Breakout Board, Gamepads, Tv-out, Etc.

[Ploe]

I'm thinking of treating myself to a Breakout Board and a TV-Out cable. Are there any unseen costs (additional power supply, cables etc)? Also what software will I need to ensure my USB gamepads work via the board? Will I need to download a special set of drivers?

The GP2X is an ace piece of kit. I can't wait to hook it up to the telly and indulge in some severe multiplayer carnage.

 

[sehs33]

1. No need to buy both the BOB and a TV out cable, the BOB has TV out functionality.
2. You should buy yourself a PSU for the BOB, the cables that are also needed: S-viedo to whatever your tv takes, audio cables (ordinary stereo cables)
3. Most standard USB game pads work out of the box, but there is no support for special functions like analogue stick or vibration.
4. Not all GP2X software support USB game pads, but most of the important emulators do: PicoDrive for Mega Drive and mega CD, Gngeo, Mame, AlexKidd2x are ones I can remember now.
5. I advice you to buy yourself a USB to 2 PS2 cable, so you can connect non USB keyboard and mouse for Quake (and maybe other applications later).

Yup, GP2X FTW

 

[woogal]

3. Most standard USB game pads work out of the box, but there is no support for special functions like analogue stick or vibration.

Analogue sticks work fine, the application just has to be written to support them.

 

[Ploe]

2. You should buy yourself a PSU for the BOB, the cables that are also needed: S-viedo to whatever your tv takes, audio cables (ordinary stereo cables)

I already own a power supply for my GP2X, do I actually need an extra one?

Edit: Would I be best getting a Cradle instead of a BoB?

 

[peelie]

2. You should buy yourself a PSU for the BOB, the cables that are also needed: S-viedo to whatever your tv takes, audio cables (ordinary stereo cables)

I already own a power supply for my GP2X, do I actually need an extra one?

Edit: Would I be best getting a Cradle instead of a BoB?



Well as someone already said you don't need a TV out cable if you are getting a bob/cradle;

however fyi if you do decide to get one make sure that it is the cable with the S-Video male; when I got mine it was with female S-Video, so I had to buy another cable to connect to my television .

 

[sehs33]

I already own a power supply for my GP2X, do I actually need an extra one?

Yes you do need another PSU for devices that drain more than 3 volts: HDD enclosures that relay on USB for power, Wi Fi sticks ...etc, or you can use the PSU you have to power the BOB and power your GP2X using batteries (which will be a risky thing if your battery drained during a multi player session, I can imagine the look on your friends faces already )

Edit: Would I be best getting a Cradle instead of a BoB?

Yup, go for the cradle edition of the BOB, it is more user friendly, finding\making a good case for the developer edition of the BOB is troublesome (One day I gotta fit that board I have in the black box I got three months ago ).

@woogal: thanks for the correction man

 

[ThorC]

I hope no one minds me asking a small related question, but I imagine if you get a cradle rather than a BoB, you cannot play on the GP2X while it's connected (because of the cradle?), meaning that if you want to use TV Out, you have to use a USB gamepad, not the gp2x itself, and thus you can only pay USB Gamepad enabled games?

However, sehs33 mentioned a PS2 keyboard and mouse, is there any way to use a keyboard to send the same signals as the stick and buttons on the gp2x so you can play non USB enabled games and emulators, or is that something specifically for quake, but you are still left without anything on any of the other games and emulators?

I'd like to get a BoB or cradle, but I would like to be able to play everything (that supports TV out) and not have to be limited to those that support a USB gamepad, which doesn't seem to be much at all apart from the main emulators, according to the wiki (even if I use a keyboard rather than a gamepad).

 

[Ploe]

Just buy yourself the TV-Out cable and the required cables. That way you can use your GP2X as the Gamepad. If you want to attach a keyboard and mouse buy a BoB/Cradle aswell.

I'm a newbie, so can a seasoned GP2X-er confirm this for me?

Edit: Oh yeah, the additional power supply is a sharp pain in the arse. The one I'm using cost £20. That measures up to a pretty penny on top of the Cradle and additional TV-Out cables. Why does the GP have to be such a power junkie ? It's the one thing that prevents it from being portable.

 

[sehs33]

@ThorC: I was thinking the same thing the other day, a simple solution for that problem is for someone to provide an extension cable that can be pluged between the 2X and the Cradle, and it should be a little bit long. I asked several times if this was a possible thing to be made, and never got a confirmation, but I got some doubtful people wondering if:
a. Will a longer cable maintain the signal?
b. How easy it is to secure a stable number of female EXT plugs?

Unfortuantely, and to this moment, I didn't hear of any program that allows you to map all the 2X's buttons and stick to a joypad or keyboard, if there was such a solution, there wouldn't be any need for developers to support joypads in their emulators.
Am also not 100% sure what applications\\games beside Quake support the keyboard.

@Pole: A pwerful gadget requires alot of power

 

[rokdcasbah]

@ThorC: I was thinking the same thing the other day, a simple solution for that problem is for someone to provide an extension cable that can be pluged between the 2X and the Cradle, and it should be a little bit long. I asked several times if this was a possible thing to be made, and never got a confirmation, but I got some doubtful people wondering if:
a. Will a longer cable maintain the signal?
b. How easy it is to secure a stable number of female EXT plugs?

Unfortuantely, and to this moment, I didn't hear of any program that allows you to map all the 2X's buttons and stick to a joypad or keyboard, if there was such a solution, there wouldn't be any need for developers to support joypads in their emulators.
Am also not 100% sure what applications\\games beside Quake support the keyboard.

@Pole: A pwerful gadget requires alot of power

i doubt that the video/audio would get degraded, since we're probably talking under 10 feet. that is a sweet idea though.

 

[sehs33]

I am afraid to ruin the cable that came with my dev. bob or I would have cut it from the middle and bound it to the two sides of a longer cable, still hoping to find someone who is welling to supply EXT female to male extension cables.

Edit: In case some one haven't seen this yet, it is by far the neatest USB host I have ever seen:
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=36652

 

[DavidBeoulve]

Bejeebus, what a great time to get back on the scene (since Grahf is replacing my broken D-pad, bless him). This Cradle looks cool!

Hmmm searching all over about it trying to see what it supports...

 

[TelcoLou]

Quick post:

SCUMM works very nicely with a Logitech Trackman

 

[Ploe]

@Pole: A pwerful gadget requires alot of power

Two power supplies? Reminds me of the 32x. A GP32x . Gawd, I hate myself. <_<