Programming joystick directions in Keyboard Mode

Useful Answer

In Mode 1 / Keyboard Mode, joystick directions can be programmed the same way as buttons.

To map Joystick 2:

• Enter programming mode.
• When the programming light is off, move Joystick 2 in the direction you want to map.
• Press the keyboard key you want assigned to that joystick direction.
• Repeat for each direction or button.

In Keyboard Mode, the computer sees both joysticks as one keyboard device. If the customer wants the left and right sides to appear as separate game controllers, use Mode 4 / X-Input if the unit has a Tri-Mode PCB.

For MAME / Maximus Arcade setups, per-game remapping inside MAME is often easier than changing the controller's stored keyboard programming:

• Connect a regular keyboard to the PC.
• Launch the game.
• Press Tab to open the MAME menu.
• Use Input (this machine) to remap controls for that specific game.

If a game appears to need diagonal joystick directions, test the game after mapping the four cardinal directions first. Some MAME games interpolate diagonals from up/down/left/right input, so explicit diagonal programming may not be needed.

Reference guide:

• https://support.xgaming.com/support/solutions/articles/12000003090-x-arcade-programming-guide

For old DOS or DOSBox games where the in-game configuration menu is unavailable, use the Tankstick's programmable keyboard mode to match the game's existing keyboard commands. Switch to Mode 2 / programmable keyboard mode rather than Mode 1, then assign known keys such as arrow directions or Space to the desired Tankstick controls. If the customer does not have a PS/2 keyboard available, use Method 2 from the programming guide.

Source Context

The customer successfully programmed keys and asked whether Joystick 2 directions could be mapped the same way. Support confirmed that joystick directions follow the same keyboard-programming process and clarified the one-keyboard-device behavior in Mode 1. A later MAME setup case confirmed that using the MAME Tab menu and Input (this machine) can be simpler than hardware programming for per-game layouts; the customer resolved a dual-joystick game after mapping the four main directions and letting the game infer diagonals. A later DOSBox-style setup question confirmed that old PC games can be handled by programming the Tankstick to send the game's known keyboard commands in Mode 2.