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4 player mame cabinet


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Apologies if you are on Arcadecontrols as this is posted there too... however i have some Aus specific Questions

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,159991.0.html

 

So many years ago I built a 2 player cocktail cabinet, fairly standard construction at the time, plywood, computer inside and a crt monitor. Eventually I moved overseas and gave it away to a friend.

 

It's been 15 years ish since I built it and the itch to build another has been ever present, but I have not kept up with the ever changing technology. So I have a few questions.

 

Firstly the plan:

I now have 3 small kids so the aim will be a 4 player stand up cabinet. I want to do this one properly with quality side vinyls and a lit marquee, coin box, etc

4 player games I am thinking of are my childhood classics:

TMNT

Sunset riders

Battle toads

AVP

Simpsons.

DnD

But I also want to be able to play classic 2 players like street fighter etc.

My initial thoughts regarding 2 main players in the middle with 6 buttons each and another player on each end with 4 buttons each.

 

My basic plan is based of the ever popular flynns arcade but with a simpler control panel. I am attempting to design it in fusion 360 but i am thinking this is not the best plan... Seems ok for the side panel design but i am struggling with the CP design to get it looking even etc.

 

Hardware:

I think i want to go with black buttons with transparent sleeves and rgb leds underneath.. not sure yet.

Joysticks i will probably go the replica Sanwa from Ozstick (last time i bought everything from ozstick, is there somewhere better now?)

Ipac 4 to control it all

TV. likely an off brand 32"

 

Construction:

was planning MDF but i saw on one of the forums someone was using black melamine MDF, this sounds like a great plan, anyone have any idea where in AUS you can get that, google has lead me to no decent leads.

also planning T moulding

 

My questions:

What is the go to computer/ processing hardware nowadays? Still computer a computer ? aiming at a 32" TV at the moment

Which OS/ software are people recommending?

Where in Aus is good for buttons etc?

Where in Aus is good for Tmoulding?

What are you using for designing CPOs ? I vaguely recall when i did my last one there was an online software..

Can I set it up so a single coin slot will give generic credits or will I need 4 slots?

 

1592455059_cabside.thumb.PNG.cd60e80b9336290a3cfe82740e49942f.PNG

 

control.thumb.PNG.cff1cfd90fc44add556c8a625652129b.PNG

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What is the go to computer/ processing hardware nowadays? Still computer a computer ? aiming at a 32" TV at the moment

 

- Plenty of people using Raspberry Pi's but a bit fiddly imo. Use a second hand Windows PC for easy configuration. Screen is your choice. CRT or TV for reasonable authenticity, LCD for convenience. I wouldn't be using a widescreen format though. Needs to be 4:3 ratio

 

Which OS/ software are people recommending?

 

- Any Windows flavour will have you sorted

 

Where in Aus is good for buttons etc?

 

- Check out out sponsors section for suppliers

 

Where in Aus is good for Tmoulding?

 

- As above

 

What are you using for designing CPOs ? I vaguely recall when i did my last one there was an online software..

 

- A tape measure and pencil.

 

Can I set it up so a single coin slot will give generic credits or will I need 4 slots?

 

- You'll need 4 slots. You could just use buttons, so your call.

 

Cheers,

 

Brad

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I recently took delivery of a couple of those sanwa replica joysticks you mentioned, and they are great. a step up from the basic zippys for only a few dollars more, they are really precise joysticks. they passed my 8-way joystick accuracy test of a game of scramble - getting through the maze section is almost impossible without a decent and accurate joystick.

 

I've used a pi for all my emulation needs for the last few years and i'd never go back to windows/pc again. too much un-needed system and power overheads, need for cooling, fan noise etc. Pi is 5v, no heat, no fan, no noise. you do have to invest a bit of time learning a new platforms ins and outs but it's really pretty simple once you get to know it, and there are a ton of resources on the web for pi and the retropie system now. i like emulation station's (the retropie front end) built in media scraper which gets all snaps, box art, marquees, cabs, videos etc automatically just set and forget. and the automatic process of downloading and installing new emulators via it's menus, and the ability to transfer files from any networked computer via wifi. Retropie rocks.

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Hi exleb, I based the cab side design from Flynns arcade here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=135116.0 However by all reports and research i have done his CP is not a good design, so i have altered mine to what you can see below.

 

Jed, Thats great news about the joysticks! I have not heard great things about the Pi and its processing power and ability to run all the controls to the TV etc. Have you used one in a full cab setup?

 

Also where in AUS do you get side art and cpo printed? (still a long way away, but budgeting)

 

Below is the current plan for the CP. Thinking the machine will have a 2 coin door and the other players will just have buttons. This should keep the cost down a bit and should still look good.

 

Ke3yPdf.png

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Jed, Thats great news about the joysticks! I have not heard great things about the Pi and its processing power and ability to run all the controls to the TV etc. Have you used one in a full cab setup?

 

 

Yes, i've used the Pi3 B+ in both upright and cocktail machines. they have more than enough processing power to run everything Arcade, even the newer taxing 3D Arcade games like Starblade it will run flawlessly - also all retro computers (C64, Amiga) and consoles (snes, megadrive, nes, neo geo) the only console i have found it is not 100% on emulation is the Nintendo 64, as the N64 had some pretty serious dedicated graphics processing going on.

 

You can output the Pi to any display. it has native hdmi plus headphone jack, or use an hdmi-rgb adaptor ($5) to plug into older monitors. I've used old TV's and RGB monitors. The Pi has 4xUSB so you can use joystick/button encoders like Ipacs etc. It will do everything a PC can at much less power use, a tiny size compared to PC, and way more reliable as there's 0 moving parts and the system is on microsd. Retropie and the Pi hardware has come a long way since the early Pi systems. (Pi 1,2).

 

If you prefer a jamma setup, it's also worth looking at the ArPiCade, an excellent pi system for jamma cabs by @dee2eR. Search here for the thread.

Edited by Jed
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Ok Jed you have my attention, I have wanted one for a while to play with anyway :) I will likely be doing an LCD tv for price and space.

 

Looks like I can get a 3b+ for about$55.

Any 2.5 a phone charger to charge it I guess...

And do you need to buy the heat sinks too?

I will really only be running older games anyway, 90s classics probably a few older too. Do you have a recommendation on memory card size?

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If you prefer a jamma setup, it's also worth looking at the ArPiCade, an excellent pi system for jamma cabs by @dee2eR. Search here for the thread.

 

Thanks for the mention @Jed. At the risk of sounding like I'm shilling my wares, it also has a four player adaptor... lol.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Ok Jed you have my attention, I have wanted one for a while to play with anyway :) I will likely be doing an LCD tv for price and space.

 

Looks like I can get a 3b+ for about$55.

Any 2.5 a phone charger to charge it I guess...

And do you need to buy the heat sinks too?

I will really only be running older games anyway, 90s classics probably a few older too. Do you have a recommendation on memory card size?

I'm not Jed but maybe I can help here. You may as well try a 2.5A charger if you have one, the Pi will put a lightning bolt icon on screen if it's not being adequately powered but you shouldn't hurt it trying what you have already. If that doesn't work I can recommend the official power supply: https://au.element14.com/raspberry-pi/t5989dv/psu-rpi-5v-2-5a-multi-plug-blk/dp/2534971?ost=2534971&ddkey=https%3Aen-AU%2FElement14_Australia%2Fsearch they work great. (you don't need a dedicated RPi power supply if you're using a JAMMA power supply though, even without one of my boards it is easy to use JAMMA PS to power a Pi - worth putting a fuse in line if you do though)

 

You should be fine without a heatsink if there's some space around the Pi, if you have a pretty small case with bad air flow or plan to overclock you will benefit from a heatsink on the APU package. Don't bother with a heatsink on the USB chip, they're completely pointless but included in some kits.

 

If you don't want to run any CD or laserdisc based games you could get away with an 8 gig SD card, 16gig cards are easier to find though and should be plenty. If you want CD based games or 1000s of games with video previews in the menu go bigger. Whatever size with RaspberryPis you will want a good SD card. Knockoffs or low quality cards will corrupt easily on RPi.

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Yes I agree, the Pi 3 def needs the higher 2.5A power supply, particularly if you will have a couple of the USB ports in use. There have been reports of the pis not functioning correctly is underpowered under higher processing loads.
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I've had some low voltage warnings when I run USB powered speakers out of the Pi's - but that was with a Pi2. I've been using Pi3's in the the builds I've been doing lately without the warning. As Dee2er said, get the official Pi PSU and you should be right.

 

For my own image i use a 32GB card which can be had inc delivery for around $11, decent quality Sandisk. I'm running Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, which gobble up a couple GB on their own. PSX games are pretty big too, can run 500MB to 1GB ish, but Arcade-only you can easily get by with smaller cards. Also depends on how much media you want - if you want gameplay videos in the front end, as that can really chew up space when you're talking thousands of roms.

 

Only with the Pi3 B+ increased grunt has later Midway games like NBA Jam Maximum hangtime become Arcade-perfect, which might interest you building a 4P cab.

 

Will be following this build thread, your cab looks like it's going to be great !

 

On heatsinks, what dee2er said. I've never seen need to run heatsinks, only when overclocking do you need them - and it seems like only people interested in N64 emulation or those 'chronic tweakers' want to overclock the Pi3 B+ to increase their frame rate for bragging rights...:D For 80's and 90's Arcade, you wont need to overclock or cool anything, from what i have seen and played so far, anyway!

Edited by Jed
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