975 replies to this topic

[mjr]

 

Decided to take the plunge today and try getting a Freescale board working on my purchased cab. I learned the hard way what BigBoss points out here. With everything disabled via PinscapeConfig on the board, and a USB Identification setting of LedWiz Unit 1, VP would error out on the script while trying to launch a VPX table (Congo). VP would crash with every other Usb Indentification except the last one Pinscape. With the USB Identification set to Pinscape, everything runs fine. I'm not sure if Congo is a DOF table, maybe I got lucky choosing this table as my start point.

 

If you are like me, with a Vertigo cab, select Pinscape as your USB Identification and disable all functions except "joystick" for nudging.

 

Hey if anyone is having that DOF crash but isn't using the pinscape for ledwiz functions you can solve the problem very easily by just disabling the pinscape ledwiz id entirely. Just load the config software and change the ledwiz ID to "pinscape" right by custom.  Now it can create 2 USB devices one for keyboard and one for joystick and neither will have an ledwiz device ID so it won't cause DOF2 to crash.

 

 

You should also be able to fix it by installing the updated DOF and LedWiz DLLs here: 

 

http://mjrnet.org/pi...ll-updates.html

 

The problem (assuming it's the one I know about) is that the standard LEDWIZ.DLL crashes if a unit that purports to be an LedWiz has more than one USB "interface".  The joystick and keyboard are separate interfaces, so if you enable any keyboard features in Pinscape, it presents two interfaces and triggers the LEDWIZ.DLL crash.  The open-source replacement linked above doesn't have the crash problem and is actually a superior replacement anyway for other reasons.  And the new DOF linked above doesn't use LEDWIZ.DLL at all.

[trapperjohn]

I am thinking about adding a cheap Chinese coin acceptor as an input (one like these: https://www.aliexpre...6768277.html ).

 

Nice device! But I should add the note that the "pulse" is an open collector port, i.e. no resistors etc. necessary for connection to the Pinscape (just ensure that the coin acceptor's 12V GND is connected to Pinscape's GND).

 

Unfortunately, Visual Pinball can't handle mulitple quick "button presses" generated by the coin acceptor/pinscape. I can see (e.g. in Windows' game controller properties) multiple button presses are detected in general but even in "slow" mode, Visual Pinball only detects a single coin (although the coin sound is played twice or more). I.e. regardless of the coin type (I configured 5ct = 1 pulse, 10ct = 2 pulse, 20ct = 4 pulses), VP always gets only a single credit...

 

 

My cab is nearing completion - everything is controlled by Pinscape and it does a wonderful job! Thanks!

[trapperjohn]

BTW, a bit offtopic ... What happens when I connect a second USB joystick? How does VP identify which one to use? I'd like to additionally connect the front joystick/buttons for MAME (they have their own USB encoder) but don't want to kill my VP setup... Can I tell VP to use a specific device, e.g. via its USB ID?

Edited by trapperjohn, 19 December 2016 - 11:46 AM.

[mjr]

BTW, a bit offtopic ... What happens when I connect a second USB joystick? How does VP identify which one to use? I'd like to additionally connect the front joystick/buttons for MAME (they have their own USB encoder) but don't want to kill my VP setup... Can I tell VP to use a specific device, e.g. via its USB ID?

 

VP does have some code to deal with multiple joysticks, but it looks to me like it's kind of perfunctory and untested.  Unfortunately, there's no mechanism to "select" a device the way you're proposing, so you're stuck with a one-size-fits-all approach.  Specifically:

 

- For the nudge input, VP sums up the X/Y axis inputs across all joysticks.  That works fine as long as there's only one joystick actually generating X/Y axis input.

 

- For plunger input, I think it just takes the first joystick's Z axis input and ignores the rest.  "First" is just a matter of how the devices show up in Windows, so again, there's no way to control it, you're just stuck with the vagaries of Windows device management.  

 

- I haven't even looked at the code to see how VP handles buttons if there are multiple joysticks.  My guess is that it's like the plunger, where it only pays attention to one arbitrarily selected device.

 

I've heard from a couple of people who couldn't get things working with multiple joysticks, so I think there's a good chance you'll have trouble if you go that route.  On the upside, VP is open source, so better support for multiple joysticks can be added as soon as someone has the time and motivation.

[trapperjohn]

Okay, that sounds like trouble...

PinballX is able to run other tools when starting/stopping Mame - a small commandline tool which can enable/disable specific USB devices should do the trick.

Thanks for all that useful information!


edit: Microsoft's devcon tool might work: https://msdn.microso.../devtest/devcon

Edited by trapperjohn, 19 December 2016 - 08:36 PM.

[mjr]

Okay, that sounds like trouble...
PinballX is able to run other tools when starting/stopping Mame - a small commandline tool which can enable/disable specific USB devices should do the trick.

 

That might be worth a try.  It would be better to fix VP, but something to manage devices externally might be a workable stopgap.

[trapperjohn]

Still offtopic: Microsoft's "devcon" tool works. PinballX now disables my USB Joystick before it starts any pinball table (i.e. only the Pinscape controller is used as input device) and reenables it before it starts any MAME game. Perfect workaround!

 

And yes, you were right - when I leave the joystick enabled during Visual Pinball sessions, it interferes with the Pinscape controls (tables nudge/tilt etc.).

[mjr]

Still offtopic: Microsoft's "devcon" tool works. PinballX now disables my USB Joystick before it starts any pinball table (i.e. only the Pinscape controller is used as input device) and reenables it before it starts any MAME game. Perfect workaround!

 

Good to know!  I'll make a note to mention devcon in the documentation.

[_jonte]

Hey mrj, just want to let you know that it is possible to update the bootloader on the KL25Z to v. 1.11 within windows 10.

 

First follow the first steps here:

https://mcuoneclipse...ndows_8_and_10/

1. Open up the Group Policy Editor

2. Enable: "Disable removable devices from the library search"

 

Then!.. (The last comment in the article)

 

 

together with register key modification you have posted, disabling Storsvc and WSearch services on my Win 10 Home, causes SystemVolumeInformation to be written with some delay (some tenth of seconds, quite enough to download bootloader 1.11).
After that it’s like you have written: with bew bootloader version the board does not take care of SystemVolumeInformation.

 

Go to Windows Services Console (Win+S-->Services):

3. Stop "Storage Service"

4. Stop "Windows Search"

 

This should give you some time before Windows starts writing to the drive.

I got this right the first try; so I don't know how many seconds you actually have, or if anything can go wrong. 

Try and do it as fast as you can and hopefully it will work.

 

5. Now plug in the USB holding the button for Bootloader-mode. (the LED should work now)

6. Send the v. 1.11 bootloader to the Bootloader drive.

7. Just as it finishes, unplug the USB.

8. Reconnect the USB and check the version. You should have v. 1.11 if you got it right.

9. Now you can flash the new Firmware, currently 1.18.

Btw, thanks for Ledwiz mrj, it's really awesome and working perfect!

[mjr]

Hey mrj, just want to let you know that it is possible to update the bootloader on the KL25Z to v. 1.11 within windows 10.

 

Thanks - that's great information.  I'll add it to the instructions.

[mjr]

I just posted some small updates to the firmware and config tool.  If you have the config tool installed, it should see them automatically next time you run it and offer to download and install.

 

This version has a new feature that lets you assign one cabinet button as a "shift" button that selects a secondary key assignment for the other buttons.  This lets you essentially double the number of commands you can send without adding physical buttons.  I find this especially useful for "administrative" functions such as adjusting the audio volume.  The "shift" button keeps its regular meaning as well, so you don't have to lose a button to take advantage of this.  On my own cab, I assigned the Extra Ball button as the shift button.  Press it by itself and it sends the "2" key as usual.  But hold it down and press right flipper/magna save to adjust the volume.

 

And speaking of audio volume, I also posted a little add-on program I wrote for my cab to deal with something that's been annoying me for a long time: the way different tables have wildly different volume levels.  I got tired of manually adjusting the volume every time I switched tables.  The new program, PinVol, addresses this by remembering the audio volume level for each table, and automatically restoring the saved level each time you return to the same table.  It does everything via the keyboard, so it combines nicely with the new shift button features in the firmware.  You can find details here: http://mjrnet.org/pinscape/PinVol.html.  I'm the only one who's tested it so far, so it might still be shaky; let me know if you run into any problems.

[trapperjohn]

Yay!

[trapperjohn]

This is so cool! I can now use shifted start/stop buttons for volume change and shifted coin to toggle the night mode! Thanks!!

 

BTW: I saw that the coin button still triggers a coin when using it as a shifted night button - the shifted start/stop buttons only trigger their shifted functionality.

[mjr]

BTW: I saw that the coin button still triggers a coin when using it as a shifted night button - the shifted start/stop buttons only trigger their shifted functionality.

 

It should only send one or the other.  What keys do you have configured for the various buttons?  (Maybe just post a screen shot of the button list.)

[shadowshd]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for the PinVol software that I'll use because you're right volume differences between tables may be annoying 

 

++

[shadowshd]

Mike,

 

I must be dumb but I can't get PinVol working correctly with Pinscape Controller, I must miss something so evident 

 

In Pinscape Config Tool, I set my Extra Ball physical button (seen as joystick button #7 by Windows control panel) as the Shift button.

 

In PinVol, I click on Table Volume Up to map keys, I press on Extra Ball + Magna Save right, PinVol says Joystick Button 3.

I do the same thing with Flipper right, PinVol says Joystick Button 1.

 

But when I press Magna or Flipper, system volume goes up or down without pressing Extra Ball at the same time.

 

I've tried mapping my keyboard's volume keys to shifted buttons in Pinscape Config Tool but it does not work.

 

Could you please clarify this to me ?

 

Thanks

[mjr]

First, are you leaving PinVol running all the time?  It has to be running to handle the keys.  So you should never close the program.

 

And did you install the latest firmware?  The shift button features only work with the newest firmware version installed.

 

If that's not it, post a screenshot of your button assignments list in the Pinscape config tool and your PinVol setup screen and I'll see if I can spot a problem.

Edited by mjr, 30 December 2016 - 07:33 PM.

[trapperjohn]

It should only send one or the other.  What keys do you have configured for the various buttons?  (Maybe just post a screen shot of the button list.)

 

 

This is my current config - 9 and 10 are either button 9/10 or vol up/down when shifted. 11 triggers coin *and* night toggle when shifted.

[shadowshd]

@MJR : arf no I didn't, I have setup Pinscape then launched PinVol.

Have latest firmware and Config Tool (did the updates last thursday).

I'll do more testing and report ASAP.

Thanks

++

Edited by shadowshd, 30 December 2016 - 08:18 PM.

[mjr]

 

It should only send one or the other.  What keys do you have configured for the various buttons?  (Maybe just post a screen shot of the button list.)

 

This is my current config - 9 and 10 are either button 9/10 or vol up/down when shifted. 11 triggers coin *and* night toggle when shifted.

 

Oh, I see what's going on.  You've found a case I didn't think of!  Here's what's going on.  When you press the Shift button and then press a key that doesn't have a shifted meaning assigned, it just sends the normal key for the other button.  For button 11, you *did* assign a shifted meaning to the key, but it's the internal Night Mode function rather than a keyboard or joystick assignment.  The firmware only counts it as an extra meaning if it's one of those.  That's just an oversight on my part.  I'll fix it so that Night Mode counts too.