Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post Reply
BaD CrC
Posts: 11
Joined: 11 Nov 2009, 00:26
Location: France

Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by BaD CrC »

Hello Jonathan,

OK, I tried to hook up a 12th USB controller (Logitech G13). I know, this sounds a bit mad. Anyway, G13 is correctly recognised in Win7 but no new tabs when I launch Xpadder.
Tried with a Nostromo N52 instead. Again, N52 correctly added in Win7 list of peripherals but no new tab either in Xpadder.
When I clicked in Xpadder general settings, the controller is added to Xpadder list with 0 (zero) detected.
Maybe I did something wrong. Have you tried to actually hook up 16 devices at the same time?

Jonathan
Xpadder creator
Posts: 1737
Joined: 24 Aug 2009, 11:33
Location: England
Contact:

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by Jonathan »

16 devices is the maximum Windows can support. Xpadder has no limit though.

I have not tried connecting more than 4 devices but in theory it should work.

Try connecting all 12 devices and then restarting Xpadder. Can it find all 12 if they are all there at the start?

Now try connected 11 then disconnecting a few before adding the 12th controller. Can Xpadder actually create a 12th tab?

Also remember that USB devices use power and its possible that too many are accessing one port and do not have enough power to send anything other than "I'm connected". Perhaps experiment with how they are connected in case this is the problem.

If this is a bug I will fix it as soon as possible but I need to know the results of those tests first.

BaD CrC
Posts: 11
Joined: 11 Nov 2009, 00:26
Location: France

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by BaD CrC »

The 9 Leo Bodnar's USB controllers and the Nostromo N50 are all on 2 USB hubs with their own power supply, so it should be OK. The Hotas Cougar is connected on PC.
Disconnected the N50 from the hub. Connected the N52 instead. N52 correctly installed in win7 but not found in Xpadder when launched (then got only 10 devices detected).
Closed XPadder. Removed N52. Re connected N50. Xpadder finds the 11 devices correctly. Close Xpadder.
Disconnected N50, connect N52 on PC USB port (not hub). Launch Xpadder. Xpadder finds only 10 devices.
Did the same manipulations with logitech G13. Same results.
Now this is interresting. I connected a Logitech Extreme 3D joystick as a 12th device (9 USB cards + N50 + Cougar connected). It works in Xpadder! 12th device correctly detected.
In the win7 device window, all 9 USB cards + N50 + Logitech joystick are shown as game controllers (with the gamepad icon). The Hotas cougar is shown with the keyboard icon.
When I plug the G13 or N52, strangly enough they are recognised by Win7 as keyboards.

OK, now I think I find something. When I click on properties for each of these devices, the only ones NOT recognnised by Xpadder are the one that does not have 'game controller' in the category. For example, N50 is a game controller. Hotas cougar is a game controller and a keyboard and a mouse. But N52 is described only as a keyboard and mouse.

Can it be that Xpadder limits itself by displaying only game controller type?

SGTCableDog
Xpadder Xpert
Posts: 1118
Joined: 27 Aug 2009, 03:35
Location: Minnesota, USA
Contact:

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by SGTCableDog »

BaD CrC wrote:...Can it be that Xpadder limits itself by displaying only game controller type?
Yes.
I have a N52 and had to use its software to make the keys behave as DirectInput. Then I could use it with Xpadder.

BaD CrC
Posts: 11
Joined: 11 Nov 2009, 00:26
Location: France

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by BaD CrC »

So you mean I have to launch Nostromo's manager to enable N52 in Xpadder?

Jonathan
Xpadder creator
Posts: 1737
Joined: 24 Aug 2009, 11:33
Location: England
Contact:

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by Jonathan »

Xpadder is designed to only read DirectInput data from Games Controllers only - see here for a detailed reason why.

If your controller needs software to make Windows see it as a Games Controller then it must be running before Xpadder can see it.
I could change Xpadder to pick up non-Games Controllers (easy) but then I'd need to add support for reading in keys and other various forms of input (difficult).

SGTCableDog
Xpadder Xpert
Posts: 1118
Joined: 27 Aug 2009, 03:35
Location: Minnesota, USA
Contact:

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by SGTCableDog »

If I remember correctly I had to make each key a DirectInput button in the Nostromo Profile Editor, then create a loadout for Xpadder with the Loadout Manager. Once done Xpadder recognized the n52 as a 19 button game pad with Dpad. This was more of a proof of concept rather than doing it for personal use. I don't do a lot of gaming. But I do think Xpadder is more user friendly and being able to a single interface to make and change assignments to your controllers is quite efficient. If you'd like I could post my nostromo files (they are on a different computer that is having internet issues :cry: )

BaD CrC
Posts: 11
Joined: 11 Nov 2009, 00:26
Location: France

Re: Xpadder with more than 11 USB controllers?

Post by BaD CrC »

Thanks guys. Indeed, once Nostromo's manager launched, N52 appears on Xpadder. Please don't bother Jonathan. This is not a big issue for me.
Thanks for your help.

Post Reply

Return to “Multiplayer/multi-controller problems”