Playstation 1 running RetroPie – Making the reset switch work?

[mortenmoulder]

Hello out there!

I am currently making a restart button for my Raspberry Pi, which is located inside my Playstation 1. No matter how much I check, the reset button is always connected/high. This means if I connect my wires to it, it will restart as soon as the Python script gets run.

Here is a layout of where the button is located, marked with a yellow ring: http://i.imgur.com/fyzCwEV.jpg
If we flip it around, this is how it looks from behind: http://i.imgur.com/Z6y5PD3.jpg

Most buttons are layed out like this:

1 2
3 4

I have checked the connection between:
1, 2
1, 3
1, 4
2, 3
2, 4
3, 4

Which basically results in all possible combinations, right? The connection is always HIGH, which means if I connect an LED to the switch, it will always be on (great analogy?).

I did try all possible combination while pressing the button as well (maybe the system thinks “if button gets pressed, cut the connection”), but unfortunately it is still HIGH as well, so same result.

How am I supposed to connect my two wires? Is my switch broken perhaps?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[rdhanded2]

Find a similar sized switch that you can solder in it’s place that is normally open. Then it will function how you want it to.

Buttons are either normally open or normally closed. Normally open is what an arcade uses so when you push the button, it completes the circuit and gives the desired effect. That is a normally closed button, so the circuit is always closed and when press it it opens the circuit and in that case resets the machine.

[rdhanded2]

Do you need that whole board?

[mortenmoulder]

@rdhanded2:
Appreciate your reply! Yes I am going to use the whole board. I am going to use the power supply, so I can provide the power supply with 230v, which gets converted to 5v using this 7805 voltage regulator I purchased.

Why would I go and find another switch, when I already have one on the board.. which works perfectly for this PS1 build.

[rdhanded2]

Because it is the wrong type switch for what you are wanting it to do and changing the switch is cheap, easy, and solves your problem.

[mortenmoulder]

[quote=110685]Because it is the wrong type switch for what you are wanting it to do and changing the switch is cheap, easy, and solves your problem.

[/quote]

It will cost me like $20 because I need to order the switch online. Then I need to make some spacers for it to work, as well as find the PERFECT button that can work EXACTLY like how it works now.

How is this switch “the wrong type”? How can a switch be of a wrong type?

[rdhanded2]

There are 2 types of switches/buttons. Normally closed and normally open. Some buttons like arcade buttons can be wired either way, some such as what you have can not. You stated that if you connect your button and run the script it resets immediately. That is because the button is closed and it is completing the circuit. To solve this you need a button that is open, and only completes the circuit when pressed.

I don’t know where you are located, but any electronics shop or radioshack type store should have a switch that will work or can order you one for a couple bucks. Ones like pictured below cost about $0.35 each when I buy them. Depending on where you are though, that might not be anywhere close.

Also, could possibly the script you are running be edited? I don’t know about python code or what you are using but you might be able to edit the code to use what you have now. Just a thought.

[mortenmoulder]

[quote=110699]There are 2 types of switches/buttons. Normally closed and normally open. Some buttons like arcade buttons can be wired either way, some such as what you have can not. You stated that if you connect your button and run the script it resets immediately. That is because the button is closed and it is completing the circuit. To solve this you need a button that is open, and only completes the circuit when pressed.

I don’t know where you are located, but any electronics shop or radioshack type store should have a switch that will work or can order you one for a couple bucks. Ones like pictured below cost about $0.35 each when I buy them. Depending on where you are though, that might not be anywhere close.

Also, could possibly the script you are running be edited? I don’t know about python code or what you are using but you might be able to edit the code to use what you have now. Just a thought.

[/quote]

Ah yeah exactly. It sounds like my button is always open, but that is not the case. Even when I press the button, it seems like the curcuit is live. From what I’ve read on my reddit post, it looks like my best bet would be connecting my wires to the LED, which turns off when I press the reset button. I’m not sure if that could be used though, now that I think about it.

Also yeah, I live in Denmark. Buttons are cheap, but getting them to my house through shipping costs a fortune. We have no electronic stores nearby, so I’d have to order it online and pay for expensive shipping. It will be at least 10 bucks, which is almost as much as I’ve spent on this Playstation, lol.

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