Can I use a cheap-o Joypad for Arcade controls?

[Xeron]

I plan on building 2 arcade cabinets with my friend. We have access to arcade parts through a distributor and can get them at relatively cheap prices. Anyways...

We plan on throwing PCs in each cabinet and running emulators on them. But we ran into a small problem: connecting arcade joysticks and buttons to a PC via usb cheap. We went through a few arcade machines at work and found a part that treats switches as a keyboard. We checked on a replacement part and found it to be $100. We also went online and searched and can't seem to get below $50. We have to spend $100 each on cabinets and around $40 in controls & we're trying to keep this as low budget as possible, definitely under $200 (we already have spare PCs & CRT monitors for now).

So my question: Can I use a cheap joypad from walmart for the arcade controller? I don't mean instead of arcade joysticks, but I mean ripping apart the controller & soldering wires from the switches to the pcb of the joypad.

If anyone has done this before, feedback & pics would be nice.

[tom61]

Yes, it can be done. Check www.arcadecontrols.com

[arfink]

Yeah, I do this all the time. BUT, make sure you build it solidly so people beating on the machine don't break these things.

[XCVG]

Yeah, it'll work. Make sure you get one with enough buttons.

[Killer_Rabbit]

If you're using a PC in the cabinet, you don't need a special part or anything. Just use Joy2Key.

http://www.electracode.com/4/joy2key/Jo ... ersion.htm

It's excellent. As long as your controllers have a D-Pad and at least eight or so buttons, you should be fine. You want at least six arcade buttons for each player so you can play fighters, and then a few extras for MAME functions (insert coin, P1 & P2 start, etc.).

[JAY]

You could also directly wire the switches for your joysticks and buttons to an old keyboard circuit board. No extra hardware or software needed.

[tom61]

You could also directly wire the switches for your joysticks and buttons to an old keyboard circuit board. No extra hardware or software needed.

It's a pain to figure out matrix, there's issues of key blocking (one key might not be registered if certain others aren't pressed), and key masking issues (pressing a combination of keys might yield another key entirely). Not recommended, a joypad hack is simpler, almost as cheap, and no multiple button press issues.

[khaag]

You can get the KeyWiz Max for $35 and it works great. I used it in my MAME cabinet. Has controls already all defaulted for MAME and supports tons of buttons.

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/inde ... cts_id=199

[XCVG]

The problem with keyboard interfaces is that the EMULATE A KEYBOARD, which is undesirable. Ideally you want to emulate a joystick.

[tom61]

The problem with keyboard interfaces is that the EMULATE A KEYBOARD, which is undesirable. Ideally you want to emulate a joystick.

If they do it right, as the ones designed for MAME do, the limitations of most normal keyboards no longer apply.

[nevermind1534]

SPAM?

[Twilight Wolf]

It was, but I reported it and it's gone now.