Adding a 9th button to GPIO

[loujez]

@simonster your advices on this topic are the most usefull on the net. I'm sorry that therog05 don't follow his own topic. I'm in the same case so i follow every step you are describing with the 4.9.35-v7+ kernel.

On the line :
git clone https://github.com/recalbox/mk_arcade_joystick_rpi.git -b hotkeybtn

i get :
fatal: destination path mk_arcade_joystick_rpi already exist and is not an empty directory

It is impossible to go after.

If you are always following this topic, i'm very intersting by what you can belong to me with your knowledge.

Cheers my friend

[simonster]

@loujez said in Adding a 9th button to GPIO:

On the line :
git clone https://github.com/recalbox/mk_arcade_joystick_rpi.git -b hotkeybtn

i get :
fatal: destination path mk_arcade_joystick_rpi already exist and is not an empty directory

This means that the folder is already there from a previous installation. Try this before that line:

rm -r mk_arcade_joystick_rpi

I have update the previous post to reflect this.

[theRog05]

I'm so sorry that I didn't reply to this sooner. I actually never got back to this until a couple days ago and it still took some finagling, but I finally got it! The main issue I was having was that I needed to change the PACKAG_VERSION in the dkms.conf file. After that I started having a problem with my second joystick not working. I followed the steps to include both controllers, but for some reason the file being used was named differently than I expected. I updated the correct file and everything started to work.

@loujez is correct, @simonster, you have been extremely helpful to get this up and running for me. THANK YOU! I don't think many people are using the hotkey button in retropie so that's probably why we don't see much support out there for it.

@loujez: I couldn't get 'git clone https://github.com/recalbox/mk_arcade_joystick_rpi.git -b hotkeybtn' to work for some reason, so I checked out the main branch and then switched branches with 'git checkout -b hotkeybtn'. The fatal error you're getting is because the mk_arcade_joystick_rpi folder already exists and has files in it. You can use 'rm -r mk_arcade_joystick_rpi' to remove the folder before trying to clone. Good luck! I'll try to stay more current with this post.

[simonster]

Thanks guys,

When I was installing my arcade unit, I found the mk_arcade_joystick module and installed it manually (back on RetroPie 2.6 and well before it was in the RetroPie script). On running into issues, I tried to get support from Recalbox and the developers of it and never seemed to get any queries answered, so I set about learning as much as I could about it.

As a result, I try to assist anyone who has queries on it, as I've probably looked at most of the code at some point in the last 18 months and have various versions of the git repository stored on my PC.

Si

[loujez]

Thank you @theRog05 for all theses explanations. Actually i had the similar issues with the 2nd player configuration but i've managed to overpass them.

Now @simonster i'm just blocked on the hotkey butn setup but i will try to set it up correctly tomorrow by following your advices. (18 months !!! I sympathize. 2 weeks of headache and i'm just dead )

I just have another new issue.. I dont know if both are able to give me some directions. Until I set up the 2nd GPIO arcade controller player with some commands that i can explain to you. I have no more sound when i launch a game (on all emulators) but i got it into the emulastionstation menu.
Have you already met this issue or am i the only one lol?

Just to mentioned that sometime i have a yellow undervoltage symbol appearing on the right side of my screen. Do you think that it could be the core issue or it comes to something that i have outpassing or unfollow ? (don't know how to explain myself in english, i'm hoping you understand me)

Cheers and sorry to not relaunch about the topic subjet plus another one on this time. Despite of all that things, this thread will be very usefull for people like me in this situation. However I will give you a feedback tomorrow about my hotkeybtn configuration

Best regard
Looking forward to reading both of you

[theRog05]

@loujez Make sure you're using a power supply that can handle the pi. This could be why you don't have sound. How are you outputting sound? HDMI or audio jack? Take a look at your main config file. There are options to comment or uncomment lines depending on how you're outputting the sound.

[simonster]

@loujez

I would suggest, if you are getting a lightning bolt, that you should look to replace the power supply. A Pi3 really wants a minimum of 5.2V @ 2.5A. I use one of these: https://www.rapidonline.com/stontronics-t5875dv-official-raspberry-pi-psu-5-2v-2-5a-uk-euro-plugs-75-0532

How are you outputting sound from your Pi? Also could you post a copy of your /boot/config.txt (remember to enclose it in code blocks or put it on pastebin and post a link here)?

Si

[loujez]

Thank you guys for your fast answers.

@theRog05 Actually i have a 5v power supply with 3amp connected to a Western digital external hard drive (called PiDrive), which redistributes power to my raspberry, my arcade controllers and so on.

Regarding to my arcade cabinet audio outputting, i'm using an amplifier + 2 audio speakers which are linked directly to the raspberry with the jack 3.5 cable.

@simonster Here is my /boot/config.txt (sorry dont know how to code block):
https://pastebin.com/h4CyQc1d

---

Just to say that sound was working in game before i set my 2nd player arcade controllers. After it was done, nothing comes out from my speakers except in the emulationstation menu. Because gamepad 2 was not detected, i used theses command lines :

sudo nano /etc/modules

i 've added:

mk_arcade_joystick_rpi
mk_arcade_joystick_rpi map=1,2

then i tapped:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/mk_arcade_joystick.conf

and added:

mk_arcade_joystick_rpi map=1,2

Then (to see which options were launch at the boot) :

grep "mk_arcade_joystick_rpi" /etc/modprobe.d/*

Then i've seen 2 options one with map=1,2 and an other one with "mk_arcade_joystick_rpi.conf with map=1"
So i changed it by adding map=1,2 to the line

Then

sudo reboot

But there are still to different .conf options launch at the boot system. I supposed one isn't useful

@simonster Regarding to the hotkeybuton, i'm going to use the "rm -r mk_arcade_joystick_rpi" line that you gave me this afternoon. I will give you a feedback

Thank you again guys, your help is very nice.
Looking forward to reading you

EDIT: i've just tried to enter theses command lines:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install alsa-utils
sudo modprobe snd_bcm2835

On the last one i get :

pi@retropie:~ $ sudo modprobe snd_bcm2835
libkmod: ERROR ../libkmod/libkmod-config.c:673 kmod_config_parse: /etc/modprobe.d/mk_arcade_joystick.conf line 1: ignoring bad line starting with 'mk_arcade_joystick_rpi'

with
grep "mk_arcade_joystick_rpi" /etc/modprobe.d/*

i see
/etc/modprob.d/mk_arcade_joystick.conf options mk_arcade_joystick_rpi=1,2
/etc/modprob.d/mk_arcade_joystick_rpi.conf options mk_arcade_joystick_rpi=1,2

I think my 2nd gamepad set up is in conflict with the sound. Is it a possible way of solutions.. ?

[simonster]

With regards to the sound issue, have you set the sound output in the raspi-config to 3.5mm (you can access this from the RetroPie menu in ES)?

With regards to the joystick working: I'm not sure why you've done a number of these changes, if you installed from the update script first, the options were already setup for you, you just needed to configure the joysticks in ES (both of them as they are listed as separate devices with unique configurations).

The instructions for autoloading the driver are as follows, these are the only sections that should be used to configure it:

Open /etc/modules :

sudo nano /etc/modules

and add the line you use to load the driver :

mk_arcade_joystick_rpi

Then create the file /etc/modprobe.d/mk_arcade_joystick.conf :

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/mk_arcade_joystick.conf

and add the module configuration :

options mk_arcade_joystick_rpi map=1,2

[loujez]

Yes i have set the 3.5mm raspi_config. As i said sound is ok in emulationstation menu and worked before i set up weirdly my 2nd gamepad.

I had installed the update-script but in emulationstation only "1 gamepad was detected". That's why i have tried to do it by myself. I am aware that i have made one mistake with the creation of mk_arcade_joystik.conf.
I am going to clean all that things and i will come back to say you if there is a sound improvement. I'm pretty sure to have created a conflict somewhere. I will come back later

Thanks again

[loujez]

@simonster !!!!!!

I have manage to diagnostic where comes the sound probleme. I have reinstall everything today from zero !!!
For the hotkey button it works !!! thank you so much

I have managed to get the 2nd player working and the sound was here , unbelievable !
But as the first time i set up the 2nd gamepad, up and down wasn't recognised and left and right reversed.

So on my computer i went to retroarch.cfg and manually corrected these lines :

input_player2_up_axis = "+3"
input_player2_down = "nul"
input_player2_down_btn = "nul"
input_player2_down_axis = "-3"
input_player2_left = "nul"
input_player2_left_btn = "nul"
input_player2_left_axis = "+0"
input_player2_right = "nul"
input_player2_right_btn = "nul"
input_player2_right_axis = "-0"

by :

input_player2_up_axis = "+1"
input_player2_down = "nul"
input_player2_down_btn = "nul"
input_player2_down_axis = "-1"
input_player2_left = "nul"
input_player2_left_btn = "nul"
input_player2_left_axis = "-0"
input_player2_right = "nul"
input_player2_right_btn = "nul"
input_player2_right_axis = "+0"

After i've done it, the sound has disappeared again !!!!!!!! It still here in the menu, but not in game.

So the issue comes from retroarch.cfg. I suppose that i can't modify it manually and that's what i did the first time also.

I'm going to reinstall everything

[loujez]

ok everything is working !!!! I have configured retroarch.cfg mapping from the cabinet. Before i was doing it with the help of my computer and my local network.

Thank you again for your time. I just have to play with a hotbuton key working as never !!!

Cheers from france

[simonster]

@loujez

I'm still not sure why you got the issue with Up/Down and Left/Right on the 2nd controller the first time, but I'm glad you got it all working.

Si

[theRog05]

@loujez: I'm glad you got everything working! I was on vacation without internet for a few days and just got back to reading this. As for the second controller not working, I had that same issue to begin with. It had to do with me creating multiple instances of the file where mk_arcade_joystick_rpi map=1,2 was saved. I had two files named differently and the one being used only had mk_arcade_joystick_rpi map=1, hence the reason it was only finding one controller.

As for the sound, I still have issues sometimes when booting up. It seems if I do a reboot from the command line, there will be no sound. But if I shut off the system completely and then load it up. It works fine. Weird, but I haven't figured out why that happens.

Anyways, glad everything is working! Hopefully this helps some others in the future!

[theRog05]

Hey guys. It's been a while, but I came back to this post to get my new system set up. I got my two sets of joysticks set up, but my js1 (second set) has an issue. Whenever I press the hotkey button, it shuts down the pi. And if I press it again, it starts back up again. I did a jstest /dev/input/js1 in terminal and all buttons are recognized, but as soon as I hit that hotkey (key 8: even in terminal) the pi turns off. Any clue to what's going on? I am using my same set up, just a new install of retropi. Thanks in advance!

[mitu]

@therog05 Where did you wire the button - which GPIO pin ? Looks like you connected to the Pin 5 / 6, which are involved in powering on/off the PI - see https://elinux.org/RPI_safe_mode#Wake_from_Halt.5B1.5D.

[theRog05]

@mitu I'll have to check tomorrow. It used to work fine with my other build and I didn't change any wires around. Maybe something is shorting out? Gotta catch some zzz's right now but I'll check tomorrow.

[theRog05]

So here's where I'm at:

I started with pulling apart the cabinet to check the wires going to that button. I followed the wires back to the GPIO pins and found that, that button is connected to GPIO3 (Pin 5). Looking at a diagram, there doesn't seem to be anything special with this pin other than it is the HK (hotkey) button for a two person layout (according to RecallBox).

After some digging through folders and files, I found a "shutdown.py" script in the home/pi/scripts folder. I read the code and it shows that the shutdown happens on that pin 5! I got excited that I might have found the problem, so I researched a little and found someone that ran sudo nano /etc/rc.local and commented out sudo python /home/pi/scripts/shutdown.py &. I then rebooted and unfortunately, that didn't work.

So I figured maybe I would just rename the shutdown.py file in case something else was calling it. This also, unfortunately did not work.

Lastly, I noticed that when I pressed that button again while in the terminal, the command logout showed. Is it possible that there is another script out there called "logout", or is it just showing that it's logging out because it ran some shutdown script in the background?

Anyways, I'm at another roadblock with this an was hoping some of you out there might have a solution. Anyways, I hope you're all having a great night and again, thank you so much for your continuous help in this forum.

-Cheers!

[mitu]

@therog05 I think you have a script running that reboots on PIN5 pull up/down. That being said, you should start with a clean image of RetroPie - we don't supportd 3rd party images - and see if you get the same problem.

[theRog05]

Thanks for the input, @mitu. I've put a lot of time into what I have right now, so I may spend some more time messing with it. If I don't figure it out, I'll just disable the one hotkey button since I don't really need a player 2 hotkey. I would much rather figure out the problem though. So we shall see. Thanks again.