MultiVector (Zektor) progress

Let us know once you have your final working software setup. I have the zvg to do this to my space duel once a few other projects get done. For the spinner, I was planning on using a turbotwist 2 with an adapter to convert USB to PS2 so dos can see it with the mouse.com driver.
 
I like the ZVG, but for other projects. VectorMAME cabs seem like they control panels will be too busy. That is the great thing about vector games, most of them have some interesting controls, I can't see them all on one control panel.

I notice they publish an SDK so the ZVG could have some other potential uses.
 
alexred said:
Let us know once you have your final working software setup. I have the zvg to do this to my space duel once a few other projects get done. For the spinner, I was planning on using a turbotwist 2 with an adapter to convert USB to PS2 so dos can see it with the mouse.com driver.
Click to expand...

That was one thought... I will let you know how it works...

souzilla said:
I like the ZVG, but for other projects. VectorMAME cabs seem like they control panels will be too busy. That is the great thing about vector games, most of them have some interesting controls, I can't see them all on one control panel.

I notice they publish an SDK so the ZVG could have some other potential uses.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I was hoping to be able to disable some games from the menu (namely SW/ESB as I have the full upright machine). I was going to go with at least 2 swappable control panels. 1 with the buttons, spinner, joysticks (as the layout seems to work well). the other with a SW yoke in the middle, LL Thrust control on the right. I need to measure everything out, but it appears as though that would work.
 
Quick Update:

I finally found a soundblaster card that works! after trying 5 different models...

The problem was that without sound everything appears great. As soon as I enabled sound, the more complex games (Tempest, MH, etc) would slow down, sounds would start to stutter and the vectors would flash. I figured this couldn't be the amount of memory (as its DOS and I was running 1GB of mem) but how the drivers were loaded. After a couple of hours playing with the order, memory locations, etc, I figured that was not the problem.

Then I figured that it was maybe the processor speed. I am running a 1.8GHz P4 and the Zektor board recommends 800Mhz, so I concluded that it was not the problem either (I tried a 2.06G, dual core system, but DOS wouldn't come up properly! LOL). So it had to be the soundcard. I had tried a high end SB, a SB 16PCI, a SB 64 PCI, and a SB 128 PCI. Yesterday I bought a SoundBlaster Live! board from a PC Recycle place for around $10. after about installing the card and drivers, it was apparent that this was the issue!

Someone else local is also using a SB Live! card with no apparent issues, so if you are building one, I would recommend you go out and get one of these cards (the PC recycle place had 2 extras).
 
shilmover said:
Quick Update:

I finally found a soundblaster card that works! after trying 5 different models...

The problem was that without sound everything appears great. As soon as I enabled sound, the more complex games (Tempest, MH, etc) would slow down, sounds would start to stutter and the vectors would flash. I figured this couldn't be the amount of memory (as its DOS and I was running 1GB of mem) but how the drivers were loaded. After a couple of hours playing with the order, memory locations, etc, I figured that was not the problem.

Then I figured that it was maybe the processor speed. I am running a 1.8GHz P4 and the Zektor board recommends 800Mhz, so I concluded that it was not the problem either (I tried a 2.06G, dual core system, but DOS wouldn't come up properly! LOL). So it had to be the soundcard. I had tried a high end SB, a SB 16PCI, a SB 64 PCI, and a SB 128 PCI. Yesterday I bought a SoundBlaster Live! board from a PC Recycle place for around $10. after about installing the card and drivers, it was apparent that this was the issue!

Someone else local is also using a SB Live! card with no apparent issues, so if you are building one, I would recommend you go out and get one of these cards (the PC recycle place had 2 extras).
Click to expand...

Great progress! You are saving me some trouble, everytime I invoked sound, the whole program would bail.

Do you happen to have the model number handy? From my looking, there seems to be many models of the Sound Blaster Live!.

ArcadeMaze
 
shilmover said:
Quick Update:

I finally found a soundblaster card that works! after trying 5 different models...

The problem was that without sound everything appears great. As soon as I enabled sound, the more complex games (Tempest, MH, etc) would slow down, sounds would start to stutter and the vectors would flash. I figured this couldn't be the amount of memory (as its DOS and I was running 1GB of mem) but how the drivers were loaded. After a couple of hours playing with the order, memory locations, etc, I figured that was not the problem.

Then I figured that it was maybe the processor speed. I am running a 1.8GHz P4 and the Zektor board recommends 800Mhz, so I concluded that it was not the problem either (I tried a 2.06G, dual core system, but DOS wouldn't come up properly! LOL). So it had to be the soundcard. I had tried a high end SB, a SB 16PCI, a SB 64 PCI, and a SB 128 PCI. Yesterday I bought a SoundBlaster Live! board from a PC Recycle place for around $10. after about installing the card and drivers, it was apparent that this was the issue!

Someone else local is also using a SB Live! card with no apparent issues, so if you are building one, I would recommend you go out and get one of these cards (the PC recycle place had 2 extras).
Click to expand...


Cool thanks for that update. Im going to look for that sound card.
 
ArcadeMaze said:
Great progress! You are saving me some trouble, everytime I invoked sound, the whole program would bail.

Do you happen to have the model number handy? From my looking, there seems to be many models of the Sound Blaster Live!.

ArcadeMaze
Click to expand...

Glad I could help...

When you select a game it resets the menu (goes back to the title screen)? If so, that means that the soundcard is not loading properly... try setting the "-soundcard 0" switch.

Anyway, the model number is CT-4830.
 
ZVG on Windows

I'm getting close to finishing a ZVG project, but it's a software project :)

After banging my head against the wall looking for mobos and sound cards that support DOS in just the right way, I decided to port vectormame to windows.

Basically, I'm using the windows MAME .137 build and the DOS MAME .106 code (the last version of MAME that supported the ZVG). It's been quite a project (MAME has changed a lot over those 31 versions :), but things are looking good.

I may be jumping the gun here, but I have windows running vector games and sending data to the ZVG across the parallel port. Tonight I'm going to hook up my WG6100 and see what happens -- can't wait!

If this works, it should make it MUCH easier to set up a vector mame (sound, USB, better performance, etc.)

Wish me luck!
 
SteveJ said:
I'm getting close to finishing a ZVG project, but it's a software project :)

After banging my head against the wall looking for mobos and sound cards that support DOS in just the right way, I decided to port vectormame to windows.

Basically, I'm using the windows MAME .137 build and the DOS MAME .106 code (the last version of MAME that supported the ZVG). It's been quite a project (MAME has changed a lot over those 31 versions :), but things are looking good.

I may be jumping the gun here, but I have windows running vector games and sending data to the ZVG across the parallel port. Tonight I'm going to hook up my WG6100 and see what happens -- can't wait!

If this works, it should make it MUCH easier to set up a vector mame (sound, USB, better performance, etc.)

Wish me luck!
Click to expand...

Good luck! That's awesome...

I would be interested in testing it out too as I have not been able to get my to work perfectly...
 
BTW,

I have started looking at re-writing the menu. There are things about it I really like and things I really hate... :)

The original source for it was lost, so I am starting from scratch...

Feel free to send me ideas.

Currently, I am thinking of adding these features:
- Menu remembers the last game you ran (right now it resets).
- Help option
- Configurable games... IE, I dont want SW/ESB displayed
- As a screen saver, the menu should show the attract mode for random games for 30 seconds or so (like the 60-in-1s)
 
OK you guys have me worked up with this project, dose anyone know if the Zektor board will ever be available again?
 
No. They have no plans on making more or making a USB/Gui Mame version either.
 
ArcRevival said:
Sorry if I do not feel your pain. I am just tired of seeing classics hacked because someone is out of room and money. You could always switch over and collect the little Coleco table top games.
Click to expand...

How am I hacking classics?

The cabinet is a Space Duel that can be converted back in about 5 minutes... The control panel I am using is a spaceduel that had already been converted so had extra holes... I am not painting/stripping the sides...
 
What would be very handy is a Mame / Vector combo

IE: A ZVG and MAME Board combo (like a babystar 465 in appearance)

The sound would already be fitted. Plug and play Multi vector :D
 
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