Looking to add more controls to my cocktail cabinet table build (w. pics!)

[hamuelo]

Hi everyone,

New to posting on the forums here - long time lurker, think I've finally got something worth posting about.

So I recently bought a refurb. Taito cocktail table build off eBay, and it's pretty neat! It's got a 60-in-1 Jamma board in it, LCD monitor (doesn't bother me) new power supply, new controls, etc. etc. I've attached a picture of the internal stuff to this post to hopefully help work out what is going on in there.

So what I want to do, is add another pair of controls to the top of the cabinet and load in another Jamma board with some simultaneous two-player games on (fighters, side scrollers etc.) to add to the functionality of my machine. Again, I've attached a (very rough) mock-up to help visualise.

So I see you can get boards that take two Jamma boards at once, allowing you to switch, so I guess that's covered - but how do I go about wiring in a whole new set of controls to my existing setup? I don't want the new controls to be active when playing the 60-in-1, and vice versa.

So will this be easy enough to do? There's stacks of space inside the cabinet. Will I need another power supply? Bit of a noob when it comes to this stuff so just thought I'd share my ideas and see what you pros think. Maybe someone can point me in the direction of some good info on this.

Thanks everyone, and hi, by the way!
Cheers!
-SD.

[Unstupid]

Kinda defeats the whole point of a cocktail cab if you go and mount controllers on top of the glass.... 

[hamuelo]

Yeah I know, but I haven't got room for a full cabinet! This'll have to do...

[CheffoJeffo]

Why do you want a second set of controls ?

[hamuelo]

Hey thanks for the replies everyone - well it's so I can add something like this - http://www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk/products/happyfish2gameboard.htm - and play slightly more modern 2-player games on the same machine. The 60-in-1 is great, but there's no fighters, no side scrolling shooters (metal slug, etc), and that side-by-side is something I'd really like to add to my cabinet, to really get the most out of it.

What do you reckon?

(edit: The need for new controls being that those kind of games all need horizontal orientation, so I'd have to sit round the other end of the table)

(double edit: awesome avatar CheffoJeffo... Bork bork bork...)

[hamuelo]

Ok so I'm thinking the best way to do this would essentially be to wire in a whole separate set of controls along with the second jamma board, and then just pump it into the secondary input on the monitor, so all you gotta do is switch channels to play the other board.

So I'll essentially have two setups within the one cabinet.

But this throws up the problem - how do I power two boards/sets of controls from the one same power supply? Can you even do that?

[Unstupid]

Just use a jamma switcher like this: http://www.jammaboards.com/store/2-in-1-multijamma-switcher-pcb-gbs-8118-/prod_324.html  or the 6 in 1... 

[hamuelo]

Sure, but the problem is I need an entirely new set of controls for when you're sat in the 'horizontal' position. So I'm thinking the only way around it is to wire in an entire separate Jamma board - and harness - up to an entirely new pair of controls. So all I need to do now is power two setups from the same power supply. How would I do that?

[Unstupid]

Why don't you just wire the 2 controllers to the same input?  So if you press up on the side controller it is the same as pressing up on the front controller. 

[BobA]

There is no controller.  All he has is a 60 in 1 board that displays vertical games.  The controls go right to the 60 in 1 board.    As far as I see it you need a new control panel with the joystick or sticks and buttons to tie into your horizontal display and new jamma board.  It does not matter which board you chose you wil have to position yourself at the end of the cab to view the screen properly.

[Unstupid]

When I say controller I mean controller as in a joystick.  He can wire up a joystick mounted on the front and a joystick mounted on the side to the same input on the Jamma edge of the 6in1 switcher.   Hell never need to use both joysticks at the same time.   

[BobA]

Now I understand what you said.  You mean 2 joysticks into the jamma connector at the same point.

[hamuelo]

Right, that sounds cool actually. An it sounds like it would solve my problem perfectly.

So is it that hard to double up inputs like that? I.e have two of everything, as mentioned above? Any guides about?