1:6 scale vpin hardware quest

[Le Chuck]

So this mini I'm building has pretty much got me hooked on the genre.  It's the hardest thing I've ever built and has been a fun challenge.  Got me thinking about a few other 1:6 scale dedicated cabs I want to build (Tron is up next) then somebody posted something about a super mini vpin and that got me thinking.

I want to build a 1:6 scale vpin to go with my 1:6 scale arcade I'm going to slowly amass until I I can open a 1:6 scale alladin's castle for all my 1:6 scale friends.  Most pins are 30" wide.  Scale that down and you've got 5 whole inches of width to work with. 

Anybody know of a computer that can run two monitors and has a MoBo only 5 inches wide... that has the ass to run vpin tables?  Mini ATX come in at 5.7" so I may make it a wide body and go that route if they have to speed to even run the games.  Will need a really tiny ass graphics card too.  Solid State HD for sure and external power okay. 

I was thinking handheld gaming systems would be ideal to hack but I don't know any that are running tables and I don't think I can get a second monitor up and running.  I fear that the hardware just might not be out there yet but I wanted to kick this out into the community for recommendations and good ideas.     

[macattack]

Not sure what pins you have been sizing, but a std pin is around 22" wide and a widebody around 25". Maybe and I'd space invader or Atari come close to 30" but it's not the norm.

Nice idea, was looking a build something using a couple of 7" USB screens sometime back.

[Le Chuck]

You're right, don't know what I was thinking, probably trying to squeeze every inch I could.  Paragon is a 30" widebody and TZ is a 28 or 28.5 I think so let's assume that I'm using the paragon design.  If we can find something really small I'd like to go with a regular design but I don't think that 3.7 of width is inches is going to happen.   

[bkenobi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_form_factor

5" = 127mm

Looks like your choices are:

Code: [Select]

Nano-ITX 120 ื 120
COM Express 125 ื 95
ESMexpress 125 ื 95
ETX/XTX 114 ื 95
Pico-ITX 100 ื 72
PC/104 (-Plus) 96 ื 90
ESMini 95 ื 55
Qseven 70 ื 70
mobile-ITX 60 ื 60
CoreExpress 58 ื 65

[Le Chuck]

Thanks, that list helped a lot actually.  Helped me track down this Via ArtiGo Pico-ITX Kit.

Specs are:  

Processor   1.0GHz VIA Eden™ X2 CPU
Chipset   VIA VX900H Media System Processor
Memory   Up to 4GB memory
Integrated VIA Chrome 9™ HD DX9 3D/2D video processor
with MPEG-2, WMV9/VC1, H.264 video decoding acceleration

Storage Interface   
1 x SATA interface for 2.5" HDD or Flash SSD
1 x SD card reader slot (optional module)

Operating System Support   Windows 7 / XP / XP Embedded, Linux
USB Ports   4 x USB 2.0 host ports
1 x USB 2.0 device port
Audio Ports   1 x Line-out, 1 x Line-in, 1 x Mic-in
Display Ports   1 x VGA port, 1 x HDMI port
Input Voltage   DC 12V
Power Supply   100~240v input AC/DC adapter
Dimensions   146 x 52 x 99 mm / 5.7” x 2.0” x 3.9” (W x H x D)
Weight   0.6 kg / 1.32lbs (w/o HDD)


With ram and SSD it'll be around $350, which is pricy but it's tiny, really tiny.  I have never run any sort of vpin at all so I don't know how this will fare but as the monitors will be small I can bump down the resolution on the table and that would help a lot I imagine.  Also don't know if the onboard display can split (one screen HDMI, one screen VGA two dif images) or if it's beefy enough as is.  Any recommendations?  

[BobA]

Pico ITX is small but a VIA Eden will not have the legs to run more complex FP or VP tables.

[Le Chuck]

Pico ITX is small but a VIA Eden will not have the legs to run more complex FP or VP tables.

Any recommendations for minimum processor requirements and anybody know how much of the processor requirement you can shave by using lower rez tables?

[MonMotha]

If you get your dimensions up to standard Mini-ITX (170mm square), there are lots of options.  The AMD Bobcat based "APU" systems have surprisingly decent graphics (comparable to a low-end Radeon HD2xxx series) with no separate GPU required, and they're only about 20W so the heat should be manageable.

[Le Chuck]

Just downloaded and started playing Pinball Arcade on my Ipad based on PBJ's endorsement. 
1) I am impressed as all hell with this program
2) I need to find a good droid tablet with the right screen size and just use that.  Baring that I'll get the windows version and head back to small form but I think that a 1:6 tablet based build should be more than doable.  Just need to get a wee-mote hack working for the flipper buttons in Pinball Arcade.

[05SRT4]

I wish they had a Solid Pinball game for the PSP!! I have one collecting dust and I want to work it into something.

[Ginsu Victim]

I wish they had a Solid Pinball game for the PSP!! I have one collecting dust and I want to work it into something.

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

The best there is.

[05SRT4]

I wish they had a Solid Pinball game for the PSP!! I have one collecting dust and I want to work it into something.

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

The best there is.

Hmm your right, and it says the psp model has a vertical playing screen option. i may look into this.
Sorry to jump on your thread Le Chuck.

[Le Chuck]

Not at all man, you were the one who suggested PSP first... on my thread tho so I'm claiming partial ownership 

Just checked this out as well and added a used copy to my Amazon shopping cart.  May as well give it a whirl for 10 bucks.  Another nice thing is I can do component to VGA on a PSP slim and get it scaled up to the screen size for 1:6 scale as the PSP screen is too small for the scale I want to stick with.  I call dibs on a scale funhouse if this game pans out  .

Ginsu - thanks for the recommendation, this may prove to be just the thing... and who knows, Pinball Arcade might eventually do a PSP port which would just increase my library.  It'll probably either be this or an Ipod touch running Pinball Arcade with monitor out.  More research is necessary... hmm, off to play pinball 

[rockyrocket]

Took me ages to find the link again but this guy made a small cab, seemed smaller in my memories though, and its gigantic compared to what you have planed...
http://hackaday.com/2010/10/06/mini-pinball-is-all-pixels/