RetroPie forum home
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Home
    • Docs
    • Register
    • Login
    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    Setting up keys/keyboard wired to gpio

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Help and Support
    configuring butons
    12 Posts 4 Posters 2.7k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • K
      kevreh
      last edited by

      Yeah, that's basically what I'm doing. I'm able to get the joystick and keys A,B,X,Y, select, start to work. But not 1 player/2 player. When I "Configure Input" in the emulation station gui, it assumes I'm using a controller with extra buttons like shoulder and trigger. Isn't there a setting for a standard old school arcade setup with a joystick and buttons?

      Or maybe the bigger question is how do people configure their buttons, wired into the gpio, in retropie?

      edmaul69E 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • edmaul69E
        edmaul69 @kevreh
        last edited by edmaul69

        @kevreh if it is recognized as a keyboard you can only set up player 1 in emulationstation. In /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg you need to manually add the keyboard configs for both players. Note that retroarch no longer recognizes the f keys, the number keys and the num keys. So if your gpio pins use any of those you need to change them.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • K
          kevreh
          last edited by

          When you say " retroarch no longer recognizes the f keys, the number keys and the num keys.", does that mean I can't assign my 1 player button to the number 1? I've been told/read 1player is #1 key and 2player #2 key. Don't most games require a 1 player and 2 player button to start the game? Is there something better than connecting to the gpio pins directly?

          I only have a set of controls for 1 player (1 joystick for example). So that shouldn't be a problem. Is that what you meant?

          edmaul69E 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • edmaul69E
            edmaul69 @kevreh
            last edited by

            @kevreh retroarch doesnt use the number keys. Player 2 isnt pre set up. You need to go into the retroarch.cfg in /opt/retropie/configs/all/ . You have to have start buttons assigned to something else. By default player one uses return as start button (player 1 button). Shift is select (coin 1). Then a, b, x, and y are assigned to z, x,a and s on the keyboard. You can change all that. but you cannot use the buttons i described earlier.

            caver01C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • caver01C
              caver01 @edmaul69
              last edited by

              @edmaul69 that's odd. I have been using numbers for player start and coin all along. It's via the ipac4 but definitely sending numbers as inputs for these.

              My 4-player cocktail style cabinet built as a custom "roadcase"

              edmaul69E 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • edmaul69E
                edmaul69 @caver01
                last edited by edmaul69

                @caver01 are you using something under retropie 4.0? Before 4.0 retroarch let you fully use the keyboard. Plus if you played an emulator that uses a keyboard, it autimatically used the keyboard (computer emulators like msx uses a keyboard) when people were on 4.0 they complained that it stopped working. I was on 3.8.1 and as soon as I went to 4.0 it all stopped working. A couple weeks ago i added an ipac2 to my pi and i had to remove the player two settings from the numbers and num keys because they werent recognized. In retroarch maybe it lets you use it for coin and start. I assigned all the player 2 keys to numbers and they wouldnt work. I dont remember if i had tested start and select though

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • edmaul69E
                  edmaul69 @caver01
                  last edited by

                  @caver01 i should also clarify, a gpio acts different than the keyboard in some ways. I have friends who have tried everything to make numbers work on gpio in retroarch but do on a keyboard. The number keys work on a keyboard but not on gpio or ipac from my personal experiences.

                  caver01C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • caver01C
                    caver01 @edmaul69
                    last edited by

                    @edmaul69 I can't speak from experience with so many retroarch emulators, but lr-mame2003 and lr-fbalpha are working for me using mame defaults. That would be sad (and ridiculous) if the standard MAME keys stopped working. PlayerStart 1-4 have always been 1-4 and Coin1-4 have always defaulted to numbers 5-8. I have not changed them.

                    My 4-player cocktail style cabinet built as a custom "roadcase"

                    edmaul69E 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • edmaul69E
                      edmaul69 @caver01
                      last edited by

                      @caver01 ok so maybe for mame they work. The problem i found is not all retroarch emulators work with the number keys. I know the atari 7800 and genesis wouldnt work when i tested. So for a universal gpio controller i personally wouldnt use the number keys

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • K
                        kevreh
                        last edited by

                        I was able to get the one player button working by assigning it to the # 1. Rp3 and latest retropie build as of 4/30.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • First post
                          Last post

                        Contributions to the project are always appreciated, so if you would like to support us with a donation you can do so here.

                        Hosting provided by Mythic-Beasts. See the Hosting Information page for more information.