Picade HAT button configuration emulationstation and beyond

Hi All,

Sorry another basic question regarding button config. I have previously been using retropie with keyboard and wired Xbox360 controller. Have just built a Picade console with a Picade HAT (instead of the PCB that came with the kit). Just looking to configure emulation station, Retroarch and Mame and wondering what I should set the buttons and controls as. I have had a good look around but cannot seem to find anything definitive - maybe the configuration of buttons is pretty arbitrary.

  1. In emulationstation in configuring controls it detects the console as a keyboard, and configuring anything in there then also effects my usb keyboard controls. (I think it would be better if both were independent, which would maintain reliable control using a keyboard).

  2. Then choosing the buttons for emulation station, everything goes in ok until I have to select the Select and Start buttons, at which point I was choosing the front buttons, however this seems to have a funny effect. I have read that the Esc, Ent, PUp, and the other one marked as 1/4, may be pre-programmed and not assignable, however not sure how true this is. How are other people configuring the Picade in emulationstation? I know that you can skip some of the controls as not really used, but what are the core ones I should worry about.

  3. After doing this in configuring Retroarch and Mame, with these I think that emulation station gifts it’s controls to these as a starting point, however I think that you generally modify settings for each emulator, referencing original controller layouts as outlined on RetroPie website. Is that right?

  4. And Mame has to be set from scratch I think. I have tried to see online how other people configure, but all found is a snapshot from a video. Anybody care to offer up their’s as a starting point?

Thanks, Will

Just an update - I found a really good pic on these forums that labelled the buttons on a photo of a picade arcade console, and this led me to make this. Excuse the extra two buttons on the bottom panel, where one is the power button: