MAME games intermittently won't respond after switching to a new game

[kahelmaz]

Hi all,

First, let me get the requisite details out of the way:

Pi Model: 3B
RetroPie Version Used: 3.8.1
Built From: SD Image
USB Devices connected: Ultimarc IPAC4 USB
Controller used: Ultimarc IPAC4 USB
Error messages received: none
Emulator: ADVMAME

I've built a four player cabinet using an IPAC4 (USB keyboard emulator for joysticks/buttons) and I'm using it to play a few different four player games on ADVMAME. When the system boots up, I can launch ADVMAME and play a game, no problem. What happens, and this happens seemingly randomly, is that when I escape the game back to ES and launch a different ADVMAME game, sometimes when that game starts, it becomes completely unresponsive. The game runs through its attract loops, so it hasn't hung, but it won't take any keyboard input from the IPAC4 (or a regular keyboard, either). I have to restart the Pi to clear it up.

The only other detail I can provide is this... When it happens, I know it's going to happen because I see something unusual when the first game exits. Right after the first game exits, before ES reappears, I'll briefly see the console asking for a login, then ES launches. When I pick the next game and launch it, it will briefly show the console with the login again, but this time, the login is full of garbage input (which is definitely due to the joystick motions used in ES to launch the next game). It's as if the input is being sent to the wrong terminal.

If I don't see the console appear after the first game exits, the next game works fine, and it will continue to work fine for that entire powered on session. It's not until the next power on that there's a chance for this to recur. When it does recur though, it always happens right after exiting the first game.

I'm not a Linux whiz, but I can manage, so let me know if there's anything I should try or look into and I'll give it a whirl...

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance!
Kaydee

[Riverstorm]

I use an IPAC2 and it's always been reliable when exiting AdvMAME via the Escape key. There's a setting in the config file to bypass the confirmation prompt when exiting AdvMAME which is handy too. A possible similar issue is when I exit ES back to a prompt using a keyboard (Alt-F4) I occasionally get a login prompt. After logging in with pi/raspberry I drop to a prompt. I have no idea what triggers the login or why but it happens intermittently but often enough.

I also do see some garbage characters but in the upper left corner once in a while when exiting a game. Neither affect performance though.

Have you checked you're wiring/ground or possibly an unintended IPAC shift code in your setup?

[kahelmaz]

Thanks for the feedback! The garbage characters I see are entered into the login user field, as if the joystick is "typing" into the login user field. When the games are running, the controllers work great, so I don't think it's a grounding issue, and I've recently checked the shift code config for other reasons, and it's set up properly. It seems to be something in the handoff between ES and MAME that's happening inconsistently where another terminal session gets activated and "steals" the input, but I just have no idea what to do about it...

[Riverstorm]

@kahelmaz said in MAME games intermittently won't respond after switching to a new game:

It seems to be something in the handoff between ES and MAME that's happening inconsistently where another terminal session gets activated and "steals" the input, but I just have no idea what to do about it...

Hmm, there is another guy on the forums that might possibly chime in some feedback. He does use an IPAC4 and is extremely adept with AdvMAME. If it's an operational problem vs. something unique to your particular setup causing the issue he has probably seen it.

The garbage characters I see are entered into the login user field, as if the joystick is "typing" into the login user field.

The characters I see aren't in the user login field but I thought I would put that information out there in case there was any correlation or some revelation as to the fix. The answer always comes when I set it aside and I am doing something else.