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After looking at many example projects and info
on the 'net I decided to use a keyboard encoder for the interface
to the controls. There just seemed to be too many problems with
a keyboard hack and I wanted better gameplay. I thought about
hacking a poweramp joystick too but I figured that the encoder
would be the best. I decided to go with the model KE24 from
Hagstrom.
This encode will provide 24 independent keys in discrete mode
and up to 144 in matrix mode. |
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The KE24 has 52 pins on it to interface to the
buttons etc. These are arranged like a standard SCSI cable so
that is what I used to connect the wires. The pins are ground,
A through X then another ground, on each of the two rows. The
ground pins are only used for discrete mode. I wanted to use
more than 24 inputs at a time so I decided to use a matrix (more
on that later) so the ground pins were not needed. I cut the
end off of a standard SCSI cable and pushed it onto the pins
leaving 2 of the ground pins outside the cable. |
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I wanted to use a few different control panel configurations
so I decided to go with more than one control panel. Because
of this, I needed to make a connection that was going to be
easy to connect and disconnect. So I wanted to place regular
22 gauge stranded wire at the end of the SCSI cable so I could
build a connector at the end of it.
I started by separating the individual wires at the end of
the cut SCSI cable and soldering a length of wire to the end
of it. I then labeled the each one with a wire marker with
the letter that it connected to on the KE24. As this was a
HUGE pain in the ass I only did the wires that I knew I needed.
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Pins
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C
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D
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E
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F
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G
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H
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I
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J
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K
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L
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M
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N
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O
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P
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Q
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R
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S
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T
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U
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V
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W
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X
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A
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U1
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L1
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11
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21
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31
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41
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51
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61
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U2
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L2
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12
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22
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32
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42
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52
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62
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P1
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P2
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C1
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C2
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RST
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PAU
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B
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D1
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R1
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D2
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R2
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TAB
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~
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ENT
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ESC
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| I now have a copy of my KE24 config file available.
This file must be uploaded to your KE24 to use. Download
[an error occurred while processing this directive] 1.04
KB |
| Here is what John had to say... 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 during gameplay). Thanks John! This is how I configured
my matrix and I works beautifully. |
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As you can see from the matrix I need 22 A wires,
8 B wires, 2 C wire etc.... To minimize the wires that I needed
to go through the connector, I passed just 1A and 1B wire through
and tied them into a terminal block on the control panel. By
doing this, I was able to use a standard 25pin D-sub connector
for the control panel connection. The other wires that will
go to the cabinet like coin 1 & 2 etc. are connected to
a 9pin D-sub connector. |
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Entire interface assembly
complete. |
| Interface page II, More matrix, mouse
interface |
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