Setting up the Astro-daptor with MAME

[ballyalley]

The Astro-daptor is a USB interface for connecting Bally/Astrocade controllers to your PC/Mac, Raspberry Pi, or game console that supports USB HID. No driver is needed as the Astro-daptor is recognized as a USB HID (Human Interface Device) joystick. You can buy one here:

http://www.2600-daptor.com/Astro-daptor.htm

Michael Matte wrote instructions on how to get this astrocade hand controller adapter to work with the MAME emulator.

SETTING UP THE ASTRO-DAPTOR
FOR USE WITH A HAND CONTROLLER ON THE MAME ASTROCADE EMULATOR


1. Plug your hand contoller into the Astro-daptor and then the Astro-daptor into
your computer.

2. Initialize MAME and display the Astrocade menu.

3. Press your keyboard "Tab" key.

4. The Tab menu will pop up.
Point to "Input (this machine)", then double-click or press the "Enter" key.

5. The Inputs menu will pop up.

You will see a listing of 8 parameters for each player input.
Below is a listing of 6 parameters for use with an Astrocade hand controller
showing the desired settings, plus 2 parameters for an optional keyboard paddle
motion setting.

P1 up Joy1 up
P1 down joy1 down
P1 left joy1 left
P1 right joy1 right
P1 button 1 joy1 button 0
Paddle analog joy1 Z rotation
Paddle analog dec Z*
Paddle analog inc X*

* This input setting is for an optional paddle motion using the keyboard.

6. The desired input parameter to change must be highlighted in yellow.
Use your keyboard down/up keys to point to the desired input parameter.

7. The current input setting must be deleted, unless you want to ADD your
new setting to the current setting.

Avoid double left-clicking your mouse to change the input setting, because you
may experience setting problems.

To delete the current setting and enter a new setting:
A. Press the enter key to display left/right pointers.
B. Press the Esc key so the input setting reads "None".
C. Press the enter key to display the left/right pointers again.
D. Move joystick, pot or pull trigger to display desired setting.
E. If you make a setting mistake, go back to step A and repeat the procedure.

Notes:
If you can't set a joystick input setting, it is likely the Astro-daptor is
not sensing that input. Confirm your hand controller is fully functional.

This same procedure in above steps 6 and 7 can be used to change or add
keyboard settings.

8. To exit this Inputs menu, move up or down to "Return to Previous Menu" and
double-click, press Enter key or pull joystick trigger.

9. To exit first Input menu, move to "Return to machine" and select it.



HOW TO ACCESS "DEAD ZONE" AND "JOYSTICK SATURATION" PARAMETERS



1. Go back to the Systems listing by pressing the "Esc" key.
Right click "Bally Profession Arcade".

2. A "Configure Machine" menu will pop up.
Point to "Advanced Options", if necessary, and double-click or press the
"Enter" key.

3. Move down or up to the "Inputs Options" area within this menu.

You will see within this area,
Joystick Dead Zone
Joystick Saturation.

It looks like the default settings for these two parameters are 0.3 and 0.85
respectively. You do NOT have to change these settings. The default settings
seem to work fine.

The Astro-daptor recommendation is 0.0 for the Dead Zone and 0.85 or 0.90 for
the Saturation.

To change a setting, point to it and highlight it, so left/right pointers
appear next to the setting. Use the keyboard left or right keys to adjust
the setting.

4. To exit this menu, move down to "Return To Previous Menu" and select it by
double-clicking or pressing the "Enter" key.

End of document
MCM Design
Feb 2019

[dualcam]

It looks like the default settings for these two parameters are 0.3 and 0.85

respectively. You do NOT have to change these settings. The default settings

seem to work fine.

 

The Astro-daptor recommendation is 0.0 for the Dead Zone and 0.85 or 0.90 for

the Saturation.

 

A non-zero Dead Zone could potentially create a dead-spot in the middle of the knob rotation. However, it has been quite a long time since I looked at this. Perhaps Mame is now only applying Dead Zone to X & Y axis (the knob is in the Z axis).

 

The new 2600 D9 also supports the Astrocade controller.

 

Tom

http://2600-daptor.com/

[ballyalley]

On 3/29/2019 at 1:46 PM, ballyalley said:

HOW TO ACCESS "DEAD ZONE" AND "JOYSTICK SATURATION" PARAMETERS

1. Go back to the Systems listing by pressing the "Esc" key.  Right click "Bally Profession Arcade".

[...] It looks like the default settings for these two parameters are 0.3 and 0.85 respectively. You do NOT have to change these settings. The default settings seem to work fine.

 

The default settings in MAME don't work quite right for analog control unless the recommended settings are used with the Astro-dapter.  While MAME's default settings will allow you to use the hand controller's knob for games like Brickyard/Clowns and other cartridges, there will be a slight deadspot in the center.  This can be eliminated by setting "Deadzone" to 0.0.  Here's how to do it:

 

1) Press the Tab key in MAME to bring up the options menu, then select "Choose New Machine:"

 

 

2) Right Click with the mouse on "Advanced Settings:

"

 

3) Set "Joystick Deadzone" to 0.  This will get rid of the knob's deadspot:

 

 

4) Now, save the settings, else your change to the joystick's dead zone (also sometimes referred to as "deadband") won't work:

 

 

Now restart your game that requires the knob and you should have a perfectly smooth control from the left to the right side of the screen with no "drag" and no "dead zone" in the middle of the screen.

 

The advanced settings are kind of hard to find, so I hope that this helps someone configure MAME properly for the analog joystick setup.

 

Ada

[gkerr4400]

I am trying to program the Bally controller to MAME 0.249  . Everything appears to work except for the Knob ( z AXIS ) I tried following the instructions above from Michael Matte, but I'm having issues with that and am hoping for help ! The instructions don't match the version of MAME that I am using, do I need to find the version that he used or is there someone who has had luck with a newer version ? I also did the settings that were suggested for the Brickyard/Clowns Cartridge, those screen shots are identical to the version of MAME I'm using, but still no joy ( the center of the stick is jumpy ). That said my unit and controllers were purchased new by me 4 decades ago but have been cleaned ...   Old people tend to get nostalgic !   I'm using a 2600-dapter D9 w/Win10 Pro

I also have what appears to be some screen tearing at the bottom of the screen when the Cartridges run. Any Ideas ?

 

Greg

[gkerr4400]

I got the Z axis Issues figured out - Red Eye flight on YouTube ..  works on 0.249

I also have what appears to be some screen tearing at the bottom of the screen when the Cartridges run. Any Ideas ? Still got this though.

 

Greg