X-arcade solo stick
  • Hello! I'm a total newbie and I have read about the possibilities to use the x-arcade tankstick instead of the keyboard.

    I have a solo but I guess that would work just the same, right? Anyhow, I do not know anything about linux or python. When I read on how to do this I do not understand. Like, to edit AdvanceMENU configuration file…where do I find it? Is there a step-by-step (for dummies)? Please help.

    Best,
    /Kaj
  • it should work out of the box I would think.
  • Hi Shea! First let me say THANK YOU for this!!
    Well no I can not browse the rome and select the rome I like to play with the xarcade. I can use it when I have started a rom in mame4all, thats no problem. Works fine there. I would like to skip the use of keyboard for good, if possible? I now entered sudo nano .profile at the command line but then what? Do I need to find the advMenu sand change that? If so, where is it?
  • Hello,
    I also have an X-arcade solo stick. Just picked up the pi and downloaded piplay. I have tried it with sonic the hedgehog. (I own the original). And also in mame. Even after going through the configure controller steps, once in a game, the joystick is not sensed. The buttons work, but the up/down/left/right of the stick are ignored.

    I thought it was a quirk with the genesis emulator, until I tried it in mame4all and it still didn't work.

    Has anyone gotten the X-arcade solo to work? I'm on the latest beta of Version 8.
  • I might have found a solution. By plugging a ps/2 keyboard into the x-arcades ps/2 connector, you can program it to certain keys. I'm going to try that tomorrow, reprogramming the joystick to the arrow keys on the keyboard, rather than the numpad. I think it will work! Maybe I can even program one of the pinball buttons to be an 'esc' key so I can actually exit from mame4all.

    If I can get that working, I'll be building my raspberry pi into the x-arcades case for an all-in-one unit.
  • I can now confirm that this is the easy fix for the x-arcade solo and others. You just re-program the x-arcade's buttons for the joystick to be the arrow keys on the keyboard and not the numpad keys.

    The steps are easy. With the x-arcade powered up, via usb, you plug an old ps/2 keyboard into the ps/2 cable end on the x-arcade.

    Now, set the switch on the back of the x-arcade to any position other than 1. This is the memory bank you will be programming. Position 1 is locked into out-of-box settings. So you have three memories, one each on 2, 3, and 4.

    Tap the button on the back of the x-arcade so that the led goes off.

    Now, press and hold the button you want to program, or hold the joystick in any direction. While holding the button/joystick, press the key on the ps/2 keyboard that you want that button to send. Hold the key until the x-arcades led starts blinking. Done.

    Do the same for the rest of the buttons. When you're sure you've got them all programmed, press the back button and the LED comes on. You're ready to play.

    The next time you power up your system, the x-arcade will load the memory you're switched to. You may have to tap the back button twice once piplay is up. the piplay boot up seems to reset the x-arcade to stock. By pressing the back button twice, you switch it in and back out of program mode and it loads your memory back in.

    Works fine now. And in every emulator I've used so far too.

    Now to build the pi into the actual x-arcade and make a single table top unit.

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