Coin accepters and multiple coins

[Nacimroc]

I am trying to find out how coin accepters work. I understand putting one coin in of a certain value triggers a microswitch adding a credit.

......BUT...how do the coin accepters work that you can put a few difference values of coins in to add up to one credit. For example, if 1 euro is needed for a credit, how can they accept 50 cent, 20 20 and 10 cents to trigger a credit? If you know what I mean. Or do the coin accepters only accept 1 type of coin?

Thanks

[Thenasty]

sure there is something like that but it might be to much $$ or way over head for a CAB for home.

What if they put to much, would you want it to give change too 

Why not just hack one that accepts any SIZE coins and gives 1 credit.

[MonMotha]

In the USA, we pretty much decided long ago that our machines would just take a single kind of coin (usually quarters), and we set the games to require X coins for a game, and that's how the pricing is determined.  We also often have bill acceptors (since dollar coins are not in widespread usage) that hook up to the game board via a separate input, and the game knows that the value is different and will award you the appropriate amount of credit.  Most bill acceptors can also be programmed to output the appropriate number of "coin pulses" (e.g. 4 for a dollar bill) to simulate the player putting in 4 coins if the game doesn't support bill acceptors directly.

In many other countries, the use of other size coins is more widespread, so "credit boards" are common along with a more complicated coin mechanisms.  Rather than simply passing coins of a certain type to a switch and rejecting all other coins, these coin mechs determine what kind of coin was inserted and signal some electronics to output a number of pulses that varies with the kind of coin.  E.g. putting in a 10 cent coin would give you one credit (by pulsing the coin signal once) but a 1 dollar coin would give 10 credits (by pulsing the coin signal 10 times).  This is more complicated and prone to failure than the single coin only system, which is probably why it's only used where lots of different coins are common.  I'd say this is probably way more complicated (and expensive) than can be justified for a home system, too.

[Nacimroc]

Thanks for the replies! I am planning on making another jukebox and cab that I will probably end up selling on, and it would need this type of coin accepter to have any chance of being sold quickly. (which I found out last time I sold my jukebox).  I googled and found some that connect through USB/serial and accept 6 different type of coins. The ones I found were about $120. I'm just curious as to how this would register with the PC or jukebox software. Using a keyboard encoder same as the others probably ?

Here is one for example http://coin-acceptor.com/

The bit thats confusing me is that as you say if for example it requires 1 euro for a credit, would it pulse for each 10 cent added (smallest denomination) or would it hold off until the full amount had been received before sending the pulse to the PC? Because if it sends pulse for each 10 cents I've no idea how to configure this to MAME or jukebox software.

Thanks again

[Crazy Cooter]

I am planning on making another jukebox and cab that I will probably end up selling... if it sends pulse for each 10 cents I've no idea how to configure this to MAME or jukebox software

A word of caution and a quick bit of advice:
Eventually a coin-accepting juke/arcade will be owned by someone whom thinks it is legal (which it is not).  Under a police investigation, since you built it, you're the responsible party.  Certain entities are beginning to pursue people for this so I'd look at other sources for extra income. 

[Nacimroc]

I am planning on making another jukebox and cab that I will probably end up selling... if it sends pulse for each 10 cents I've no idea how to configure this to MAME or jukebox software

A word of caution and a quick bit of advice:
Eventually a coin-accepting juke/arcade will be owned by someone whom thinks it is legal (which it is not).  Under a police investigation, since you built it, you're the responsible party.  Certain entities are beginning to pursue people for this so I'd look at other sources for extra income.  

I think you might be the opposite side of the pond to me? I'm in Ireland so I'm hoping those laws don't apply to me. Just out of interest why would it be illegal? Other than not being safety certified etc ?

Edit: I am only refering to jukeboxes (assuming I bought commercial license)! I understand the arcade cabs argument alright

[mgb]

As far as coin mech go here in the US. the coin mech is the part inside behind the coin chute.

that part gets changed out for different currency such as if a machine takes quarters or for whatever size tokens it may take.
Vending machines have setups to take multiple different coins and I've worked on redemption games with coin mechs that use a reference coin in a slot, so that sets what coin it is to take.

Heres a link to a place that has some multi-coin mechs, I'm not sure if they help
http://www.weavefuture.com/

[lilshawn]

I think you might be the opposite side of the pond to me? I'm in Ireland so I'm hoping those laws don't apply to me. Just out of interest why would it be illegal? Other than not being safety certified etc ?

oh boy, here we go again...

[Crazy Cooter]

I'm in Ireland so I'm hoping those laws don't apply to me.

http://irma.ie/

Ask these guys as they will know for sure, but every country I've ever looked at has laws in place governing commercial licensing of music (this includes broadcasting your own cd's in a commercial establishment as well as jukeboxes)

[lilshawn]

generally speaking it's against the law EVERYWHERE to make money by publicly playing music/videos and not give the artists (or representatives) their cut.

now whether or not is is enforced is another matter entirely.

[Nacimroc]

I've checked with a few jukebox suppliers and they say the onus is on the premises to pay it! Now if my jukebox burns the place down thats a difference story! 

[grantspain]

stick a credit board on-something like a klingon
what coin mech are you using?
also there are coin mechs with built in credit boards such as a cashflow c340

[Dexter]

I've checked with a few jukebox suppliers and they say the onus is on the premises to pay it! Now if my jukebox burns the place down thats a difference story!  

To the best of my knowledge the position in Ireland is that the premises pays an annual fee to IMRO if music is to be played on a commercial premises. You'll see the IRMO sticker on the windows of everything from barbers to clubs. I think it falls under IRMAs remit if theres pirated music being payed on the premises.

[Nacimroc]

stick a credit board on-something like a klingon
what coin mech are you using?
also there are coin mechs with built in credit boards such as a cashflow c340

I haven't decided on anything! Im jsut trying to figure it all out. I found loads of different types, but I have no idea what I'm looking for. Presumably some of them can output a pulse etc to a PC, but how I would configure this to any jukebox software is the confusing bit. 

[lilshawn]

how I would configure this to any jukebox software is the confusing bit.

depends largely on the software...

http://coin-acceptor.com/

can plug directly into the com ports or into USB but your software must be able to read the port to get the coinage to recieve it.

OR

you can hack a keyboard or keyboard interface such as the I-PAC http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html then just configure you jukebox program to add a credit using the "B" button or whatever one you hack into. then just have your coin switch "press" the "B" button to issue the credit when the coin is inserted.



ugh i feel sick all of a sudden...