event_diag not reading my PS3 or XBox buttons (only their axes)

SavedByZero

Trying to separate my issues into appropriate topics, so here's this one: My PS3 controller works fine in other emulators when I map it in Emulationstation. However, for jzintv's event_diag, none of the buttons register any output -- only the axes do. Previously, I'd had a Windows XBox style USB controller plugged into this port with the exact same issue. I do have the latest jzintv and event_diag. Is this a bug?

Unknown

@savedbyzero we have to know more about your system to help you. What version of retropie do you use. Did you make this system your self? Do you have any modifications?

SavedByZero

@unknown Raspberry Pi 3, Retropie 4.7.11, EmulationStation 2.9. No modifications that I knnow of other than adding controllers and installing some of the experimental emulators like PCSX and jzintv

Unknown

@savedbyzero Have you successfully played any games with your controllers for this system? Have you tried reinstalling the emulator? Do you have this problem with other intelivision emulators?

SavedByZero

@unknown Yes? All my controllers work for all other emulators, and all my other controllers' buttons respond fine with event_diag and jzintv. My analog stick controllers are the only ones that have problems with buttons not showing anything in event_diag.

Unknown

@savedbyzero My guess is that the controller’s config file for that emulator is messed up. You could remove the emulator and delete any files related to it, and reinstall it.

mitu

@Unknown no, it's not and your advice is wrong.

If the controller works in other games, then the config (by which I assume you mean RetroArch's config) is not faulty. Furthermore, the emulator directly interprets the gamepad's inputs and displays them on-screen, without any config coming into place - this is actually the reason the event_diag ROM exists.

@SavedByZero which version of jzintv are you using ? Is your PS3 controller connected via Bluetooth or wired ? Are you running xboxdrv also - if yes, then disable it completely and re-run the test.

SavedByZero

@mitu I have the latest jzintv version according to the setup menu, and event_diag also. Both of these controllers are wired / usb. I am currently only running xboxdrv dynamically through a script (I disabled it in the setup menu), and I thought I did try just running a standalone keyboard hack file that did not use it with no better results. either way, I know when xboxdrv fails to compile (if, for example, I'm messing around with commands in my .xboxdrv file and do something wrong) because the event_diag axis names are different (4 instead of 5), but none of the buttons ever show any output in there, no matter what. Yet all of the buttons work for nintendo and arcade games. Weird.

mitu

I tested the event_diag rom with both my Dualshock4 and Dualshock 3, the buttons register fine. The D-Pad on the DS3 registers with buttons, on the DS4 is registers as a Hat

DS3:

DS4:

Are you sure that you're not still running xboxdrv via the onstart script ? You can start jzintv from the command line and see how it detects the gamepad:

Dualshock 3 (PS3, wired)

joy: Found 1 joystick(s)
joy: Joystick JS0 "Sony PLAYSTATION(R)3 Controller"
joy: 6 axes, 0 trackball(s), 0 hat(s), 17 button(s)
Dualshock 4 (PS4 controller, wired)

joy: Found 1 joystick(s)
joy: Joystick JS0 "Sony Interactive Entertainment Wireless Controller"
joy: 6 axes, 0 trackball(s), 1 hat(s), 13 button(s)

SavedByZero

Okay, solved it by doing a full RetroPie update from source -- must have been a bug in how the slightly older version I had interacted with jzintv. All the buttons now register, although for some reason none of my controllers work for the config menus anymore and I have to use the keyboard to navigate those, but that's a separate issue. (the intellivison screens are also TINY now, despite me setting the resolution to 640x480)

SavedByZero

going off on tangents here, but: RetroPie -> Run Command Configuration -> set Joy2Key version to udev (instead of sdl) seems to have fixed the issue with the config menus not responding to controllers in the latest RetroPie update, although the pop up option to edit emulator configs no longer seems to show up during game loading
PPPS: Re-enablng the launch menu from the same area will fix that last part.