Bliss-box

[aevans0001]

Lastly let me re-itterate the importance of a "out of the box" product. Plug and play if you will. It might cost more to have a plug and play unit but the assurance that it was done right and most likely to work first time is worth money and there simply has to be more people like myself that are willing to pay to have that piece of mind.

Deadly, if you are talking about plug and play in the traditional sense, this is plug and play. There are no drivers for this board. For the most part you should not need reset buttons on the device anymore either (or has this changed?).

[ulao]

megabyte52, Oh that is you... I added your review to my forums, sign it if you want.

aevans0001, you godda post pics man. I know that rig of yours has to be nice.

So the product doesn't allow hotswap without resetting it?

Yup pull out the tg16 and plug in the sega buttons match up. button mapping is being discussed but currently there are xbox styles, sega styles and nintendo styles. So right now any Nintendo controller swaps out for another with no need to memorize a new layout. The n64 is an exception because it works better for a sega swap. I'm thinking of allow custom maps, but that a can of worms in its self.

Your controller ID's changed huh?

There is a tool on my page that fixes each adapter to a usb. No drivers on this adapter.

IIRC your website isn't setup for a person to specify exactly what configuration they want.

(\For instance if you go to order diodes from some place you typically have the option to change the quantity. Something along those lines would be perfect simply because a person like myself could go down the line and specify the quantity of each item and a Paypal checkout at the end. BAM done deal. You grab parts - throw them in a box and ship it.

LOL well your out of the loop so you could not know this but its intentionally difficult to order a box. At this time I have NO LIFE when orders stack up. So yeah I have no life because I can not stop sales from coming in. Thus I plan to go in to production and then it will be like a normal order form. Actually I wont be doing that, it will be a 3rd party page. I thought about doubling prices to stop people from buying but that is not in my character nor really is it ethical by any means. Is cumbersome as is it is to order I still get overwhelmed. Fortunately this year is slow, only 3 a week. That is because everyone is hopping the kickstarter will show up soon but its a ways a way yet. Oh btw: I ow most of my success in orders to aevans0001 here. That man is a damn good person make no mistake of that.

have you considered using a metal panel/plate?

I have 0 metal shop tools and dont have any interest in investing. Metal is "our" time, these kids 30 younger want plastic. I do get a few metal requests but again I dont have any way to mount and cut it. I'm up for talking to him though.

Are you currently working with someone to produce these?

Yeah I hit a gold mind. I found a partner that have it all figure out. You wont miss the kickstaerter notice i'll be blasting that everywhere.

Lastly let me re-itterate the importance of a "out of the box" product. Plug and play if you will. It might cost more to have a plug and play unit but the assurance that it was done right and most likely to work first time is worth money and there simply has to be more people like myself that are willing to pay to have that piece of mind.

I dont really know what you are getting at and I know there is a lot of info on my page but this little treat will work on a microwave if it has a usb port. This is USB HID driver-less. Works on ps3, linux, os2, windows 98-8 and nt5 and greater, xbox( not fully ), etc...

[megabyte52]

Your blog

So the product doesn't allow hotswap without resetting it? Rebooting is not that cool of a deal.

You also mention adding a USB card to do dedicated ports - I am a huge fan of NOT moving a USB connections after they've been installed for the first time. Your controller ID's changed huh?

I would hope that once this device is attached to the PC that the drivers would load, and controllers stay static (ID wise).

It requires a hit of the reset button on the box to fully pick up a new controller. The way the thing is wired (at least to my limited understanding) it is not possible to have all ports "live" at once, especially since everything is wired up to one circuit board. Granted I have many ports in mine. It is not an inconvenience at the least.

[Deadly]

I'm going to sit back and wait for this "kickstarter" announcement. I found out about Bliss Box about a year ago and just drooled. In fact I found out about it right after I became unemployed. Now that I'm back to work catching up on a few bills and then I plan on making the purchase. I am a purist. I'm certainly not going to start buying every console (I actually started doing that 5 years ago) and I had so much stuff it was overwhelming so emulation was the alternative. It drives me insane playing (for example) Nintendo games on a 360 controller. It sucks - hear me .... IT SUCKS! How anyone around here uses a 360 or PS3 controller for everything is beyond me. The Bliss Box should've been called DA BOMB BOX lol

[Crylen]

Just wanna recommend this product... I spent a bunch of time making a DIY box earlier this year - works like a charm. If youre curious I chronicled the whole thing here http://blissbox.freeforums.org/blissbox-diy-build-experience-t167.html

Can't recommend it enough, the ability to plug in any old controller is awesome.. and it works great with the keymapper feature in RL!

[Polemicist]

OMG why did I look at this post. Now I want one for when I finally build a cabinet. My wife is gonna kill me.

I agree with many comments above like "yeah I could build one but ..." As I am in that same big old boat.

I don't know if I just missed it in all the quotes here but for the cabinet panel how big is it? And especially how deep is it cause a well laid out control panel could have one of these things hidden in the bottom of the panel and the wife won't ever know about it.

Also shipping to other countries for example Australia, UK etc?

[ulao]

Outside shipping is normally $15 for boxes. Panels can go up to $30. A 4 player panel is about 14 inches across by 10 inches tall and cables come out the back ( depends on cable length ) it can be as short as 4 inches.

It requires a hit of the reset button on the box to fully pick up a new controller.

This, by design, is not correct. I do not remember anything specific to your design that would prevent that. If you use a controller to play a game you should be able to pull it out. At that point the pause button presses. If the game is pausable it will then pause. At this point you can put in any controller and then hit pause to continue and that new controller is ready to go. If the newly inserted controller does not have a pause you must reset it. This only works with detectable controllers. sega gen, nes, DC, etc.. Controllers with no pause or no logic ( atari ) will not work; atari, sms, coleco, ect...

[Polemicist]

4 inch is some pretty long plugs? Not worried about the cable length just the mass of wiring and the problem of where I can fit something so big into a small control panel.

[Iggy]

First of all, welcome Ulao to HyperSpin! Second I would highly recommend his device if you want to have an all-in-one set up. The original controllers work great and he is very responsive to questions and recommendations. I remember I asked him for schematics so I could build this circuit board from scratch for one of my college classes. I also went with Crylen's idea of using a 25 pin db connector so that one could use a multitude of controllers without having to have individual ports for each controller. In fact I have two....one for the wife and I. Guys, if you want an all-in-one box for your HS setups, go with this nifty device!

[ulao]

How anyone around here uses a 360 or PS3 controller for everything is beyond me.

Yeah know... I gave up on arguing with that. Even many Bliss-Box users still use that controller for the most part. I have people on the board wanting the Bliss-box to be mapped matching it so its swappable. I'm pretty certain its what you started on. Anyone that started on the Nintendo systems knows what Bliss-Box is about. Anyone coming in after 99 or so is an Xbox fan boy and gets the idea of Bliss-Box but does not fully appreciate it. PSX sort of designed the global controller and everyone 99 > just started to copy from it. IDK for me it has way to many buttons. And I though the n64 was a button over kill.

4 inch is some pretty long plugs?

Most ports ( plugs ) are 1 inch, after that most go to soft bendable wires some are fixed to the OEM cables and they do not bend until 2 inches. Add one more to be safe. FYI a production panel would fit easy in a 2 inch deep space as they wont have fixed cables out the back only ports.

Hey sjignacz, glad my contraption is working out for you. You know its strange, I never have done anything like this before so its interesting being on the makers end. I dont know about making widgets and what widget manufacture go thru but to me its the most interest thing ever. I have made well over 500 adapter in this 7 year run. I have had a few responses/question but I really dont here any more after that. I use to wonder if the Bliss-Box had a way of injuring people as its like they drop off the earth. Seriously, I never here a review on this gadget. I sometimes just search the net to see what people say about it. I even created a forum and its like watching tumble weeds... So in a way this is kind of fun reading form me. I guess in a way no new is good news huh?

Here is a close up of the first panel I made

Here is the forum it was talked about on http://forums.emulator-zone.com/showthread.php?t=11266&page=6

Read from the beginning if you want to know about the history of BB as this is were it started. Once shipped and received I never heard from Genome again.

HEY DAZZ, I just found this.

https://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=88136.0

That goes back a few years LOL

[Deadly]

I've owned/run 2 business' in my life. Even though it wasn't what you're doing, it still proves a point. You generally only hear the bad. When things work there's no need for contact anymore so hell yes no news is certainly good news. Let's not forget a person can have 9 perfect experiences and 1 bad one. Which one do they focus on? Which one do they get on the internet and rant and rave causing a big stink about? The bad one. Human nature really sucks but it is what it is. So without a doubt YES!!! No news is good news.

I spent some time last year looking at your forum and you're right. Not much action which is too bad. I personally depend on hi-res detailed pictures so if I get stumped I can zoom in on a pic and say, "Oh yah that's where it goes". Low res pics don't do much good from a selling/technical stand point. But the way you've handled what little traffic there has been - it clearly shows you know your stuff and are 100% dependable if support is needed.

So here's a few questions. Do you have hi res diagrams that show EXACTLY WHERE to solder/connect EACH wire for each type of controller/configuration? If so link?

And lastly, an odd question. Let's say a person would plug in every kind of controller all at once and left them plugged in. Say the person had them all stored in a drawer and wanted to just pull the controllers out, use them and then put them away and grab the next pair of controllers and start another EMU. Since the EMU needs to be configured on a per controller basis - how would this scenario work? Short answer OK (as in NO it won't work).

[Deadly]

Just found hi res pics of your board and that's perfect!

So I'll ask another question. How much more expense would it cost to have your boards made with male header pins? Yes I understand that adds more cost and also requires a person to buy female headers and crimp. But how much faster/easier would it be for the average joe to crimp and press in instead of solder? Not to mention the header would be way more solid than dots of solder. Again - just thinking out loud.

[ulao]

"Short answer OK" - no.

Bit more detail. One lets look at the FAQ

Q9. So can I use more than one controller on one box?

A1. No, this is a one player box, one controller at a time.

Or if you had a Bliss-Box turn it over and read the big plasterard warning label. Yeah do that and you may not have any controller working.

Bit more technical. Controllers work by applying voltage and current to pins. Pulling on one line when the controller is trying to pull is like tug a war.

Yeah, I here you on your first paragraph. Also to add to that, its amazing how every one wants picture and hates to read. Nothing again you of course but its like why go thru the trouble of explaining it ya know.

I'm thinking I need to put together a quick guide so that everyone knows the do's and dont's so far no one had had any trouble.

Do you have hi res diagrams that show EXACTLY WHERE to solder/connect EACH wire for each type of controller/configuration? If so link?

Honestly if it was in your hand and and you looked at the tech page, its a no brainier. Though yes it may be hard to figure it out if you dont have one in yours hands. I can provide any res needed but the info on the pages is more then enough for anyone that bought a board. Aevens here in this tread bought my board fully assembled. Then he ripped all the wires off because he wanted to use a cat 5 cable. He didn't have any troubles with it at all. Everyone learns differently and that is hard to support.

see this page.

http://spawnlinux.dyndns.org/Bliss-Box/technical.html

now that pic is 4 times the size of the board you get. There is a harness that plugs in to the board you can buy and its color coated. The hard part is figuring out what pins on the extension cable is what. Colors are not consistent so you have to meter each one to figure it out. There is nothing I can do to help you there.

Just found hi res pics of your board and that's perfect!

No that is old, see my link.

So I'll ask another question. How much more expense would it cost to have your boards made with male header pins? Yes I understand that adds more cost and also requires a person to buy female headers and crimp. But how much faster/easier would it be for the average joe to crimp and press in instead of solder? Not to mention the header would be way more solid than dots of solder. Again - just thinking out loud.

Again see the my link.

You will find every question asked here on my site, and everything you need to know. Yes its a lot of reading but its there.

it also helps to read the news head lines.

http://spawnlinux.dyndns.org/Bliss-Box/new.html

"July 12 2012- Ok two new things to add. First Bliss-Box is now a solder free solution. "

[Deadly]

Metering out items is gravy.

I was just curious about your production cost to have the headers installed at the factory is all. My thinking was it's easier for someone to crimp and push than to solder. You're absolutely right about people like pictures rather than reading lol. No offense taken.

And yes, without physically having one in hand the closest thing to this is a big ass picture!

I can solder fine, I just hate doing it. After owning pinball machines I've become very much hateful of soldering

[ulao]

oops I edited before you posted sorry, see above.

[Deadly]

oops I edited before you posted sorry, see above.

That was the best thing you could've implemented my friend. Solderless solution makes this a solution for EVERYONE.

[ulao]

Man you and sjignacz hit your 420th post, are you guys trying to infer something here? LOL

[ulao]

FYI: electrically if you wanted to have all connected at one you would need a 15( or what number of ports you have) way, double pul/tro switch. Effectively each ports (+ and -) would go through the switch and when that position is made its pretty much is the same thing as pluggin it in, just automated.

[Polemicist]

FYI: electrically if you wanted to have all connected at one you would need a 15( or what number of ports you have) way, double pul/tro switch. Effectively each ports (+ and -) would go through the switch and when that position is made its pretty much is the same thing as pluggin it in, just automated.

Exactly what I was about to ask. Can this be an option when you go production?

Oh and this makes post 620 for me incidentally.

[ulao]

Anything is do-able. Please do make suggestions on the board as that will be the to go to place when that point comes about. Also a voice is useless unless spoken.

http://blissbox.freeforums.org/next-for-production-ideas-t200.html

ya lost me, dont get the 620 reference.

[sandman7793]

Anything is do-able. Please do make suggestions on the board as that will be the to go to place when that point comes about. Also a voice is useless unless spoken.

http://blissbox.freeforums.org/next-for-production-ideas-t200.html

ya lost me, dont get the 620 reference.

He was talking about your smoke out 420..

[megabyte52]

Outside shipping is normally $15 for boxes. Panels can go up to $30. A 4 player panel is about 14 inches across by 10 inches tall and cables come out the back ( depends on cable length ) it can be as short as 4 inches.

This, by design, is not correct. I do not remember anything specific to your design that would prevent that. If you use a controller to play a game you should be able to pull it out. At that point the pause button presses. If the game is pausable it will then pause. At this point you can put in any controller and then hit pause to continue and that new controller is ready to go. If the newly inserted controller does not have a pause you must reset it. This only works with detectable controllers. sega gen, nes, DC, etc.. Controllers with no pause or no logic ( atari ) will not work; atari, sms, coleco, ect...

I was not aware that it even had that function! I will try it out.

[ulao]

He was talking about your smoke out 420..

Right, still dont get what 620 is in reference to though? AFAICT its not a police code nor a common code for anything I can find.

megabyte52, let me know what you find out. Also I strongly recommend you see the feature list.

http://spawnlinux.dyndns.org/Bliss-Box/features.html

but here is it for a quick read.

version 2.0 features (2.0 assumes 1.0 features)

Auto Pause Detection - In addition to auto pause with 2.0 you can switch controllers on the fly. When you unplug, for example, a Saturn controller you can then choose any detectable controller and plug it in. The Bliss-Box will auto detect this controller and resume functionality without a flinch by the user. Very few controllers are not detectable. For example the Atari, Intellivision are not detectable, most others are.

Global button mapping -All buttons are laid out the same to match common set ups. For example the snes y, b, x, a, are mapped like the neo-geo a, b, c, d, So that when you switch from one to the next you use the controller in the same manner. Both left most buttons ( snes:Y or neo:A ) are mapped to the emulator the same. Obviously some choices had to be made. See this spread sheet for details. Open to suggestions

Force Feedback - Yes vibration ( rumble ) is supported in 2.0 with no drivers required. It was developed for a windows system and may or may not work on the ps3, linux or mac ( just never been tested). The following controllers support rumble: DreamCast, Nintendo 64, Playstation 1,2, and Game Cube.

UDLR mode - This mode will map all Up,Down,Left,Right buttons to the corresponding analog movements. So that you can switch to digital in the game and back out at any time. To do this you press shoulder left, shoulder right and the (pause, select, or Z) button all at once. To exit, press the same. NOTE: The n64 uses this combo for calibration as why there is a (pause, select, or Z). You may use the start button but that tell the controller to auto calibrate and if you also are bumping the analog stick it will mess up the calibration. So for GC and n64 I would use L+R+ Z.

Version 1.0 features

Auto Pause - Most controllers have an auto pause when the controller is unplugged. When you are in the middle of a game and your friend, wife, Pet, or otherwise clueless partner trips over your cord resulting in NO GAME CONTROL, the game will pause

Auto Detect - No switches needed. The Bliss-Box will detect the controller.

Out of the Box ready. Nothing else is needed. No drivers, no wiring, nor setup. Plug in the controller then the Bliss-Box, and you are done.

Upgrades - The chip is designed to be upgraded via an upgrade file see technical page.

Full emulation - Each controller is fully emulated unless otherwise stated. For example psx2 pressure sensitive buttons work! Version 1.0 of the Bliss-Box did not intended to support rumble or mem pack reading. This is planned in 2.0 (see 2.0 notes in "what's new" section)

[Polemicist]

ya lost me, dont get the 620 reference.

you posted this

Man you and sjignacz hit your 420th post, are you guys trying to infer something here? LOL

I was amused that it was my 620th post here. Nothing special bro.

[Polemicist]

Technical question: This question is more aimed at the likes of DJVJ Bleasby etc as they are the gods of all that is scripting.

The option of putting in a multi position switch to choose which sticks to use sounds great but I'd like to propose the following:-

A USB controlled switch with a simple driver that reacts to a request from Hyperlaunch or pretty much any script (so it can be used on other front ends) that can be started when a particular emulator is started.

I know it would be difficult to make a switch that waited for an EXE to start as many people use multiple emulators for one Wheel / Game System so a script would be the obvious option.

Having that built into Hyperlaunch as something that can be edited on a per game basis as well would also be a benefit.

Just a thought.