Definitive RO Ignition 3.0 for PC thread

[Ravicai]

I think spending several hours looking for an answer and not finding it warrants giving this topic it's own thread, especially since several people have had the same question in this topic, but unfortunately no replies were posted (probably because they were drowned out by other questions). So let's get down to business!

I bought a RedOctane Ignition 3.0 pad for my PC. The RO website says this pad is compatable with PC USB. When I plug the device in it detects it and adds it to my 'joystick' listing as a "2 axis, 10 button controller". However, none of the buttons work. Occationally when I first plug it in, a random button will work for a second or two, but then it plays dead again.

Unfortunately, I currently live in the Dominican Republic. Mail service here is extremely unreliable, so I basically had a friend hand-deliever this pad to me from the US. So I NEED to make it work.

Since the pad wasn't working, I decided to open the controller box up and have a look. The soldering job is pretty crap-tastic, not to mention the circuits for the pad were being held to the circuit board using a cheap piece of invisible tape (sorry, I removed it before I got a picture). I would also like to mention that the ground circuit was upside down, and their solution to this was folding it over backwords [see last picture].


Wow, what a nice looking pad...


... on the outside anyway.


In case your interested in ordering these sloppy chinese-made controllers in bulk, the manufacturer has contivently stamped their url on the wafer; www.topwaycn.com. USB is spelled wrong btw.


Here are the connections that came with the pad.


Male/female connectors to switch between USB and XBox [XBox dongle not pictured].


Meh.

What I'd like to find out now is; Has ANYONE here gotten this pad to work on PC? If so, what did you have to do to get it to work? My next step is to buy a cheap USB joystick (if I can find one out here) and wire it directly to the pad. Expect a follow-up post when I do.

[Ravicai]

Just for extra fun, here is my correspondence with RO;

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Hello,

The pad I just ordered from you guys came in the other day so I went to setup it up. I put the foam together, stuck it inside the pad, zipped it up and plugged the USB port into my computer (running WinXP Pro SP2) but then an error came up with the USB. I disconnected it and reconnected it. Same problem. It shows up under the "Game Controllers" menu sometimes, but then stops responding and disappears. So then I tried it on another computer... same problem.

Please help! I really hope this thing isn't DOA.

-----------------------------------
Thanks for the e-mail.

If the pad is showing up under game controllers, then it means it is not DOA. The only suggestion I have for you now is to visit StepMania.com and DDRFreak.com for more information. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to offer technical support for PC users. We can only forward you to our affiliates. Thank you for understanding. I wish I can help you more.

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Umm... your saying your not allowed to give PC users technical support? Yet,
you have this very pad advertised on your site as compatable with "the
Playstation 1/2, XBox, and PC".
How can you not offer support for something you sell and ADVERTISE as PC
compatible? There is not a single disclaimer on your site that says "we
don't support PC users".

Furthermore, the only information I could find about my problem on
DDRfreak.com is that the vast majority of people, in the past, thought your
products were great, but that now the quality is horrible. They even warn
people not to buy an Ignition 3.0. That information would have been useful 2
weeks ago. Their suggestions were basicially "build a custom pad if you
don't want it to break".

And now your telling me you don't support your own pad. Well, that would
certainly support the publics current opinion of your company.

But I'm willing to overlook this and give you the benefit of the doubt. So
again I ask - how can I get this pad to work? I did not just spend $105
(including shipping) on a giant paperweight. Please help!

-----------------------------------
Thank you for the email. The dance pad should be plug and play. The best way to test the dance pad is on a PS2. Also make sure you have all your windows updates and have the software configured correctly.

Regards,

H Cho
RedOctane Customer Support
[email protected]
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I don't own a PS2, hense the reason I bought the pad for PC. I haven't replied to him yet, and I don't think I'm going to bother. In other news though, I just picked up a soldering iron tonight. Now I just need a donor USB joystick.

[ceraf]

hmm...the pcb contacts sure look familiar.....topway, maybe.....

wait, it IS a topway. no wonder...hahha....the invisible tape mounting is their normal design. If it ever gets loose, just put a piece of cardboard to apply more pressure to it.


actually, regarding the 2-axis problem: you need the xbcd drivers for it to work on the pc.

http://www.redcl0ud.com/xbcd.html

hope this helps, and gl with your ignition! wish i had one of those...even if it's a 3.0

[dongle]

you could use a super dual box ps2-> usb adapter, though i suppose that's not the ideal solution. it would let you use a ps pad with all your emulators, though.

[psisarah]

Did you try the drivers I uploaded for you? The XBCD drivers from the direct site won't work because the code for the Ignition isn't in them.
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[Ravicai]

The XBCD drivers definitely don't work with my pad, as I've tried every variation listed on that site.

Additionally, topwaycn.com offers this driver that supposely support "all of their USB devices". It does not work either.

And finally, psisar, your driver is the only one I could get Windows to recognize and install (after I changed the Product number in the INF file to match my pad). Unfortunately, none of the buttons work. In fact, two of them stay lit even though the pad is completely dead.

I'm beginning to think my PCB is dead. So anyone else that has the same problem as me should try the aforementioned drivers (with an emphasis on psisar's driver). This weekend the search for a USB joystick begins.

[ZAC?]

In order for it to work you have to go to 'Config Key/Joy mappings' in the options menu (for SM).
If you've done that then in Post 6 Picture 3 one of the Cylinder things are bent which may be your problem. I have a Octone 3.0 Ignition pad and it works fine on my computer.
_________________

(all on heavy)
Max 300 - B (I suck at DDR)
Maxx Unlimited - F
Fascination Maxx - F

[Ravicai]

[Asymptote]

I have a RO 3.0 and use the pc USB with zero problems. no extra drivers installed or anything, just plugged it into a USB 2.0 port, loaded up SM, and it worked just like that, works great as a matter of fact, no lag at ALL like when i had to use a crappy EMS usb adapter with my old RO 2.0. My 3.0 has been pretty good to me (once i replaced the thin holed contact seperator foam with my own and used a piece of plywood for the base that is)... the top is beginning to rip a bit, that's it.

So yeah, the USB works perfectly for me, always has. Didn't have to do any tricks to get it working either.
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[psisarah]

First off, what OS are you running?

Second, a few things to try (if you haven't already)

Get your hands on an XBox or PS2 (if you don't have one already) to test your pad to make sure all the connections are good. You don't even necessarily need a dancing game, any game will work just to test the sensors.

Try uninstalling any and all instances of the pad from your PC, then try reinstalling the driver. Unplug the pad. Uninstall it from the device manager, and uninstall the hardware from Control Panel>Add/Remove Hardware>Uninstall/Unplug a Device>Uninstall a Device>(check show hidden devices) and remove anything that says Human Interface Device, Redoctane Ignition Pad, HID Compliant Game Controller and XBCD XBox DDR Pad. You'll have to go through this process a few times. Just a warning, if you have any other game controllers you use frequently you may have to reinstall them. Now try reinstalling the driver.

If you've already covered all this... umm... send back the pad for a replacement/refund. Personally I found my Ignition to be crap so I gutted the PCB and made a metal pad out of it. Works great
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[Ravicai]

Believe me, I've tried every possible driver variation. This thing is dead (probably something to do with the piss poor soldering job).

Fortunately the pad appears to be in perfect condition. I've been using a small piece of wire to test the PCB (a lot easier then re-attaching it to the pad)... same problem.

I would have returned this pad days ago, except I currently live in the Dominican Republic. Mail service here is extremely unreliable, so I basically had a friend hand-deliever this pad to me from the US. So I NEED to make it work. And I will

[psisarah]

I feel for you. Believe me. Good luck, let us know if you get it working.

Another one bites the dust...
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[-Scorpion-]

You could try soldering the TX all-in-one CB onto it, then it should work and you still have compatibility with all consoles.

[psisarah]

[Ravicai]

IT'S ALIVE!

I picked up a Genius MaxFire 6-button USB joystick yesterday, gutted it, and installed it today. Sorry, I was in a rush when I did it and didn't snap any photos. It was pretty straight forward though. I was able to wire all 10 buttons (including the axis buttons, although I did not wire those to direction keys on the pad, instead I wired them to the corner buttons to avoid the axis issues many people have been having). Start and select are wired as well

I used CAT5 for the wires and used heavy duty Scotch double sided tape (the kind for hanging large pictures) to connect the wires to the plastic circuits on the mat. It worked perfect.

But man do I suck at DDR. Maybe I'll get better now that I've got a working pad

[psisarah]

Sweet, I'm glad you finally got it to work. Now all you have to worry about it the pad dying

Happy practicing!
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[ceraf]

thats great to hear! and i was going to recommend using the 4 axes of an old joystick port XD

worked for me....i was too cheap to buy a usb joystick