Second Controller not mapping correctly and changes Controller 1 too

robertm

I am computer illiterate so please bear with me.
1)Raspberry Pie 4 with its Raspberry power supply
2)retropie-buster-4.8-rpi4_400.img.gz flashed to a 32GB SD card using Balena Echer
3)Arcade Cabinet I built uses a keyboard, two GeekPub USB controllers for Joysticks and buttons, and Thunderstick USB trackball and spinner
4) I am using Retropie, Emulation station, and Mame Lr-2003. All Roms in Arcade folder

I plugged in only one controller (Top Left USB port) and started the Pi for the first time. Mapped the controller and everything worked perfectly. Select and Start exited the game, Select added credits, A-button started game, B-button went back to previous, etc.
Then I shutdown, plugged in second controller into bottom left USB port on Pi, and restarted. Start-Configure Input, pressed A on controller 1 and configured the second controller just the same as the first except I left Hotkey as undefined.
And all heck breaks loose.... Controller 1 Start+Select no longer exit game, A-button doesnt work, B-button acts like A-button, C-button acts like B-buttton, Start doesn't open Input menu, etc.

So I Reformat SD, restart whole process but this time assign a hotkey on Controller 2 and exact same results.

Re-Reformat and only assign Hotkey on Controller 1 searched this site and reaching out for help now.

I will happily send logs if you can tell me how. I have Wifi enabled and can see the Bios, ROM, Config, and Splashscreen folders on my PC.
Again, I'm computer illiterate so use only little words-pretend your talking to a 6 year old and Ill be just fine:)

Thanks in advanced,

Rob

sleve_mcdichael

@robertm your controllers are the same type, so they use the same configuration file. Since they use the same configuration file, they must be wired up exactly (exactly!) the same as one another. Then you only need to configure the first one, and the second one will be the same.

robertm

@sleve_mcdichael You are THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so embarrassingly ignorant. I have spent 2 weeks trying to fix this and it was just the order I plugged the buttons into the controller? AAAAUUUUGGGGGGG!!!! Thankfully I can (and frequently do) laugh at myself;)

Thank you again!!

Rob