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Battery Powered Taito Upright.


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This project has been on the books for a while now and now I have started. Idea is to convert my Taito 20" upright into a 12volt battery powered multi game upright arcade.

 

You may ask, why?. A couple of answers to that question.

 

I like doing things outside the square but the main reason is this machine will live at my farm that is solar powered and to run this machine on mains power means needing the generator going.

 

So, I thought I can convert the screen to a 12volt LCD unit, yes, not a CRT but I'm not an arcade purist but at least I found a 4:3 aspect ratio LCD screen and it is 19" which is pretty close to the cabinet's original 20".

 

Everything else in an arcade is either 5 or 12 volts excluding the title header lighting. It was originally a 110 volt fluro but I can convert that lighting to COB LED lighting. Something I have been using in a few other projects destine for farm use.

 

I intend on putting a 12volt truck battery in a battery case in the back of the base of the machine to power the machine. It should be able to power the machine for many hours unplugged but if it runs low I can plug the machine into the many 12 volt outlets around the house. Mounted in the back on the base so when tilting the machine to move it. The battery will be over the wheels. These batteries are pretty heavy...170amp/hour battery.

 

Battery is connected via a fuse power board to a PWM power supply. It is also connected to a solar regulator to regulate the solar panel's voltage for recharging and maintaining the battery voltage. Solar panel is on the farm's roof so a plug will be on the machine so the machine can be wheeled up and plugged in when needed to recharge or when I'm not there.

 

The LCD panel will run off the fuse power board while it is still 12volts before going to the PWM power supply after which it is 5 volts.

 

The 5 volts is used to power the multigame board and the coin slot lights.

 

That's about it in theory.

 

Now there is a bit more going on than that such as putting in a switch to select what input the monitor gets it's source from. While I am looking at using something like a HDMI output multi game board, (open to suggestions on that one), I would like to put an RPi with games feeding another one of the monitor's inputs but I need some help with the software side of that one.

 

A volume control external on the cabinet that is discrete and doesn't change the appearance of the overall machine but can be easily be adjusted by the player.

 

I'm seriously considering using a cupboard style push to open, push to close coin door lock and a panel just inside the door for mounting the volume pot and game select switches. That way the player control panel isn't cluttered but is easy for the user to access without needing a key.

 

Anyway that is what I'm thinking. Any suggestions to make this thing better, more user friendly, likes /dislikes, or suggestions on game boards. Maybe ideas regarding the RPi installation, please have a say.

 

Most of this is new to me so any input is more than welcome and appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

 

Before.....

 

8CZZP0yh.jpg

 

 

Now.....80u3qM2h.jpg

P1W28svh.jpg

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Looks like you have most of it covered, are you planning on LEDs for the coin door lights?

 

I might try and source a COB LED for them because LEDs usually put a bright dot in the center of the insert where the COBs are much more spreed uniform light but if I can't source one the right size, normal LED it will be.

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2499334.m570.l1311.R7.TR11.TRC1.A0.H1.Xcob+led.TRS0&_nkw=cob+led+strip&_sacat=126393

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nice cab, was the game board in it? (smash tv)

 

Yes it did have Smash TV it. It was originally a Polaris but had many games go though it up to Smash TV. It was operated until it was pulled from operations and then is when I grabbed it still with the Smash TV board set in it.

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Getting there. Been repainting removable black parts and just a general clean up of parts.

 

As this machine is all about using low power, the head box lighting was always going to need attention. It needs to run on low DC power rather than the original 120volt AC fluro seen here....

 

skgOPR0l.jpg

 

I have replaced the fluro assemble with this that mounts on the same original mounting studs....

 

kRt4fMal.jpg

 

Side by side comparison....

 

hC4CrC6l.jpg

 

nnIRYI2l.jpg

 

Two COB LED arrays, they are the yellow parts with the wires connected to them, that replace the fluro for the lighting. The COBs are just the yellow pieces but these things run hot so I mounted them on some sheet aluminum and used some thermal paste to help dissipate some heat from the COBs. Not really needed but as with most electronics, the cooler it runs, the longer it lasts. They run on 3-3.5DC volts each and are wired in parallel. I get 3.2volts to run them from the 5vDC power supply. I then run this 5vDC through 3 diodes wired in series. Each diode drops .6volt like all silicon diodes, wire 3 in series drops 1.8volts, .6 volt per diode times 3, from the 5vDC leaving 3.2volts to run these COB LEDs without needing a separate 3.3vDC power supply. Simplicity is also what I am after.

 

Testing using a 3.2 volt power supply to check for brightness....

 

wXAKpwPl.jpg

 

And finally put a title header in place to make sure it is suitable....

 

u4Z5ATLl.jpg

 

Looks idea to me. Maybe a bit brighter than the original fluro. SO I think that will do for the header lighting. Runs on 3.2volts DC but only 260mA to drive both COBs when I tested with my ammeter which is nothing compared to the power usage for the fluro.

 

Now the LED screen mounting. I replaced both slides the glass bezel sits on and then blocked in the frame to hold the 19" 4:3 aspect ratio screen....

 

iyQvc7Dl.jpg

 

And inside the machine....

 

dozhrtLl.jpg

 

That is pretty much what I'm up to.

 

I have a couple of questions for you arcade guys....

 

What is the most suitable joystick, button combo to use on a multi game arcade board that can play "most" games?.

 

And if I fit in more than one multi game board or something like a RPi running games, can I use the same joystick button combo control panel and just swap the button/ joystick ground wire between the multi game boards and the RPi so the whole control panel wiring doesn't need to be swapped over?.

 

I would much prefer to just have a switch controlling the ground than swapping the whole control panel wiring harness over to swap game sources.

Edited by Autosteve
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Joysticks are all about personal preference. That being said you want a joystick that's suitable for most games whic means it should be switchable between 4 way and 8 way. The most convenient way is a physical switch. This can be achieved is a number of ways.

 

Either with a mechanical solution or software solution.

 

For mechanical my go to is the Mag Stick Plus. I love them as you switch by lifting the joystick and twisting 90 degrees which then mechanically limits to either. The magstick with ball top is fantastic but many claim its too heavy and stiff.

 

Software is a board by David AVD in which you use a physical switch to swap between 4 way and 8 way. I have both.

 

The beauty of this solution is that you can wire it to your favourite joystick instead.

 

Cheers,

 

Brad

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Joysticks are all about personal preference. That being said you want a joystick that's suitable for most games whic means it should be switchable between 4 way and 8 way. The most convenient way is a physical switch. This can be achieved is a number of ways.

 

Either with a mechanical solution or software solution.

 

For mechanical my go to is the Mag Stick Plus. I love them as you switch by lifting the joystick and twisting 90 degrees which then mechanically limits to either. The magstick with ball top is fantastic but many claim its too heavy and stiff.

 

Software is a board by David AVD in which you use a physical switch to swap between 4 way and 8 way. I have both.

 

The beauty of this solution is that you can wire it to your favourite joystick instead.

 

Cheers,

 

Brad

 

I was just going to throw in some MCA joysticks and buttons as I have miles of them. I was asking more about the layout of them. Should I go standard Street Fighter configuration, joystick two rows of three buttons. Will this configuration do most games?. Never wired a multi board before nor owned one so I have no idea.

Really interested in the idea of swapping the button and joystick ground wire from one game board to another. Will this allow the same buttons and joysticks to control both game boards?.

I can run one multi board on say the VGA screen input on the monitor and if I manage to get an RPi running RetroPi using say the HDMI screen input, I figure I can simply switch that on the screen input button but can I swap the joystick/ button panel outputs simply swapping the joystick and button ground wire?.

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If you use a large multi-board then two rows of 3 buttons for each player.

 

All the multi-boards are Jamma so std jamma harness meaning swapping boards they should all work the same. a 60-1 only uses 2 player buttons except for one game which uses 3 (Gunsmoke) from memory.

 

If you went the RPi you'd need Deezers version with the Jamma interface. As long as you configure the controls in the same way as the jamma boards then again from a control perspective it will work.

 

Brad

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One thing to consider, both boards will run pull ups to each switch, the power supplies are on the same ground. You will be putting 5v to each of the switch outputs on both boards. Depending on how each board is designed internally you may have issues. Less than likely but possible. Blocking diodes on each button/joystick input would guarantee you dont.
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One thing to consider, both boards will run pull ups to each switch, the power supplies are on the same ground. You will be putting 5v to each of the switch outputs on both boards. Depending on how each board is designed internally you may have issues. Less than likely but possible. Blocking diodes on each button/joystick input would guarantee you dont.

 

I can run each game board on it's own separate 5volt power supply if need be. I have a heap of these 12volt to 5volt power supplys so if each game board runs off it's own power supply, that should take care of the feedback issues should it not?

 

Each power supply can supply 5 volt @ 3amp and I can switch the 5 volt and ground to each game board if need be so the only thing common wiring wise would be the switch inputs from the control panel.

 

The cabinet lighting will also have it's own 5 volt 3 amp power supply. These are similar to the 12 volt to 5 volt supplys I will be using....

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DC-7V-24V-To-5V-3A-Step-Down-KIS3R33S-Module-5V-USB-Output-Converter-QY/392298365291?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131231084308%26meid%3Dd9ea0b2461a64095ba9adaa600440195%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dlo%26sd%3D392220966139%26itm%3D392298365291&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

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To be honest the original way you were planning probably won't cause any issues, was just throwing it out there as something to consider.

A Jamma switcher would certainly remove any risk and you could swap games by remote control.

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I'm up to the control panel. Here is a virgin Taito 20" panel wood I've made for the cabinet with the slot and latches fitted. Latches fitted to test it all fits and yes it does. It should, I have two original factory Taito wood panels I use as templets for making these things....

 

nPpH8Srl.jpg

 

Other side with the two joystick holes marked and the player 1 and 2 start holes marked....

 

BPlobYVl.jpg

 

Question is how many buttons per player to suit most games in a multigame board? I'm presuming 6 and that way if the game only needs 4, it will still work but can someone confirm.

 

One thing that may upset the Taito purists, I'm not using a Taito aluminum cover plate over this wood panel. One reason, I don't have any new ones but the main reason is in winter that aluminum panel will be freezing in winter time down the farm so I'm going to upholster it. Nothing special, just black vinyl like I have used before in household uses for amusement machines. I actually think it looks nicer and if it gets damaged, I re-upholster it. I'd love to do this panel in a light green that matches the cabinet colour but I think it would be hard to find.

 

One other question, do the multigame boards have prevision for illuminated player 1 and player 2 start buttons?

 

Also multigame board suggestions to suit an east/ west monitor. I'm not a purist. As long as the game is close enough, it's good enough.

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Also multigame board suggestions to suit an east/ west monitor. I'm not a purist. As long as the game is close enough, it's good enough.

 

 

19 in 1

 

https://diyarcade.com.au/products/19-in-1-jamma-arcade-pcb-board-horizontal

 

815 in 1 Pandoras Box

 

https://diyarcade.com.au/collections/all-game-boards/products/pandora-box-4s-jamma-board-horizontal-with-815-games

 

 

https://diyarcade.com.au/collections/horizontal-game-boards

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Any dramas using the Pandora 4s you know of. I don't want to have to upload games to it like I think is required on the Pandora 5. I just want it plug in and go.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Just looking through the games each board has I can say my mate that is funding this project would spit if I didn't go this board as it has Missile Command but I'm presuming that will need a trackball and I have no intention putting in a trackball for one game. Still, it looks like a good product, just a little pricier...

 

https://diyarcade.com.au/collections/horizontal-game-boards/products/138-in-1-jamma-arcade-pcb-board-horizontal

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Yes unneeded buttons just won't be used. You could put 50 in ans no issue ;)

 

Only issue with the Pandoras are that the games list is not alphabetically sorted and you cannot modify most of them. VERY plug and play though.

 

Brad

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Been a bit busy working on the battery powered Taito upright. Drilled out the button, joystick and tee bolt holes in the panel....

 

vys0RMwl.jpg

 

A quick paint of the plywood panel to hold all the laminates together. Something we never did in the factory but I have learnt a quick paint stops all the splinters plus it looks better....

 

PtOCPSrl.jpg

 

Upholstered, buttons, joysticks fitted and a practice fit....

 

jYkKMBZl.jpg

 

T5RYZlpl.jpg

 

Now a question, I think the machine would look better with a black hammertone coin and cash door rather than the standard hammertone grey. Still have the coin entrance plate surrounds, the yellow blanking plate, Taito sticker and coin reject plates as is, just the bare door in black hammertone along with the cashbox door.

 

I just think the black would better suit the black control panel better. Undecided on that one at the moment but airing on the black myself.

 

Now the screen mount. It was like this, fixed screen in a an east west configuration....

 

iyQvc7Dl.jpg

 

Turned out my mate that is funding most of this machine was horrified as most of his favourite games turned out to be north south games. Shit, what to do now. How can I fix this without locking in the machine to one or the other?.

 

How about this....

 

IaDs8yzl.jpg

 

Screen mounted in east west configuration....

 

3cnvJgel.jpg

 

Half way rotated to make sure the monitor spins without striking the bezel guide rails. This was an issue on the prototype so I made cutouts in new bezel guide rails so the corners of the screen don't hit when spinning the monitor...

 

qSsliepl.jpg

 

And rotated to north south configuration....

 

jic4JkLl.jpg

 

The screen rotation. I'm intending on this being controlled by an arm inside the coin door. You push the arm forward and it rotates to north south. You pull the arm back and it returns to east west without any need to remove the glass. The arm has a linkage to the monitor mount.

 

Any feedback?

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That control panel has come up nice.

 

Rotating monitor is a nice bonus and the idea to have the actuating arm in the coin box is also a good idea. I mean I wouldn't bother with it personally. Most of my screens are mounted horizontally and if I REALLY don't like the black bars on either side you can configure a software bezel for it. Still your option gives you more useable screen real estate.

 

As for the Coin Door colour, i'd go black as well. I know traditionally on these they were grey but black looks better in my opinion.

 

Brad

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Machine is looking sharp. I may have gone a bit overboard refurbing this machine. It was supposed to be just a tidy up and made to be useful for the solar battery setup but I sort of went a bit further...:redface

 

The black definitely suits better than the grey however the hammertone paint I used looked more of a dark grey so while it was wet, I added some black and that did the trick. It is now a hammertone satin black, the finish I was after.

 

Now I have some questions, seeing as I'm using a multiboard and a monitor with VGA input port, I see most of those boards have a dedicated VGA output, that means the normal colour drive outputs in the Jamma harness are not needed?. I can leave them out of the harness?.

 

Do I need extra buttons to control the multiboard menu navigation?. If so, what buttons and how many?

 

Should I put in a credit button?.

 

Thanks in advance, I'm pretty much up to making the harness so better to ask now and make it right rather than find out later and have to alter.

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Leave the harness as is.

 

The menu navigation "normally" uses jamma interfaced buttons. On a 60-1 it uses P1, P2, Player Button 1, 2 & 3 off the top of my head. The Pandora boxes are the same you you shouldn't need any extra buttons. I'd put a credit button but again it depends on your board type. 60-1 doesn't use one, Pandora does so check your boards docs as I don't know which one you have. Also since its 2 players you may need two.

 

Brad

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Grey doors and chrome bolts....

 

jYkKMBZl.jpg

 

Black doors and black bolts....

 

VKB9L0Gl.jpg

 

I think the black suits much better but the bolts needed the black as well. Not unusual, we had Taito black bolts that went in a lot of Defender cabs straight out of the factory. If your bolts have a black tar like substance to lock the threads, it factory Japanese. If the bolts have red like nail polish on then it was factory Australian.

 

All the bolts being blackened after de-chroming with the bench grinder....

 

8cWVtFVl.jpg

 

Standard Taito 20" mono cab....

 

BNT28ijl.jpg

 

Now it's a Taito 20" stereo cab. First one ever maybe....

 

tAqoFkml.jpg

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Problem.... monitor controls including ON/ OFF, menu, input select, and volume + and - are all on the face of the monitor and the monitor is under the glass of the machine meaning to adjust or even turn the monitor on would mean taking the glass out. Can't have this and I have no IR remote but I wouldn't have gone down that path anyway. To easy to loose the remote I think. It needs to be hardwired.

 

axoyYwql.jpg

 

Lucky I have a twin of this monitor so out with the hacksaw and glue I think. Needs to be in a convenient location like on the inside of the coin door....

 

4rLw5A0l.jpg

 

Done, 9 wires in total going through the cabinet from the front door and up to the monitor with a connector at the monitor end and the remote panel. This is the connector on the monitor. It has since been set into the monitor case.

 

YY1vYa4l.jpg

 

Now I have a question I should have asked earlier. On a multi game board when the game is horizontal or east / west, the monitor will be in it's normal position as in the monitor will have it's on off switch etc at the bottom of the screen but when the screen is rotated to vertical or north / south configuration, do the games require the monitor to rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise. This is important because I have to allow for the monitor wires to not bind and if I get this wrong, the games will be upside down in north / south games. ATM I have the screen rotating anti-clockwise from east / west to north / south so I have a 50-50 chance I have it right already.

 

Waiting on an answer to this before I can proceed.:(

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Problem.... monitor controls including ON/ OFF, menu, input select, and volume + and - are all on the face of the monitor and the monitor is under the glass of the machine meaning to adjust or even turn the monitor on would mean taking the glass out. Can't have this and I have no IR remote but I wouldn't have gone down that path anyway. To easy to loose the remote I think. It needs to be hardwired.

 

https://i.imgur.com/axoyYwql.jpg

 

Lucky I have a twin of this monitor so out with the hacksaw and glue I think. Needs to be in a convenient location like on the inside of the coin door....

 

https://i.imgur.com/4rLw5A0l.jpg

 

Done, 9 wires in total going through the cabinet from the front door and up to the monitor with a connector at the monitor end and the remote panel. This is the connector on the monitor. It has since been set into the monitor case.

 

https://i.imgur.com/YY1vYa4l.jpg

 

Now I have a question I should have asked earlier. On a multi game board when the game is horizontal or east / west, the monitor will be in it's normal position as in the monitor will have it's on off switch etc at the bottom of the screen but when the screen is rotated to vertical or north / south configuration, do the games require the monitor to rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise. This is important because I have to allow for the monitor wires to not bind and if I get this wrong, the games will be upside down in north / south games. ATM I have the screen rotating anti-clockwise from east / west to north / south so I have a 50-50 chance I have it right already.

 

Waiting on an answer to this before I can proceed.:(

 

If going vertical with a 60in1 it has a dip switch to flip?

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If going vertical with a 60in1 it has a dip switch to flip?

 

Maybe, I'm not sure. That could flip all the games no matter north south or east west?. It could also be for flipping table games between first and second player?. I really don't know.

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Coin door lighting, gotta have lights for the coin slots even when the machine will never take a coin again. More COB LEDs but where to get suitably sized ones for the coin slots?

Who would buy these horrible looking things for $2?....

 

OyLRHb0l.jpg

 

Answer, someone that wants a pair of small, cheap 3volt COB LED arrays....

 

DZHVPDBl.jpg

 

There they are, the yellow things with the wires soldered to them and they fit in the coin inserts....

 

j5V2pMTl.jpg

 

Test them out for brightness and light spread....

 

Iy9P9uUl.jpg

 

I tested them on a 5volt supply, the type I use for RPis actually when I want to run RPis off batteries. 5 volts is to much so I ran the output through a couple of diodes and I ended up with 2.8volts. Close enough for testing.

Now I put the battery in the machine roughly where it will live that will power the whole machine and hooked up the coin slots and header panel lighting. Put in the proper adjustable power supply I'll be using solely for the lighting, set it to 3volts exactly and now let's see how everything lights up....

 

hgvtsD5l.jpg

 

Hmmmm, camera didn't like the green to much but I'm happy with the brightness of both the slots and the header panel....

 

3Nzq04ul.jpg

 

OK, now what's it like in the dark....

 

Uww2mK0l.jpg

 

Pity the camera hates the green but I can say the eyes like it.

 

So that takes care of the machine's lighting. Total demand from the 12volt battery is 450mA. Pretty sure the original Taito 12 volt bulbs in the coin slots were 500mA @ 12volts a piece. That is excellent considering it is doing both coin slots and the header lighting. I could put in a switch to disable the lighting for maximum battery life but I think less than 1/2 amp isn't worth worrying about.

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