Reset Button = Exit current game, possible?

[PhoenixAD]

I'm currently building a nintendo PC using a mini itx board and other components. I was wondering if it was possible to somehow tell windows to fire the escape key when the reset button is hit. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks much!

[bkenobi]

Do you mean the NES's reset button or the PC's reset button. If you are wiring the NES's reset button to a button, that's easy (XPadder, AHK, AI, etc.). If you are talking about the PC's reset button, that's more complicated (maybe an AHK/AI/other script?). Which is it? A little more description of what you are building would help answer this question better.

[mightypeniz]

what's a nintendo PC? are you putting that mini itx inside an old n64 case or something?

At any rate, I'm guessing a button is a button.. trace back the wires inside your case (the ones which would normally make their way on to the motherboard jumpers.. you could probably route those wires through a keyboard encoder (or a hacked keyboard PCB, depending on your budget) instead of going to the motherboard.

[Nologic]

odd question but why not simply escape the Emu with a gamepad combo, through Advanced Config? Seems to me that it would be far more easier to use...

[PhoenixAD]

My apologies, I should of been a little more precise in what I'm doing. I have the old shell of an original NES system and I'm putting a fully functioning PC inside it. It's been done before. I'm using a mini-itx board, laptop dvd-rw, etc. I've also soldered the power button, power LED, and reset switch to the old original NES buttons. As it stands right now I have already configured xpadder to escape using my logitech gamepad. I thought it would be cool though that if the user hits the reset switch, it would also trigger the escape key and send the system back to the emulator. Hope this clears up my intentions a little better.

I guess the question boils down to, how do I wire a generic button to the motherboard and make that button generate the Escape key I need. Thanks much!

[Nologic]

ahh okay.

Well nothing comes to mind right now...probably have to try something like what mightypeniz is suggesting tho.

[bkenobi]

I don't know if you can do that with the reset button as the computer would see reset being pressed and imediately reset. Now, if you used the power button, it would be easy. You could set up your bios to reset only after pushing the button for 5 seconds and do what mightypeniz said. That way, as long as noone held down the power button, it would kick out and not shut down. The problem with that is of course that if someone held it down...POOF!

Another option is to replace the switch in the reset button with a double position type (like the type you use on a camera shutter release to focus and then take the picture). So, half push = xpadder escape, full push = pc reset. That would be pretty dangerous though since it would potentially result in an unwanted reset. I don't know where you would acquire a button like that though.

A third option would be to have 2 buttons for actual reset button. You press reset and a hidden one on the back of the case. Of course, the easiest option would be to just put a hidden reset button somewhere and use the reset button on the front for escape...

Just some random thoughts that I can come up with.

[PhoenixAD]

Well my overall vision looks like this...

The NES has a power button & a reset button, I would like to keep the power button as is where when I push it, it just sends a signal the the OS to power down. As for the reset switch, I do like what mightypeniz said in regards to the encoder. Problem is I was looking at encoders and they all cost more than I want to spend. They also do a whole lot more than what I'm looking to accomplish. Is there a cheaper way than the Keyboard encoder? mightypeniz mentioned something of a hacked PCB board but I'm not quite sure how I would approach doing that. Any helpful hints? lol

One thing I was researching was if there is a way to suppress the reset button entirely from processing but still catching the signal that it was pressed. That way I could write a simple script to fire the ESC key when the Reset Signal comes up. Just random thoughts...Thanks for all the replies so far!

[Brian Hoffman]

  PhoenixAD said:

Well my overall vision looks like this...

The NES has a power button & a reset button, I would like to keep the power button as is where when I push it, it just sends a signal the the OS to power down. As for the reset switch, I do like what mightypeniz said in regards to the encoder. Problem is I was looking at encoders and they all cost more than I want to spend. They also do a whole lot more than what I'm looking to accomplish. Is there a cheaper way than the Keyboard encoder? mightypeniz mentioned something of a hacked PCB board but I'm not quite sure how I would approach doing that. Any helpful hints? lol

One thing I was researching was if there is a way to suppress the reset button entirely from processing but still catching the signal that it was pressed. That way I could write a simple script to fire the ESC key when the Reset Signal comes up. Just random thoughts...Thanks for all the replies so far!

Get a 6 dollar usb game pad... Take it apart. Solder the wires from the Reset button to the gamepad PCB.. This way when you hit reset it acutally presses button 1 or whatever. Have xpaader map that button to ESC.

Tuck it in somehwere safe.

Did you also use the NES to LPT hack

This way you can use your original nes controllers !!

[PhoenixAD]

Ha that's that would probably work, need to find a dirt cheap controller now lol. I decided to forgo using original NES controllers and opted for Logitech Wireless Rumblepad ones. The nes wouldn't fit very nicely with an n64 or sega game heh

[bkenobi]

I would consider getting one of the eco keywiz or eco GP-wiz encoders. They cost $20 +shipping and although they do more than what you need, they already have the solder pads on them. Going that route is a little more expensive, but it does open a lot of possibilities down the road. If you already have a gamepad that you are willing to sacrifice, that works too, though!

KeyWiz Eco

GP-Wiz Eco

EDIT: Apparently they raised the price a little. It's now $22. Either way, it's a great little controller, but potentially a bit more expensive than a junker from the closet.

Oh, and you can use a keyboard too, but that's potentially more involved and definitely not as elegant a solution as either this one or what Brian suggested.