 inputs, up to a 9 x 9 matrix for 81 inputs.
KE-24 encoder	24 inputs, programmable via keyboard or rs-232 port, up to 12 x 12 matrix for 144 inputs.
LP-24 encoder	24 inputs, programmable via keyboard only, up to 12 x 12 matrix for 144 inputs.
KE-72 encoder	72 distinct inputs, programmable, no matrix but no ghosting, trackball support.  The ultimate gamer's interface!
Daisy-chaining	What about daisy-chaining two encoders together for more inputs?
How-to	How exactly does on use a Hagstrom encoder?


KE-18 & KE-24

Using one of these encoders appears to me to be a very efficient method.  The KE18 offers either 18 inputs, or a 9 by 9 matrix, depending on how you wish to configure it.  The KE24 offers either 24 inputs, or up to a 12 by 12 matrix, and it is programmable via an onboard rs232 port with the software they supply.  Using this product would presumably allow you to have multiple configurations for different gaming applications, loadable with a minimum of fuss. Also, since you are directly accessing the controller, you don't need to worry as much about the ghosting effect. It won't totally solve the problem for you however - see the Technical page for more.  The folks on the phone were very nice - the KE18 costs $44.95, and the KE24 costs $99.95.  --- Thanks to SpyHunter for the input on this one!

A couple of folks have pointed out that Hagstrom sells both a standard speed and a high speed version of their various encoders - you have to ask for the high speed version specifically. To make sure you get the faster model of the KE-24 with the on-the-fly reconfiguration capability (vs. having to shutdown/restart) specify the KE24-FAST model.

Asked Hagstrom about the difference between the two chips as regards to programming - their answer:

 
The "on-the-fly" loading is accomplished without the use of the programming jumper.  The IC on the KE24 must show a version number of V - 110181 or higher (ex:V - 110182 ....).  This version requires our KE24CFG program (included with the unit) version 5.1 or higher.  Note that an errant KE24 setup could prevent the unit from responding to the "on-the-fly" programming, so the jumper will still work to force the KE24 into program mode regardless of the configuration.  We still include the jumper with the unit just in case the user has entered an incorrect configuration (same pin defined as a row and a column, for example).


ALSO - Hagstrom is now selling a connecter that connects at the I/O header and terminates with leads that you can attach to a barrier switch for easy connect/disconnect.

LP-24

Got an email on another encoder Hagstrom sells - the LP24.  "It is cheaper than the KE24 and is a more compact unit without the RS232 port.  It can be programmed through the keboard port (utility included) and has a keyboard passthrough.  It can be configured to custom matrix sizes to scan from 23x1 to 12x12 arrays."  The LP24 sells for $79.00.  John also described how he intended to use the encoder, to help him practically eliminate ghosting problems without the use of diodes.  From his email:
 

"It can be configured to custom matrix sizes to scan from 23x1 to 12x12 arrays.  At the moment I am playing with a 22x2 array design with almost no chance of ghosting.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
A	U1	L1	11	21	31	41	51	61	U2	L2	12	22	32	42	52	62	P1	P2	C1	C2	RST	PAU
B	D1	R1							D2	R2							TAB	~	ENT	ESC

This allows 2 players with 6 buttons each with most/all of the important keys for MAME.

Since joysticks cannot be up and down at the same time (or left and right) there is no chance of ghosting when these are assigned to the same column.  The only chance of ghosting occurs when:
 

C1/ENT,
C2/ESC,
P1/TAB,
P2/~


are pressed at the same time while holding a joystick off-center (should not happen durring gameplay).

-all of this and no diodes! (of course you could buy a lot of diodes for $79.95)"

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KE72

Hagstrom came out with an encoder tailor made for the arcade controls community called the KE72 and the KE72T.  This fabulous encoder has it's own page.

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Daisy Chaining Hagstrom Encoders

Contacted Hagstrom to ask about daisy-chaining the encoders (The LP-24, KE-18, or KE-24) (for instance for 48 inputs without a matrix, or (yipes!) up to 288 total?) and what impact this would have.  Short answer: It should work with some caveats - long answer follows:
 

Thanks for your email.  The units may be daisychained, but caution should be used in limiting the total cable distance measured from the PC to the last unit to about 10 feet.  With standard cables, the voltage will drop slightly from one unit to the next (a function of the wire size in the cable, and the current consumption of the encoder and PC keyboard, if attached).  As a recommendation, I would suggest no more than two units chained together.  Longer runs of wire will drop the 5V level low enough to indicate a "brown-out" condition to the encoder, and cause a reset.


One thing to bear in mind is that programming encoders that are daisy-chained becomes problematic.  They cannot be addressed as one unit, so you'll need to either have two serial ports connected to the two KE-24's, or realize you can only program one LP24 at a time as the "upstream" LP24 cannot be programmed via the keyboard interface.  Presumably you would have to program each one at a time then daisy-chain them.  This could be a headache if it was buried within a cabinet.

Once again I'm impressed by Hagstrom's quick and helpful responses to my questions.

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How to use a Hagstrom Encoder

After several questions from people asking how exactly to use the Hagstrom keyboard encoders, I asked for help from those who had done it.  I received several responses, which I really appreciate.  The easiest explanation came from the folks at Arcade Solutions.  Their well done writeup is on a separate page.

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I-PAC
Andy Warne sells a keyboard encoder type of interface called the I-PAC (Interface for PC to Arcade Controls).  "The I-PAC is a small board which allows connection of arcade controls such as buttons and joysticks to a keyboard port on a PC motherboard. It was designed to use inside an arcade cabinet with the PC board also mounted inside. It was designed so that a normal keyboard would only be needed for game loading and configuration, not for gameplay."  It has both a USB and keyboard connector.  It runs $47 which includes the interface, cable, shipping and US-AUS currency exchange.  It has some special functionality designed for emulator support - visit his web site to read all about it :)  This has proven to be one of the most popular choices so far.

 

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MasterPilot by QuickShot

Roy Masters passed along an interesting product he found, by a company called QuickShot.  Built for Flight-Sim enthusiasts, it's a keyboard-passthru product called MasterPilot.  From Roy's email:
 

This equipment is designed for Flight Sim enthusiasts connects in line with the keyboard to provide a control console with all the features (keypresses) required for a specific game stored on a ROM cartridge.  The Programmer provides some software and a User Configurable Cartridge into which your keystrokes can be programmed and changed when necessary.  The Masterpilot itself I have dismantled to investigate and should be relatively easy to hack.  It seems to work like a keyboard encoder and has a ribon cable connecting the 24 main buttons to the controller electronics.  The advantage of using this system is that you can assign shifted values to any of these 24 keys, and reprogram the keypress (or key combinations) they transmit to the software, stroe the information in multiple cartridges and easily reconfigure your arcade controls for different games or emulators.  The programmable cartridge holds five sets of key settings.


Thanks Roy!

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Audon Electronics KBE-1

Audon Electronics sells the KBE-1 Keyboard Encoder.  It's a non-programmable keyboard encoder with a keyboard passthrough, 102 keys in a 16 x 8 matrix.  Think of it as a keyboard hack, with the matrix already set out for you and a keyboard pass through meaning no need for a keyboard splitter!  When I asked them about ghosting, they replied:

 
Ghosting - the kbe-1 does not suffer from any ghosting problems. It also has a 16 key buffer, so that upto 16 keys can be pressed at the same time, and each key code will be sent to the PC sequentially.


They sell it for UK £54, shipping to the US for £12.

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Vetra Encoders

Vetra has a whole range of keyboard encoders available with a variety of capabilities.  They have the SmartWye series (non-programmable) ranging from $50 to $130, the SoftWye series (programmable) for $99, and good news for Mac folks, the McEncoder series for $90.  Feedback from anyone dealing with them welcome!

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ButtonBox

The ButtonBox is a build-it-yourself keyboard encoder with the following features:
 

• Can be used in Direct or Matrix mode.
• Up to 27 buttons can be connected in Direct mode.
• Up to 64 buttons can be connected in Matrix mode (8x8 matrix).
• Switch between Direct and Matrix mode "on the fly" (without reboot).
• No "ghosting/masking key" problems in either Direct or Matrix mode.
• Which button sends which keystroke is configurable from the PC using a configuration program (not available yet).
• Any errors encountered in the ButtonBox are displayed on a LED.
• No external power needed, it uses power from the keyboard interface.


The web site has hardware instructions, software to program it, and other info related to the encoder.  Looks great - anyone building this please let me know!

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Druin's SNK LS30 Rotary Joystick to MAME Interface

Druin has put together an interface allowing the use of the rotary style joysticks used in games like Ikari Warriors.  From the web site:
 

In short, the interface described here connects to either one or two 12 position rotary switch joysticks (LS30 SNK or HAPP Ikari type with the 13 pin cable)  and also connects to a keyboard encoder to directly replace arcade button switches that would be wired to the MAME dial/twist keystrokes.  It connects to any working keyboard encoder just as an arcade button would, and it automatically presses rotate left and rotate right buttons for player 1 and player 2, based on the detected joystick shaft rotations.


Dr. D wrote up a review of one of these interfaces.  Looks great!

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Ron's MK40 & MK64 keyboard encoders

Ron, known in the arcade community for hosting pages on Gauntlet arcade game hacks, has put together a couple of keyboard encoders for folks on this side of the hobby.  Both sport similar features, one with 40 inputs, one with 64.  The feature list below is lifted from Ron's page:

 
• 40 single wire dedicated digital inputs on MK40, 64 inputs on the MK64.
• No interference between inputs. (No Matrix)
• Can generate an alternate key set on seven of the inputs when when the "shift" key is held down.
• Each input can be mapped to almost any key and can be changed at any time by software.  Key map is stored in EEPROM rated for 1,000,000 erase / write cycles.
• Programs through the keyboard port, no extra serial port required.
• Three dedicated LED outputs that are used in some games (Num Lock, Caps Lock, & Scroll Lock).
• It plugs in between your computer and an optional keyboard via PS2 (6 pin mini-din)connectors (included).
• Supports full bi-directional communication with optional keyboard.
• Compact PCB that is less than 2" x 6", small enough to be mounted to the control panel.
• Capable of identifying which control panel is installed (If you have more than one).
• A male to male 6 foot PS2 cable, four mounting screws and spacers are included.


The encoders can be daisy-chained, with the same considerations as the Hagstrom encoders (can only program the first one, possible voltage drops...).  The cost of the MK40 is $53, the MK64 is $63, add $6 shipping to either.  There is a 30 day money back guarantee, and a 90 day warranty.  It looks great, read a review here.

Wiring kits are also now available!

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The KeyWiz

The KeyWiz is the brainchild of RandyT, another regular on the message forums here at BYOAC.  Currently there are three models available, the Eco (Economy model), the standard, and the max.  All 3 support the same core set of features.  See their links for further details on the differences.  This page is due for a huge revamping, so for now I am going to cut and paste from their web site...

Standard KeyWiz Features:
 

• 32 direct input lines.   No Matrix means No Blocking, No Phantom Keys and no variable delays.  All inputs are given equal priority and speed.
• 12mhz Processor.  Fast RISC based microcontroller.  The proprietary KeyWiz firmware is coded in 100% pure Machine Language for blinding speed!
• Custom, State-Based De-bounce Code.  Keys are sent the moment the inputs have stabilized.  No time delays!
• The Shazaaam! Key.   Like the shift key on a keyboard, the Shazaaam! Key lets 24 of your buttons have an alternate key assignment.  The Shazaaam! Key does not take away an input, so all 32 inputs are always available for use.  Another unique Shazaaam! feature is that, with an additional low-cost adapter, any switch can be modified to send a code from the alternate set with a single button press!  This means you can have up to 24 additional  switches for secondary functions, and still have all 32 inputs available for primary controls.
• Fully Programmable.  All 32 normal and 24 Shazaaam! key definitions can be configured through the custom codeset  to suit your application.
• Jumperless Operation.  The Custom codeset can be uploaded at any time, with no re-configuration of the hardware required.
• On-The-Fly Codeset Switching.  Just hold down the Shazaaam! Key and move control stick 1 left or right to seamlessly toggle between the default MAME compatible keycode assignments and the custom keycode set.
• Whopping 72 Character Circular Buffer.  Gives KeyWiz the highest reliability and maximum throughput capabilities without "stuck" or "missed" keys.  Also allows KeyWiz to pass the grueling "Single Button Test."
• MAME Ready Right-Out-Of-The-Box.  By popular demand, the KeyWiz firmware-default codeset has been made compatible with MAME defaults and includes other useful regular and Shazaaam! Key definitions (Custom firmware-default keycode definitions can be supplied for specialized applications.  Contact us for more information).
• Fully Interrupt Driven. The key processing begins the instant activity is sensed on ANY input.
• Full-featured Custom Codeset Management Software.  Completely mouse/trackball driven.  One-click selection of any of 15 user definable codesets (32 normal and 24 Shazaaam! codes per).  Codeset to be active after programming is user-selectable.  Command line options for autoprogramming / batch file operation.  Screenshots are available here.
• OS independant.  The default MAME-compatible keycode definitions are stored in firmware and are available immediately upon power-up.  This means KeyWiz can be used with any OS and requires no drivers.  The PC thinks the KeyWiz is a standard PS/2 keyboard, but the KeyWiz knows that it is much better :).
• Small Footprint.  2.1 x 3.2 inches.  Large enough for easy connections, but small enough to mount just about anywhere.
• 36 Connection Points Available on the PCB.  32 inputs, 2 grounds, 1 Shazaaam! Key, and a +5v connection.
• Completely PS/2 Port Powered.  No external power source necessary.

 

PowerRamp - Act Labs made a keyboard port arcade style joystick that is discussed elsewhere in the FAQ (alternatives, reviews).  It leaves a bit to be desired in and of itself, but it seems to make an excellent interface for custom controls.  I've put up a separate page for it.  NO LONGER AVAILABLE!

 

One potential problem with keyboard controls - whether using a hack or an encoder - is "ghosting" - where pushing several keys at once produces a "ghost" key that wasn't in fact pressed. For instance, using the matrix example from below, we have "Q" = X1-Y1, "A" = X1-Y2, and "Z" = X1-Y3. Suppose as well that "W" = X2-Y1, and "S" = X2-Y2 (see Example Matrix below). If you push "Q", "W", and "S" at the same time, you're pressing X1,Y1,X2,Y2, which would give you "Q" X1Y1, "S" X2Y2, "W" X2Y1, but also "A" because of X1Y2 being connected. (Note - electronics is not my strong point. My specifics may be in error, but the general concept being illustrated is correct.) This could be a problem if, for instance, your fire and movement keys ended up also producing the "quit" key. The way around this is to find a set of keyboard controls that you will use that don't cause ghosting, or that cause ghosting of keystrokes that have no affect, or to use diodes to prevent the affect.  Read on for more info...

 

RetroSTIK's creator Brent Geery has been championing a solution to this problem that makes one smack oneself on the forehead and say, "Duh!"  He suggested using diodes along your matrix to prevent paths of electrical connection that are undesired.

Part II. Unexpectedly, the use of diodes became such a contested point that it merits its own page.  Several voices weigh in on one one side or another - a must read if you are going the keyboard hack route.

Part III. John sent me an email detailing his use of the LP24 keyboard encoder from Hagstrom.  With the matrix he planned out, he should have almost (but not 100% guaranteed) freedom from ghosting, without diodes.  Read the details above!

Part IV!  Check out the write up on Hagstrom keyboard encoders by Arcade Solutions.  There's a section in it about techniques to defeat ghosting when using the encoder in matrix mode.

Part V!  Bugfinder has written up a page hosted at KillerClown's arcade that details keyboard hacks supporting up to 16 keystrokes without the ghosting problem.  He lists 4 varying configurations and the keyboard model he used.  Worth a look if you're going the keyboard hack route.

Part VI!  Be sure to see AmigaZoid's USB solution that seems to have avoided ghosting problems at the top of this page.

Part VII!  Be sure also to check out Dave Dribin's page for a much clearer explanation of ghosting and solutions.

Part VIII!  Marshall Brooks over at Mameworld'sEmuadvice has a section called Keyboard Hack Info that is a must visit.  More details on doing a keyboard hack, and discussion on the ghosting issue.

The flip side of ghosting is keyboard blocking.  It's based on similar roots as keyboard ghosting, but it has the opposite affect.  Push down several keys, then attempt to push another before you let go of the first ones -- often, the last keystroke won't show - it's being "blocked" by the other keys.  Both keyboard ghosting and blocking should be tested for before using a particular layout for your keyboard hack.

This section has been due for an update for a bit now.  It used to start with "There isn't too much information on this one yet."  Tormod Tjaberg took me to task on this one :)  He has a good writeup/download on interfacing digital joysticks to the parallel port.  Look for the Digijoy link on his homepage.  Tormod's .txt file that is included in his download is now available online here.  This is a must-read if you are intending to go this route!

Many of the do it yourself projects found in the alternatives section for hooking up game console gamepads use parallel port interfaces.  Also, Benji York has updated his Sneskey software and now supports interfacing custom arcade controls, not just console gamepads.  I've put a writeup on using SNESKEY for arcade controls on a separate page.  See alternatives section for more details on Sneskey!  There is also a somewhat dead page (last update November 97) that was starting to collect information on interfacing arcade controls via parallel and serial ports.

Happ Controls Control Interface Board (serial) - From the Happ Controls web site:  "The Happ Control Interface Development Kit contains everything needed to provide an interface between any Happ Controls input device (joystick, button, trackball, steering wheel, etc.) and a PC. . . . The kit contains a PCB, power supply, demo and debug software, software drivers and all the necessary cables and documentation to get you going."  There are two drivers supplied - one is a DOS driver that would require custom software for any particular game (essentially useless if you aren't designing the game software yourself), and a Windows Direct X driver.  The Windows Direct X driver will make whatever device is plugged into this interface show up as a joystick to Win95 (WinNT?), allowing any game that supports Windows Direct X to use the controls.  Thanks to ACL for this one!  Be sure to also check out the USB interface!

Steffen has had a page up for some time now called How to make a joystick adapter for the PC parallel port.  It details how to interface up to 7 joysticks via the parallel port adapter.  His adapter is supported by DirectPad Pro, Linux, and the PCE TG16 emulator.

All the various interface methods here work great, but share a common problem.  A typical setup might have the joysticks and buttons on the keyboard, and a spinner and trackball on the ps/2 and serial ports.  What do you do, however, if you still want to use your keyboard and mouse on the computer?  What if you wanted more than one trackball or spinner (although presently that's not too useful as they all control the same pointer)?  In this case, there are a variety of adapters you can build or buy to put multiple devices on a single port.

SERIAL PORT
 
• Stephan Hans has devised a splitter circuit for the serial port.  This circuit splits the power from the serial port and does not require external power.  Stephan indicates that although the devices he tested worked fine, it's possible that a particular device may not get enough power with his circuit.  Only one device is active at a time, switching automatically after a second or two of motion (to prevent accidental switching).
• A commercial device called "Y-mouse" is made by a company called P.I. Engineering.  It uses a keyboard passthrough adapter to obtain power for the adapter.  Should that not be feasible, a stand-alone AC adapter can be purchased for about $24.  The Y-Mouse can be daisy-chained for even more serial devices.  Only one device is active at a time, switched automatically when it is used.  It runs between $45 to $50 dollars.


KEYBOARD PORT

 
• Thanks to Stephan Hans, there is a simple to build circuit that will split the keyboard port so that you can use one keyboard for arcade controls, and another for actual keyboard use.
• From "EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS" July 1997, this circuit also splits keyboards.  It's a simpler circuit to build, but has several drawbacks that Stephan's circuit doesn't have.  Thanks to Ian Ness for the email!
• If you don't want to wire your own, the folks who make the Y-Mouse above also make the Y-Key Key.  It does not require an external power source.  It's available from the same folks above for a similar price.
• Vetra also sells a splitter calls the Smart Splice, but it's $180.  They have other models that allow more than 2 keyboards at one time, for a lot of money.
PS/2 PORT
 
• So far, there has been no success on the splitting the PS/2 port with a build-your-own circuit.
• The Y-Mouse and Y-Key Key folks also make a PS/2 Y-Mouse.  It does not require an external power source, and is daisy-chainable.  Same locations and pricing.
• Vetra also sells a splitter calls the Mice Splice, also $180.  They have other models that allow more than 2 at one time, for an insance amount of money.
PS/2 PORT to USB PORT
 
• A very interesting item is the Y-Mouse PS/2 to USB adapter from P.I. Engineering.  It allows you to plug two PS/2 devices into your USB port.  Aside from not tying up your PS/2 port, it has some intriguing possibilities for people wanting hot-swappable arcade controls.  Done with your trackball?  Swap it out for the spinner, without having to power on/off (which you'd have to do if you were using a PS/2 port). It does not require an external power source, and is daisy-chainable.
• The other interesting item from these folks is the Y-Mouse PS/2 to USB (iMac) adapter.  It does the same thing as above, but allows Mac folks to use PS/2 input devices!  I'd love to hear from anyone who tries this!


UK Availability

Looking for one of the several Y-mouse and related adapters from P.I. Engineering in the UK?  Check out Steadland's International, who have passed on their pricing to me:

• Mouse adaptors            GBP46.70 + VAT

(WHYM-0001 Dual Serial and WHYM-0002 Dual PS/2)
• Keyboard adaptors       GBP46.70 + VAT

(WHYM-0004 Y-Key Key)
• Monitor adaptors            GBP65.00+ VAT

(WHYM-0006 Y-See Two)

GBP = Great British Pounds Sterling, but if you're in the UK you probably knew that :)  Prices include shipping, discounts for volume, shipping to rest of Europe slightly higher.

EPIC - Johnxt sent me a link to R&R Electronics, who sells a product called the EPIC.  It is a controller interface that appears to be the interface of choice for the build-your-own-flight-simulator-cockpit crew.  The EPIC appears to be to the Hagstrom encoder what the encoder is to the keyboard hack - i.e. many levels of sophistication and capability higher!  From their web page:
 
"What is EPIC?

EPIC is the Extended/Programmable Input Controller from R&R Electronics. It's an interface card for IBM PCs and compatibles designed for computer enthusiasts, home cockpit builders, and specialized analog/digital I/O applications that supports:
 

• Sixteen+ analog channels
Compatible with your existing analog joysticks --- saint
• 300+ buttons
With expansion modules, up to 1000 buttons!? --- saint
• Unprecedented programmability
EPL - Epic Programming Language, keyboard control, analog control, if you can think of it, you can program it. --- saint
• Extensive analog configuration and management
Convert joystick movements to keystrokes, more... --- saint
• Configurable expansion bus
Daisy chain modules together for additional controls (Who'd need more?) --- saint
• Complete Compatibility
Compatible with your existing joysticks --- saint
The EPIC's programming and configuration is stored in its on-board RAM.  No TSR's or device drivers to muck with.  Definitely a product to investigate.  Price is $250 and up (and up and up) depending on configuration.

Thanks Johnxt!

 

 

Wiring has been moved to it's own page now.