Sub Mini Laserdisc Themed Arcade Machine

[ark_ader]

Well I decided to continue with this project after destroying the first prototype in 2009. 

I also started college and I did not have the time devoted with work, etc.

Before I started the 2012 project I needed some new parts as I wanted the unit to be really small but cool.

I was going to wait for the Raspberry Pi, but I fear that this little device will be sold out before I can get my hands on one, so I opted for the original Thinkpad kit.

I felt that the previous build was too tall and I needed something that would not restrict my hands.  I also want to add a couple of more buttons to it to play Cliff Hanger and some Shups. 

I also want to play Thayers Quest, so I will be adding a mini keyboard to the build.

The last attempt was made with particleboard and that posed many problems with the construction, so I will opt for half inch mdf.

Our weather is not so fantastic at the moment, so this project will be stop and start, but not last 2 years...

I got some new controls I want to add, and I have converted all my Laserdisc games to run on this platform.  I will also have Mame but just for the 4 way games.

I want this to look like a Dedicated Dragon's Lair cab or a Cliff Hanger but I am at odds to make this a vertical Mach 3 and have all the laser stuff run vertical, but I will have to cardboard mock this idea first.

My size I am going for is 12 inches tall x 14 wide x 10" deep.  I picked up some flashing volcano buttons I want to add for player buttons.

I will start construction tomorrow (should be clear and dry) and I will post pics. 

Due to the size it will not be a traditional cabinet design, but at the end of the day I am going to be playing with it.

More function than form.

I was going to make it a Coleco Tabletop Dragon's Lair, but I will have to wait for Raspberry Pi as that will be perfect to drive my recently acquired 7inch display.

 

[ark_ader]

Got my tools out of the shed to do some cutting work today, and they are 90% rusty.  Looks like I have a hole in the old shed roof and got all my tools gunked up. 

Well I always wanted new tools! 

Got my Keywiz and laptop all put together.  Just want to advise anyone pulling apart a laptop - to stay away from LCD inverter. 

Treat it with fear.  I have lost 5 screens to Thinkpad inverters so far.  If you are going to move it have a home already for it on the bezel.

Everything works 100% and the joystick and buttons work.  I'm finding the information on the volcano buttons is hard to come by.  I need to find the covers for them...

Maybe RAM Controls will have some!!!   

[Le Chuck]

Twisty Wrist has some cones and buttons in stock, prices are better than Rams and they physically exist from what I understand.  I haven’t ordered from them but Yaksplat gave them an up on another thread here today.

Thinking about getting a set myself.

[ark_ader]

Twisty Wrist has some cones and buttons in stock, prices are better than Rams and they physically exist from what I understand.  I haven’t ordered from them but Yaksplat gave them an up on another thread here today.

Thinking about getting a set myself.

Thanks buddy I'll check it out! 

[ark_ader]

Well it was a washout or a rustout day 

I decided to look at my design again. 

I wanted a smaller compact theme, so I cracked open jakobud's DL plans out again.  The last version was scaled down cabinet of the original, but looking at the marquee area (I always get this wrong) it is not at a 90 degrees at the bottom but more like 40.  I have to get a speaker in there and a decent (which I have somewhere) Atari logo as I want to make it a lazy Euro DL.  The not so lazy version requires a hardware scoreboard but this will be on screen.



I have yet to cardboard prototype it but I think I have it correct.  The Light blue is the speakers, the Black bar at the bottom is the laptop screen, the rest is fascia and the marquee area.  I still want to make it 12 inches high and I will most likely have to remove another inch or two for depth.  It says 12 but should read 10.  Due to the laptop ports, I have to widen the cabinet unless I want a vertical cab (which I don't now) to make room for all the cables sticking out.

Unless someone knows where I can get right angled USB, PS/2 connectors.   

Besides I want it to pull games from my NAS and the wifi card sticks out a good few inches.

I'm looking forward to getting this built and have all the proper artwork on.

Cannot decide on DL or Space Ace....

Stay tuned....

[ark_ader]

I found some cool looking MDF says 4mm MDF instead of cardboard and it is easy to trace and cut.

Might be too flimsy for building, but it is sure cheap!

Got my 7inch display from ebay hoping it will work with a smaller cab. 

Seems it needs headphone to 3 phono (which I have for my phone and doesn't work) and it might be an unique cable type.  Bummer.

Will have some time tomorrow to get something together.   

[ark_ader]

I recently won a dead 240x thinkpad and cannibalized it for my 240 Thinkpad (Celeron vs P3) and I like it so much I've decided to keep it.  Now I have a 14" laptop that is perfect for this project with a P3-800.   But it needs a typical bartop design like so many others shown on this forum, as it is more of a luggable than a titsy laptop. 

At least with the added weight I won't have cabinet wobble, so it is back to the drawing board.  I want to keep the existing design for the tablet and have a dock.  I disassembled a Zeemote and they are indeed hackable, so I might have the the BT arcade to rival the iCade.  Also the recent update to Dragon's Lair allows BT control, and I am sure Space Ace isn't too far away.

So I will now have two projects running!   

[ark_ader]

I have redesigned the cabinet to take the larger display.  The original design was for a 10" and now I have a 14" to play with.  The design is nearly the same but I just made it fatter.  Height will be 16"x10"x10".  Not completely proportionate to the original cabinet but hey its a bartop! Still undecided whether to make it a Space Ace or a Dragon's Lair.  I'm thinking Space Ace.... I like the artwork.  I'm trying to remember if the original cabinet had momentary switches for the levels.  I hope so. 

Ordered the volcano casings, not sure how to hook the lights up to the KeyWiz.  To get power off the KeyWiz or via USB.  The laptop has floppy and CD so I am tempted to make a side mod for access.  The laptop is a Thinkpad 390E and just barely fits in.  I decased the monitor housing and managed to rewire the display to get the right screen orientation.  I did a better job of not frying the inverter this time.

I have it all drawn out on the MDF, just waiting for a not so freezing day.

The other arcade project has got a new BT interface.  I bought a smashed up wiimote and started to hack it for the Hannspad.  It works OK, and managed to play a few Mame games with it.  Dragon's Lair works with it.

I'll post pictures after cutting. 

[ark_ader]

I have added a design to reflect a Space ace 91 or DL2 cab.  I do not have enough space (I want to keep it short) for the marquee area and I am having trouble getting the artwork.  The traditional marquee area is proving difficult to implement with the size area, so I will have more room with the 91 design.  Thanks to Jakobud for the plans.

I have some scans of SA91 and I will use that. Besides the artwork looks so much nicer than old 83.  I fired off an Email to Mr Bluth for the side art of the cab.  I cannot find it anywhere, and maybe he will be kind enough to send me a sample.  I am looking forward to getting the cutting done and start playing with it.

Started work on drafting the docking mechanism for the Hannspad.  I want it to slide in and out smoothly so I am looking at adding rollers into the mounting slide.

I wanted something like the PCMCIA eject buttons on a laptop. 

The dock will include the power adapter into the design and maybe the micro USB.

[ark_ader]

Had a nice day, finally, to do some proper cutting, and got all my pieces cut.  Since I have three projects running, I decided to start with the first idea, and do a Space or Dragons Lair.

I managed to get two more Thinkpad 240 laptops (as I am not very good with the LCD inverters) in case I junk one.  I will keep them in plastics, and worry about the thermals from the power brick.

The problem I have is scale.

The last DL project was to be roughly a third of the actual cabinet.  Now I am height challenged (6' 3"), and it would be bad on my back to play a cabinet designed for a four year old, thus I scrapped the idea.

Coming back to the bartop idea, I tried to get the same scale, but at 33% the scale itself is a challenge.  I want to feed power from the laptop via USB to power the lights.

So I got the laptop out on the workbench and plugged in all the cables sprouting from the side.  Which makes the base width larger than the required 7.5".

I do have a 7" monitor but I want a 10" and I do not want it too high, which my max height is 12 inches.  The height is scaled properly with is a plus.

So it is going to be a short squat bartop so I can at least add a few more buttons. 

I'm adjusting the Jakobud plans now, and I hope to be at construction stage by weekend.

Once I have the prototype finished I can change the thickness of the MDF.

The Android DL cab is still in design, as I am having problems sorting out the eject mechanism.

I want it to remove the tablet without scratching it.  I looked at felt but it heats up the screen too much. 

[ark_ader]

Well I had a dufus moment.  Got all the designs down to 33% and stupid me, miscalculated when in fact the cabinet is 25%....grrrr!

Checked my screen display and it was 6.7"  not 9" so some good news for a change.  Not much room for the control panel, and I have one of these I am going to use, but I do not know how to shorten the stick.



I think it would fit perfectly but will be a little bit tall.  They are great for wood mounting as they occupy a standard button hole.

I'm going to try and position the cpu vertically to make the cabinet proportional. 

Cannot wait to get the prototype built!

[Le Chuck]

Looks like it screws off from the base Ark, if so I'd use a fine jeweler's saw and take it down by hand then use a tap to rethread the hole providing it's hollow core.  If not you'll have to drill it out then tap.   

[ark_ader]

Well this project is back on.

I picked up a damaged 7 inch Tablet which is not Bluetooth but works with compatible USB HID.

It plays all the games but the previous proposed design of the DL cabinet design will have to be smaller.

Yep pics to follow or it didn't happen.