Buttons and joystick no longer completely functioning

[krum]

I am new to the forum, new to hyperspin setup, but not to new to computers. I have had this mame full height console when it was originally run on windows98 and a large tube monitor. I wish I could remember when I bought this system. In 2018 I needed to replace the pc. I bought a new system with hyperspin loaded. For the most part it was plug and play. I replaced the monitor, and I believe the trackball and controller. It has worked up until this month. The track ball works fine, I can play centipede. The joystick only goes down and left. The 1 player or coin button doesn't work. If I load, say 1941, with the keyboard I can move about with the arrow keys, or the joystick down and left, and shoot with the shoot buttons.  I don't know how it got this way. For the most part I am the only user - kids have all moved out... Sometime after covid I moved the console to my office and played much more frequently.

I am not sure where to start troubleshooting?

Krum

[jesfknkrys]

This should help you.

 

[krum]

When I followed the video, loaded any game, hit tab, went to general, I only had keyboard settings. If I selected UI UP, my only option was keyboard up. If I tried to use the joystick to up (or any direction knowing that it only works down or left) the field stayed blank. My only option was to hit the up key on the keyboard for a setting.

I didn't see an option for coin either.

[krum]

My only options are keyboard inputs. I tried the joystick and buttons on the console.

Any other ideas for me to check? Is there a tool that can be used to see what the joystick is/isn't sending? I know it works down and left...

[Andyman]

You can use the game controller dialog in Control Panel to test the inputs.

[krum]

There is one other thing that I just noticed. My problem is that my joystick works down and left.

I was testing or changing my UI UP. I just tried my UI down and used the joystick down while in that field. It did update to Kbd Down...

Now it makes me wonder if my joystick is not functioning?

[krum]

Andyman,

I don't have any game controllers listed in control panel.

[Andyman]

That would be your issue then. Check Device Manager to see if they're listed there, and proceed from that point to get them recognized once again.

Another thought occurred to me - how are your joysticks connected? Keyboard interface or something else? If it's the former, the interface is the device you're looking for in Device Manager. And if that's the case, it's probably a loose ground wire that is at fault.

[krum]

Andyman,

I am thinking you are on to it with the ground. I have attached a picture of my control board. The Ipac control on the bottom right (PC white - KBD purple) but when I was in the mame keyboard control, I could update the joystick to keyboard conversion using the down or left but not up or right. That makes me think it is ground related.

Also looking at the right side, blue button is pause (that does work) and looking at the joystick one half (up and right)  doesn't work. That too makes me think it is a ground trouble. It is pretty damn cold here today. (9 degrees, -13 with the wind)  I don't know how much outside activity I will do today so I'lll try and fool around now that I have it disconnected... I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks

[krum]

Good morning Andyman,

I certainly is a grounding trouble. After I took that picture, I tightened a couple of loose buttons and followed some grounding wires back from button to button. Then I lowered it back down, powered on the game to check the coin drop button. To be honest I wasn't 100% sure that wasn't working as I had been using the keyboard to start it up when I first started looking into it. The coin button worked, and all other buttons worked as well as the joystick. I played a variety of games yesterday evening without any trouble.

 

Thanks for all you help... Happy New Year.

 

I have a question about sound on 1 game. Are you interested or should I open a new post?

[Andyman]

6 hours ago, krum said:

I have a question about sound on 1 game. Are you interested or should I open a new post?

Feel free to ask here. Glad you got the controls sorted!

[krum]

Good morning,

I have Zaxxon but it doesn't have sound. It is the only game I play that doesn't have any sound. I've lived with it this way but now that I am starting to dig into the working of the over all system I thought I would ask how does one go and fix this if it is even possible?

 

Thanks

[krum]

Andyman,

I did figure out how to get sound for Zaxxon... I should have started this when working from home was mandatory... HA HA.. Good thing I am busy with work...

 

Thanks again.