IPAC Ghosting in Game Ex

[jkahrs595]

I've had some annoying problems the past few weeks in Mame with my IPAC. I have two players, each with 6 buttons. Through MAME itself, I have no issues with ghosting. Even through Game Ex I don't seem to have any problems until extreme button mashing/two player action ensues. Once the ghosting occurs, the game becomes unplayable. It will go away if you leave the controls alone for a few seconds, but it's very annoying and it will come back as well.

I'm using mame 1.09 and the most current version of Game Ex.

I've searched the forums/FAQ, found something about a pagefile? To no avail, it did not work.

My cabinet has 512MB RAM, a 9600SE, and an Athlon XP 2100+ processor. To my knowledge, this should be plenty of power to run the MAME games.

Any input/ideas would be much appreciated.

[iano]

I've had some annoying problems the past few weeks in Mame with my IPAC. I have two players, each with 6 buttons. Through MAME itself, I have no issues with ghosting. Even through Game Ex I don't seem to have any problems until extreme button mashing/two player action ensues. Once the ghosting occurs, the game becomes unplayable. It will go away if you leave the controls alone for a few seconds, but it's very annoying and it will come back as well.

I'm using mame 1.09 and the most current version of Game Ex.

I've searched the forums/FAQ, found something about a pagefile? To no avail, it did not work.

My cabinet has 512MB RAM, a 9600SE, and an Athlon XP 2100+ processor. To my knowledge, this should be plenty of power to run the MAME games.

Any input/ideas would be much appreciated.

Hi. Not sure if this is your problem but check out this thread.

iano.

http://www.gameex.info/forums/index.php?sh...&hl=latency

[jkahrs595]

Yes, I have seen that thread. I've tried clearing my pagefile, I have set up windows so that it is cleared everytime it is shut down. Still no luck.

[Will]

Your machine should be MORE than enough for MAME and GameEx, although the whole boot process etc will be quicker with more RAM. I use an IPAC and have never experienced that problem even when my 4 year old neighbor bangs the crap out of Frogger. It COULD be the typing rate of Windows or your motherboard. I know in my BIOS it allows me to set the max keyboard rate it will buffer which translates into how quickly it will let you type when many buttons are being pressed. Yours may be set too conservatively. Check that out in your BIOS, and if that doesn't help, see if Windows has separate settings for this. Also, in GameEx try toggling the "Direct Input" option which allows the DirectX software to handle keyboard input rather than the generic Windows handlers. That could help give more aggressive settings. Let us know how it goes.

[Deadly]

I'm curious if this happens with extreme button mashing in Mame as well...your original post makes it sound like it only happens in GameEx.

You can also shut off system restore - defrag your drive too.

You might have an issue with your IPAC as well. If you can load up a fresh drive and it still happens then by all means contact Andy at Ultimarc and ask him. You just might have a flakey chip on your hands.

[In2ishun]

Yes, I have seen that thread. I've tried clearing my pagefile, I have set up windows so that it is cleared everytime it is shut down. Still no luck.

Please let us know if you tried the "direct input" and what results you had.

[jkahrs595]

I will test this out tomorrow when I'm no longer with my parents for the holidays, and have access to the cabinet. Hopefully this will solve the problem before my new year's party

Also, I have already contacted Andy at Ultimarc, and he had this to say:

Justin,

The I-PAC should never delay in this way. But I have heard from other people who have seen this problem when using Game-Ex.

The best way forward would be this: download the keyboard test prog from www.passmark.com. Install this and run a test, mashing the buttons in the same way as a game, and see if any delays or stuck keys etc result. This will prove that the wiring and I-PAC are OK and you might need to look elsewhere. I will raise this subject with the developer of Game-Ex as well. It might also be worth checking and/or posting a message on the Game-Ex message board to see if anyone else has this problem and has found a solution.

Regards

Andy

In response to Deadly, yes it only happens while running Mame through game ex, not mame itself.

[emphatic]

I will test this out tomorrow when I'm no longer with my parents for the holidays, and have access to the cabinet. Hopefully this will solve the problem before my new year's party

Also, I have already contacted Andy at Ultimarc, and he had this to say:

Justin,

The I-PAC should never delay in this way. But I have heard from other people who have seen this problem when using Game-Ex.

The best way forward would be this: download the keyboard test prog from www.passmark.com. Install this and run a test, mashing the buttons in the same way as a game, and see if any delays or stuck keys etc result. This will prove that the wiring and I-PAC are OK and you might need to look elsewhere. I will raise this subject with the developer of Game-Ex as well. It might also be worth checking and/or posting a message on the Game-Ex message board to see if anyone else has this problem and has found a solution.

Regards

Andy

In response to Deadly, yes it only happens while running Mame through game ex, not mame itself.

I use an X-Arcade dual and get this as well (only in GameEx). So I don't think for a second that this is an I-Pac issue.

Emph

[jkahrs595]

I tried to enable direct input, but it was already enabled. I tried messing with my keyboard settings, no luck.

I defragged, disabled system restore, everything I could think of.

any more ideas?

[headkaze]

I tried to enable direct input, but it was already enabled. I tried messing with my keyboard settings, no luck.

I defragged, disabled system restore, everything I could think of.

any more ideas?

Did you try turning off the direct input option?

[jkahrs595]

Yeah, tried that too. I also tried enabling/disabling the USB keyboard option in my BIOS.

No such luck.

[headkaze]

What about the option to enable/disable IPAC & Arcade X support?

[Will]

Just as a note...the BIOS USB option is only for pre-OS instances such as in the bios menus, or at the POST screen. It doesn't affect you once in Windows.

[jkahrs595]

enabling/disabling ipac support does nothing.

I also tried telling game ex that I have the absolute shittiest computer in the world, and lower resources used... still nothing.

It has to be a setting in XP that's screwing things up.

[lingpanda]

enabling/disabling ipac support does nothing.

I also tried telling game ex that I have the absolute shittiest computer in the world, and lower resources used... still nothing.

It has to be a setting in XP that's screwing things up.

Is your keyboard also hooked up to your I-Pac? I've never experienced this and I don't have a keyboard hooked to my I-Pac either.

[Deadly]

Is your keyboard also hooked up to your I-Pac? I've never experienced this and I don't have a keyboard hooked to my I-Pac either.

That's a great idea. Also, depending on what IPAC you have...... are you using the PS2 or USB interface?

If you are using a converter remove it - in othe rwords PS2 to USB or USB to PS2. As a last resort make sure your motherboard bios is current.

[jkahrs595]

I removed the keyboard from the passthrough of the IPAC.

It works!

Wow, what a simple solution. Thanks Ling.